e. As you have been loudly accused of
showing great party feeling, I will take Carl myself. If you do not see me,
attribute it to my distress of mind, for I am now only beginning to feel
the full force of this terrible incident.[1]

In haste, your

BEETHOVEN.

[Footnote 1: Probably the reversal of the first decree in the lawsuit with
Carl's mother, who in order to procure a verdict more favorable to her
claims, pointed out to the Austrian "Landrecht," where the lawsuit had been
hitherto carried on, an error in their proceedings, the "Van," prefixed to
Beethoven's name, having been considered by them a sign of nobility.
Beethoven was cited to appear, and on the appointed day, pointing to his
head and his heart, he said, "My nobility is here, and here." The
proceedings were then transferred to the "magistrate," who was in universal
bad odor from his mode of conducting his business.]

210.

TO G. DEL RIO.

The assertions of this wicked woman have made such a painful impression on
me, that I cannot possibly answer every point to-day; to-morrow you shall
have a detailed account of it all; but on no pretext whatever allow her to
have access to Carl, and adhere to your rule that she is only to see him
once a month. As she has been once this month already, she cannot come
again till the next.

In haste, your

BEETHOVEN.

211.

TO HOFRATH VON MOSEL.

1817.

SIR,--

I sincerely rejoice that we take the same view as to the terms in use to
denote the proper time in music which have descended to us from barbarous
times. For example, what can be more irrational than the general term
_allegro_, which only means _lively_; and how far we often are from
comprehending the real time, so that the piece itself _contradicts the
designation_. As for the four chief movements,--which are, indeed, far from
possessing the truth or accuracy of the four cardinal points,--we readily
agree _to dispense with them_, but it is quite another matter as to the
words that indicate the character of the music; these we cannot consent to
do away with, for while the time is, as it were, part and parcel of the
piece, the _words denote the spirit in which it is conceived_.

So far as I am myself concerned, I have long purposed giving up those
inconsistent terms _allegro_, _andante_, _adagio_, and _presto_; and
Maelzel's metronome furnishes us with the best opportunity of doing so. I
here _pledge_ myself _no longer_ to make use of them in an