behind it a very roomy and
beautiful garden, besides stone bridges, in order to afford passage
over the stream which winds past. The King's Chapel is famous for its
carving. It is all of stone, but so delicate that nothing more beautiful
could have been made of wood. It has already stood for 400 years, and
everybody judges its age at about ten years, because of the firmness and
peculiar whiteness of the stone. The students bear themselves like those
at Oxford, but it is said they have better instructors. There are in all
800 students."

From Langham he went to the house of a Mr Shaw, to find in his hostess
the "most beautiful woman I ever saw." Haydn, it may be remarked in
passing, was always meeting the "most beautiful woman." At one time she
was a Mrs Hodges, another of his London admirers. When quite an old man
he still preserved a ribbon which Mrs Shaw had worn during his visit,
and on which his name was embroidered in gold.

Pleyel in Opposition

But other matters now engaged his attention. The directors of the
Professional Concerts, desiring to take advantage of his popularity,
endeavoured to make him cancel his engagements with Salomon and Gallini.
In this they failed. "I will not," said Haydn, "break my word to Gallini
and Salomon, nor shall any desire for dirty gain induce me to do them an
injury. They have run so great a risk and gone to so much expense on
my account that it is only fair they should be the gainers by it."
Thus defeated in their object, the Professionals decided to bring over
Haydn's own pupil, Ignaz Pleyel, to beat the German on his own ground.
It was not easy to upset Haydn's equanimity in an affair of this kind;
his gentle nature, coupled with past experiences, enabled him to take it
all very calmly. "From my youth upwards," he wrote, "I have been exposed
to envy, so it does not surprise me when any attempt is made wholly to
crush my poor talents, but the Almighty above is my support.... There
is no doubt that I find many who are envious of me in London also, and
I know them almost all. Most of them are Italians. But they can do me no
harm, for my credit with this nation has been established far too many
years." As a rule, he was forbearing enough with his rivals. At first
he wrote of Pleyel: "He behaves himself with great modesty." Later on
he remarked that "Pleyel's presumption is everywhere criticized."
Nevertheless, "I go to all his concerts, for I love him." It is very
pleasant to r