Dear Riess,
As
Breuning by his behavior has not scrupled to present to you and
the caretaker my character from an aspect in which I appear to
be a wretched, pitiable, and petty-minded fellow, I am asking
you, first of all, to give my answer verbally to B[reuning]. But
I am answering only one point, namely, the first one in his letter;
and to this I am replying solely in order to justify my character
in your estimation - Tell him therefore that I never intended
to reproach him for his delay in giving notice and that, if B[reuning]
had really been to blame for this, any harmonious relationship
in the world is to me far too precious and valuable for me to
offend any one of my friends for the sake of a few hundred gulden
or even more. You yourself are aware that I reproached you, but
only in jest, for being responsible for the notice having been
given too late. I know for certain that you will remember this.
Yet I had forgotten the whole affair - Well then, at table my
brother began to talk about it and said that he thought that B[reuning]
was to blame in the matter. I promptly denied this and said that
you were to blame. I should have thought that it was sufficiently
obvious that I was not throwing the blame on B[reuning]. But on
hearing my remark B[reuning] in a rage jumped up and declared
that he would like to send for the caretaker. This unusual behavior
to me on the part of that particular friend and companion of mine
quite upset me. I too jumped up, knocked over my chair and walked
off - and did not return - My behavior has now prompted B[reuning]
to place me in that very flattering light to you and the caretaker
- and to send me aa letter as well - to which, by the way, I am
replying with complete silence - I have nothing more to say to
Breuning - His thoughts and actions where I am concerned prove
that there should never have been a friendly relationship between
us and will certainly never be again.
I
have wanted to acquaint you with all this, for your deposition
has put an evil construction on my whole way of thinking and acting,
I know that if you had had this knowledge of the affair, you would
certainly not have acted as you did. So I am satisfied -
And
now, dear Ries, as soon as you receive this letter, please go
to my brother, the chemist, and tell him that I want to leave
Baden in a few days and that he must engage the rooms at Döbling
as soon as you let him know - I very nearly returned to Vienna
today. For I loathe this place; I am tired of it - In the name
of Heaven spur him on to engage the rooms at once, because I want
to settle down at Döbling immediately - Don't tell B[reuning]
or let him see anything of what I have written on the other side
of this page.. I want to show him in every way that I am not as
petty as he is; and after this letter to you I am now writing
to him on the same lines, although my resolve to break off our
friendship is definite and final -
Your
friend
Beethoven