[62] Some of the information for which Thayer hoped was supplied by his translator, Dr. Deiters, and has been printed as a foot-note in the preceding chapter. Something more appears from several documents which have come to light since Mr. Thayer wrote, but, it must be confessed, it seems more bewildering than illuminative. One of these is a letter which was published in the “Signale” of Leipsic in September, 1880. It is without date, but an allusion to the felon with which Beethoven was afflicted fixes the time of its writing about March, 1808. The significant part of the letter is as follows: “To-day I have little time to write more to you, I only want to inform you that ~your symphony~ has long been ready and I will send it to you by the next post--you may retain 50 florins, for the copying, which I will have done for you, will cost that sum at least--in case you do not want the symphony, however, let me know the fact before the next post--in case you accept it, rejoice me as soon as possible with the 300 florins still due me--The last piece in the symphony is with 3 trombones and ~flautino~--not with 3 kettledrums, but will make more noise than 6 kettledrums and, indeed, better noise--I am still under treatment for my poor innocent finger and because of it have not been able to go out for a fortnight--farewell--let me hear something from you soon, dear Count--it goes ill with me.” The document which Dr. Riemann says “obviously” accompanied this letter (though we cannot see why) runs as follows: “Receipt for 500 florins from Count Oppersdorff for a ~Sinfonie~ which I have written for him.” This is dated “1807 on the 3rd of February.” There is another receipt for 150 florins dated March 29, 1808, but nothing to show what the money was paid for except a memorandum accompanying it which seems to be partly in the handwriting of Beethoven, partly in that of Oppersdorff, and states that 200 florins had been paid in June, 1807, for the “5 Sinfoni” (the numeral is vague), but that the symphony had not been received. The reference to the trombones in the finale of the symphony proves that it was the fifth that was in question.