Notwithstanding the hopeful tone which characterized the letters written
during his last illness, there were times when he knew that he was
making a losing fight. Already on January 3, a month after his return
from Gneixendorf, he wrote a letter to his attorney, Dr. Bach, in the
form of a will, in which as may be supposed, his nephew is his sole
heir. No conditions were imposed on the young man, who, had the will
remained in this form, might have squandered the entire amount. (The
estate netted $5000). This was pointed out to Beethoven by his
counsellor, Dr. Bach, and also Von Breuning, who urged on him the
necessity of adding a codicil to the will, in which the principal would
be tied up for life, leaving only the income available. This he resisted
to within a few days before the end, but finally gave in, and, not
without great difficulty, wrote with his own hand a codicil, consisting
of but three lines, in which the income only was to be enjoyed by the
nephew, the principal to revert to his natural or testamentary heirs,
after Karl's death.
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