My Dear Sir!
Forgive me for my delay in replying. The reason for this delay is still the same, namely, the worries I am having here and the defense of my rights; and everything moves very slowly, for, as you know, I have to deal with a princely rogue, Prince Lobkowitz –– another, a noble Prince, the opposite of the latter, has died, but he, no more than I, ever thought of his death and, in a manner affecting myself, left nothing in writing. Well, this matter has now to be threshed out at Prague with the Landrechte. What’s an occasion for an artist, whose most burning interest is his art! And it is H.R.H. the Archduke Rudolph who has plunged me into all these embarrassing situations –
With regard to the works you have received from me, please return immediately the following, since they do not belong to me, I mean, the C minor symphony, the Bb symphony and the march [Opus 67, 60, 113] – You may keep the other compositions if you like; but please do not hand them on to other people – for not one of them has been published – In any case the expenses for the choruses will be deducted from the Reverend Ladies’ 100 gulden which I must return to them – As for the oratorio [Opus 85], there is time enough for that too, for I do not need it – So just send me the three works I have mentioned above – Accept my thanks for the 150 gulden from the Society for the Preservation of Woodlands. Give my compliments to that distinguished society. But there is something I feel quite ashamed about. Why will you insist on placing such a high value on the small kindnesses which I have shown to those good Reverend Ladies? I trust that my worries will soon be over and that I shall come into full possession of what belongs to me. Provided I have achieved that object I will go to Graz in the autumn; and then the 150 gulden must be charged to me. I will then give a concert for the kind Ursulines or a grand one for some other institution which may be suggested to me by reason of its being the most necessitous and the most useful –
And now give my kind regards to His Excellency the Governor, Count Bissingen, and tell him that I shall always regard it as my most pleasant duty if I can be of use to Graz in any way whatsoever – Thanks for your painting! What is the object of all this? I see that you are determined to put me deeply in your debt. Well then, I shall describe myself
as your debtor and friend
Beethoven
My best greetings to the Reverend Ladies and especially to the Mother Superior.
NB. My health is better and no doubt will be completely restored as soon as the moral factors which affect it have improved –
As I am still at Baden, please send the music to the same address in Vienna as that of your previous letter --