e resource in every
difficulty had been his work. The injunction of Saint-Simon, to lead
during the whole of the vigorous portion of manhood the most original
and active life possible, had been perforce carried out by him. Now that
his one resource, work, failed him, he was bereft. He sought to pass the
time by reading, and began with Kenilworth in a German translation, but
soon threw it down saying: "The man writes only for money."

The volatile Holz did not fail him in his need, but manifested his
friendship by many kind acts. His former publishers the Haslingers,
Tobias and Karl, as well as Diabelli, called occasionally. The Archduke
at Olmuetz could hardly have been expected to come, especially as a fatal
termination was not for some time considered probable. We hear nothing
of Czerny, of Schuppanzich, of Linke, or of Zmeskall, which to say the
least, is singular. Schindler's omission of these names, however, has no
particular significance; he wrote many years after the event, and forgot
or omitted the mention of circumstances of greater importance than
this. It is not like what we know of the character of Czerny, or
Zmeskall, to neglect Beethoven in his extremity. The master's old
friend, Stumpf, of London, sent him a splendid edition of Haendel's works
in forty volumes, with which he occupied himself a good deal. They
afforded him much enjoyment.

Anxiety on account of money, so prevalent all through these latter
years, was increased by his enforced abstinence from work. What he
chiefly desired now was sufficient ready money to carry him through, so
that he would not have to break into the little hoard put by for Karl
many years before. At this juncture the Philharmonic Society of London
sent him one hundred pounds, being an advance payment on account of a
concert they intended giving for his benefit. The initiative in this
matter was taken by Beethoven himself, and it is safe to say that
nothing that was done for him during this period was so appreciated, or
gave him so much pleasure, as this act of kindness from the Society. The
money reached him about ten days after an operation had been performed
on him for the relief of the dropsical accumulations incidental to his
liver trouble. Four such operations had been found necessary during this
illness. They were at best only palliative. His joy on receiving the
letter and money from London was such that the wound, not yet healed,
opened, and a great discharge follo