"And now, my dear Sir, having done all I can with 'Elijah,' as much as I have of it—having corrected and revised the second proofs of its printed first portion, and made the alterations you suggested—nearly all—one or two remaining for your assistance to complete—I am about to take a great liberty with you, and the impulse which prompts it—be it offensive or not—you must place to the account of the feeling which you or your music has inspired within me. And what is your music but yourself?—the incarnation of your spirit, made material by creation, and thus apparent—apparent through the agency of the body!

"Do you know a Scotch air, called 'Robin Gray'?[41]

[[Listen]]

"Now compare the aria (Andante, without a number) 'Sei stille dem Herrn' ['O rest in the Lord'] with it. You may, perhaps, see nothing semblant in the two; but so much warranty have I for thinking that there is, that when Buxton—who brought it to me while I was with Miss Mounsey,[42] examining some of the proofs of your 'Elijah'—heard her, at his request, try it over—I being engaged at the table copying—he said: 'Why that's like "Robin Gray"!' I thought so, ere the above phrase was completed, and Miss Mounsey agreed with our opinions. I said nothing more then, but when I returned home I looked at it again, and at bar 10—look at it!—see the close:—[43]

[[Listen]][[Listen]]

"Other distinct features may be traced, but these two are enough to give it the stamp of at least an imitation, which if you intend it to be, I have nothing further to say on the subject; except that it will lay you open to the impertinence of the saucy boys of the musical press, one of whom has had the audacity to accuse you of copying, borrowing, making your own, the ideas of the little man of the party!...

"Enough of this. Place what I have said to the right side of my friendly account in your ledger lines! If you alter the notation of the song, bring or send me another score of it, and I will take care to place this one only in your own hands. Mr. Klingemann thought I ought to tell you of the coincidence, I having mentioned it to him."

In answer to this letter—which Mendelssohn erroneously considered to be a request to omit the song—came the following reply:—

[Mendelssohn to Bartholomew.]