rd for
him. On the high level which music made for these men, artificial
distinctions were forgotten; the Prince became the disciple. He was a
fine performer, with, as may be supposed, special reference to
Beethoven's works. Beethoven was, no doubt, impressed by Rudolph's rank,
although there is very little evidence of it in the anecdotes which we
have relating to them. He met his friends on the common ground of his
art, where he found no superior.

As before stated Beethoven did not take to teaching. It was
_Dientschaft_ to him in the full sense of the word. He does not seem to
have interested himself as much in Rudolph as in Ferdinand Ries. In the
case of the latter an artist was being prepared for a career; some of
Beethoven's own skill as performer was being perpetuated in Ries, while
with Rudolph no amount of technical knowledge would have advanced the
art much. He not only accepted no payment from Ries for the lessons
given him, but frequently sent him money unsolicited when he had reason
to suppose he needed it. In the old Bonn days, after the death of
Beethoven's mother, when the young man was in sore straits, Ferdinand's
father, who was a member of the Elector's orchestra with Beethoven, had
helped the latter in word and deed. Ferdinand then was but four years of
age. Beethoven was famous by the time Ferdinand had reached manhood;
when he presented himself to the master with a letter from his father,
he was cordially received, and was soon on the footing of an intimate
friend. Beethoven when giving him lessons was patient to a degree that
was not natural to him. "I attribute this," he states, "as well as the
long continued friendship he maintained toward me, largely on account of
the esteem and regard he felt for my father. He often made me repeat an
exercise ten times. The lessons frequently lasted two hours. He was not
generally so particular about lapses in execution, but if I was lacking
in expression, in crescendo and diminuendo, he would make me repeat the
passage until he was satisfied." Ries made good use of his
opportunities, and became a distinguished performer on the piano,
ranking in this respect as high as any man of his time.

An offer to Beethoven of the post of Kapellmeister by the King of
Westphalia, Napoleon's brother, in 1809 brought about one of the
inevitable quarrels that marked Beethoven's association with his
intimates. Ries was the victim this time. Beethoven's dislike of
Napoleon, an