304 ARTISTS AND AUTHORS injure him by composing a piece for the harpsichord full of the most extraordi- nary difficulties, and then asking him to play it at sight. The boy, however, at once executed it without a mistake, and thus the malicious schemer was foiled by his own device. Attilio was of a different disposition ; he praised the young musician to the skies, and was never weary of sitting by his side at the organ or harpsichord, and hearing him improvise for hours. The Elector of Brandenburg also conceived a great admiration for the boy's talents, and offered to send him to Italy. On old Handel being consulted, however, he pleaded that he was now an old man, and wished his son to remain near him. In consequence of this, probably much to the boy's disappointment, he was brought back to Halle, and there set to work again under his old master, Zachau, Soon after this return his father died, in 1697, leaving hardly anything for nis family, and young Handel had now to seriously bestir himself to make a living. With this object he went to Hamburg, where he obtained a place as second violin in the Opera-house. Soon after arriving there, the post of organ- ist at Ltibeck became vacant, and Handel was a candidate for it But a pecul- iar condition was attached to the acceptance of the office ; the new organist must marry the daughter of the old one ! And, as Handel either did not ap- prove of the lady, or of matrimony generally (and in fact he never was married), he promptly retired from the competition. At first, no one suspected the youth's talents, for he amused himself by pretending to be an ignoramus, until one day the accompanyist on the harpsichord (then the most important instrument in an orchestra) was absent, and young Handel took his place, astonishing everybody by his masterly touch. Probably this discovery aroused the jealousy of some of his brother-artists, for soon afterward a duel took place between him and Mathe- son, a clever composer and singer, who one night, in the midst of a quarrel on leaving the theatre, gave him a box on the ear ; swords were drawn, and the duel took place there and then under the portico of the theatre. Fortunately Mathe- son's weapon was shivered by coming in contact with a metal button on his op- ponent's coat. Explanations were then offered, and the two adversaries became friends — indeed, close friends — afterward. " Almira, Queen of Castile," Handel's first opera, was brought out in Hamburg in 1705, and was followed by two others, " Nero," and " Daphne," all received with great favor, and frequently performed. But the young musician determined to visit Italy as soon as possible, and after staying in Hamburg three years, and having, besides the money he sent his mother, saved two hundred ducats for travelling expenses, he was able to set off on the journey, then one of the great events in a musician's lifetime. He visited Florence, Venice, Rome, and Naples, in almost every city writing operas, which we are told were produced with the most brilliant success. At Venice an opera was sought for from him, and in three weeks he had written " Agrippina." When produced, the people received it with frantic enthusiasm, the theatre resounding with shouts of ' Viva il caro Sassone ! " (Long live the dear Saxon ! ) The fol- lowing story illustrates the extraordinary fame he so quickly acquired in Italy. He
