BEETHOVEN.

[Footnote 1:  Gumpoldskirchner—­a celebrated and generous Austrian wine.]

470.

TO SIR GEORGE SMART,—­LONDON.

March 6, 1827.

DEAR SIR,—­

I make no doubt that you have already received through Herr Moscheles my letter of February 22, but as I found your address by chance among my papers, I do not hesitate to write direct to yourself, to urge my request once more on you in the strongest terms.

I do not, alas! even up to the present hour, see any prospect of the termination of my terrible malady; on the contrary, my sufferings, and consequently my cares, have only increased.  I underwent a fourth operation on the 27th of February, and possibly fate may compel me to submit to this a fifth time, and perhaps oftener.  If this goes on, my illness will certainly continue one half the summer, and in that case, what is to become of me?  How am I to subsist until I can succeed in arousing my decayed powers, and once more earn my living by my pen?  But I do not wish to plague you by fresh complaints; so I only refer you to my letter of the 22d February, and entreat you to use all your influence with the Philharmonic Society to carry now into execution their former proposal of a concert for my benefit.

471.

TO BARON VON PASQUALATI.

MY WORTHY FRIEND,—­

I am still confined to my room; be so good, therefore, as to tell me, or rather, I should say, write to me, the name of the person who values this house, and where he is to be found.  If you have any Muterhall [?] medicine I beg you will think of your poor Austrian musician and citizen of the guild.

BEETHOVEN.

472.[1]

TO BARON VON PASQUALATI.

March 14, 1827.

MY ESTEEMED FRIEND,—­

Many thanks for the dish you sent me yesterday, which will suffice for to-day also.  I am allowed to have game; and the doctor said that fieldfares were very wholesome for me.  I only tell you this for information, as I do not want them to-day.  Forgive this stupid note, but I am exhausted from a sleepless night.  I embrace you, and am, with much esteem, your attached friend.

[Footnote 1:  In a tremulous hand,—­“March 14, 1827.”]

473.

TO HERR MOSCHELES.

Vienna, March 14, 1827.

MY DEAR MOSCHELES,—­

I recently heard, through Herr Lewisey,[1] that in a letter to him of the 10th February, you had made inquiries as to the state of my health, about which such various rumors have been circulated.  Although I cannot possibly doubt that you have by this time received my letter of February 22d, which explains all you wish to know, still I cannot resist thanking you for your sympathy with my sad condition, and again imploring you to attend to the request contained in my first letter.  I feel already certain that, in conjunction with Sir Smart and other friends, you are sure to succeed in obtaining a favorable result for me from the Philharmonic Society.  I wrote again to Sir Smart also on the subject.