24.

Bologna, Oct. 6, 1770.

I am heartily glad that you have been so gay; I only wish I had been with you.  I hope Jungfrau Marthe is better.  To-day I played the organ at the Dominicans.  Congratulate the .... from me, and say that I sincerely wish they may live to see the fiftieth anniversary of Father Dominikus’s saying mass, and that we may all once more have a happy meeting.

[Footnote:  Jahn observes that he probably alludes to their intimate friends, the merchant Hagenauer’s family, with whom old Mozart had many pecuniary transactions for the purpose of his travels, and whose son entered the church in 1764.]

My best wishes to all Thereserls, and compliments to all my friends in the house and out of the house.  I wish I were likely soon to hear the Berchtesgadner symphonies, and perhaps blow a trumpet or play a fife in one myself.  I saw and heard the great festival of St. Petronius in Bologna.  It was fine, but long.  The trumpeters came from Lucca to make the proper flourish of honor, but their trumpeting was detestable.

25.

Milan, Oct. 20, 1770.

My dear mamma,—­

I cannot write much, for my fingers ache from writing out such a quantity of recitative.  I hope you will pray for me that my opera ["Mitridate Re di Ponto”] may go off well, and that we soon may have a joyful meeting.  I kiss your hands a thousand times, and have a great deal to say to my sister; but what?  That is known only to God and myself.  Please God, I hope soon to be able to confide it to her verbally; in the mean time, I send her a thousand kisses.  My compliments to all kind friends.  We have lost our good Martherl, but we hope that by the mercy of God she is now in a state of blessedness.

26.

Milan, Oct. 27, 1770.

My very dearest sister,—­

You know that I am a great talker, and was so when I left you.  At present I replace this very much by signs, for the son of this family is deaf and dumb.  I must now set to work at my opera.  I regret very much that I cannot send you the minuet you wish to have, but, God willing, perhaps about Easter you may see both it and me.  I can write no more.—­Farewell! and pray for me.

27.

Milan, Nov. 3, 1770.

My very dearly loved sister,—­

I thank you and mamma for your sincere good wishes; my most ardent desire is to see you both soon in Salzburg.  In reference to your congratulations, I may say that I believe Herr Martinelli suggested your Italian project.  My dear sister, you are always so very clever, and contrived it all so charmingly that, just underneath your congratulations in Italian, followed M. Martini’s compliments in the same style of penmanship, so that I could not possibly find you out; nor did I do so, and I immediately said to papa, “Oh! how I do wish I were as clever and witty as she is!” Then papa answered, “Indeed, that is true enough.”  On which I rejoined, “Oh!  I am so sleepy;” so he merely replied, “Then stop writing.”  Addio!  Pray to God that my opera may be successful.  I am your brother,