andreas hofer-第14部分

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crowd　below；　and；　turning　to　the　empress；　he　said：　〃Perhaps　my　dear
Viennese　may　consider　Haydn　on　his　easy…chair　yonder　their　emperor；
and　I　myself　may　abdicate　and　go　home。　They　did　not　even　look　at　us
to…night；　and　are　raising　such　a　fuss　now　as　though　God　Almighty　had
entered　the　ball！〃

In　effect；　the　exultation　of　the　audience　increased　at　every　step
which　the　procession　advanced；　and　endless　cheers　accompanied　the
composer　to　the　seat　which　had　been　prepared　for　him　on　an　estrade
in　front　of　the　orchestra。

Here　two　beautiful　ladies　of　high　rank　came　to　meet　him；　and
presented　to　him；　on　cushions　of　gold…embroidered　velvet；　poems
written　by　Collin　and　Carpani　and　printed　on　silken　ribbons。　At　the
same　time　many　hundred　copies　of　these　poems　flittered　through　the
hall；　and　all　shouted　joyously；　〃Long　live　Joseph　Haydn；　the　German
maestro！〃　And　the　orchestra　played　a　ringing　flourish；　and　the
cheers　of　the　audience　rent　the　air　again　and　again。

Joseph　Haydn；　quite　overcome；　his　eyes　filled　with　tears；　leaned　his
head　against　the　back　of　his　chair。　A　mortal　pallor　overspread　his
cheeks；　and　his　hands　trembled　as　though　he　had　the　fever。

〃Maestro；　dear；　dear　maestro！〃　said　the　Princess　Esterhazy；　bending
over　him　tenderly；　〃are　you　unwell？　You　tremble；　and　are　so　pale！
Are　you　unwell？〃

〃Oh；　no；　no；〃　said　Haydn；　with　a　gentle　smile；　〃my　soul　is　in
ecstasies　at　this　hour；　which　is　a　precious　reward　for　a　long　life
of　arduous　toils。　My　soul　is　in　ecstasies；　but　it　lives　in　such　a
weak　and　wretched　shell；　and　because　the　soul　is　all　ablaze　with　the
fires　of　rapturous　delight；　the　whole　warmth　has　entered　it；　and　the
poor　mortal　shell　is　cold　and　trembling。〃

The　Princess　Esterhazy　took　impetuously　from　her　shoulders　the
costly　Turkish　shawl　in　which　her　form　was　enveloped；　she　spread　it
out　before　Haydn　and　wrapped　it　carefully　round　his　feet。　Her
example　was　followed　immediately　by　the　Princesses　Lichtenstein　and
Kinsky；　and　the　Countesses　Kaunitz　and　Spielmann。　They　doffed　their
beautiful　ermine　furs　and　their　Turkish　and　Persian　shawls；　and
wrapped　them　around　the　old　composer；　and　transformed　them　into
cushions　which　they　placed　under　his　head　and　his　arms；　and　blankets
with　which　they　covered　him。　＇Footnote：　See　〃Zeitgenossen；〃　third
series；　vol。　vi。；　p。　32＇

Haydn　allowed　them　smilingly　to　do　so；　and　thanked；　with　glances　of
joyful　emotion；　the　beautiful　ladies　who　manifested　so　much　tender
solicitude　for　him。

〃Why　can　I　not　die　now？〃　he　said　to　himself　in　a　low　voice。　〃Why
does　not　Death　kiss　my　lips　at　this　glorious　hour　of　my　triumph？　Oh；
come；　Death！　waft　me　blissfully　into　the　other　world；　for　in　this
world　I　am　useless　henceforth；　my　strength　is　gone；　and　my　head　has
no　more　ideas。　I　live　only　in　and　on　the　past！〃

〃And　yet　you　live　for　all　time　to　come；〃　said　the　Princess
Esterhazy；　enthusiastically；　〃and　while　German　art　and　German　music
are　loved　and　honored；　Joseph　Haydn　will　never　die　and　never　be
forgotten。〃

Hushed　now　was　every　sound。　Salieri　had　taken　his　seat　as　conductor
of　the　concert；　and　signed　now　to　the　orchestra。

The　audience　listened　in　breathless　silence　to　the　tumultuous　notes
depicting　in　so　masterly　a　manner　the　struggle　of　light　and
darkness；　the　chaos　of　the　elements。　The　struggle　of　the　elements
becomes　more　and　more　furious；　and　the　music　depicts　it　in　sombre；
violent　notes；　when　suddenly　the　horizon　brightens；　the　clouds　are
rent；　the　dissonant　sounds　pass　into　a　sublime　harmony；　and　in
glorious　notes　of　the　most　blissful　exultation　resound　through　the
struggling　universe　the　grand；　redeeming　words；　〃Let　there　be
light！〃　And　all　join　in　the　rapturous　chorus；　and　repeat　in　blissful
concord；　〃Let　there　be　light！〃

The　audience；　carried　away　by　the　grandeur　and　irresistible　power　of
these　notes；　burst　into　long…continued　applause。

Haydn　took　no　notice　of　it；　he　heard　only　his　music；　his　soul　was
entirely　absorbed　in　it；　and　lifting　both　his　arms　to　heaven；　he
said　devoutly　and　humbly；　〃It　comes　from　above！〃　＇Footnote：
〃Zeitgenossen；〃　ibid。＇

The　audience　had　heard　these　loud　and　enthusiastic　words；　it
applauded　no　longer；　but　looked　in　reverent　silence　toward　the　aged
composer；　who；　in　the　midst　of　his　most　glorious　triumph；　rendered
honor　to　God　alone；　and　bowed　piously　and　modestly　to　the　work　of
his　own　genius。

The　performance　proceeded。　But　Joseph　Haydn　hardly　heard　much　of　the
music。　His　head　leaned　against　the　back　of　the　chair；　his　face；　lit
up　by　a　blissful　smile；　was　deathly　pale；　his　eyes　cast　fervent
glances　of　gratitude　toward　heaven；　and　seemed；　in　their　ecstatic
gaze；　to　see　the　whole　heavens　opened。

〃Maestro；〃　said　the　Princess　Esterhazy；　when　the　first　part　of　the
performance　was　ended；　〃you　must　no　longer　remain　here；　but　return
to　your　quiet　home。〃

〃Yes；　I　shall　return　to　the　quiet　home　which　awaits　us　all；〃　said
Haydn；　mildly；　〃and　I　feel　sensibly　that　I　shall　remain　no　longer
among　men。　A　sweet　dream　seems　to　steal　over　me。　Let　the　performers
commence　the　second　part；　and　my　soul　will　be　wafted　to　heaven　on
the　wings　of　my　music。〃

But　the　Princess　Esterhazy　beckoned　to　his　friends。　〃Take　him　away；〃
she　said；　〃the　excitement　will　kill　him；　if　he　stays　any　longer。〃

They　approached　his　chair　and　begged　permission　to　escort　him　home。
Haydn　nodded　his　assent　silently　and　smilingly；　and　his　eyes　glanced
dreamily　round　the　hall。

Suddenly　he　gave　a　start　as　if　in　great　terror；　and　rose　so
impetuously　that　the　furs　and　Turkish　shawls；　which　had　been　wrapped
round　him；　fell　to　the　floor。　His　face　crimsoned　as　if　in　the　light
of　the　setting　sun；　his　eyes　looked　up　with　a　radiant　expression　to
the　box　yonderto　his　emperor；　whom　he　had　loved　so　long　and
ardently；　for　whom　he　had　wept　in　the　days　of　adversity；　for　whom　he
had　prayed　and　sung　at　all　times。　Now　he　saw　him　who；　in　his　eyes；
represented　fatherland；　home；　and　human　justice；　he　felt　that　it　was
the　last　time　his　eyes　would　behold　him；　and　he　wished　to　bid
farewell　at　this　hour　to　the　world；　his　fatherland；　and　his　emperor。

With　a　vigorous　hand　he　pushed　back　the　friends　who　would　have　held
him　and　replaced　him　in　his　chair。　Now　he　was　no　longer　a　weak　and
decrepit　old　man；　he　felt　strong　and　active；　and　he　hastened　forward
with　a　rapid　step　through　the　orchestra　toward　the　conductor's　seat
and　the　piano　in　front　of　it。　He　laid　his　hands；　which　trembled　no
longer；　on　the　keys；　and　struck　a　full　concord。　He　turned　his　face
toward　the　imperial　box；　his　eyes　beamed　with　love　and　exultation；
and　he　began　to　play　his　favorite　hymn　with　impressive　enthusiasm
the　hymn　which　he　had　composed　ten　years　ago　in　the　days　of
Austria's　adversity；　and　which　he　had　sung　every　day　since　then；
the　hymn；　〃Gott　erhalte　Franz　den　Kaiser；　unsern　guten　Kaiser
Franz！〃　And　the　audience　rose　and　gazed　with　profound　emotion　upon
Joseph　Haydn's　gleaming　face；　and　then　up　to　the　emperor；　who　was
standing　smilingly　in　his　box；　and　the　empress；　from　whose　eyes　two
large　tears　rolled　down　her　pale　cheeks；　and　with　one　accord　the
vast　crowd　commenced　singing：

　〃Gott　erhalte　Franz　den　Kaiser；
　Unsern　guten　Kaiser　Franz！
　Lange　lebe　Franz　der　Kaiser
　In　des　Glueckes　hellem　Kranz！
　Ihm　erbluehen　Lorbeerreiser；
　Wo　er　geht；　zum　Ehrenkranz。
　Gott　erhalte〃



　＇Footnote：
　〃God　preserve　the　emperor
　Francis；　our　good　emperor！
　Long　live　Francis；　brightest　gem
　In　fair　Fortune's　diadem
　O'er　him　see　the　laurel　wave；
　Honoring　the　true；　the　brave！
　God　preserve〃＇



Haydn's　hands　dropped　exhausted　from　the　keys；　his　form　rocked　to
and　fro；　and；　half　fainting；　he　sank　back　into　the　arms　of　Salieri
and　Kreutzer。

The　audience　paused；　all　forgot　the　imperial　hymn；　and　looked　only
at　the　venerable　old　maestro；　whom　Salieri　and　Kreutzer　lowered　now
softly　into　the　easy…chair；　which　had　been　brought　to　them。

〃Take　me　home；　dear　ones；〃　he　said；　faintly；　〃sing　on；　my
'Creation'；　my　soul　will　remain　with　you；　but　my　body　can　no　longer
stay。　Old　age　has　broken　its　strength。　Farewell；　farewell；　all　of
you！　My　soul　will　always　be　among　you　when　you　sing　my　music；　my
body　will　go；　but　the　soul　will　remain。　Farewell！〃

And　the　votaries　of　art　who　had　conveyed　him　to　the　hall　now　placed
the　maestro's　chair　again　on　their　shoulders；　and　carried　it　slowly
through　the　hall　toward　the　entrance。

The　audience　stood　in　silent　reverence　and　looked　up　to　Haydn's
passing　form；　and　durst　not　break　this　profound　stillness　by
uttering　a　sound。　They　bade　farewell　to　the　universally　beloved　and
revered　maestro　only　by　bowing　their　heads　to　him　and　shedding　tears
of　emotionfarewell　for　evermore！

The　solemn　procession　had　now　arrived　at　the　door。　Joseph　Haydn
lifted　his　weary　head　once　more；　his　spirit　gleamed　once　more　in　his
eyes；　an　expression　of　unutterable　love　beamed　from　his　mild　face；
he　stretched　out　his　arms　toward　the　orchestra　as　if　to　bless　it；
and　greeted　it　with　his　smile；　with　the　nodding　of　his　head；　and　the
tears　which　filled　his　eyes。　＇Footnote：　〃Zeitgenossen；〃　third
series；　vol　iv。；　p。　33＇

A　low　rustling　and　sobbing　passed　through　the　hall；　no　one　was
courageous　enough　to　clap　his　hand