se. This Felix Mendelssohn is already a mature artist, and
yet but fifteen years old! We at once settled down together for several
hours, for I was obliged to play a great deal, when really I wanted to
hear him and see his compositions, for Felix had to show me a concerto
in C minor, a double concerto, and several motets; and all so full of
genius, and at the same time so correct and thorough! His elder sister
Fanny, also extraordinarily gifted, played by heart, and with admirable
precision, fugues and passacailles by Bach. I think one may well call
her a thorough 'Mus. Doc' (guter Musiker). Both parents give one the
impression of being people of the highest refinement. They are far from
overrating their children's talents; in fact, they are anxious about
Felix's future, and to know whether his gift will prove sufficient to
lead to a noble and truly great career. Will he not, like so many other
brilliant children, suddenly collapse? I asserted my conscientious
conviction that Felix would ultimately become a great master, that I
had not the slightest doubt of his genius; but again and again I had
to insist on my opinion before they believed me. These two are not
specimens of the genus prodigy-parents (Wunderkinds Eltern), such as I
most frequently endure." Moscheles soon came to the conclusion that to
give Felix regular lessons was useless. Only a little hint from time
to time was necessary for the marvelous youth, who had already begun to
compose works which excited Moscheles's deepest admiration.

III.

In January, 1825, Moscheles, in the course of his musical wanderings,
gave several concerts at Hamburg. Among the crowd of listeners who
came to hear the great pianist was Charlotte Embden, the daughter of an
excellent Hamburg family. She was enchanted by the playing of Moscheles,
and, when she accidentally made the acquaintance of the performer at the
house of a mutual acquaintance, the couple quickly became enamored of
each other. A brief engagement of less than a month was followed by
marriage, and so Moscheles entered into a relation singularly felicitous
in all the elements which make domestic life most blessed. After a brief
tour in the Rhenish cities, and a visit to Paris, Moscheles proceeded to
London, where he had determined to make his home, for in no country had
such genuine and unaffected cordiality boon shown him, and nowhere
were the rewards of musical talent, whether as teacher, virtuoso, or
composer,