all through his life, he would make amends for it so earnestly, with such vehement self-denunciation, and show such contrition, that it would be impossible for any of his friends to hold out against him.  Then there would be a short love-feast, during which the offended party would possibly be the recipient of a dedication from the master, and things would go on smoothly until the next break.  The Prince soon learned to make all sorts of concessions to his headstrong guest, and even went so far as to order his servant to give Beethoven the precedence, in case he and Beethoven were to ring at the same time.

But Beethoven did not like the new life.  Even the little restraint that it imposed was irksome to him, and the arrangement came to an end in about two years.  But the friendship continued for many years.  Beethoven’s opus 1 is dedicated to the Prince, as well as the grand Sonata Pathetique, and the Second Symphony, also the opus 179, consisting of nine variations, and the grand Sonata in A Flat.  To the Princess Lichnowsky he dedicated opus 157, variations on “See the Conquering Hero Comes.”  He also dedicated several of his compositions to Count Moritz Lichnowsky, a younger brother of the Prince.

Among the other friends of this period may be mentioned Prince Lobkowitz, who was an ardent admirer of Beethoven, Prince Kinski, and also Count Browne to whose wife Beethoven dedicated the set of Russian variations.  In acknowledgment of this honor, the Count presented Beethoven with a horse.  He accepted it thankfully and then forgot all about it until some months after, when a large bill came in for its keep.  There was also Count Brunswick and the Baron von Swieten, and most of the music-loving aristocracy of Vienna, who it appears could not see enough of him.  His music and his individuality charmed them and he was beset with invitations.  Baron von Swieten was one of his earliest and staunchest friends.  His love and devotion to music knew no bounds.  He gave concerts at his residence with a full band, and produced music of the highest order, Haendel and Sebastian Bach being his favorites, the music being interpreted in the best manner.  It is related that the old Baron would keep Beethoven after the others had left, making him play far into the night and would sometimes put him up at his own house so that he might keep him a little longer.  A note from the Baron to Beethoven is preserved, in which he says, “If you can call next Wednesday I shall be glad to see you.  Come at half-past eight in the evening with your nightcap in your pocket.”

These social successes, however, did not lead to idleness.  He kept up the practise all his life of recording his musical thoughts in sketch-books, which latter are an object lesson to those engaged in creative work as showing the extraordinary industry of the man and his absorption in his work.  Many of these are preserved in the different museums, those in the British Museum being a notable collection.  Some of the work of this period was afterwards utilized by being incorporated into the work of his riper years.