After a touching parting—­it was really a touching parting when Miss Blahetka gave me as a souvenir her compositions bearing her own signature, and her father sent his compliments to you [Chopin’s father] and dear mother, congratulating you on having such a son; when young Stein [one of the well-known family of pianoforte-manufacturers and musicians] wept, and Schuppanzigh, Gyrowetz, in one word, all the other artists, were much moved—­well then, after this touching parting and having promised to return soon, I stepped into the stage-coach.

This was at nine o’clock in the evening, and Chopin and his fellow-travellers, accompanied for half-an-hour by Nidecki and some other Poles, leaving behind Vienna and Vienna friends, proceeded on their way to Bohemia.

Prague was reached by our travellers on August 21.  The interesting old town did not display its beauties in vain, for Chopin writes admiringly of the fine views from the castle hill, of the castle itself, of “the majestic cathedral with a silver statue of St. John, the beautiful chapel of St. Wenceslas, inlaid with amethysts and other precious stones,” and promises to give a fuller and more detailed description of what he has seen by word of mouth.  His friend Maciejowski had a letter of introduction to Waclaw Hanka, the celebrated philologist and librarian of the National Museum, to whom Chopin introduced himself as the godson of Count Skarbek.  On visiting the museum they were asked, like all on whom the librarian bestowed his special attention, to write their names in the visitors’ book.  Maciejowski wrote also four mazurka strophes eulogising Hanka’s scientific achievements, and Chopin set them to music.  The latter brought with him from Vienna six letters of introduction—­one from Blahetka and five from Wurfel—­which were respectively addressed to Pixis, to the manager of the theatre, and to other musical big-wigs.  The distinguished violin-virtuoso, professor at the Conservatorium, and conductor at the theatre, Frederick Pixis (1786—­1842), received Chopin very kindly, gave up some lessons that he might keep him longer and talk with him, and invited him to come again in the afternoon, when he would meet August Alexander Klengel, of Dresden, whose card Chopin had noticed on the table.  For this esteemed pianist and famous contrapuntist he had also a letter of introduction, and he was glad to meet him in Prague, as he otherwise would have missed seeing him, Klengel being on his way to Vienna and Italy.  They made each other’s acquaintance on the stairs leading to Pixis’ apartments.

I heard him play his fugues for two hours; I did not play, as they did not ask me to do so.  Klengel’s rendering pleased me, but I must confess I had expected something better (but I beg of you not to mention this remark of mine to others).

Elsewhere he writes:—­