Kings and princes can certainly create professors, privy councilors, and titles, and hang on ribbons of various orders, but they cannot create great men, master-minds which tower above the rabble; this is beyond them.  Such men must therefore be held in respect.  When two such as I and Goethe meet, these grand gentlemen are forced to note what greatness, in such as we are, means.  Yesterday on the way home we met the whole Imperial family.  We saw them from afar approaching, and Goethe slipped away from me and stood to one side.  Say what I would, I could not induce him to advance another step, so I pushed my hat on my head, buttoned up my overcoat, and went, arms folded, into the thickest of the crowd.  Princes and sycophants drew up in a line; Duke Rudolph took off my hat, after the Empress had first greeted me.  Persons of rank know me.  To my great amusement I saw the procession defile past Goethe.  Hat in hand, he stood at the side, deeply bowing.  Then I mercilessly reprimanded him, cast his sins in his teeth, especially those of which he was guilty toward you, dearest Bettina, of whom we had just been speaking.  Good heavens!  Had I been in your company, as he has, I should have produced works of greater, far greater, importance.  A musician is also a poet, and the magic of a pair of eyes can suddenly cause him to feel transported into a more beautiful world, where great spirits make sport of him and set him mighty tasks.  I cannot tell what ideas came into my head when I made your acquaintance.  In the little observatory during the splendid May rain—­that was a fertile moment for me; the most beautiful themes then glided from your eyes into my heart, which one day will enchant the world when Beethoven has ceased to conduct.  If God grant me yet a few years, then I must see you again, dear, dear Bettina; so calls the voice within me which never errs.  Even minds can love each other.  I shall always court yours; your approval is dearer to me than anything in the whole world.  I gave my opinion to Goethe, that approval affects such men as ourselves and that we wish to be listened to with the intellect by those who are our equals.  Emotion is only for women (excuse this); the flame of music must burst forth from the mind of a man.  Ah! my dearest child, we have now for a long time been in perfect agreement about everything!  The only good thing is a beautiful, good soul, which is recognized in everything, and in presence of which there need be no concealment. One must be somebody if one wishes to appear so.  The world is bound to recognize one; it is not always unjust.  To me, however, that is a matter of no importance, for I have a higher aim.  I hope when I get back to Vienna to receive a letter from you.  Write soon, soon, and a very long one; in 8 days from now I shall be there; the court goes tomorrow; there will be no more performance today.  The Empress rehearsed her part with him.  His duke and he both wished to play some of my music, but to both I made