med tissues of his ears distressed him greatly, and must have added
permanent injury to the organs already in a bad condition.

That the achievement of the solitary worker during the summer was more
important and far-reaching in its effects than that of the belligerents,
will hardly be gainsaid. The latter wasted a lot of ammunition,
destroyed human beings and property, and made a good deal of noise for
the time being, after which things settled down to about the same
condition as before; while Beethoven added solid wealth to the world in
its most lasting form.

There is a falling off in his compositions the following year, which is
generally attributed to the breaking of his engagement with the Countess
Therese. That he should have suffered to such an extent on this account,
is at least open to question. His art was of more importance to him than
any other fact in life. It was only by a complete surrender of
everything else that he achieved what he did in it. He had many bitter
disappointments at different periods of his life, which, however, did
not take him away from his work. At all events, he gave no sign,
contrary to his usual habit. He was reticent on the subject of his
compositions, but was not averse to talking of his troubles. A man so
entirely given over to one idea, as was Beethoven, could hardly take
such a step as marriage at the age of forty, thereby changing his whole
course of life. The passion for creating had grown to such an extent,
that he became impatient of everything which interfered with it. It is
possible that the Countess Therese, noting this, felt that there would
be little chance for happiness in such a union, and wisely broke it off.
He could not have been considered eligible in any event by a family like
the Brunswicks, noted for extravagant living and a desire to occupy a
prominent place in society. Beethoven's income was never large. It was
at times insufficient for his simple wants, owing to his ignorance of
the value of money. That he managed to fall in love with a frequency
only equalled by his impetuosity, must be admitted. But when the
question came fairly before him, marriage or music, he had but one
course. His art was a jealous mistress which would brook no rival. If he
took the breaking of his engagement so much to heart that it interfered
with his work, how was it possible, we may ask, for him to have made
violent love to Bettina Brentano during this summer of 1810? Within two