GHISWICK HOUSE 



Villa. It was built in 1621, and was originally erected in the 

 grounds of Beaufort House at Chelsea. That mansion was sold 

 in 1736 to Sir Hans Sloan, who, knowing Lord Burlington's passion 

 for the art of Inigo Jones, presented the gateway to him. 



A stone tablet on the left bears the inscription : 



" Builded by Inigo Jones at Chelsea, M.D.CXXI." 

 And on the right hand side are inscribed the words : 

 " Given by Sir Hans Sloan, Baronet, to the Earl of Burlington, M.D.CXXX VII." 

 Pope, personating a traveller, thus apostrophizes the gateway : 



" Passenger : Oh, Gate, how cam'st thou here ? 

 Gate : I was brought from Chelsea last year, 



Batter'd with wind and weather ; 

 Inigo Jones put me together ; 

 Sir Hans Sloan let me alone ; 

 Burlington brought me hither." 



The master of Burlington House and Chiswick House was a 

 generous patron of musicians and men of letters, as well as of 

 artists and architects, and it was a brilliant society over which 

 he presided. 



Handel, for three years his honoured guest, was Impresario 

 of the Italian Opera at the Haymarket Theatre, and a keen rivalry 

 existed between him and an Italian composer named Buononcini, 

 whose music is said to have had the merit of being melodious. 

 The fashion of the day was for Italian Opera, and Handel, humouring 

 it, wrote over forty operas ; but, excepting for some scattered 

 arias, they are now no more remembered than those of Buononcini. 

 It speaks not a little for the taste and discernment of the Earl 

 that although Handel's genius for oratorio, and choral music, was 

 as yet undiscovered he sided with him in a dispute that for a 

 time divided the town, and that was commemorated in these 

 lively lines by a contemporary : 



" Some say compared to Buononcini 

 That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny ; 

 Others aver that he to Handel 

 Is scarcely fit to hold a candle, 

 Strange all this difference should be 

 r Twixt Tweedledum and Tweedledee." 

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