807.] Authors who furnished the Words for Handel's Oratorios. 319 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
R. Marshall’s letter, in page 225 of 
vol. xxi. on the peculiar excellen- 
cies of the composition of Handel, greatly 
interested a small circle of the adinirers 
of that “ Giant” of Harmony, to whose 
notice I had the pleasure to introduce it; 
and ! am not sorry to have this opportu- 
nity of faintly expressing to Mr. Marshall 
our most hearty thanks. 
Ihave with eagerness perused every 
succeeding number of your copious and 
useful miscellany, but in vain, for “ the 
lively satistaction efinemee from better 
resources than my own, “ what minds 
conceived sentiments of such affecting 
simplicity and forcible truth,” as, by the 
help of that mighty master, must ever 
continue 
<¢ To stir, to rouze, to shake the soul” 
of all who share, in their physical con- 
struction, the common care of the great 
Author of Nature, As of means toward 
supplyig this desideratum, even Mr. Ca- 
pel Lofft and Dr. Calcott have confessed 
themselves deficient, I offer my mite of 
information, in the hope that it may prove 
a clue to the farther researches of those 
gentlemen, or any other of your corre- 
spondents, by way of furnishing a com- 
plete answer to Mr. Marshall’s enquiry. 
My common-place book tells me, that 
the words of some of Hande}l’s oratorios, 
particularly the Messiah, were com- 
piled by Charles Jennens, esq. 2 non-con- 
formist gentleman of considerable pro- 
perty in Leicestershire, who in his youth 
was so remarkable for the number of his 
servants, the splendour of his equipages, 
and the profusion of his table, that from 
this excess of pomp he acquired the title 
of Solyman the Magnificent. Ife died 
December 20, 1773, at a stately mansion 
erected by himself, at Gopsal, in his na- 
tive county. 
The Messiah was first performed in 
1741. 
The following is the order in which 
some of Handel’s cther oratorios were 
first performed or published; and I have 
subjoined the names of such other au 
thors of the words as chance placed within 
my reach. 
Esther, the first oratorio attempted in 
this country, was composed in 1720, for 
the Duke of Chandos, at Cannons; and 
eleven years afterward performed In ac- 
tion by the children of the Chapel Royal, 
at the house of their master, Mr. Bernard 
Gates; and soon after by the same sinc- 
ers at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in 
the Strand; the instrumental parts by 
the gentlemen of the Philharmonic So~ 
ciety. ‘Thisis said to have first sugeested 
to Handel the idea of bringing oratorios 
upon the stage, which he did in the fol- 
lowing year (1732), when Esther was 
performed for ten nights at the Haymar- 
ket. The poetry of that oratorio was by 
Mr. Humphrys. 
Jeptha* was produced in 1732. Writs 
ten by Dr. Morell, 
Deborah was brought forward at the 
Haymarket in March 1733. 
Qn occasion of a public act at Oxford, 
Athaliah was perforraed in the following 
summer. Written by Mr. Humphrys, 
Alexander’s Feast, 1735. 
Israel in Egypt, 1738. 
L*Allegro, il Penseroso, ed 11 Moderato, 
1739. From Milton; but the compiler, 
for the duet, ‘* As steals the morn,” also 
made use of Shakespeare. Vide the 
speech of Prospero in the Tempest, act 5, 
SC. 2 
Saul, composed, I understand, in 1738, 
but first performed in 1740. From this 
period, excepting a few instrumental. 
pieces, Handel devoted his talents solely 
{o oratorios; and in the following year, 
as before stated, with the literary “assist 
ance of Mir. Jennens, he produced the 
Messiah. 
Samson, 1742. 
Hamilton. 
Susanna, 17438. 
Semele, a dramatic performance, 1743- 
Altered from Congreve. 
Joseph, 1744. Written by Mr. James 
Miller. 
Belshazzar, 1745. 
Occasional Oratorio, for the Battle of 
Culloden, 1746. 
Judas Maccabeus, same year. Writ~ 
ten by Dr. Morell, at the recommenda- 
tion of Prince Frederick. The plan of it 
was designed as a compliment to the 
Duke of Cumberland, upon his returning 
victorious from Scotland. The success 
of it was very great, there being above 
4001. in Covent-garden theatre on the 
thirtieth night of its representation. 
Joshua, Solomon, and Alexander Balus, 
allin 1748. The latter written by Dr. 
Morell; as was Theodora, in 1749, and 
the Triumph of Time and Truth, in 1757, 
Handel’s other works, which needed 
— Eee 
* During the composition of this oratorio 
Handel became blind, . het 
poetical 
Written by Newburgh 
ea 
