Note 163 — SUPPLEMENT TO VOLUME II.

My brother-in-law Stephen Breuning, Ferdinand Ries, Bernard Romberg, and myself, have been taught by experience that Beethoven was ever a slave to the tender passion, and that in the highest degree. His and Stephen Breuning's first love was Mlle. Jeannette d'Honrath, of Cologne, who often spent some weeks at the residence of the Breunings. She was as fair as lively, engaging and amiable, had a beautiful voice, and delighted in music. She often used to sing, in derision, to our friend, the well-known song:—

"What! part with thee this very day?

My heart a thousand times says nay,

And yet I know I must not stay."

The happy rival was Major Greth, of Cologne, who married the fair lady. This attachment of Beethoven's was followed by one for the amiable Mlle. W——; and it is but three years since B. Romberg told me many anecdotes of this Werther-like love. Neither this nor any of the former inclinations left any lasting impression upon his own mind or that of the fair ones. Beethoven was a great favourite at Vienna, and perhaps more so than many an Adonis might be; and I will leave connoisseurs and dilettanti to judge whether "Adelaide," "Fidelio," and many other things, could have been written if the author had not experienced those feelings which they so admirably depict. But let us take the author's word for it, as given in this letter, that he was swayed by love. To the best of my knowledge, his affections were generally placed in the higher ranks.