Death might come unannounced and give no time to make a legal will; therefore I hereby attest with my own hand that I declare my nephew Karl van Beethoven to be my universal heir and that after my death everything without exception _which can be called my property shall belong to him_. I appoint you to be his curator, and if there should be no testament after this you are also authorized and requested to find a guardian for my beloved nephew--to the exclusion of my brother Johann van Beethoven--and secure his appointment according to law. I declare this writing to be valid for all time as being my last will before my death. I embrace you with all my heart. The words excluding Johann from the guardianship were written on the third page of the document and on the first there was this addition: “NB. In the way of capital there are 7 shares of bank stock; whatever else is found in cash is like the bank shares to be his.” Shortly before his death he reiterated this bequest with modifications entailed by changed conditions. The origin of a canon which Beethoven improvised at the coffee-house “Zur goldenen Birne” on February 20 to the words “Bester Herr Graf, Sie sind ein Schaf” is said by Schindler to have been a discussion between the composer and Count Lichnowsky concerning a contract with Steiner. Obviously, Beethoven and his adviser had disagreed. [Sidenote: SEEKS APPOINTMENT AS COURT COMPOSER] In November 1822, Anton Tayber, Imperial Court Composer, died. Beethoven applied for the appointment as his successor and Counts Lichnowsky and Dietrichstein entered the lists for him. Beethoven made a personal appeal to Dietrichstein, who was the “Court Music-Count” who, on February 23, 1823, disclosed the plan which had been conceived to promote Beethoven’s interests with the Emperor in a letter to Lichnowsky: It would have been my duty long ago to reply to good Beethoven, since he came to me so trustfully. But after I had spoken with you I decided to break silence only after I had received definite information on the subject in question. I can now tell you positively that the post held by the deceased Tayber--who was not Chamber but Court Composer--is not to be filled again. I do not want to write to Beethoven because I do not like to disappoint a man whom I so sincerely respect, and therefore I beg of you when occasion offers to let him know the fact and then to inform me when and where I may meet him, as I have forgotten where he lives.