and to carry
off twice a prize. Polish history and literature are said to have been
his favourite studies.

Liszt relates that Chopin was placed at an early age in one of the first
colleges of Warsaw, "thanks to the generous and intelligent protection
which Prince Anton Radziwill always bestowed upon the arts and upon
young men of talent." This statement, however, has met with a direct
denial on the part of the Chopin family, and may, therefore, be
considered as disposed of. But even without such a denial the statement
would appear suspicious to all but those unacquainted with Nicholas
Chopin's position. Surely he must have been able to pay for his son's
schooling! Moreover, one would think that, as a professor at the Lyceum,
he might even have got it gratis. As to Frederick's musical education
in Warsaw, it cannot have cost much. And then, how improbable that the
Prince should have paid the comparatively trifling school-fees and left
the young man when he went abroad dependent upon the support of his
parents! The letters from Vienna (1831) show unmistakably that Chopin
applied to his father repeatedly for money, and regretted being such a
burden to him. Further, Chopin's correspondence, which throws much light
on his relation to Prince Radziwili, contains nothing which would lead
one to infer any such indebtedness as Liszt mentions. But in order that
the reader may be in possession of the whole evidence and able to judge
for himself, I shall place before him Liszt's curiously circumstantial
account in its entirety:--

The Prince bestowed upon him the inappreciable gift of a good
education, no part of which remained neglected. His elevated
mind enabling him to understand the exigencies of an artist's
career, he, from the time of his protege's entering the
college to the entire completion of his studies, paid the
pension through the agency of a friend, M. Antoine
Korzuchowski, [FOOTNOTE: Liszt should have called this
gentleman Adam Kozuchowski.] who always maintained cordial
relations and a constant friendship with Chopin.

Liszt's informant was no doubt Chopin's Paris friend Albert Grzymala,
[FOOTNOTE: M. Karasowski calls this Grzymala erroneously Francis. More
information about this gentleman will be given in a subsequent chapter.]
who seems to have had no connection with the Chopin family in Poland.
Karasowski thinks that the only foundation of the story is a letter and
present from Pri