ifferent
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 his 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 organist at Luebeck became vacant, and
Handel was a candidate for it. But a peculiar 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 approve 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
Matheson, 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 Matheson's weapon was shivered by coming
in contact with a metal button on his opponent'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.

[Illustration: Handel's River-Concert for George I.]

But the young musician determined to visit Italy as soon as possible,
and after staying in Hamburg three years, and having,