y Dear Mr. Neate,
I have received a letter from Mr. Ries, as amanuensis to Salomon (who has had the misfortune to break his right shoulder in a fall from his horse) [Anderson footnote: “Salomon had died on November 28th”], and he tells me, on the 29th of September, that the three overtures [Opus 113, 117, 115] which you took from me for the Philharmonic Society four months ago, had not then reached London. This being the second remembrancer which Mr. Salomon sends me on the subject, I thought I had better let you know. Should you not have sent them off, I should like to revise the overture in C major, as it may be somewhat incorrect. With regard to any written agreement you may like to have about these things for England, that is very much at your service at a moment’s notice. I would not have them suppose that I could ever act otherwise then as a man of honour. There are dispositions so fickle that they think one way today and another way tomorrow, and fancy others as ready to change their mind; and with such tempers one cannot be positive and mistrustful enough. So fare you well, my dear Mr. Neate.
Yours truly,
Ludwig van Beethoven