544 MAT 
and engaged himfelf in the opera-band of that city, aa a 
fecond ripieno violin. He and Matthefon foon became 
acquainted* by accidentally meeting each other in an or¬ 
gan-loft, where Handel was praftifing at the time that 
Matthefon went thither for the fame purpofe. After this 
they ft tidied and vifited churches together, in order to 
exercife themfelves on the organ. As thefe young liudents 
lived much together, in great intimacy, they had frequent 
trials of (kill, and, in friendly emulation, had frequent 
contentions in mufical knowledge and talents: in the lat¬ 
ter, it appearing that they excelled on different inftru- 
ments, Handel on the organ and Matthefon on the harp- 
fichord, they mutually agreed not to invade each other’s 
province, and faithfully obferved this compact during 
five or fix years. Matthefon tells us, that no one except 
himfelf knew that Handel could play on any other instru¬ 
ment than the violin ; but his fuperior abilities were 
foon difcovered, when, upon occalion of the harpfichord- 
piayerat the opera being abfent, he was perfuaded to take 
Lis place; for he then fhowed himfelf to be a great maf- 
ter, to the altonifhment of every one except myfelf, who 
had frequently heard him before upon keyed inftruments.” 
About this time, an opera called Cleopatra, compofed 
by Matthefon, was performed on tile Hamburgh (tage, in 
which he acted the part of Antony himfelf, and Handel 
played the harpfichord ; but Matthefon being accuitomed, 
at the death of Antony, which happens early in the piece, 
to take the harpfichord in the character of compofer, 
Handel refufed to indulge his vanity by relinquifhing to 
him that polt, which occafioned fo violent a quarrel be¬ 
tween them, that, at going out of the theatre, Matthefon 
gave him a flap on the face ; upon which, both immedi¬ 
ately drew their (words, and a duel enfued in the market¬ 
place, before the door of the opera houle : luckily the 
fword of Matthefon was broken again ft a metal button 
tipon Handel’s coat, which put an end to the combat. 
This rencontre happened on the 5th of December, 1704 ; 
and, as a proof of their fpeedy reconciliation, Matthefon 
tells us that, on the 30th of the fame month, he accom¬ 
panied the young compofer to the rehearfal of his firft 
opera of Almira, at the theatre, and performed in it the 
principal part ; and that afterwards they became better 
friends than ever. 
On the 25th of February, in the next year, Handel pro¬ 
duced his fecond opera, called Nero, which had hkewife 
S very favourable reception. It was at the end ot the run 
of thefe two dramas that Matthefon, who performed the 
principal mail’s part in both, quitted the (tage, on being 
appointed fecretary of legation to fir Cyril Wych, refident 
at Hamburgh from the Englifli court. 
Matthefon, with all his failings, was certainly a man of 
quick parts, diligent cultivation, and talents of various 
kinds ; but, as a mufician, he had more knowledge than 
tafte. Many ftories were long in circulation at Hamburgh, 
concerning his pedantry, vanity,and eccentricities. Long 
after he had ceafed to play and compofe, he continued to 
write mufical treatifes, of which the names are now hardly 
to be found. It has been faid, that he was a great per¬ 
former on the harpfichord, and that Handel often amufed 
himfelf in playing his pieces; in doing which, if ever he 
regarded Mattheion as a formidable rival, his triumph 
mult have been very complete in comparing them with his 
own, or with the inherent powers which he mult have felt 
of producing better whenever he pleafed. There is a lift 
of Matthefon’s works in Walther’s Mufical Lexicon, as 
iar as the year 1732, amounting to forty ; but, as he con¬ 
tinued writing to the la It, and lived till 1764, it is proba- 
Jble that he kept his promife of printing as many works 
on the fubjeft of mulic as he had lived years, and (till 
leaving to his executors as many more in manufcript for 
the ufe of pofterity; 
Matthefon bequeathed at his deceafe all his poffeffions 
to the republic of Hamburgh, on condition that fuch an 
organ fliould be built for the great church as he defcribed 
;<ii his will. It had not been long finifhed. when Dr, Burney 
MAT 
law and heard it, in 1772; but he thought it the largeft 
and molt complete in Europe. It cofl upwards of 4000I. 
fterling, was built by Hildebrand, is of thirty-two feet, has 
four fets of keys, long compafs, up to F in altiflimo, and, 
with the pedals, goes down to double double C. The 
keys are covered with mother-of-pearl and tortoife-fliell ; 
the front is curiotvfly inlaid, and the cafe richly orna¬ 
mented. There are (ixty-four (tops in this organ ; and a 
(well attempted, but with little effect ; only three (tops 
had been allowed to it, and the power of crefcendo et 
diminuendo was very fmall. Matthefon’s pifture is placed 
in the front of the organ-gallery, and there is a Latin in- 
fcription under it recording the benefaction. This good 
man had more pedantry and nonfenfe about him than true 
genius. In one of his vocal compofitions for the church, 
in which the word rainbow occurred, he gave himfelf infi¬ 
nite trouble to make the notes of his fcore form an arch. 
This may ferve as a fpecimen of Matthefon’s tafte and 
judgment. Bartley's Hiji. of Mufic. 
MATTH'EW, [Heb. given.] A man’s name. 
MATTH'EW (Sr.), an apoftle and evangelilf, the fon 
of Alpheus, was alfo called Levi. He was or Jewifh ori¬ 
ginal, as both his names difcover, and probably a Gali¬ 
lean. Before his cal 1 to the apoftolate, he was a publican 
or toll-gatherer to the Romans; an office of bad repute 
among the Jews, on account of the covetoufnefs and ex- 
aflion of thofe who managed it. St. Matthew’s office par¬ 
ticularly confifted in gathering the cuftoms of all mer- 
chandiie that came by the lea of Galilee, and the tribute 
that paffengers were to pay who went by water. And 
here it was that Matthew fat at the receipt of cuflo-n, when 
our Saviour called him to be a difciple. It is probable, 
that, living at Capernaum, the place of Chrift’s ufual re- 
fidence, he might have Come knowledge of him before he 
was called. Matthew immediately exprefled his frtisfac- 
tion in being called to this high dignity, by entertaining 
our Saviour and his difciples at a great dinner at his own 
lioufe, whither he invited all his friends, efpecially thefe 
of his own profeffion, hoping, probably, that they might 
he influenced by the company and converfation of Chriff. 
Mark ii. 14-22. St. Matthew continued with the reft of 
the apoltles till after our Lord’s afeenfion. For the firft 
eight years afterwards, he preached in Judea. Then he 
betook himfelf to prop gating the golpt! among the Gen¬ 
tiles, and chofe Ethiopia as the lcene ot his apoltolical 
miniltry ; where it is laid he fuffered martyrdom, but by 
what kind of death is not alcertained. Others ipeak of 
his preaching and dying in Parthia or Perfia : but we may 
infer from the diverfity of thefe accounts, that none of 
them are well founded. Heracleon,a learned Valentiriiah, 
in the fecond century, whom Clement of Alexandria has 
cited, reckons Matthew among thofe apoltles who did not 
die by martyrdom ; nor does Clement contradict him. 
Chryfoftom, though he mentions him with peculiar com¬ 
mendation, and (peaks ot his coming from the prefence of 
the council rejoicing, ( Afts v. 41.) fays nothing ot his mar¬ 
tyrdom. Hence we may infer, that there was not any 
tradition about it among Chfiftians at that time, or that 
it was not much regarded. 
St. Matthew is laid by many to have written his Gofpel 
in Judea, at the requeft of the Jewifh believers, when they 
were likely to be difperfed by perfecution ; and it is 
thought by fome, as Baronius, Grotius, Voffius, Jones, 
Wetltein, &c. that he began it in the year 41, eight years 
after Chrili’safeenfion. But,according toothers,asBifnage, 
Dr. Lardner, See. who follow the teltimony of Irenaeus, this 
Gofpel was written in the time of Nero, about thirty years 
after our Saviour’s afeenfion, or about the year 63, 64, or 
65, of the vulgar epoch. At the year 64, or about that 
period, the Gofpel had been propagated in many Gentile 
countries ; the times were troublelome in Judea, and the 
war was coming on : feveral of the apoltles were dead : 
others of them, who furvived, were going abroad ; and 
many of the Jewiffi believers were about to feek fhelter 
elfewhere. Now, fays Dr. Lardner, was a proper time to 
write. 
