206 HAN 
in the orcheftra, and engaged in the teaching of mulic, 
that he might be no burthen to his mother. At this 
place, his fuperior talents fo much excited the jealoufy 
of a performer to whom he had been preferred, that the 
latter drew his fword upon him on leaving the opera- 
houfe, and Handel was preferved from the fatal thruft 
only by a mufic-.book buttoned up under his coat. It 
was at Hamburg that he compofed his firft opera of 
“ Almeria,” being then, according to ope, account, un¬ 
der fifteen years of age ; though another account dates 
its appearance in 1705. It was performed thirty nights 
iuccellively ; and two others which followed it were re¬ 
ceived with equal applaufe. He continued at Hamburg 
about five years, when he refolved to indulge his defire 
of feeing Italy. He firft went to Florence, where he was 
handfomely received by the grand-duke, for whom he 
compofed the opera of “Roderigo.” He next vifited Ve¬ 
nice, and at that city compofed his “ Agrippina,” which 
was performed twenty-feven nights fuccefiively with un¬ 
bounded applaufe. Rome was his next ftage; and the re¬ 
putation he had acquired caufed feveral perfons of dif- 
tinCtion in that capital to welcome his arrival with polite 
meftages. Cardinal Ottoboni, a great mufical amateur, 
introduced him to Corelli, who played the firft violin 
in his band. Handel compofed a piece for him, which 
that celebrated performer found too difficult for his exe¬ 
cution. Here alfo the young Saxon had a trial of fkill 
on the harpfichord with the famous Scarlatti, the event 
of which is differently related; but it is agreed, that 
upon the organ his fuperiority was allowed even by 
Scarlatti himfelf. Attempts were made by tl?e ecclefi- 
aftics with whom he was converfant at Rome, to induce 
him to embrace the Ronian-catholic perfuafion ; but he 
filenced all their arguments by the pofitive declaration 
that he would live and die in the religion of his parents. 
The whole time of Handel’s abode in Italy was fix 
years ; during which he had compofed an abundance of 
mufic in almoft every fpecies of compofition. Thefe 
early productions would doubtlefs be great curiofities ; 
but many of them are loft to us. In returning to his 
native country, Hanover was the firft place he (topped 
at, where he met with Steffani, with whom he had been 
acquainted at Venice ; and who was then mafter of the 
chapel to George I. when he was elector of Hanover. 
There was alfo a nobleman who had taken great notice 
of him in Italy, baron Kilmanfegge, who fo well recom¬ 
mended him to his electoral highnefs, that he immedi¬ 
ately offered linn a penfion of fifteen hundred crown's per 
annum, as an inducement to.ftay. Handel at firft ex- 
cufed himfelf from accepting this high favour, becaufe 
he had partly promifed the court of the elector palatine ; 
and had alfo refolved to pafs over into England, whi¬ 
ther he had previoufiy received invitations from the 
duke of Manchefter; upon which he had permiflion to 
be ablent for a twelvemonth or more, to go whitherfo- 
ever he pleated : on thefe conditions he accepted the 
penfion. He arrived at London in the winter of 1710; 
and was. fopn introduced at court, and honoured with 
marks of favour by queen Anne. Many of the nobility 
were impatient for an opera from him; whereupon he 
compofed “ Rinaldo,” in which the famous Nicolini 
fung.. Its fuccefs was inconceivably great; and his en¬ 
gagements at Hanover 'were now the fubjeCt of much 
regret. He however returned thither at his appointed 
time; for, betides his pe-nfi'oji, Steffani had retigned to 
him the mafter (hip of the chapel; but, in 1712, he ob¬ 
tained leave of the eleCtor to make a fecond yifi't to 
England, on condition that he returned within a reafon- 
able period. Of this indefinite propofition Handel took 
rather an unhandfcme adyantage. The low ftate of mu¬ 
fic at that time in London, and the wretched proceedings 
at the Haymurket, made the nobility defirous that lie 
might be employed in coinpofing for the theatre. To 
their applications the queen added her own authority ; 
DEL. 
and, as an encouragement, fettled upon him for life a 
penfion of 200I. per annum. All this made Handel for¬ 
get his obligations at Hanover; fo that when his majefty 
George I. came over, on the death of queen Anne, in 
1714, confcious how ill he had deferved at his hands^ 
he durft not appear at court. It happened, however, 
that his noble friend baron Kilmanfegge was here; and 
he, with others of the nobility, contrived the following 
fcheme for reinftating him in his majefty’s favour. The 
king was perfuaded to form a party on the water; and 
Handel was directed to prepare fame mufic for the oc- 
cafion. This gave birth to his defervedly-admired 
“ Water-piece.” It was performed and conducted by 
himfelf, unknown to his majefty, whofe pleafure, on 
hearing it, was equal to his furprize. Upon enquiring 
whofe it was, the baron produced the delinquent, and 
prefented him to the king, as one that was too confcious 
of his fault to attempt an excufe for it. Thus Handel 
was reftored to favour, and his mufic honoured with the 
higheft approbation ; and, as a token of it, the king was 
pleafed to add a penfion for life of 200I. a-year to that 
which queen Anne had before given him. 
Handel was now fettled in England upon a perma¬ 
nent eftablithment; and his reputation ftood unrivalled. 
During the three firft years of his time he was princi¬ 
pally engaged at the earl of Burlington’s in Piccadilly, 
where he frequently met Pope. The poet one day atked 
his friend Arbuthnot, of whole knowledge in mufic he 
had a high idea, what was his real opinion of Handel as 
a muficianf who replied, “Conceive the higheft you 
can of his abilities, and they are much beyond any thing 
that you can conceive.” Pope p.everthelefs declared, 
that Handel’s fineft performances gave him no more 
pleafure than the airs of a common ballad : fo ill- 
adapted was the ear of ourTublimeft poet to the melody 
of mufic ! The two next years he fpent with the mag¬ 
nificent James, firft duke of Chandos, at his noble feat 
at Canons, for the purpofe of directing the chapel fer- 
vice ; for particulars of which fee vol. vi. p. 245.— 
While he was thus employed at Canons, a projeCt was 
formed by the nobility for ereCting an academy in the 
Haymarket; the intention of which was to fecure a con- 
ftant fupply of operas, to be compofed by Hande-L, and 
to be performed under his direction. For this purpofe 
a fund of 50,0001. was fubfcribed; and.Handel went to 
Drefden in queft of fingers, whence he brought Senefino, 
and Duriftanti. At this time Buononcini and Attilio 
compofed for the opera, and had a ftrong party in their 
fav-our, and by whom a violent oppofition was main¬ 
tained; but at laft the parties were all united, and each 
undertook his particular part. The academy being thus 
firmly eftablithed, and Handel appointed director of it, 
ail things went on profperoufiy for a cburfe of near ten 
years. At length a quarrel took place between Handel 
and Senefino, which the mediation of the nobility was 
unable to reconcile. This was followed by. a. ferious 
difpute between the two female fingers, Fauftina and 
Cuzzoni, which threw the whole body of mufical ama¬ 
teurs into parties, and expofed them, to ridicule. Thefe 
difienfions broke up, the academy ; and while Handel, 
continuing at the Haymarket, endeavoured to fnpport 
himfelf by new competitions and performers, the oiiend- 
ed nobility fet up a rival opera-houfe in Lincoln’s-inn- 
fields, which had the aid of Porpora’s compolitions, and 
of Farinelli’s inimitable vocal powers. Handel was now 
fairly beat out of the Haymarket, and made an engage¬ 
ment with Rich at Covent-garden, There he continued 
an unequal conteft with anobtlinacy that greatly injured 
his fortune,, and gave fo much exercife to his patlions, 
that not only his health, but his underftanding, became 
impaired. He was affected with a palt'y of the right 
hand and arm, and had fits of alternate dejeCtion and ir¬ 
ritation which amounted almoft to a degree of phrei^zy. 
The ufe of the baths of Aix-la-Chapelle, however, en¬ 
tirely 
