These remarks of Beethoven elicited the following reply from Mr. C.
Lonsdale, the manager at R. Birchall's.
"London, Nov. 8, 1816.
"Sir,
In answer to yours of the 1st October I am desired by Mr. Birchall
to inform you he is glad to find you are now satisfied respecting
the promise of paying you L5,--in addition to what you before
received according to agreement,--but he did not think you would
have delayed sending the receipt signed, after the receipt of the
130 ducats, merely because you had not received the L5, which
latter sum was not included in the receipt. Till it arrives, Mr.
Birchall cannot at any rate enter into any fresh arrangement, as
his first care will be to secure those pieces he has already paid
for, and see how they answer his purpose as a music-seller; and
without the receipt he cannot prevent any other music-seller from
publishing them. In regard to the airs with variations, the price
of L30, which it is supposed you mean for each, is considerably
more than he could afford to give,--even to have any hopes of
seeing them repay him; if that should be your lowest price, Mr.
Birchall will give up his idea of them altogether.... I am sorry to
say Mr. Birchall's health has been very bad for two or three years
back, which prevents him from attending to business; and as there
are, I fear, but little hopes of his being much better, he is less
anxious respecting making any additions to his catalogue than he
otherwise would have been. He is much obliged to you for the offer
of the Sonata and the Trio; but he begs to decline it for the
reasons before mentioned. Hoping to hear soon respecting the paper
sent for your signature.