As a result of the winter's activities, Beethoven's finances were
greatly improved. He displayed a degree of business ability during this
year, which was not to have been expected from a man of his temperament.
His profits from one source or another were such that he invested money
to the extent of ten thousand florins, in shares of the Bank of Austria.
It was his first and only investment, undertaken as a provision for the
future.
That Beethoven kept his head in the face of all this adulation is
evident from a letter written at this time to a friend at Prague in
which he says, "I write nothing about our monarchs and monarchies. The
intellectual realm is the most precious in my eyes, and far above all
temporal and spiritual kingdoms."
It was indeed a brilliant winter, but all this joy was suddenly changed
to something akin to terror by the news of Napoleon's escape from Elba
in March of 1815, and that he was assembling his forces for another
campaign. The gayeties had to be discontinued, the members of the
Congress confined themselves to the work for which it was convened, the
result being that the treaties were signed by the eight powers on June
7, upon which the Congress disbanded.
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