We can hardly account for the fact, that our language contains so few musical works adapted to the popular taste. While in almost any circulating library you may find biographies and sketches innumerable, of the poets, the painters, and the sculptors; and abundance of elaborate treatises on Art, in its various departments; a readable, well written musical work, whether biographical, historical, or scientific, is scarcely to be found. The reason for this, we apprehend, is to be sought, not in the intrinsic nature of the subject, for surely no one of the fine arts has a stronger or a more general hold upon the affections of mankind at large, than music. Among the rudest and most ignorant classes, it is not uncommon to find persons of really good musical taste and correct notions.

In a reading community, well written works of this kind, would certainly meet with very general acceptance. Perhaps their scarcity may be attributed to the fact, that there are few men, who combine much literary excellence, with any great skill in musical criticism. Indeed, many of the books which have been written, have either had mere musicians for their authors, and thus by an obscure and technical style, been rendered unattractive to common readers, or else have been written by men possessing it may be, the requisite literary qualifications, but destitute of musical taste. Moscheles' Life of Beethoven has afforded us great pleasure in the perusal; not only as a respectable literary peformance, but from the strong desire we have long entertained to know more of the character and of the works of the great composer. Mr. Moscheles is a professed musician himself, and we

cannot say that his book is entirely free from the defects hinted at above. He evidently writes con amore, and is sometimes led away by his admiration for the artist, to an undue palliation of the faults and foibles of the man. Biographers are peculiarly exposed to the "Lues Boswelliana," or "disease of admiration"; but the intelligent reader, will make due allowance, and need not be misled by it. It is not our intention, however, to write an extended review of Mr. Moscheles' book; but rather to give our readers a brief sketch of the life and character of Beethoven.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN was born on the 17th of December, 1770, at Bonn. His father, Johann Van Beethoven, was tenor singer in the Electoral Chapel, and died in 1792. His grandfather was also a music director, and bass singer, of some eminence. Beethoven's general education was indifferent. He received elementary instruction, and learned a little Latin at a public school. Music he learned of his father, who often found it necessary to drive his stubborn son to the piano-forte. A characteristic anecdote is related of him, showing his fractious temper at this early age. Little Ludwig had a pet spider, which would let itself down from the ceiling and alight upon his violin, whenever he was playing. His mother one day killed the spider, which so enraged him that he instantly dashed his violin to pieces. Although he received his first instruction from his father, he was afterwards placed under various teachers; until in the year 1785, at the age of 15, he was appointed by the Elector, Max Franz, organist to the Electoral Chapel. That he was possessed of extraordinary talent, even at this early age, is shown by an amusing incident related of him. Heller, a famous singer, was one day boasting of his professional skill, when Beethoven offered to bet that he would that very day, put him out, at such a place. Heller accepted the wager without hesitation. Beethoven, when he came to the passage, by a skillful modulation on the instrument, so confused the poor vocalist that he came to a dead stand. Heller, irritated by the laughter of those around, complained of Beethoven to the Elector, who slightly reprimanded the young organist, and bade him "play no more such clever tricks." About this time he began to compose, and he showed his first cantata to Haydn. The celebrated master commended him, and encouraged him to persevere in his studies. In the winter of 1786-7, Beethoven visited Vienna for the first time. Here he became acquainted with Mozart, who on hearing him extemporize upon a theme given him, exclaimed, "That youth will one day make a

noise in the world." He returned to Bonn, but he was discontented. He had seen Vienna, "The central point of every thing great and sublime that music had till then achieved upon the soil of Germany." It was the home of Mozart, of Haydn and of Gluck. No wonder the youthful enthusiast pined for a closer acquaintance with those great masters and their works. Accordingly in 1792, he obtained the Elector's permission to reside in Vienna, for the purpose of improving himself under the tuition of Haydn. Here in this favorite home of the muses he ever afterwards lived.

One of his first acquaintances, was the celebrated Van Sweiten, formerly physician in ordinary to the Empress Maria Theresa. Beethoven became a constant visitor at the house of this man, whose admiration for him was so excessive, that he frequently kept him playing the greater part of the night. Among the notes addressed by him to Beethoven, one runs thus: "If you are not prevented next Wednesday, I should be glad to see you here at half past eight in the evening, with your night-cap in your pocket." About this time also, he became acquainted with the noble family of Lichnowsky, whose munificent patronage he enjoyed for several years. By his splendid talents, he soon became the "observed of all observers," and it was not long ere his fame had spread through Germany. There was a wild unearthly character about his music, a strange and fascinating originality, which seemed not so much to provoke, as to transcend, and utterly to set at defiance all attempts at criticism. He mocked at all the rules of the schools; by the sublime flights of his genius, he soared beyond all competition, and compelled even envy to gaze with abashed and wondering admiration. Courted and flattered as he was on all hands, it is not a matter of surprise, that a temper naturally wayward and capricious, should feel the evil effects of so much indulgence. His manners were often rude and boorish. He spurned the laws of etiquette; to his superiors he was insolent; and to his most intimate friends, imperious and exacting. In this, the most brilliant period of his life, before age and disease had impaired his powers, Beethoven was peculiarly susceptible to the influences of the tender passion. He had all the delicate sensibility, and ardent feeling of the true poet, and like most true poets was always deeply in love. These attachments were, however, mostly of very brief duration. "One day," says M. Ries," when I was rallying him on the conquest of a fair lady, he confessed that this one had enthralled him more powerfully and longer than any other--that is to say full seven months." When