The picture of Beethoven’s domestic affairs will gain in vividness by imagining the following extracts from the so-called “Tagebuch” of the Fischoff Manuscript to be scattered through these preceding pages. Dates are nowhere given; but memoranda of letters to Brentano in April follow which prove these notes to belong to the previous months:
Never again live alone with a servant; there is always danger, suppose, for instance, the master falls ill and the servant, perhaps, also.
He who wishes to reap tears should sow love. (Beethoven is here surely thinking of his nephew.)
The Compassionate Brothers (the monks) in Tell, form a semi-circle around the dead man and sing in deep tones:
Rasch tritt der Tod den Menschen an
Es ist ihm keine Frist gegeben
Er stürzt ihn mitten in der Bahn
Es reisst ihn fort vom vollem Leben
Bereitet oder nicht zu gehn!
Er muss vor seinen Richter stehen!
Vidi malum et accepi.—(Plinius.)
Tametsi quid homini potest dari maius quam gloria et laus et aeternitas.—(Plinius.)
What more can be given to man than fame and praise and immortality?
Audi multa loquere pauca.