said, most probably to Paris. He then gave me a vast deal of
advice, saying he had recently been there, and adding, "You will
make a great deal by giving lessons, for the piano is highly
prized in Paris." He also arranged that I should dine at the
officers' table, and promised to put me in the way of speaking to
the Prince. He regretted very much having at that moment a sore
throat, (which was indeed quite true,) so that he could not go
out with me himself to procure me some amusement. He was also
sorry that he could have no music in honor of me, because most of
the musical people had gone that very day on some pedestrian
excursion to--Heaven knows where! At his request I tried his
piano, which is very good. He often said Bravo! I extemporized,
and also played the sonatas in B and D. In short, he was very
polite, and I was also polite, but grave. We conversed on a
variety of topics--among others, about Vienna, and more
particularly that the Emperor [Joseph II.] was no great lover of
music. He said, "It is true he has some knowledge of composition,
but of nothing else. I can still recall (and he rubbed his
forehead) that when I was to play before him I had no idea what
to play; so I began with some fugues and trifles of that kind,
which in my own mind I only laughed at." I could scarcely resist
saying, "I can quite fancy your laughing, but scarcely so loud as
I must have done had I heard you!" He further said (what is the
fact) that the music in the Emperor's private apartments is
enough to frighten the crows. I replied, that whenever I heard
such music, if I did not quickly leave the room it gave me a
headache. "Oh! no; it has no such effect on me; bad music does
not affect my nerves, but fine music never fails to give me a
headache." I thought to myself again, such a shallow head as
yours is sure to suffer when listening to what is beyond its