The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-12-28

found mUDifcent patron in the ElC ctor, who
| afterwards, on the death of Queen Anne,
cended The English throne by the name Of
George the first. The Elector settled on him
a pension of 1900 crowns, upon condition he
would return to his Court when be had com
pleted his travels. 1t was in the latter cad of
| the year 7l0 that Handel arrived in England.
! Ills reception was as Gathering 10 himself as
honorable to the patton, at this Time no less
successful in war, than in the cultivation Of
the arts of peace. To the wit, poetry, liter
AZURE and science which marked this period of
history, Handel added all the Establishments
Of nervous and learned Music.
| After remaining about a year in England,
and cs'~ blishng great reputation on the solid
basis OF the most exalted and indisputable
merit, both AS composer and performer, he
returned to his patron at Hanover. BY per-
mission of the Elector, Handel had liberty TO
return to London, for limited time, in l7l2.
We find his Pastor Fido,'' and "Theseus,"
| IN the list OF Italian operas brought on the En-
glish stage, this, and the following year: and in
| l7I5 AHadige," or "Amadis ofGaul." Soon
| after Han iel's second return to London, the
peace of Utrecht having been brought TO
| conclusion, he was preferred to all others,
seemingly without a muTmur, from native mu-
sicians, to compose The hymn of gratitude and
triumph on the occasion. Envy, though outra-
Seous and noisy at the success Of comparative
abilities, and malicious towards excellence il
| cannot reach, was now struck dumb and blind
| by excess Of superiority. The grand Gle
Deum" and " Jubilate,'' which he set on this
occasion, were composed with such force, reg
ularity, and instrumental effects, as the En-
lish had never heard before. Purcell's "Te
Deum," in design and expression of the words,
is, perhaps, superior to all others; but in
grandeur and richness Of accompaniment, no.
thing but national partially can deny Handel
the preference. The Queen settled on him,
for life, pension of two hundred pounds per
annum. And all who had heard Rinaldo,
wished him again employed for the OPERA so
that the multiplicity OF business, and the many
protectors and friends he met with in England
little impaired the memory of Handel with
respect to Continental connexions, and he
seemed to think of nothing so little as return
ing to his patron, at Hanover, till after the
death of Queen Anne, in 17l4, when his Maj
esty. George l. arriving in England, saved
him the trouble Of German tour.
Handel, conscious of his deficiency in re-
spect and gratitude 10 Prince, who honorcd
him with such flattering marks of appreciation
and bounty, burst not approach the court,
till, by the ingenuity and friendly nterposition
OF baron Ki!mansegge, he was restored to ia
vor in the following manner: The King, soon
after his arrival in London, having been pre-
vailed upon TO form party on the water, the
r design was communicated to Handel, who
was advised to compose some pieces expressly
for the occasion; the performance Of which
he secretly conducted in a boat that accompa-
MED the royal barge. Upon hearing these
compositions, which have been since SO well
known and so justly celebrated under the
title or tire ffArrsrV nrUoIU, IUT IL 10 i,~-~
sometimes called " Ha,tders Water Piece ~
his Majesty equally surprised and pleased by
their excellence, eagerly inquired who was
the author Of them; when the Baron aoquaint-
ed the King, that they were the productions
OF faithful servant of his Majesty, who, con-
scious of the cause of displeasure which he
had given to so gracious protector, burst not
presume to approach his royal presence, till
he had assurances, that by every possible dem
onstration of duty and gratitude in future, he
might hope to obtain pardon. This inter-
cession having been graciously accepted,
Handel was restored TO favor, and his compo-
sitions i.onored with the most flattering marks
of royal appreciation and, as ratification of
the delinquent's peace, thus easily obtained,
his Majesty added a pension Of two hundred
pounds year to that which had been pre-
viously conferred on him by Queen Anne ;
and, not many years after, when he was en-
, ployed to teach the young Princess, another
pension Of the same value was added to the
former grants by her Majesty, Queen Caroline.
We now come to the busiest and most glo-
f rious period Of Handel's life. He had now
arrived at that stage of existence, when the
human powers and faculties have acquired
their utmost strength and vigor. He was en-
lowed with great natural powers, highly i'm
proved by cultivation-with hand which no
difficulty could embarrass-a genius for COM
position unbounded-at the head Of profess
sion which facilitates access to the great, and
with extraordinary abilities, which ensure
their patronage-high in favor of the sove-
reign, mobiles, and public of great and pow
, erful nation, at period Of its greatest happi-
ness and tranquillity--when it was not only
, blest with leisure and zeal to cultivate the
arts of peace, but with power literally to re-
ward those whose successful efforts had car
ried them beyond the bounds Of mediocrity.
Happy would it be for our country, if genius
could find patronage, and the most excellent
productions in the fine arts be honored with
particular attention, and the authors fnd lib
eral remuneration. But sad experience has
taught the distinguished in all professions,
and particularly the masters Of music, and all
practitioners of this sublime art, that there is
no pensions, no gifts, no pecuuary favor for
them! The support of the composer is the
price OF his manuscript, or the sale of his books
in the market, and the performers patronage
is, GlorayS 10 find has otc7l music and bear has
own expenses! But to return to our bio
graphical subject. Such were IIandel's cir
cumstances aud situation, when a plan was
formed by the English nobility and gentry.
for establishing fund for the support of
Italian operas, of which he was to be the
j composer and director. King George sub
scribed Gl,000, and the whole subscription
amounted to E50,000. The society was
called the "Royai Acaden.y." There were
three celebrated musicians who stood at the
head Of this musical institution. Handel,
.4tilio .4riosii, and Buononcini, composed
i