violin, the organ, and, above all, the hautboy, then the object of his predilection. This taste of his childhood explains, perhaps, the great number of pieces which he composed for that instrument. At that time he discovered more than he learnt. Sackau was every day more and more astonished at his marvellous progress, and, as he loved wine nearly as well as music, he often sent him to take his place at the organ on Sundays whenever he had a good dejeuner to take part in. At length, although he found him of great use, this worthy man confessed, with excellent and admirable pride, that his pupil knew more than himself, and advised that he should be sent to Berlin, where he might strengthen himself by studying other models. The Elector of Brandenburg had at that time a well-appointed opera-house, and attracted to his court all that Italy produced that was remarkable in music.

For his part, the old doctor instructed his son very regularly in Latin, secretly hoping to bring him, one day or other, over to his own ideas. But, being at length over-persuaded, he offered no obstacle to the proposed journey, which took place in 1696, under the protection of a friend of the family. Mainwaring, Burney, and other authors, put the date of this journey at 1698, but this evidently wrong. They all admit that Handel lost his father after his return from Berlin, and it seems to be certain that it was his father who recalled him from that city. But M. Förstemann has proved, by the register of the parish of Halle, that the old doctor died on the 11th of February, 1697, at the age of seventy-five years. And, besides this, Mainwaring is not consistent with himself; for he says Handel was sent to Sackau when he was seven years old, and then he continues, "during this interval of three or four years he had made all the improvements that were any way consistent with the opportunities it afforded; but he was impatient for another situation, which should afford him better. Berlin was the place agreed on." After these words, Mainwaring adds-" It was in 1698 that he went to Berlin;" but 1698 would give thirteen years instead of eleven to the young organist. It was at 2 See Mainwaring, page 18.

1 Burney.

Berlin (Mainwaring says again) that Attilio "would often take him upon his knee, and make him play on his harpsichord for an hour together." But a boy of thirteen or fourteen years is not usually taken upon the knee, and kept there for hours. In placing the journey to Berlin in 1696, not only is the positive date, as discovered by M. Förstemann adopted, but a probability is given to the details furnished by Mainwaring' which they would otherwise not possess.

Handel, being then eleven years of age, made the acquaintance of Attilio and Bononcini at Berlin, two Italian composers, whom subsequently he was to meet again in London. Attilio, a simple and benevolent man, abandoned himself heartily to the enthusiasm which the talents of the new-comer inspired; he praised him everywhere, and made him play the harpsichord and the organ, without either of them appearing ever to grow tired. Bononcini, on the other hand, who had a harsh, sombre, and jealous disposition, and who enjoyed a great and merited reputation, treated the little fellow with scorn. Tired of hearing his skillful execution praised, this man composed a cantata for the harpsichord, which he filled with a multitude of difficulties, and requested Handel to play it; feeling sure that even a professor of music could never decipher it without study. But the pupil of Sackau executed this formidable cantata at sight, as if it had been a mere bagatelle. Bononcini was amazed, and treated him thenceforward as a rival. But Bononcini was a character; and whilst he conceived hatred for a child, he was logical, and showed him the politeness due to a man.

At Berlin, Handel passed for a prodigy. The Elector wishing to become the patron of so rare a genius, manifested a disposition to attach him to himself, and to send him to Italy to

The Rev. John Mainwaring, the anonymous author of the Memoirs of the Life of Handel, was a member of St. John's College, Cambridge, and professor at that University. Born in 1735 (according to a note by Mr. Townsend), he was only twenty-five years old when he wrote his Biography in 1760. It is extremely useful for reference; but must, nevertheless, be read with caution. Mainwaring gathered together many things that were generally unknown. He received notes from Smith, Handel's secretary, but he did not examine what he wrote with sufficient care. He was not gifted with an analytical mind, and, therefore, he is frequently inexact.

complete his musical education. But when the father was consulted, he did not think it wise to enchain the future of his son to the Court of Berlin, and he excused himself, saying that he was now an old man, and that he wished to keep near him the only son who remained to him; and as in those days it was not prudent to oppose a prince on his own land, Handel was brought back somewhat hastily to his native town.

The homage of which he had perceived himself to be the object, had by this time, doubtless, given him some notion of his superiority; but this only rendered him more assiduous in his studies. What he had learnt at Berlin had enlarged his ideas, and he set himself to work again with Sackau, seeking out the secrets of his art, analyzing the defects and the qualities of the different masters of every nation, copying and composing large quantities of music, working constantly to acquire the most solid knowledge of the science. Study is the fertilizing agent, without which the richest and most fruitful of soils must soon become sterile. We read in the Anecdotes of Handel and Smith:"It has long been a matter of curious research, among the admirers of Handel, to discover any traces of his early studies. Among Mr. Smith's collection of music, now in the possession of his daughter-in-law, Lady Rivers,' is a book of manuscript music, dated 1698, and inscribed with the initials G. F. H. It was evidently a common-place book belonging to Handel, in the fourteenth year of his age. The greater part is in his own hand, and the notes are characterized by a peculiar manner of forming the crotchets. It contains various airs, choruses, capricios, fugues, and other pieces of music, with the names of contemporary musicians, such as Zackau, Alberti, Frobergher, Krieger, Kerl, Ebner, Strunch. They were probably exercises adopted at pleasure, or dictated for him to work upon by his master. The composition is uncommonly scientific, and contains the seeds of many of his subsequent performances." The precious "book of manuscript music," mentioned in this extract, is no

1 She was the daughter of Mrs. Coxe, the widow of Dr. Coxe, Physician Extraordinary to the King. Smith, himself a widower, but childless, married the widow Coxe in 1795.-(Anecdotes, &c., p. 56.)

DEATH OF HIS FATHER.

9

longer to be found in Smith's collection.' What has become of it?

About this time Handel contracted relations with another studious young composer, which was much to their mutual benefit. Telemann, born at Magdeburg, in 1681, says, in his notes upon his own life, which were entrusted to Mattheson:-" Soon after my arrival at Leipsic, the direction of the opera was confided to me. At this epoch, the pen of the excellent Mr. Jean Kuhnau served me as a model in the fugue and the counterpoint; but as for as the exercises of melody, I was in constant communication with Handel, both by letter and verbally in the visits which we paid each other." Leipsic is distant from Halle not more than six or seven leagues. This took place (according to Telemann) from 1701 to 1703. Handel praised warmly the facility which this companion of his studies possessed, and said that he could compose a piece of church music in eight parts, in less time than another person would take to write a letter.3

Handel's father died shortly after the return of his son from Berlin, in 1697, leaving him poor, and it became necessary to provide for his existence as well as his renown. Halle was too small to contain him. He wished to visit Italy, but not having the means of making such a journey, he went to Hamburg in

1 This collection, which was supposed to be either dispersed or lost, was offered for sale a few months back, and has become the property of the author of these pages. A more worthy possessor might have obtained it, but not one who would appreciate it with greater reverence. Its value is inestimable. Out of the 160 volumes of which it is composed, 60 or 70 are the very books which Handel used to conduct his operas and oratorios, and which he bequeathed, in dying, to Christopher Smith, his pupil and secretary. These are, in great part, covered with notes, directions, and corrections in the handwriting of Handel himself, such as cast a new light over his works. Some contain variations and airs which are unedited. An analysis of these Handelian volumes will be found in the Catalogue. However, the present possessor only regards himself as the custodian of these precious treasures, and they are at the disposal of all musicians who wish to consult them. The MSS. of great men cannot be the property of any one man exclusively: they belong to the archives of that humanity which they glorify.

2 Grundlage einer Ehren-Pforte, etc.; von Mattheson, Hambourg, 1740. (Foun dations for a Musical Triumphal Arch). This very curious book is a biography of the musicians of the epoch. The articles on Handel, Kaiser, and Telemann have been translated for me by my friend and companion in exile, Dr. Dick.

Musical Biography.

the month of July, 1703.1 This town was, at that time, in the apogee of its commercial prosperity; possessing a German opera-house, which rivalled that of Berlin, and had for its composer-in-chief the Saxon Kaiser, a man of very great reputation. Handel commenced by entering this theatre as violon di ripieno. He was, perhaps, willing to content himself with so small a position, less through modesty than through vanity. The young man of eighteen years reserved to himself the satisfaction of enjoying the general surprise when his capacities should be discovered. This is rendered probable by what Mattheson says:-" At first he played the violon di ripieno in the orchestra of the opera-house, and he acted the part of a man who did not know how to count five, for he was naturally prone to dry humour. But the harpsichordist being absent, he allowed himself to be persuaded to replace him, and proved himself to be a great master, to the astonishment of everybody, except myself, who had often heard him in private."

Soon after his arrival at Hamburg, the place of the organist of Lubeck was offered for competition, upon the retirement of the old incumbent, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Handel, accompanied by Mattheson, went to canvass for the vacancy, on the 17th of August, 1703. But they found a rather singular condition attached to the programme, which was, that the successor was to marry the daughter of the retiring organist; and as this was not quite agreeable to them, they returned to Hamburg as happy as they went. This adventure, at the very outset of his career, appears all the more original, when we remember that Handel never manifested any taste for matrimony.

Mattheson was a young citizen of Hamburg, a composer, a singer, and an actor, very clever on the organ and the harpsichord, and afterwards a writer of astonishing fecundity. Born in 1681, he prided himself, when eighty-three years old, on having written as many books upon all sorts of subjects as he had lived years. Many of his works (from which Hawkins and

1 Mattheson.

The instruments of ripieno are used in orchestral compositions to distinguish those parts which are only occasionally introduced to fill up and supply the chorus.Busby's Dictionary of Music.