Only a moment’s time offers me the urgent opportunity inasmuch as a friend of mine who is a great admirer of yours (like myself) is hastily departing from here, to thank you for the long time that I have known you (for I know you since my childhood)--that is so little for so much--Bettine Brentano has assured me that you will graciously, even kindly receive me, but how can I think of such a reception when I can only approach you with the greatest reverence and with an unutterably deep feeling for your glorious creations--you will soon receive the music to Egmont from Leipsic through Breitkopf and Härtel, this glorious Egmont which I read so ardently, thought over and experienced again and gave out in music--I would greatly like to have your judgment on it and your blame, too ... will be beneficial to me and my art, and be accepted as gladly as the highest praise. Your Excellency’s Great admirer Ludwig van Beethoven.[81] The music to “Egmont” was not published till January, 1812, and Goethe had to wait a long time before he was able to form an opinion concerning it. This was not Beethoven’s fault, however; on October 9, 1811, we find him writing to Breitkopf and Härtel: Do send the whole whole [~sic~] score copied at my expense for aught I care (the score, that is) to Goethe, how can a German publisher be so discourteous, so rude to the first of German poets? Therefore, quick with the score to Weimar. This injunction was not obeyed, and on January 28, 1812, Beethoven makes another urgent request: I therefore again beg of you humbly to take care of these letters--and with the letter to Goethe[82] to send the Egmont (score), but not in the customary way with here and there a piece wanting, etc., but properly, this cannot be postponed longer, I have pledged my word and am the more particular to have the pledge redeemed when I can compel somebody else, like you, to do it--ha, ha, ha! You deserve that I employ such language towards you, towards such a sinner who if I had my way would walk in a hairy shirt of penance for all the flagitiousness practised on my works. Beethoven had had the intention of sending the score of the “Egmont” music to Goethe from the moment he began on it, as appears from a memorandum on the autograph manuscript of the Quartet in E-flat, Op. 74, written in 1809: “Score of Egmont to Goethe at once.”