Rest assured of my warmest thanks, and pray excuse my writing more to-day, for a thing of this kind is very fatiguing,—­more so than the greatest musical undertaking.  My heart has found something for you to which yours will respond, and this you shall soon receive.

Do not forget me, poor tormented creature that I am! and act for me and effect for me all that is possible.

With high esteem, your true friend,

BEETHOVEN.

142.

TO HERR KAUKA.

Vienna, Jan. 14, 1815.

MY GOOD AND WORTHY K.,—­

The long letter I enclose was written when we were disposed to claim the 1800 florins.  Baron Pasqualati’s last letter, however, again made me waver, and Dr. Adlersburg advised me to adhere to the steps already taken; but as Dr. Wolf writes that he has offered in your name to accept 1500 florins a year, I beg you will at least make every effort to get that sum.  For this purpose I send you the long letter written before we received Baron P.’s dissuasive one, as you may discover in it many reasons for demanding at least the 1500 florins.  The Archduke, too, has written a second time to the Oberstburggraf, and we may conclude from his previous reply that he will certainly exert himself, and that we shall at all events succeed in getting the 1500 florins.

Farewell!  I cannot write another syllable; such things exhaust me.  May your friendship accelerate this affair!—­if it ends badly, then I must leave Vienna, because I could not possibly live on my income, for here things have come to such a pass that everything has risen to the highest price, and that price must be paid.  The last two concerts I gave cost me 1508 florins, and had it not been for the Empress’s munificent present I should scarcely have derived any profit whatever.

Your faithful friend,

BEETHOVEN.

143.[1]

TO THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE LANDRECHT.

Vienna, 1815.

GENTLEMEN,—­

Quite ignorant of law proceedings, and believing that all claims on an inheritance could not fail to be liquidated, I sent to my lawyer in Prague [Dr. Kauka] the contract signed by the Archduke Rudolph, Prince Lobkowitz, and Prince von Kinsky, in which these illustrious personages agreed to settle on me an annual allowance of 4000 florins.  My constant efforts to obtain a settlement of my claim, and also, as I am bound to admit, my reproaches to Dr. Kauka for not conducting the affair properly (his application to the guardians having proved fruitless), no doubt prompted him to have recourse to law.

None but those who are fully aware of my esteem for the deceased Prince can tell how repugnant it is to my feelings to appear as a complainant against my benefactor.