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# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 3

Chapter III.—Nolo Episcopari.
While he thus spoke, I knelt to him, and entreated him, declining the honour and the authority of the chair. But he answered: “Concerning this matter do not ask me; for it has seemed to me to be good that thus it be, and all the more if you decline it. For this chair has not need of a presumptuous man, ambitious of occupying it, but of one pious in conduct and deeply skilled in the word of God. But show me a better than yourself, who has travelled more with me, and has heard more of my discourses, and has learned better the regulations of the Church, and I shall not force you to do well against your will. But it will not be in your power to show me your superior; for you are the choice first-fruits of the multitudes saved through me. However, consider this further, that if you do not undertake the administration of the Church, through fear of the danger of sin, you may be sure that you sin more, when you have it in your power to help the godly, who are, as it were, at sea and in danger, and will not do so, providing only for your own interest, and not for the common advantage of all. But that it behoves you altogether to undertake the danger, while I do not cease to ask it of you for the help of all, you well understand. The sooner, therefore, you consent, so much the sooner will you relieve me from anxiety.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 5

Chapter V.—A Charge.
“However, I wish, in the presence of all, to remind you, for the sake of all, of the things belonging to the administration. It becomes you, living without reproach, with the greatest earnestness to shake off all the cares of life, being neither a surety, nor an advocate, nor involved in any other secular business. For Christ does not wish to appoint you either a judge or an arbitrator in business, or negotiator of the secular affairs of the present life, lest, being confined to the present cares of men, you should not have leisure by the word of truth to separate the good among men from the bad. But let the disciples perform these offices to one another, and not withdraw you from the discourses which are able to save. For as it is wicked for you to undertake secular cares, and to omit the doing of what you have been commanded to do, so it is sin for every layman, if they do not stand by one another even in secular necessities. And if all do not understand to take order that you be without care in respect of the things in which you ought to be, let them learn it from the deacons; that you may have the care of the Church always, in order both to your administering it well, and to your holding forth the words of truth.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 15

Chapter XV.—Incidents of the Voyage.
“Let therefore the passengers remain quiet, sitting in their own places, lest by disorder they occasion rolling or careening. Let the midshipmen give heed to the fare. Let the deacons neglect nothing with which they are entrusted; let the presbyters, like sailors, studiously arrange what is needful for each one. Let the bishop, as the mate, wakefully ponder the words of the pilot alone. Let Christ, even the Saviour, be loved as the pilot, and alone believed in the matters of which He speaks; and let all pray to God for a prosperous voyage. Let those sailing expect every tribulation, as travelling over a great and troubled sea, the world: sometimes, indeed, disheartened, persecuted, dispersed, hungry, thirsty, naked, hemmed in; and, again, sometimes united, congregated, at rest; but also sea-sick, giddy, vomiting, that is, confessing sins, like disease-producing bile,—I mean the sins proceeding from bitterness, and the evils accumulated from disorderly lusts, by the confession of which, as by vomiting, you are relieved of your disease, attaining healthful safety by means of carefulness.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 16

Chapter XVI.—The Bishop’s Labours and Reward.
“But know all of you that the bishop labours more than you all; because each of you suffers his own affliction, but he his own and that of every one. Wherefore, O Clement, preside as a helper to every one according to your ability, being careful of the cares of all. Whence I know that in your undertaking the administration, I do not confer, but receive, a favour. But take courage and bear it generously, as knowing that God will recompense you when you enter the haven of rest, the greatest of blessings, a reward that cannot be taken from you, in proportion as you have undertaken more labour for the safety of all. So that, if many of the brethren should hate you on account of your lofty righteousness, their hatred shall nothing hurt you, but the love of the righteous God shall greatly benefit you. Therefore endeavour to shake off the praise that arises from injustice, and to attain the profitable praise that is from Christ on account of righteous administration.”
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 4

Chapter IV.—The Recompense of the Reward.
“But I myself also, O Clement, know the griefs and anxieties, and dangers and reproaches, that are appointed you from the uninstructed multitudes; and these you will be able to bear nobly, looking to the great reward of patience bestowed on you by God.  But also consider this fairly with me: When has Christ need of your aid? Now, when the wicked one has sworn war against His bride; or in the time to come, when He shall reign victorious, having no need of further help? Is it not evident to any one who has even the least understanding, that it is now? Therefore with all good-will hasten in the time of the present necessity to do battle on the side of this good King, whose character it is to give great rewards after victory. Therefore take the oversight gladly; and all the more in good time, because you have learned from me the administration of the Church, for the safety of the brethren who have taken refuge with us.
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 18

Chapter XVIII.—“As a Heathen Man and a Publican.”
“But some things also you ought of yourselves to consider, on account of his not being able to speak openly by reason of the plots. Such as: if he be hostile to any one, do not wait for his speaking; and do not take part with that man, but prudently follow the bishop’s will, being enemies to those to whom he is an enemy, and not conversing with those with whom he does not converse, in order that every one, desiring to have you all as his friends, may be reconciled to him and be saved, listening to his discourse. But if any one remain a friend of those to whom he is an enemy, and speak to those with whom he does not converse, he also himself is one of those who would waste the church. For, being with you in body, but not with you in judgment, he is against you; and is much worse than the open enemies from without, since with seeming friendship he disperses those who are within.”
# Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 19

Chapter XIX.—Installation of Clement.
Having thus spoken, he laid his hands upon me in the presence of all, and compelled me to sit in his own chair. And when I was seated, he immediately said to me: “I entreat you, in the presence of all the brethren here, that whensoever I depart from this life, as depart I must, you send to James the brother of the Lord a brief account of your reasonings from your boyhood, and how from the beginning until now you have journeyed with me, hearing the discourses preached by me in every city, and seeing my deeds. And then at the end you will not fail to inform him of the manner of my death, as I said before. For that event will not grieve him very much, when he knows that I piously went through what it behoved me to suffer. And he will get the greatest comfort when he learns, that not an unlearned man, or one ignorant of life-giving words, or not knowing the rule of the Church, shall be entrusted with the chair of the teacher after me. For the discourse of a deceiver destroys the souls of the multitudes who hear.”
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 202

202.—BEETHOVEN A LA CUPID.
Beethoven was a man of stern and rugged disposition, a man whose exterior was rough and whose actions were frequently peculiar; but at the same time he had a very gentle and kindly side to his nature. Those who did not happen to see his character displayed in that light thought him hard-hearted and boorish, but that was because they saw him at his worst.
Beethoven had his own love affairs, and, as the following incident shows, was not averse to helping other people in theirs.
In 1811, Beethoven was staying at Toplitz, and took his meals at a certain inn where, as it happened, an actor named Lowe, was accustomed to dine, and, at the same time, engage in the enjoyable occupation of making love ​to the landlord's daughter. The actor and his fair damsel had arranged that Lowe should come for his dinners after the other guests had gone, and only Beethoven remained. They calculated that he would not be an offensive third party, because of his deafness.
But, as the stories generally go, the irate parents stepped in and ordered the actor to discontinue his visits. This he was compelled to do, and for a time the lovers were disconsolate. But who ever knew of an actor so easily discouraged? Lowe was seized by a bright idea. He met Beethoven on one of his daily walks, having purposely taken the road frequented by the master. Beethoven recognized him and at once asked why he had deserted the inn. This gave Lowe a chance to tell his tale of woe and to timidly ask Beethoven to take charge of a letter to the maiden. "Why not?" pleasantly observed the gruff composer, "you mean what is right."
He placed the note in his pocket and started off without taking any more notice of the actor. Lowe started after him saying:—
"I beg your pardon, Herr van Beethoven, that is not all."
"Well, what then?" said the master.
"You must also bring back the answer."
"Well, then, meet me here at this time to-morrow," and again Beethoven started on his way.
As may be imagined Lowe was promptly at the place next day and received from his lady-love the reply at Beethoven's hands. And in this way the greatest of composers continued to serve the lovers as long as he stayed in that place.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 206

206.—A COSTLY FIDDLE.
Jacob Stainer, of Absam, in the Tyrol, lives in the records of violin construction as the greatest of German makers, if not the only one worthy of more than passing mention. He worked in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and his violins came to be highly valued even in his own day. There is a record that at Dresden he sold a violin to a certain count in the suite of King Charles VI for a goodly sum of gold; and besides this the count undertook to supply him as long as he lived with a hundred florins every month, a good dinner each day, a new suit of clothes every year, as well as two casks of beer, his lodging, fire, and lights. As Stainer lived some sixteen years after this, the violin must have cost the count a goodly sum, all told.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 208

208.—PECULIAR ENGLISH.
Not every singer, even though he be able to excite the plaudits of thousands by his song language, can succeed in making a hit by spoken language. The well-known singer, Brignoli, seemed to be successful in both lines, as witness the following. It became necessary, one evening, for some one to apologize for the nonappearance of the prima donna, as she was suffering from a sore throat. The manager sent Brignoli before the ​curtain to make the necessary excuses. So the tenor went forward and said:—
"Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to zay zat Madame N—— ees a leetle hoarse zees evening."
Peals of laughter greeted this announcement; the tenor looked puzzled, and, thinking the people had misunderstood him, he roared out:—
"I zay zat Madame N—— ees a leetle hoarse zees evening!"
This was greeted by another explosion of mirth; then, to cap this lucid explanation, some one in the gallery roared out, "Then if she is a little horse why not trot her out?" That explained to the puzzled tenor the cause of the laughter and he was then able to join in the fun.
Another instance of a musician's English failing him at a crucial moment was when, some years ago, Paderewski played in Boston with the Nikisch orchestra. One of the orchestral soloists became very much excited at the private rehearsal, and stood up and made a little speech to the orchestra, fairly glowing with patriotic pride: "You see, Paderewski—my countryman—a Pole—he is like Cæsar—'He came, he saw, he enquired!'"
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 200

200.—IMPOSITIONS ON MUSICIANS.
There are many drafts made on musicians' time and good nature that thoughtfulness on the part of their friends and acquaintances might obviate.
People do not realize the time and effort it takes to prepare for a public performance. This does not matter so much if the musician be an amateur with plenty of leisure; but if he be a professional, busy with teaching or playing, and with hardly leisure to keep posted on his own specialty, let alone keeping abreast with the advance of the world along other lines, it would seem to require considerable "cheek" to add to the musician's ​work and subtract from his pleasure by such thoughtless requests.
Of course it is not in all cases that such an invitation brings a subtraction of pleasure, for it is a real pleasure to sing and play to an appreciative audience, be it large or small. But the trouble is, that in many cases he is desired to sing or play something light and trifling in order to amuse a non-musical audience.
If he has any conscience and refuses to give trash,—if he chooses some music that is really good, music that he is not ashamed to see on the programme, his hearers are not interested. But if, on the other hand, he descends to the level of the musical education of the average person, he loses in artistic self-respect.
In the larger cities musicians generally receive a stated sum for their services in such affairs, as funerals, weddings, private gatherings, and musicales. One way of getting entertainment out of some well-known musician is to invite him to dine, thinking he can hardly decline to play or sing when enjoying his entertainer's hospitality. But even this scheme is not always successful, as the following shows:—
When Fischer, the celebrated oboe player, who was remarkable for the oddity of his manner, played concertos at the grand concerts given at the rotunda in Dublin, a noble lord, who had been enraptured with the rare talent he displayed, came up to him, and having complimented him, gave him a pressing invitation to sup with him the following evening, adding, "You will bring your oboe with you."
Fischer, who was a little nettled at that sort of invitation, hastily replied, "My lord, my oboe never sups."
A similar story is told of a celebrated violinist who was invited to dine at a certain mansion, and after dinner was asked to play. Upon saying that he did not have his violin with him, his hostess expressed surprise that he had not brought it. But he excused himself by saying that his violin had no necessity for dining.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 20

20.—KEEP IN WITH THE ACCOMPANIST.
It is good policy for a singer to keep "on the good side of" his accompanist. A really fine accompanist is a rara avis. Besides the technical skill necessary to a soloist, an accompanist must have the finest musical feeling and discrimination, and at the same time sacrifice himself to the interests of the singer.
And oftentimes the accompanist has to shoulder the sins of the singer. It is an easy way to relieve one's self from the blame of a "bad break" by charging the fault to the accompanist. A singer once tried this with Händel, and declared that if Händel didn't accompany him better he should jump over onto the harpsichord where the player sat, and smash it. Said Händel:
"Let me know ven you vill do dot, and I vill adverdise id. I am sure more beoble will come to see you shump as vill come to hear you sing."
He didn't jump.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 203

203.—WAGNER AND THE BEGGARS.
Wagner had a favorite walk near his Bayreuth home, which ran through some two miles of beautiful scenery, and over this route he could wander undisturbed, for the little Franconian peasant boys and girls who saw ​him from afar would not molest him, having heard from their parents that the affairs of Germany would somehow get out of joint if they disturbed the great man in his meditation.
One day a small maiden was so hardy as to loiter in his path and beg for a Silbergroschen. With a smile of surprise Wagner lifted the child, kissed her, and presented her with a golden tenthaler piece, for, though keen to make money, he was free in expenditure when he had any whim to gratify. The news of his liberality brought out a troop of Franconian beggars of all sizes; but the composer's mood had changed, and he plied the backs of his tormentors with the famous ebony and gold staff given him by the Männergesangverein of Vienna. The Burgomaster of Bayreuth was much agitated over this affair, and had serious thoughts of providing the composer with an escort of policemen, so that his path might be kept clear every day.
For some time Wagner did not put in an appearance at Angermann's Brauerei, where he had been accustomed to spend an hour or two every afternoon; and it was rumored that he intended to leave the city. But he had only secluded himself for one of his periodical paroxysms of composition, during which he was unapproachable; but after he had again returned to the outer world he came back to his usual haunts, and magnanimously forgave the beggars he had beaten.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 204

204.—VOX POPULI.
The day has passed when a singer could be forced on the public by royal favor, irrespective of the singer's worth or the public's willingness. But in the last century such things were still possible.
In a certain city in France a royal favorite, named Laulaire, was being forced before the public through favor in high places. She was received the first evening with hisses, whistles, and cat-calls. These being ​prohibited by the governor, the next night the whole audience seemed to be afflicted with an epidemic of catarrh, and the coughing and sneezing during that performance was something wonderful. But the governor had a remedy for catarrh; it was heroic but successful. When some of the audience were removed to prison the rest had a very quick recovery. The next night a young man brought a small dog to the theater with him, on whose tail he would accidentally step, and then the people cried, "Take the animal away!" but with their glances directed toward the singer and not to the diminutive canine. This resulted in more arrests.
The following night the climax came. One of the auditors was so incensed that he threw his boot at the singer. Instructions were then given to the soldiers at the doorways to arrest whoever came out with but one boot on. As it happened, the very first man to appear was minus a shoe. He was at once arrested. But strange to say, the next man also had a shoe missing, and the next, and the next. Every man in the house was in the same plight, and the soldiers were thoroughly disgusted. The next day the singer gave up the contest and left the place.
# Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 205

205.—WHAT'S IN A NAME.
In answer to this question we must reply, everything, to some people. To illustrate this we can do no better than to quote some of Liszt's experiences. When he was a boy he used occasionally to enjoy a prank at the expense of his audiences. He writes:
"When I was very young, I often amused myself with playing school-boy tricks, of which my auditors never failed to become the dupes. I would play the same piece, at one time as of Beethoven, at another as of Czerny, and, lastly, as my own. The occasion on which I passed myself off for the author, I received both protection and encouragement: 'It really was not bad for my age.' ​The day I played it under the name of Czerny I was not listened to; but when I played it as being the composition of Beethoven, I made certain of the 'bravos' of the whole assembly."
This proves what is frequently true, that people enjoy the composer's name more than they do his music. Liszt also gives another experience which proves that to many people the name matters more than the music. It was at a time when he had been bringing out many of Beethoven's works. Says he: "Beethoven's glory is consecrated. The most ignorant among the ignorant shelter themselves behind his colossal name; and even envy herself, in her impotence, avails herself of it, as with a club, to crush all contemporary writers who appear to elevate themselves above their fellows. This winter I devoted several musical performances almost exclusively to the bringing forward duets, trios, and quintets of Beethoven. I was sure of being wearisome, but I was also sure that no one dare say so. There were really brilliant displays of enthusiasm; one might have easily been deceived, and thought that the crowd were subjugated by the power of genius; but at one of the last performances an inversion in the order of the programme completely put an end to the error. Without any explanation, a trio of Pixis was played in the place of one by Beethoven.
"The 'bravos' were more numerous, more brilliant than ever, and when the trio of Beethoven took the place assigned to that of Pixis, it was found to be cold, mediocre, and even tiresome, so much so, indeed, that many made their escape, thinking it was a piece of impertinence in Monsieur Pixis to presume to be listened to by an audience that had assembled to admire the masterpieces of the great man.
"I am far from inferring by what I have just related that they were wrong in applauding Pixis' trio, but he himself could not but have received with a smile of pity the applause of a public capable of confounding two ​compositions and two styles so totally different; for, most assuredly, the persons who could fall into such a mistake are wholly unfit to appreciate the real beauties in his works."