enemies, but even these yielded to the suavity and fascination which
alternated with his bitter moods. His sympathies were peculiarly open
for young musicians. Mendelssohn and Liszt were stimulated by his warm
and encouraging praise when they first visited Paris; and even Berlioz,
whose turbulent conduct in the Conservatory had so embittered him at
various times, was heartily applauded when his first great mass was
produced. Arnold gives us the following pleasant picture of Cherubini:

"Cherubini in society was outwardly silent, modest, unassuming,
pleasing, obliging, and possessed of the finest manners. At the same
time, he who did not know that he was with Cherubini would think
him stern and reserved, so well did the composer know how to conceal
everything, if only to avoid ostentation. He truly shunned brag or
speaking of himself. Cherubini's voice was feeble, probably from
narrow-chestedness, and somewhat hoarse, but was otherwise soft and
agreeable. His French was Italianized.... His head was bent forward,
his nose was large and aquiline; his eyebrows were thick, black,
and somewhat bushy, overshadowing his eyes. His eyes were dark, and
glittered with an extraordinary brilliancy that animated in a wonderful
way the whole face. A thin lock of hair came over the center of his
forehead, and somehow gave to his countenance a peculiar softness."

The picture painted by Ingres, the great artist, now in the Luxembourg
gallery, represents the composer with Polyhymnia in the background
stretching out her hand over him. His face, framed in waving silvery
hair, is full of majesty and brightness, and the eye of piercing luster.
Cherubini was so gratified by this effort of the painter that he sent
him a beautiful canon set to wrords of his own. Thus his latter years
were spent in the society of the great artists and wits of Paris,
revered by all, and recognized, after Beethoven's death, as the musical