therefore a secret not to be divulged to others. Let our letters
suffice and do not address yourself to others, for, by heaven, I
will not give a finger's length of accounting concerning my
doings or omissions to others, not even to the Emperor himself. I
have cares and anxieties of my own and have no use for petulant
letters."

(Vienna, September 5, 1781, to his father, who lent a willing ear
to gossips and was never chary of his reproaches. Mozart was
already twenty-five years old.)

145. "If I were Wiedmer I would demand the following satisfaction
from the Emperor: he should endure 50 strokes at the same place
in my presence and then he should pay me 6,000 ducats. If I could
not obtain this satisfaction I should take none, but thrust a
dagger through his heart at the first opportunity. N.B. He has
already had an offer of 3,000 ducats on condition that he does
not come to Vienna, but permits the matter to drop. The people of
Innsbruck say of Wiedmer: he who was scourged for our sake will
also redeem us."

(Vienna, August 8, 1781, to his father. Herr von Wiedmer was a
nobleman and theatre director, who, without cause, had been
sentenced to a whipping by the president, Count Wolkenstein, on
the complaint of another nobleman. [Mozart's bloodthirstiness was
probably due to memories of Arco's kick still rankling in his
heart. It was only after long solicitation from his father that
he abandoned his plan to send Arco the threatened letter.
H.E.K.])