Beethoven briefly informs his publisher of the unfavourable living conditions in Vienna occasioned by the French occupation. In addition to the generally bad situation Prince Kinsky had not paid his part of the annuity which had been agreed upon on 1.3.1809, guaranteeing Beethoven a fixed annual sum of money. Because of this Beethoven is now in financial difficulties and asks his publisher to buy the works he has offered him - opp. 85, 86 and 72 - for the 250 florins C.M. he has requested.
He announces a list of mistakes for the Cello Sonata op. 69 (it was sent with HCB Br 79, BG 393) which he would like to have published. Beethoven adds that it would be better to send his own manuscript as the engraver's model, as copyists always make mistakes and "when looking through the author really overlooks the mistakes".
He assures him that the promised Lied WoO 136 will be sent as a present. Apart from this Beethoven also thanks him for the edition of Euripides' Tragedies which Härtel had sent him, parts of which he might like to set to music. He says that he has bought a score of Handel's Messiah. So as to be able to make music at home in the evenings he asks Härtel to send him other works by Mozart, Haydn and the two famous Bachs, father Johann Sebastian and his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, whose piano works he considers to be worthy of performance and study. Finally Beethoven also asks for an author's copy of his Trios op. 70, 1.
