Here, my dear St[einer], I am letting you have the parts of the symphony in A [Opus 92]. I was the first to suggest to Diabelli that you should engrave the symphony from these parts. Consequently those statements about it which you are hurling at me are completely wide of the mark – Once more I request you to send me the opera so that I may correct Artaria’s quartet arrangement from it. Surely you will not wish to give expression to any feelings of jealousy about this and keep it back on that account? For that would do you little honour –
I have always been willing to oblige you, but my character does not allow me to be distrustful. According to our contract I may give to England as well all the works which you possess; and I can prove to you that in this respect I have not nearly made use of my privilege and that had I remained sole owner of my works the English would have paid me very differently from you. Yet despite all this I have adhered, and do loyally adhere, to what is laid down in our contract –
And now I inform you that in a few days a very solemn court martial is going to be held, with the result that the whole regiment, beginning with the L[ieutenant] G[eneral], is to be completely disbanded and also declared to have forfeited all its future honours, privileges and the like.
For the last time the G[eneralissim]o