oves and woods, and among trees and plants and rocks! No man on
earth can love the country as I do! Thickets, trees, and rocks supply
the echo man longs for!

TO ZMESKALL

1811.

Most high-born of men!

We beg you to confer some goose-quills on us; we will in return send you
a whole bunch of the same sort, that you may not be obliged to pluck out
your own. It is just possible that you may yet receive the Grand Cross
of the Order of the Violoncello. We remain your gracious and most
friendly of all friends, BEETHOVEN.

TO ZMESKALL

FEBRUARY 2d, 1812.

Most wonderful of men!

We beg that your servant will engage a person to fit up my apartment; as
he is acquainted with the lodgings, he can fix the proper price at once.
Do this soon, you Carnival scamp!!!!!!!

The inclosed note is at least a week old.

TO HIS BROTHER JOHANN

BADEN, May 6th, 1825.

The bell and bell-pulls, etc., etc., are on no account whatever to be
left in my former lodging. No proposal was ever made to these people to
take any of my things. Indisposition prevented my sending for it, and
the locksmith had not come during my stay to take down the bell;
otherwise it might have been at once removed and sent to me in town, as
they have no right whatever to retain it. Be this as it may, I am quite
determined not to leave the bell there, for I require one here, and
therefore intend to use the one in question for my purpose, as a similar
one would cost me twice as much as in Vienna, bell-pulls being the most
expensive things locksmiths have. If necessary, apply at once to the
police. The window in my room is precisely in the same state as when I
took possession, but I am willing to pay for it, and also for the one in
the kitchen, 2 florins 12 kreuzers, for the two. The key I will not pay
for, as I found none; on the contrary, the door was fastened or nailed
up when I came, and remained in the same condition till I left; there
never was a key, so of course neither I myself, nor those who preceded
me, could make use of one. Perhaps it is intended to make a collection,
in which case I am willing to put my hand in my pocket.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN.

TO STEPHAN V. BREUNING

_My dear and much loved Stephan_:

May our temporary estrangement be for ever effaced by the portrait I now
send. I know that I have rent your heart. The emotion which you cannot
fail now to see in mine has sufficiently punished me for it. There was
no malice towards y