ic, which always received me with friendliness
and approbation, often indeed with great warmth.

"On the other hand, the abuse of the London critics was a matter
of perfect indifference to me, for their hostility only proved
to all the world that I had not bribed them, while it gave me,
on the contrary, much satisfaction to watch how they always left
the door open, so that had I made the least approach they would
have turned to different pitch; but naturally I thought of
nothing of the kind....

"On that evening I was really in a furious rage, that after the
A minor Symphony I should have had to conduct a miserable vocal
piece and a trivial overture of Onslow's; and, as is my way, in
deepest dudgeon I told my friends aloud that I had that day
conducted for the last time; that on the morrow I should send in
my resignation, and journey home. By chance a concert-singer,
R---- (a German-Jew youth) was present; he caught up my words
and conveyed them all hot to a newspaper reporter. Ever since
then rumours have been flying about in the German papers, which
have misled even you. I need scarcely tell you that the
representations of my friends, who escorted me home, succeeded
in making me withdraw the hasty resolution conceived at a moment
of despondency.

"Since then we have had the _Tannhaeuser_ overture at the fifth
concert; it was very well played, received by the public in a
quite friendly manner, but not yet properly understood.

"All the more pleased was I, therefore, when the Queen, who had
promised (which is a rare event, and does not happen every year)
to attend the seventh concert, ordered a repetition of the
overture. Now, if in itself it was extremely gratifying that the
Queen should pay no regard to my highly compromised political
position (which had been dragged to light with great malignity
by the _Times_), and without hesitation assist at a public
performance under my direction, then her further behaviour
towards me afforded me at last an affecting compensation for all
the contrarieties and vulgar animosities which I had here
endured.

"She and Prince Albert, who both sat immediately facing the
orchestra, applauded after the _Tannhaeuser_ overture--with which
the first part concluded--with graciousness, almost amounting to
a challenge, so that the pub