Anxiety on account of money, so prevalent all through these latter years, was increased by his enforced abstinence from work.  What he chiefly desired now was sufficient ready money to carry him through, so that he would not have to break into the little hoard put by for Karl many years before.  At this juncture the Philharmonic Society of London sent him one hundred pounds, being an advance payment on account of a concert they intended giving for his benefit.  The initiative in this matter was taken by Beethoven himself, and it is safe to say that nothing that was done for him during this period was so appreciated, or gave him so much pleasure, as this act of kindness from the Society.  The money reached him about ten days after an operation had been performed on him for the relief of the dropsical accumulations incidental to his liver trouble.  Four such operations had been found necessary during this illness.  They were at best only palliative.  His joy on receiving the letter and money from London was such that the wound, not yet healed, opened, and a great discharge followed.  A letter of thanks was sent to the Society, dictated by the master, but he was too weak even to sign it.

Schindler relates that Beethoven on nearing middle-age, was wont to indulge himself in day-dreams of a prosperous future, in which he could have sufficient means to enable him to live in comfort, keep his carriage like brother Johann, and have leisure for the refinements of life.  This illusion, maintained by most workers, no doubt brightened his prosaic, solitary life.  Pity that he could not have realized it in some measure:  after the heat and burden of the day, in which he had so well acquitted himself, it would seem fitting, had he had an evening of life such as was vouchsafed Wagner, with opportunity for completing his life-work in peace and contentment.

One result achieved by the master as a consequence of his visit to Gneixendorf would have afforded him great satisfaction could he have known it.  The matter of making suitable provision for Karl in event of his own death had lain on his conscience for some time before this visit, as already stated.  While there, he begged his brother Johann to make a will in Karl’s favor, which eventually came to pass.

The army appointment, of which mention has been made, became an established fact early in December, and the young man soon after left Vienna to join his regiment.  Beethoven never saw him again.  He by this time concurred with his friends in the opinion that the discipline of military life might be beneficial to him, and was resigned to the separation.