Most Honoured Sir!
I was delighted to receive your letter. – I thank you for the article in the M[usikalische] Z[eitung]. But I do desire that when an opportunity presents itself you will have the reference to Reichardt corrected. It is quite untrue to say that I was engaged by R[eichardt]. On the contrary, the Chief Chamberlain of His Majesty the King of Westphalia, Count Truchsess-Waldburg, arranged for the offer to be made to me; and, what is more, I was to be the Chief Kapellmeister of H.M. of Westphalia. This offer was made to me long before Reichardt came to Vienna; and he himself was surprised, as he said, that he had not had an inkling of all this. R[eichardt] did his utmost to dissuade me from going there – As I have very good reasons in general to distrust the character of H[err] R[eichardt] and as it is possible that he himself for several political reasons may have told you something about this, I think that in any case I deserve to be believed more than he does that at the next opportunity, which can easily be found, you should have a true account of the matter inserted, since it is vital for my honour – You understand that no pompous recantation is necessary; but the truth must come to light. By the next post I am sending you all three works, the oratorio [Opus 85], the opera [Anderson footnote: “The pianoforte arrangement made by Carl Czerny of the second (1806 version of ‘Leonore’ was published by Breitkopf & Härtel in August, 1810…”] and the Mass [Opus 86] – and for these works I ask no more than 250 gulden A.C. – I don’t think that you will complain about this – At the moment I cannot find the letter in which Simrock too wanted to give me 100 gulden A.C. for the Mass; even in Vienna I could get this sum and certainly a little more from the lithographic printing works – I am not playing any prank on you, you know that – But I am sending you all three works, because I am convinced that you will not let me suffer any disadvantage –
Print the titles in French, just as you like –
The next time you will have a few lines again about the other matter –
I cannot manage to deal with it today –
Your most devoted friend and servant
Beethoven
Be sure not to forget to mention the Chief Kapellmeister. Official titles of that kind make me laugh; but there are wretched folk who, like cooks, know how to serve up such trimmings.