, 1811.

Your Excellency:

The pressing business of a friend of mine, one of your great admirers
(as I also am), who is leaving here in a great hurry, gives me only a
moment to offer my thanks for the long time I have known you (for I know
you from the days of my childhood)--that is very little for so much.
Bettina Brentano has assured me that you would receive me in a
kindly--yes, indeed friendly, spirit. But how could I think of such a
reception, seeing that I am only in a position to approach you with the
deepest reverence, with an inexpressibly deep feeling for your noble
creations? You will shortly receive from Leipzig, through Breitkopf and
Haertel, the music to _Egmont_, this glorious _Egmont_, with which I,
with the same warmth with which I read it, was again through you
impressed by it and set it to music. I should much like to know your
opinion of it; even blame will be profitable for me and for my art, and
will be as willingly received as the greatest praise.

Your Excellency's great admirer,

LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN.

NO. 1017

TO B. SCHOTT & SON, MAINZ

(Summer, 1824).

Dear Sirs:

I only tell you that next week the works will certainly be sent off. You
will easily understand, if you only imagine to yourself, that with
uncertain copying I have to look through each part separately--for this
branch has already decreased here in proportion as tuning has been taken
up. Everywhere poverty of spirit--and of purse! Your _Cecilia_ I have
not yet received.

The _Overture_ which you had from my brother was performed here a few
days ago, and I received high praise for it, etc.--but what is all that
in comparison with the great Tone-Master above--above--above--and with
right the greatest of all, while here below everything is a mockery--_we
the little dwarfs are the highest_!!!?? You will receive the quartet at
the same time as the other works. You are so open and frank--qualities
which I have never yet noticed in publishers--and this pleases me. Let
us shake hands over it; who knows whether I shall not do that in person
and soon! I should be glad if you would now at once forward the
honorarium for the quartet to Friess, for I just now want a great deal
of money; everything must come to me from abroad, and here and there a
delay arises--through my own fault. My brother adds what is necessary
about the works offered to, and accepted by, you. I greet you heartily.
Junker, as I see from your newspaper, is