MY VERY WORTHY FRIEND,—­

Have the goodness to send me the Rochlitz article on the Beethoven works, and we will return it to you forthwith by the flying, driving, riding, or migrating post.

Yours,

BEETHOVEN.

[Footnote 1:  The Rochlitz’sche article is probably the report in the A.M.  Zeitung of the works performed at the grand concert of May 7.]

384.

TO HERR SCHOTT,—­MAYENCE.

1824.

The Overture[1] that you got from my brother was recently performed here, and I received many eulogiums on the occasion.

What is all this compared to the grandest of all masters of harmony above! above! above!  Rightfully the Most High!  While here below all is a mere mockery—­Dwarfs—­and the Most High!!

You shall receive the Quartet with the other works.  You are open and candid, qualities which I never before found in publishers, and this pleases me.  I say so in writing, but who knows whether it may not soon be in person?  I wish you would transmit the sum due for the Quartet to P., as at this moment I require a great deal of money, for I derive everything from foreign sources, and sometimes a delay occurs—­caused by myself.

[Footnote 1:  The Overture to which he alludes is no doubt Op. 124, in C major, Zur Weihe des Hauses, published by Schott.  It was performed in the great concert of May 23 of this year (1824), which in the estimation of a Beethoven, already absorbed in new great works, might well be termed “recently performed.”  Schott himself says the letter is written between July 3 and September 17, 1824.]

385.

TO THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH.

Baden, August 23, 1824.

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS,—­

I live—­how?—­the life of a snail.  The unfavorable weather constantly throws me back, and at these baths it is impossible to command one’s natural strength.  A few days ago, Naegeli, a musical author and poet of considerable repute, wrote to me from Zurich; he is about to publish 200 poems, and among these some are suitable for musical composition.  He urged me much to apply to Y.R.H. to request that you would be graciously pleased to subscribe to this collection.  The price is very moderate, 20 groschen, or 1 florin 80 kreutzers.  Were Y.R.H. to subscribe for six copies, it would immediately be noised abroad, although I am well aware that my illustrious master does not care for anything of the kind; it will suffice for the present if Y.R.H. will condescend to inform me of your will on the subject.  The money can be paid when the copies arrive, probably a couple of months hence.  I have conveyed Herr Naegeli’s request, and now I must ask another favor, on his account, from myself.  Everything cannot be measured by line and plummet; but Wieland says:  “A little book may be well worth a few groschen.”  Will Y.R.H. therefore honor these poems by permitting your august name to be prefixed to them, as a token of your sympathy for the benefit of this man? the work is not likely to be quite devoid of value.  Being convinced of Y.R.H.’s interest in all that is noble and beautiful, I hope I shall not fail in my intercession for Naegeli, and I beg that Y.R.H. will give me a written permission to inform Naegeli that you will be one of his subscribers.