The book of “The Victory of the Cross” was based upon the ancient story of the apparition of the cross and the legend “_In hoc signo vinces_” to Constantine the Great. _Constantine_ has crossed the Alps into Italy and lies encamped confronting his enemy _Maxentius_ before Rome. His daughter _Julia_, who is represented as wife to _Maxentius_, attempts to avert the battle, but the vision strengthens _Constantine’s_ resolve. _Julia_ hears the angelic canticles which accompany the apparition and is converted to the true faith, persisting in it to martyrdom, to which she is condemned by her husband. _Maxentius_ also hears the voices, but his augurs (allegorical figures representing _Hate_ and _Discord_) interpret them to his advantage, whereas similar figures (_Faith_, _Hope_ and _Charity_) inspire the Christian army. Pious canticles on the one hand, harsh songs on the other, precede the battle, the progress of which is related by a solo voice. _Constantine_ promises to raise the cross on the forum in Rome; the victory is won and celebrated with Christian hymns, “Hosanna!” and “Glory to God!” Beethoven’s copy of the libretto has been preserved, and in it there are indications that he made some heroic excisions. He permitted _Faith_, _Hope_ and _Charity_ to remain, but banished _Hate_ and _Discord_. It is pretty plain that Beethoven found nothing inspiring in the work. Holz told Jahn that he said to him, “How could I get up any enthusiasm about it?” Schindler says that Beethoven’s failure to set the book caused a rupture of the friendship which existed between him and Bernard. The directors of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde dropped the matter, neither importuning Beethoven more nor taking any steps to recover the money paid on account. One outcome of the concerts of May was the appearance of a new portrait of Beethoven. It was a lithographic reproduction of a crayon drawing made by Stephen Decker and was printed as a supplement to the “Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung” edited by F. A. Kanne, on June 6, 1824. In this and two subsequent numbers of the journal (June 9 and 16) Kanne reviewed the concerts with discriminating appreciation, ending with an enthusiastic encomium of the composer. In 1827 Steinmüller made a plate of Decker’s drawing for Artaria. Schindler and Frimmel agree in saying that the well-known portrait by Kriehuber is an imitation of Decker’s drawing, which was made, as Kanne’s journal stated, “a few days after his great concert in May, 1824.”[117]