As it will interest you to hear something of the performance, I will now briefly describe it.  The orchestra and choruses consisted of 422 persons, and many very distinguished people among them.  The first day commenced with a new Symphony of mine, and afterwards Handel’s Alexander’s Feast.  The second day began with your new Symphony, followed by the Davide Penitente of Mozart, the overture to the Flaute Magico, and the Mount of Olives.  The applause of the public was almost terrific.  I had been in Aix-la-Chapelle from the 3d of May on purpose to conduct the rehearsals, and as a mark of the satisfaction and enthusiasm of the public, I was called forward at the close of the performance, when an ode and a laurel crown were presented to me by a lady (a very pretty one too), and at the same moment another poem and a shower of flowers followed from the upper boxes.  All was pleasure and contentment, and every one says that this is the finest of the seven Whitsuntide festivals held here.

I cannot sufficiently lament that your other music arrived too late to make use of it.  It was indeed utterly impossible to do so.  I herewith send you, my dear friend, a check for 40 Louis d’or on Heppenmayer & Co. in Vienna, according to our agreement, and beg you will acknowledge the receipt, that I may settle everything relating to Aix-la-Chapelle.

I am glad that you have not accepted any engagement in England.  If you choose to reside there, you must previously take measures to ensure your finding your account in it.  From the Theatre alone Rossini got L2500.  If the English wish to do anything at all remarkable for you, they must combine, so that it may be well worth your while to go there.  You are sure to receive enough of applause, and marks of homage, but you have had plenty of these during your whole life.  May all happiness attend you.  Dear Beethoven, yours ever,

FERDINAND RIES.]

427.

TO HIS NEPHEW.

Baden, June 28, 1825.

MY DEAR SON,—­

As in this heat you may perhaps wish to bathe, I send you two more florins.  You must be careful to take a written receipt from those to whom you pay money; for that errors do occur is proved by the blue cloth, and the three florins for the looking-glass.  You are a thorough Viennese, and although I do not expect you to become a W.W. (depreciated Vienna currency), still it is no disgrace at your age to give an exact account of all that you receive, as no one is considered to be of age till five and twenty, and even if you had property of your own, you would be obliged to account for it to your guardian at your present years.  Let us not refer to the past; it would be easy to do so, but only cause me pain; at last it would come to this, “You are indeed a first-rate guardian,” &c.  If you had any depth of feeling you would have acted very differently in most things.

Now as to my domestic rabble; yesterday the kitchenmaid was off again and got a fresh place; the cause is difficult to discover from my old witch, who is now once more all smiles, and no longer persists in declaring that she has incurred any loss from the weekly bills; what do you think of that?