Your faithful, and truly affectionate
L. v. Beethoven.
In the same month Beethoven wrote again to the publisher Hoffmeister to this effect:
I am a little amazed at what you have communicated to me through the local representative of your business. I am almost vexed to think that you consider me capable of such a trick.
It would be a different matter if I had sold my wares only to avaricious tradesmen hoping that they would make a good speculation on the sly, but as artist towards artist it is a bit harsh to think such things of me. It looks to me as if the whole matter had been planned to test me or to be merely a suspicion; in either case I inform you that before you received the Septet from me I sent it to London to Mr. Salomon (for performance at his concerts out of mere friendship) but with the understanding that he should have a care that it should not fall into the hands of strangers, because I intended that it should be published in Germany, concerning which, if you think it necessary, you may make inquiry of him. But in order to prove my honesty I give you the assurance herewith that I have not sold the Septet, Concerto, the Symphony and the Sonata to anybody but you, Hoffmeister and Kühnel, and that you may consider it (sic) as your exclusive property and to this I pledge my honor. You may make such use of this assurance as you please.
As for the rest I believe as little that Salomon is capable of being guilty of having the Septet printed as I am of having sold it to him. I am so conscientious that I have denied the applications of various publishers to print the pianoforte arrangement of the Septet, and yet I do not know whether or not you intend to make such use of it.
On June 29, he sent the following longer letter to Wegeler, who published it in his “Notizen”:
Vienna, June 29.
My good, dear Wegeler!
Greetings to Old Friends in Bonn