Such an opportunity foon occurred. Reinhard Keifer, the leader of the band, encumbered with debts, was obliged to abfent himself; and to the general aftonishment, the unobferved performer on the violin took his feat before the harpfichord, and foon convinced his audience, and the band, that they had no reafon to regret, but ought to exult in the change. to the aftonishment of Venice; and, as the author of so excellent and unexpected a performance, he was almoft idolized. Agrippina was brought out at a theatre which had been shut up for a confiderable time, but which was now crowded every night; and all the first fingers from the other theatres offered to perform in the opera of il caro Saffone. The audience knew no bounds in teftifying their admiration. Vittoria, an excellent actress, finger, and favourite mistress of the Grand Duke of Tufcany, who had conceived an affection for Handel at Florence, came to Venice, and bore a principal part in the new opera. His youth and comeliness, joined to his mufical fame, had made an impreffion on her heart; but Handel was too prudent to encourage an attachment which might have occafioned the ruin of both. At this period (1704) the Prince of Tuscany, brother to the Grand Duke, came to Hamburgh, and engaged Handel's attention, by introducing to his notice a confiderable variety of Italian mufic; dwelling with patriotic enthufiafm on the pre-eminence of his countrymen. He la mented that Handel had not visited a region, where every branch of the mufical fcience was carried to the highest perfection, and offered his patronage if he would accompany him to Florence. Though Handel had In England (171C), obferves Dr been long defirous of going to Italy, Burney, his reception was as flathe politely declined this offer, fromtering to himself as honourable to a noble spirit of independence, which was never known to forfake him, even in the moft diftrefsful feafons of his life. But his vifit was only poftponed. Having acquired a fufficient fum to defray his expenfes, he left Hamburgh in 1708, and repaired to Flo rence; where his reception was fuch as might be expected from the countenance of the exalted perfonage who introduced him. At Florence he compofed the opera of Rodrigo, for which the Grand Duke prefented him an hundred fequins, and a fervice of plate. From Florence he proceeded to Venice, where he arrived incognito at the Carnival, and was immediately difcovered by Scarlatti, who, liftening to him as he fat at the harpfichord in his vifor, exclaimed, that the performer must be either the famous Saxon, or the devil. (1709.) He was foon prevailed upon to compofe the opera of Agrippina, and he effected it in three weeks, the nation: at this time no less fuccefsful in war than in the cultivation of the arts of peace.' To the wit, poetry, literature, and science, which marked this period of our hiftory, Handel added all the blandifhments of a nervous and learned mufic, which he first brought hither, planted, and lived to fee grow to a very flourishing ftate. The impatience of the public was fo great, that Handel was immediately employed in setting to mufic the opera of Rinaldo, which was prepared and finished with unparalleled taste. Aaron Hill, who was manager of the opera, fketched the plan from Taffo's Gierufalemme Liberata, and Roffi, the Italian poet, compofed the drama. In his preface, Roffi commends Handel's mufical talents in the highest strain of panegyric, and calls him the Orpheus of the age. He obferves, that Handel fcarcely allowed him time to write the words, and that, to his great afto. nifhment, he fet the whole to mufic in in the short space of a fortnight. The principal part was written for Nicolini, whofe graceful and expreffive action was praifed by Steele, in the Tatler.-Rinaldo was received with the greatest applaufe, not only on its first appearance, but on the three fubfequent revivals; and Walsh, the mufic-feller, is reputed to have gained fifteen hundred pounds by printing the scores. In 1714 Queen Anne died. The acceffion of his liberal patron, who, under the title of George the First, fucceeded to the throne, under other circumstances would have been the moment of exultation; but inftead of appearing in the foremost rank of congratulators, Handel did not venture to prefent himself at court. From this embarraffment, however, he was happily relieved by the kindnefs of Baron Kilmanfeg, mafter of the horse to George the First as Elector of Hanover. Apprized that his Majefty had projected a party on the Thames, he informed Handel of the king's intention: Handel immediately produced that celebrated compofition known by the title of the Water Mufic. Having procured a band, he followed the barge, and watching his opportunity, unexpectedly charmed the royal party, by melodies of fingular effect and fweetnefs. The king inquiring who was the compofer of that exquifite harmony, Baron Kilmanfeg faid that it was Handel; ftated his contrition, and fued for his restoration to favour. This refpectful attempt at reconciliation, and atone ment for his conduct, mollified the fovereign. Soon afterwards, Gemi niani was commanded to play, in the king's closet, twelve folos, which he had recently compofed; fearful that their proper effect would be loft by an indifferent accompaniment, he expreffed a wish that Handel might be permitted to prefide at the harpfichord. This request was conveyed to the king, and enforced by the friendly folicitation of the baron. Handel was reftored to favour, and the king increafed the penfion granted by Queen Anne to four hundred pounds a year. George Frederick Handel was seventy-three years of age when he died. He was large in perfon, and his natural corpulency, which increased as he advanced in life, rendered his whole appearance of that bulky proportion, as to give rife to Quin's inelegant, but forcible expreffion, that his hands were feet, and his fingers toes. From a fedentary life, he had contracted a stiffness in his joints, which in addition to his great weight and weaknefs of body, rendered his gait awkward; ftill his countenance was open, manly, and animated; expreffive of all that grandeur and benevolence which were the prominent features of his character. In temper he was irafcible, impatient of contradiction, but not vindictive; jealous of his mufical pre-eminence, and tenacious in all points which regarded his profeffional honour. He was averfe to all restraint on his freedom. Being informed at the Spa, that the King of Pruffia was ex. pected, and purpofed to be witness of his mufical powers, to the great difappointment of the monarch, he quitted the place fome days before his arrival; unwilling to expofe himfelf to folicitations he had determined not to comply with, or to commands which he could not resist. In England he was always well received and warmly patronifed; but his general averfion to fubfcription engagements, and the refolute inflexibility of his temper, prevented the acceffion of fome friends, and alienated others. With confcious pride, he was unwilling to be indebted but to his own abilities for his advancement, and they finally triumphed over all his oppofers. Anecdotes of John Christopher Smith. in in 1712. His father, John Chrifto- fubject of thefe Anecdotes, was fent pher Schmidt, of Anfpach, in Franconia, after receiving a good education in the univerfity of Halle, married a lady with a portion of seven thousand crowns, and fettled in his native city. He carried on a confiderable branch cf traffic in the woollen trade, in which he might have acquired a large fortune, had he not been feduced by his paffion for mufic: when Handel arrived at Anfpach in 1716, he renewed an acquaintance which had commenced at Halle, and foon became fo captivated with that great maiter's powers, that he left his wife and children in Germany, and accompanied Handel to England, where he regulated the expenfes of his public performance, and filled the office of treasurer with great exactnefs and fidelity. On the fourth year of his refidence in England, he fent for his wife and family, which confifted of a fon and two daughters. Soon after his arrival, his fon, the Smith. to Clare's academy, in Soho Square. During this early period of his life, he too imbibed a fondnefs for music, and gave figns of a ftrong propensity to that fcience; and as his paffion increafed with his years, Handel offered to become his master. Accordingly, in the thirteenth year of his age, he was taken from the academy, and placed under the tuition of Handel. Although Handel had inftructed his pupil in the rudiments of mufic, yet he could not ftoop to the drudgery of teaching compofition; and the fcholar, finding that he had not acquired fufficient knowledge, applied to Dr. Pepufch and Rofeingravet, from both of whom, in particular from Rofeingrave, he derived great advantage. With a view to profit by Rofeingrave's kindnefs, he took lodgings in the fame houfe, in Wigmore Street, Marybone, and received great advantage from his inftruction. During this Schmidt was the German name, correfponding with the English appellatiou + Thomas Rofeingrave, the fon of Daniel Rofeingrave, first organift of the cathedral of Salisbury, and in 1698 of St Patrick's, Dublin. He received a claffical education, which he completed at the Irish university, and was intended for one of the learned profeffions; but though he was a very good scholar, his love for music led him to apply with fo much zeal to that ftudy, that his father, forefeeing that it would impede his fuccefs in any other line, permitted him to follow the bent of his genius, and fent him to Italy, where he became the friend of Scarlatti. On quitting Italy, he fettled in London, and obtained the place of organift to St George's church, Hanover Square. There were three candidates, Rofeingrave, Stanley, who was then a very young man, and Topham, who, befides his knowledge in mufic, was an adept in the pugiliflic art. Rofeingrave played firft upon the organ, and his performauce charmed and aftonifhed every perfon prefent, and no one more than Topham; who oblerved, he could never ftand in competition with him for mufic, but humouroufly added, that he would box with him whenever he pleased Rofeingrave was elected. His reputation was at this period fo high, that on commencing teacher, he might have gained one thousand pounds a year; but an unfortunate event reduced him to extreme diftrefs. Among Rofeingrave's fcholars was a young lady to whom he was greatly attached, and whofe affections he had gained; but her father, who intended to give her a large fortune, did not approve of her marrying a mufician, and forbade Rofeingrave his houfe. This difappointment affected his brain, and he never entirely recovered the fhock. He neglected his fcholars, and loft his bufinefs. He lived upon fifty pounds per annum, which his place produced, and was often in indigence. He was perfectly rational upon every fubject, but the one neareft his heart; whenever that was mentioned, he was quite infane. In the latter part of his life, he was invited by his brother to refide with him in Ireland, where he remained till his death. this time, Rofeingrave was a conftant gueft at His table, which was the only recompence he would ever receive. Smith always mentioned his name in terms of gratitude, and related anecdotes of his kind and friendly inftructor. When Smith played the organ at the theatre, during the first year of Handel's blindness, Samfon was performed, and Beard fung, with great feeling "Total eclipfe-no fun, no moon, "All dark amid the blaze of noon." The recollection that Handel had fet this air to mufic, with the view of the blind compofer then fitting by the organ, affected the audience fo furcibly, that many perfons prefent were moved even to tears. Soon after the acceffion of his prefent Majesty, Mr Smith was introduced to the royal family. His introduction was principally occafioned by the following circumftance; Pinch beck being employed by the Earl of Bute to construct a barrel organ of extraordinary fize, requested Smith to fuperintend the work, which he at firft declined; but, on application from his Lordship, afterwards complied. Langfhaw, a very ingenious artift, was employed; and, under Smith's directions, set the barrels with fo much delicacy and tafte as to convey a warm idea of the impreffion which the hand gives on the inftrument. The organ was efteemed a malerpiece in mufical mechanifm: and Lord Bure was fo well pleased with his fuccefs, that he was defirous of making an adequate compenfation FEW * for the trouble. Smith declined all pecuniary gratification; and hinted, that he fhould think his pains more than amply repaid, if, through his Lordship's recommendation, the King would condefcend to patronise the oratorios. Lord Bute accordingly reprefented Mr Smith in fo favourable a light, that the King honoured the oratorios with his prefence at first, fix nights out of eleven; afterwards, for feveral years, he went the whole eleven, which was a 'great fupport, and brought much company to the house, although the oratorios had then ceafed to be the favourite entertainment of the public: his Majefty almoft flood fingle in his approbation of the great Handel, when the preference for Italian mufic was becoming univerfal. When the commemoration of Handel was celebrated with fuch wonderful effect in Weftminster Abbey, under the direction of Joah Bates, Efq. the King was defirous that Smith. thould be prefent at the performance, and fent him a gracious and preffing invitation to come to London for that purpofe. His Majefty affured him that he fhould be admitted without difficulty into a commodious feat in the Abbey, and that he fhould receive every accommodation during his refidence in town. Smith was fully fenfible of this gracious mark of condefcenfion, but declined the honour with reluctance, apprehenfive that, from his advanced age, fo exquifitely powerful a performance of the works of his great mafter would excite fuch emotions as might too much affect his feeble frame. ON THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF PAINTING IN SCOTLAND. From Pinkerton's Scottish Gallery. EW traces of painting in Eng land can be difcovered prior to the reign of Henry III. 1216-1272. During that period the Alexanders, Kings The fize of the barrels was confiderably larger than any that had been made. The organ itfelf was alfo much larger than had ever been used for barrels. After the death of the Earl of Bute, this organ was purchased by the Earl of Shaftefbury. Kings of Scotland, frequently vifited "man fastening horse shoes to a wo the English court, and almoft conftant amity prevailed between the two kingdoms-but no evidence arifes that any painter from England visit ed Scotland. The ancient and continual commerce between Scotland and the Netherlands leads to the inference, that the first artists were Flemings. That great prince, Robert I. fedulously promoted this intercourfe, and as he invited Flemish artifans of all defcriptions, it is probable that a painter might be among them, efpecially as in the following century we And painting even common in Scot land. James I. it is well known, was an excellent illuminator of manuscripts, and painter in miniature. He renew ed the treaty with the Netherlands, for one hundred years, and encouraged artifts of all descriptions to settle in his dominions. Hence we find painting fo common as to be degraded to the punishment of a malefac tor. "man's feet. In this drefs he was "exhibited through the streets of the "city for two days, then dragged at "the tail of a horse to the gallows, "and hanged." It is fingular that hardly a trace of painting in Scotland fhould exift in the reign of Mary, 1543—1547. Even the genuine portraits of the queen feem to have been all painted in France, where he was in early youth, or in England, when she was advanced in years. The most authentic and fatisfactory is the ftatue on her tomb at Westminster, whence an exact likene fs has recently been given by Mr Taffie, in a medallion worthy his high reputation*. Hardly one portrait can be mentioned of any illuftrious character in that remarkable period; and it is believed that no trace can be found of even any painter who then vifited Scotland, far less of any native artist. The reign of the fixth James, 1567-1625, forms an epoch in the hiftory of painting in Scotland. Numerous portraits begin to appear, and the Hunting Piece, painted around the gallery at Scone, fhows the prefence of an eminent artist. It was probably about A. D. 1430, that this fact occurred, which is men. tioned by Bower the continuator of Fordun. A highland robber having taken two cows from a poor woman, In the Appendix to Mr Pennant's the fwore he would wear no fhoes Tour in Scotland is a paper, concerntill fhe had complained to the king. ing the gold mines in that country, The favage, in ridicule of her oath, in which it is mentioned that, while nailed horfe-fhoes to her feet. When Morton was regent, Arthur Van her wounds were healed, fhe proceed- Bronchorst explored these mines: ed to the royal prefence, told her then "became one of his Majesty's ftory, and fhowed the fears. Thefworn fervants in Scotland, to draw juft monarch inftantly dispatched or ders to fecure the thief, who being brought to Perth, and condemned, "The king commanded that he should "be clothed in a canvafs frock, on "which was painted the figure of a "fmall and great pictures to the kingt." In 1594 Hadrian Van Son is ftyled painter to the king, in a privilege granted by James to a fhip belonging to this artift. But the native artists feem to have commenced *The fame artift and his ingenious nephew, have defigned medals of all the kings from Robert I.; and intend to proceed with the queens. The whole from the m ft authentic portraits that can be dif overed. P. 419. In the preceding page is mentioned Cornelius Devoffee (De Vofs ?) painter to Elizabeth, who feems unnoticed in the Anecdotes of Painting in England. |