I inform you that my brother is going to Leipsic on business of his chancellary and I have given him to carry the overture to my opera in pianoforte arrangement, my oratorio and a new pianoforte concerto--you may also negotiate with him touching some new violin quartets of which I ~have already completed one~ and am purposing to devote myself almost wholly to this work. As soon as you have come to an understanding with my brother I will send you the pianoforte arrangement of my opera--you may also have the score.
I hear that the symphony which I sent you last year and ~which you returned to me~ has been roundly abused in the Musikal. Zeitung, I have not read it, if you think that you do ~me~ harm by this you are mistaken, on the contrary you bring your newspaper into discredit by such things--all the more since I ~have not made any secret~ of the fact that you sent back ~this symphony~ and other compositions--Please present my compliments to Herr V. Rochlitz, I hope his bad blood toward me has become a little diluted, say to him that I AM BY NO MEANS SO IGNORANT of foreign literature not to know that ~Herr v. Rochlitz has written some very pretty things~, and if I should ever come to Leipsic I am convinced that we shall become right good friends without ~causing injury or loss to his criticisms~....
The pianoforte concerto referred to is that in G major, Op. 58; the Quartets, the set Op. 59; the symphony, the "Eroica." The second letter was written from Prince Lichnowsky's castle, Grätz, near Troppau in Silesia. Breitkopf and Härtel's endorsement shows that it was received and answered in September:
Rather too much to do and the little journey here I could not answer your letter at once--although I at once decided to accept your offer, since my comfort, too, will be promoted by such an arrangement and many unavoidable disorders obviated--I willingly obligate myself not to sell any more of my works to any one except you nor abroad except in the cases now specified, viz: whenever advantageous offers are made to me by foreign publishers I will inform you of the fact; and if you are otherwise inclined I will at once arrange that you shall have ~the same work for Germany~ for a smaller honorarium.--The second case is this: if I should leave Germany, which is easily possible, that you may ~still participate as above~, if you so desire--If these conditions are agreeable to you write me--I believe the plan mutually helpful--as soon as I learn your opinion of the matter--you may have at once 3 violin quartets, a new pianoforte concerto, a new symphony, the score of my opera and my oratorio.