Damned, out of date little Count of Music, where has the devil whisked you off to? – Are you coming to the Schwan today? No? Yes – Well, you can see from the enclosed all that I have done for the Hungarians. When a German agrees to do something without even pledging his word he is vastly different from that wretched Hungarian Count B[runsvik] who on account of God knows what miserable rubbish could let me travel alone and, what is more, keep me hanging around without my gaining anything by doing so –
My excellent, out of date C[ount] of M[usic], I am your most excellent and up to date
little
Beethoven
Please return the enclosed, for I want to fling it in the Count’s face along with something else. – [Anderson footnote: “This remark is added on the left side of the page. Evidently Beethoven had enclosed some of the music of Op. 117 and 113.”]