los,
but did not care to accept the post. It seems that one of the conditions
bound the successful applicant to marry the organist's daughter, and
neither of them showed the slightest inclination to take this decisive
step.

It is said of Handel that during his Italian trip he became engaged to
the singer, Vittoria Tesi. But his biographer, Chrysander, disbelieves
the story, and the historian Burney speaks of an Italian count as her
lover. According to the latter account, she behaved very generously, and
tried to dissuade her noble admirer from a marriage that would disgrace
him and his family. Finding him insistent, she left her house one
morning, and for fifty ducats persuaded a baker's apprentice to marry
her, the pair to live separately, while the step would be used in
dismissing the poor count. If she had really been engaged to Handel, or
had loved him, she might have had a husband at less expense; and
probably a musician is a more valuable article than a baker's
apprentice.

During his long career in England, Handel was twice nearly married. In
one case the mother of the fair charmer objected to her daughter's union
with a "mere fiddler." Handel drew back with becoming pride, and was
probably not much hurt. Certainly he never lost the magnificent appetite
for which he was famous. Soon afterward the mother died, and the
father, apparently put in control of the family by this event, stated to
the composer that there was now no objection to the match. But Handel
declined the offer, saying that it was too late. The situation was
different from that at Luebeck, and his musical career now stood in the
way of matrimonial ventures. At a later time he wished to marry a lady
of wealth and position, but, as she made it a condition that he should
give up his profession, he declined to pursue the match. None of these
women were of especial influence upon him or his music, and he composed
his long series of operas and oratorios in complete bachelor freedom.

Gluck owed much of his musical success to the aid of a woman. While in
Vienna, gaining fame by his earlier works in Italian style, he won the
interest and esteem of the ladies of the imperial court, among them the
Empress Maria Theresa. He was chosen to direct music at court festivals,
and after one of his later Parisian successes, the empress honoured him
with the post of court composer. Gluck's wife had not the position or
influence to help him in the musical side of h