ever finding something new and admirable in them. And others, again, having arrested our delight at the first, keep it, and gain on us to the end.

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;

Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness."*

The same principle is applicable to poetry and all the fine arts.

Handel is said to have declared that he would willingly resign the fame he had acquired by his most celebrated compositions, for the glory of being the inventor of the air Aileen Aroon. The mode of expression may seem undue: the admirers of Handel will hardly concur with him; but it marks the fervour of his admiration for this ancient music.

A pleasing composition of Handel's, which was written by him, during his residence in Ireland, for a member of a family with whom he was intimate, has been preserved in manuscript. It is called Forest Music. The first movement, in common time, is in his own unmistakeable style; a cheerful reveillé, as if for hunters going out in a morning. In the second movement, which is in time, there is a remarkable blending of the character of Irish music with the peculiar style of Handel. It would seem, as if, by interweaving the national music of Ireland with his own, he meant to pay

*Keats' Endymion.

+ All great musicians love a simple melody. Haydn has recorded that the highest pleasure he ever received from music, was on hearing Jones's octave chant sung at St. Paul's Cathedral by four thousand charity-children, with the choir and organ.—Haydn's Diary while in England. Harmonicon, vol. v.

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION.

65

a graceful compliment to the country where he was receiving a very cordial welcome.

Carolan, the last of the native Irish bards, died in 1738. The Irish melodies were then falling into disuse, if not into contempt.* The attention of the people of Dublin was directed to other styles of music, particularly to the Italian. And now the visit of Handel effected a further revolution in the music of the Irish metropolis, and produced a sensation which roused public feeling from the lethargy and indolence of the prevailing fashion.† His reception was such as was due no less to his virtues as a man than to his extraordinary genius and abilities as a musician.‡ At each successive concert, the bursts of applause from his auditors, and the grateful tributes of esteem and admiration which met him in private circles, must have relieved his anxieties, and inspired him with confidence. The spirit of the great master was soothed and gladdened by the enthusiasm of his reception. His present position must have recalled to him the earlier scenes of his career, when, before his encounters with the world, his peace and his reputation were independent on the caprices of fashion; and when, as ideas came to him, he needed only time to mature them, and opportunity to produce them, to be certain of success. The world of unrest was left behind him. No rival, or hostile party were

* Walker, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards. † Walker.

Whitelaw.

‡ “In Dublin he was kindly received, and due regard was paid to his extraordinary merit. Assisted by his associate, Matthew Dubourg, whose powers on the violin are still the theme of many a tongue, he diverted the thoughts of the people from every other pursuit."-Walker, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards.

now at hand, to counteract the natural impulses of human hearts, and hinder his magnificent utterances of their due effect.

The musical entertainments, of which Handel had now given eight, were preliminary to an event which will be ever memorable in the annals of music; the production of his master-work, the Messiah. The earliest intimation which I find of the approach of this event, is the following entry in the minute-book of Mercer's Hospital :

"At a meeting of Governors, March 4, 1742. Present:-John Putland, Esq.; Mr. Baldwin, Dean Owen, Dean Hutchinson, Dean Maturine.*

"Whereas Mr. Putland reported from a Committee appointed to consider of a Performance designed for the benefit of this Hospital, the Infirmary, and the Prisoners of the Marshalseas, That it was the desire of the Gentlemen of that Committee, that a Deputation from the Trustees for those several Charities should Attend the Deans and Chapters of Christ Church and St. Patrick, to desire their leave that the Choir of both Cathedrals may assist at the said Performance.

"Ordered-That the Trustees of this Hospital do concur with the Committee provided that the whole Benefit of the said Performance, and of all Rehearsals previous to it, shall be entirely applied to the Support of the said Charities, and that Tickets be given out for whatever Rehearsals shall be necessary, at such prices as shall be thought most convenient by the Trustees of said Charities."

No further notice on this subject occurs in the mi

* Gabriel James Maturin, Dean of Kildare, and a Prebendary of Christ Church. In 1745, on the death of Swift, he was made Dean of St. Patrick's. He was a member of the Charitable Musical Society; and a distribution of daily bread to the prisoners in the Four Courts' Marshalsea, was made under his superintendence.-Faulkner's Journal, July 7th to 11th, 1741.

nute-book of Mercer's Hospital. Although neither the name of Handel nor of the oratorio are mentioned in the report from the "Committee," or in the reply of the Governors, yet, that it was the approaching performance of the Messiah which is here referred to, is evident from the advertisements inserted, not quite three weeks afterwards, in the Dublin newspapers, in which the three objects of charity included in the present benevolent design, as signified in the message from the "Committee," to the Governors of Mercer's, are mentioned as the three charities for which the performance of the Messiah was about to be given, and for which performance the assistance of the two choirs had been. obtained.

The "Committee appointed to consider of this performance," and to whom much of the preliminary arrangements were evidently entrusted, probably consisted of friends of the three charities, acting as representatives of them severally.

Handel, engaged as he now was, in making preparations for the production of his great work, did not neglect the remainder of his second series of subscription concerts. The following advertisement appeared in Faulkner's Journal of Tuesday, March 2nd, to Saturday, the 6th:

"The new Serenata called HYMEN, that was to have been performed on Wednesday next, (10th) at Mr. Handel's Musical Entertainments at the New Musick Hall in Fishamble-street, is, by the sudden illness of Mrs. Cibber, put off to the Wednesday following; and as many of Mr. Handel's subscribers are obliged to go out of Town soon, it is humbly hoped that they will accept of the Allegro ed il Penseroso, for the next Night's Performance, which will be on Wednesday the 10th of March. Tickets will be deli

vered to the subscribers on Tuesday and Wednesday next, at the Musick Hall in Fishamble street, from 10 o'clock in the Morning till 3 in the Afternoon."

In the next number of Faulkner,* the public were informed, that—

"Several Gentlemen and Ladies, subscribers to Mr. Handel's Musical Entertainments, having desired that the Musical Performance should be put off till Wednesday se'night, the 17th of March, Mrs. Cibber being in a fair way of recovery, The new Serenata HYMEN will be certainly performed on that day."

Dr. Burney, who mentions the serenata, or operetta of Hymen, in his History of Music, speaks on the whole, favourably of it, on his inspection of an imperfect manuscript score of the work. He describes it as only a hasty sketch, in two acts. The words are Italian. It was performed only twice in London; on November 22, and December 13, in the year 1740; and (excepting in Dublin) never afterwards. The giving it, in Handel's advertisements in Dublin, the epithet of a "new serenata," suggests the probability, that the composer had made some alterations in it. With the exception of this serenata, Handel gave no performance of music to Italian words in Dublin; but relied on his compositions to English words for establishing himself in the favour of the people of Dublin, previously to bringing out his oratorio the Messiah.

* March 6th to 9th, 1742.

Previously to Handel's leaving Ireland, at a concert for the benefit of Mrs. Arne, on the 21st of July, 1742, "at the Great Room in Fishamble-street," Mrs. Cibber sung "Chi scherza colle Rose, from Mr. Handel's opera of Hymen.”—Dublin News-Letter of July 13 to 17, 1742.