[see No. 62], I must confess that I was an ass to write such a complete falsehood.  She does not as yet know even what singing means.  It was true that, for a person who had only learned music for three months, she sang surprisingly; and, besides, she has a pleasing pure voice.  The reason why I praised her so much was probably my hearing people say, from morning to night, “There is no better singer in all Europe; those who have not heard her have heard nothing.”  I did not venture to disagree with them, partly because I wished to acquire friends, and partly because I had come direct from Salzburg, where we are not in the habit of contradicting any one; but as soon as I was alone I never could help laughing.  Why, then, did I not laugh at her in my letter to you?  I really cannot tell.

The bitter way in which you write about my merry and innocent intercourse with your brother’s daughter, makes me justly indignant; but as it is not as you think, I require to give you no answer on the subject.  I don’t know what to say about Wallerstein; I was very grave and reserved with Becke, and at the officers’ table also I had a very serious demeanor, not saying one word to anybody.  But let this all pass; you only wrote it in a moment of irritation [see No. 74].  Your remarks about Madlle.  Weber are just; but at the time I wrote to you I knew quite as well as you that she is still too young, and must be first taught how to act, and must rehearse frequently on the stage.  But with some people one must proceed step by step.  These good people are as tired of being here as—­you know who and where, [meaning the Mozarts, father and son, in Salzburg,] and they think everything feasible.  I promised them to write everything to my father; but when the letter was sent off to Salzburg, I constantly told her that she must have a little patience, for she was still rather too young, &c.  They take in all I say in good part, for they have a high opinion of me.  By my advice, Herr Weber has engaged Madlle.  Toscani (an actress) to give his daughter lessons in acting.  All you write of Madlle.  Weber is true, except, that she sings like a Gabrielli, [see Nos. 10, 37,] for I should not at all like her to sing in that style.  Those who have heard Gabrielli say, and must say, that she was only an adept in runs and roulades; but as she adopted so uncommon a reading, she gained admiration, which, however, did not last longer than hearing her four times.  She could not please in the long run, for roulades soon become very tiresome, and she had the misfortune of not being able to sing.  She was not capable of sustaining a breve properly, and having no messa di voce, she could not dwell on her notes; in short, she sang with skill, but devoid of intelligence.  Madlle.  Weber’s singing, on the contrary, goes to the heart, and she prefers a cantabile.  I have lately made her practise the passages in the Grand Aria, because, if she goes to Italy, it is necessary that she should sing bravuras.  The cantabile she certainly will never forget, being her natural bent.  Raaff (who is no flatterer), when asked to give his sincere opinion, said, “She does not sing like a scholar, but like a professor.”