d children used
to hide themselves; the Royal Cave, in which, about the year 1300,
King Wladyslaw Lokietek sought refuge when he was hardly pressed by
the usurper Wenceslas of Bohemia; and the beautifully-situated ruins
of Ojcow Castle, once embowered in thick forests. Having enjoyed to the
full the beauties of Polish Switzerland, Chopin continued his journey
merrily and in favourable weather through the picturesque countries of
Galicia, Upper Silesia, and Moravia, arriving in Vienna on July 31.

Chopin's letters tell us very little of his sight-seeing in the Austrian
capital, but a great deal of matters that interest us far more deeply.
He brought, of course, a number of letters of introduction with him.
Among the first which he delivered was one from Elsner to the publisher
Hashnger, to whom Chopin had sent a considerable time before some of his
compositions, which, however, still remained in manuscript. Haslinger
treated Elsner's pupil with an almost embarrassing politeness, and,
without being reminded of the MSS. in question, informed his visitor
that one of them, the variations on La ci darem la mano, would before
long appear in the Odeon series. "A great honour for me, is it not?"
writes the happy composer to his friend Titus. The amiable publisher,
however, thought that Chopin would do well to show the people of Vienna
what his difficult and by no means easily comprehensible composition was
like. But the composer was not readily persuaded. The thought of playing
in the city where Mozart and Beethoven had been heard frightened him,
and then he had not touched a piano for a whole fortnight. Not even
when Count Gallenberg entered and Haslinger presented Chopin to him as
a coward who dare not play in public was the young virtuoso put on his
mettle. In fact, he even declined with thanks the theatre which was
placed at his disposal by Count Gallenberg, who was then lessee of the
Karnthnerthor Theatre, and in whom the reader has no doubt recognised
the once celebrated composer of ballets, or at least the husband of
Beethoven's passionately-loved Countess Giulia Guicciardi. Haslinger and
Gallenberg were not the only persons who urged him to give the Viennese
an opportunity to hear him. Dining at the house of Count Hussarzewski,
a worthy old gentleman who admired his young countryman's playing very
much, Chopin was advised by everybody present--and the guests belonged
to the best society of Vienna--to give a concert. The j