You should then see me as happy as I am ever destined to be here below—­not unhappy.  No! that I could not endure; I will boldly meet my fate, never shall it succeed in crushing me.  Oh! it is so glorious to live one’s life a thousand times over!  I feel that I am no longer made for a quiet existence.  You will write to me as soon as possible?  Pray try to prevail on Steffen [von Breuning] to seek an appointment from the Teutonic Order somewhere.  Life here is too harassing for his health; besides, he is so isolated that I do not see how he is ever to get on.  You know the kind of existence here.  I do not take it upon myself to say that society would dispel his lassitude, but he cannot be persuaded to go anywhere.  A short time since, I had some music in my house, but our friend Steffen stayed away.  Do recommend him to be more calm and self-possessed, which I have in vain tried to effect; otherwise he can neither enjoy health nor happiness.  Tell me in your next letter whether you care about my sending you a large selection of music; you can indeed dispose of what you do not want, and thus repay the expense of the carriage, and have my portrait into the bargain.  Say all that is kind and amiable from me to Lorchen, and also to mamma and Christoph.  You still have some regard for me?  Always rely on the love as well as the friendship of your

BEETHOVEN.

[Footnote 1:  “Too much sleep is hurtful” is marked by a thick score in the Odyssey (45, 393) by Beethoven’s hand.  See Schindler’s Beethoven’s Nachlass.]

19.

TO KAPELLMEISTER HOFMEISTER,—­LEIPZIG.[1]

Vienna, Dec. 15, 1800.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN ART,—­

I have often intended to answer your proposals, but am frightfully lazy about all correspondence; so it is usually a good while before I can make up my mind to write dry letters instead of music.  I have, however, at last forced myself to answer your application. Pro primo, I must tell you how much I regret that you, my much-loved brother in the science of music, did not give me some hint, so that I might have offered you my quartets, as well as many other things that I have now disposed of.  But if you are as conscientious, my dear brother, as many other publishers, who grind to death us poor composers, you will know pretty well how to derive ample profit when the works appear.  I now briefly state what you can have from me. 1st.  A Septet, per il violino, viola, violoncello, contra-basso, clarinetto, corno, fagotto;—­tutti obbligati (I can write nothing that is not obbligato, having come into the world with an obbligato accompaniment!) This Septet pleases very much.  For more general use it might be arranged for one more violino, viola, and violoncello, instead of the three wind-instruments, fagotto, clarinetto, and corno.[2] 2d.  A Grand Symphony with full orchestra [the 1st]. 3rd.  A pianoforte Concerto [Op. 19], which I by no means