for which Bach furnished a precedent. "Drop operas and everything else,
write only in your own style," is another entry of this time, showing
his predilection for church music.

The summer of 1818 was spent at Moedling. He was in the best of health
and spirits as stated, and began the work with great energy and
enthusiasm. His whole nature seemed to change, Schindler states, when he
began the great work. His interest and absorption in it was
extraordinary, as is shown by the sketch-books from the beginning.
Enthusiasm carried him on to the consummation of a greater work than
any he had yet accomplished. Hitherto, every achievement was merely a
resting-place up the mountainside, the prospect acting as a spur to him
to go yet higher, well knowing what Emerson finely stated, and was
putting into practice at this very time, that new gifts will be supplied
in proportion as we make use of those we have. _Dem Muthigen hilft
Gott!_ said Schiller. Beethoven seemed to have some prevision that only
a few more years would be allotted him for work; when he began on the
mass his inspiration was like a river that had broken its bounds. Every
nerve and fibre of his being called him to his work. He was like a
war-horse that scents the battle. He now abandoned himself more than
ever to the impulse for creating. For the next few years he lived the
abstracted life of the enthusiast to whom every-day concerns are but
incidental and unimportant things, and his art the one great matter. The
gigantic tone-pictures which were constantly forming themselves in his
inner consciousness were of so much greater importance than the events
of his external life, that the latter were dwarfed by comparison and
lost their significance. He now made a greater surrender of the ties
connecting him with every-day life than ever before. His industry was
phenomenal, but it soon became apparent that the work would not be ready
for the Installation, the date of which was set for March 20, 1820. It
was in reality not completed until nearly two years after this event.

We have a good description of the master at this time by the artist
Klober, who had been commissioned by a wealthy relative who was forming
a gallery of famous Vienna artists, to paint a portrait of Beethoven.

"Beethoven had a very earnest look; his vivacious eyes were for the most
part turned upwards, with a thoughtful and rather a gloomy expression,
which I have tried to represent. His lips were