ed
with him, and on April 1, 1806, his return to Paris was celebrated by
a brilliant fete improvised for him at the Conservatory. Fate, however,
had not done with her persecutions, for fate in France took the shape of
Napoleon, whose hostility, easily aroused, was implacable; who aspired
to rule the arts and letters as he did armies and state policy; who
spared neither Cherubini nor Madame de Stael. Cherubini was neglected
and insulted by authority, while honors were showered on Mehul, Gretry,
Spontini, and Lesueur. He sank into a state of profound depression, and
it was even reported in Vienna that he was dead. He forsook music and
devoted himself to drawing and botany. Had he not been a great musician,
it is probable he would have excelled in pictorial art. One day the
great painter David entered the room where he was working in crayon on a
landscape of the Salvator Rosa style. So pleased was the painter that he
cried, "Truly admirable! Courage!" In 1808 Cherubini found complete
rest in a visit to the country-seat of the Prince de Chimay in Belgium,
whither he was accompanied by his friend and pupil Auber.

VII.

With this period Cherubini closed his career practically as an operatic
composer, though several dramatic works were produced subsequently, and
entered on his no less great sphere of ecclesiastical composition.
At Chimay for a while no one dared to mention music in his presence.
Drawing and painting flowers seemed to be his sole pleasure. At last the
president of the little music society at Chimay ventured to ask him to
write a mass for St. Cecilia's feast day. He curtly refused, but
his hostess noticed that he was agitated by the incident,'as if his
slumbering instincts had started again into life. One day the Princess
placed music paper on his table, and Cherubini on returning from his
walk instantly began to compose, as if he had never ceased it. It is
recorded that he traced out in full score the "Kyrie" of his great
mass in F during the intermission of a single game of billiards. Only
a portion of the mass was completed in time for the festival, but,
on Cherubini's return to Paris in 1809, it was publicly given by an
admirable orchestra, and hailed with a great enthusiasm, that soon
swept through Europe. It was perceived that Cherubini had struck out
for himself a new path in church music. Fetis, the musical historian,
records its reception as follows: "All expressed an unreserved
admiration for this