possessed.

He went to London and renewed his former successes, playing again in
public at Salomon's concerts, and in the drawing-rooms of the
aristocracy. But here his ill-luck followed him, for London being full
of French refugees, and the officials being suspicious of them all, he
was warned to leave England, as it was feared that he was connected with
some political conspiracy.

This misfortune occurred in 1798, and Viotti retired to a small village
called Schoenfeld, not far from Hamburg, where he lived in strict
seclusion. During this time he was by no means idle, for he composed
some of his finest works, notably the six duets for violins, which he
prefaced by these words: "This book is the fruit of leisure afforded me
by misfortune. Some of the pieces were dictated by trouble, others by
hope." It was also during this period of retirement that he perfected
his pupil Pixis, who, with his father, lived at Schoenfeld a whole
summer for the express purpose of receiving Viotti's instruction.

In 1801 Viotti found himself at liberty to visit England once more, but
when he returned he astonished the world by going into the wine
business, in which he succeeded in getting rid of the remainder of his
fortune. As a man of business the strictest integrity and honour
regulated his transactions, and his feelings were kind and benevolent,
whilst as a musician, he is said never to have been surpassed in any of
the highest qualities of violin playing.

At the close of his career as a wine merchant, he returned to Paris to
resume his regular profession, and was appointed director of the Grand
Opéra, but he failed to rescue the opera from its state of decadence,