s part of the biography as an annotated digest of Chopin's letters,
of those addressed to his parents as well as of those to his friend
Woyciechowski.

At last came the 19th of August, the day of our travelling-party's
departure. Chopin passed the whole forenoon in making valedictory
visits, and when in the afternoon he had done packing and writing, he
called once more on Haslinger--who promised to publish the Variations in
about five weeks--and then went to the cafe opposite the theatre, where
he was to meet Gyrowetz, Lachner, Kreutzer, and others. The rest shall
be told in Chopin's own words:--

After a touching parting--it was really a touching parting
when Miss Blahetka gave me as a souvenir her compositions
bearing her own signature, and her father sent his
compliments to you [Chopin's father] and dear mother,
congratulating you on having such a son; when young Stein
[one of the well-known family of pianoforte-manufacturers and
musicians] wept, and Schuppanzigh, Gyrowetz, in one word, all
the other artists, were much moved--well then, after this
touching parting and having promised to return soon, I
stepped into the stage-coach.

This was at nine o'clock in the evening, and Chopin and his
fellow-travellers, accompanied for half-an-hour by Nidecki and some
other Poles, leaving behind Vienna and Vienna friends, proceeded on
their way to Bohemia.

Prague was reached by our travellers on August 21. The interesting old
town did not display its beauties in vain, for Chopin writes admiringly
of the fine views from the castle hill, of the castle itself, of "the
majestic cathedral with a silver statue of St. John, the beautiful
chapel of St. Wenceslas, inlaid with amethysts and other precious
stones," and promises to give a fuller and more detailed description of
what he has seen by word of mouth. His friend Maciejowski had a
letter of introduction to Waclaw Hanka, the celebrated philologist and
librarian of the National Museum, to whom Chopin introduced himself as
the godson of Count Skarbek. On visiting the museum they were asked,
like all on whom the librarian bestowed his special attention, to write
their names in the visitors' book. Maciejowski wrote also four mazurka
strophes eulogising Hanka's scientific achievements, and Chopin set
them to music. The latter brought with him from Vienna six letters
of introduction--one from Blahetka and five from Wurfel--which were
respectively add