1712
Jan 4
|
[Peter Wentworth to the Earl of Strafford] LONDON, January 4, 1712. Dear Brother, [... 238 ... 242 ...] I was at a place yesterday and there came in a lady and said she was just come from the Dutchess of Marlborough, and there was a message came from P—— E—— [Prince Eugene] to know if the Duke was at home, but upon inquirery I found he was not come this morning. If he comes before to morrow there will be a crowding to see him at the opera.[1] |
Jan 11
|
[Peter Wentworth to the Earl of Strafford] LONDON, January 11, 1712. Dear Brother, [...] You have heard that P. [Prince] Eugene had an audience of the Queen Sunday at six a clock; he did not stay above a quarter of an hour with her. He has show’d himself much to the Ladies, for a Munday night he was at Lady Betty Germain’s Assemblee, and there were ladys came there that had never been there before to see Lady Betty, which made a crowd; the next was Lady Harvey’s and there was the like company. Wednesday was the Opera and there he brought a great crowd, so much that Operas are to be perform’d thrice a week whilst he stays here. He has been to return all the vissits of the ministry, they say he’s to dine with Lord Treasurer to-morrow. He was at the Dutchess of Shrewsbury’s assemblee last night where I had stairing enought [sic] of him, but I had more modesty then most of the ladies, for I saw none of them scruple as fast as they cou’d get up to see him, to look him full in the face, tho’ he was looking at them. He sup that night at the Duke of [247] Shrewsbury’s; Nicholinia [sic] sung. [...][2] |
Jan 18
Mr. SPECTATOR,
‘YOU will forgive Us Professors of Musick if We make a second Application to You, in Order to promote our Design of exhibiting Entertainments of Musick in York-Buildings. It is industriously insinuated that Our Intention is to destroy Operas in General; but we beg of you to insert this plain Explanation of our selves in your Paper. Our Purpose is only to improve our Circumstances, by improving the Art which we profess. We see it utterly destroyed at present; and as we were the Persons who introduced Operas, we think it a groundless Imputation that we should set up against the Opera in it self. What we pretend to assert is, That the Songs of different Authors injudiciously put together, and a Foreign Tone and Manner which are expected in every Thing now performed amongst us, has put Musick it self to a stand; insomuch that the Ears of the People cannot now be entertained with any thing but what has an impertinent Gayety, without any just Spirit or a Languishment of Notes, without any Passion or common Sense. We hope those Persons of Sense and Quality who have done us the Honour to subscribe, will not be ashamed of their Patronage towards us, and not receive Impressions that patronising us is being for or against the Opera, but truly promoting their own Diversions in a more just and elegant Manner than has been hitherto performed.
We
are, SIR,
Your
most humble Servants,
Thomas Clayton.
Nicolino Haym.
Charles Dieupart.
There will be no Performances in York-Buildings, til after that of the Subscription.[3]
Mar 11
|
[Lady to Strafford to the Earl of Strafford] ST. JAMES’S SQUARE, March 11, 1712. .... Here is nothing talked about but men that goes in partys about the street and cuts peaple with swords or knives, and they call themselves by som hard name that I can nethere speak nor spell [Mohocks]; but a Satturday night coming from the opera they asalted Mr. Davenant and drew there swords upon him, but he took won of them and sent to the round house, but ’tis thought ’twas sombody that would have been known and they gave mony and made their eskape, but what was the great jest about town was they said they had cut of his head of hare. [...][4] |
Mar 21
|
[Lady to Strafford to the Earl of Strafford] ST. JAMES’S SQUARE, March 21, 1712. [... 280 ...] To morrow here is an opera for Nicolina’s benifit, I believe all the town will be there; Lady Dartmouth and I goe together, and Mrs. Hill, Lady Massam’s sister. [...][5] |
Mar 28
|
[Lady Strafford, 28 March 1712] Lord Scarsdale is so angry that he has noe place that he declares he’ll turn whigg, and as a mark of that he led the Duchess of Marlborough out of the Opera.[6] |
[payments to “Georg Friedrich Hendell” in the Hanover Chamber Accounts]
Midsummer 1711 – Midsummer 1712 1,000 Thaler, less deduction of 83 Thaler, 12 Groschen[7]
[1] The Wentworth Papers, 1705-1739, ed. by James J. Cartwright (London: Wyman & Sons, 1883), 238-42.
[2] The Wentworth Papers, 1705-1739, ed. by James J. Cartwright (London: Wyman & Sons, 1883), 246-47.
[3] The Spectator, no. 278, Friday 18 January 1711, [2]; repr. Deutsch, 48.
[4] The Wentworth Papers, 1705-1739, ed. by James J. Cartwright (London: Wyman & Sons, 1883), 277.
[5] The Wentworth Papers, 1705-1739, ed. by James J. Cartwright (London: Wyman & Sons, 1883), 279-80.
[6] The Wentworth Papers, 1705-1739, ed. by James J. Cartwright (London: Wyman & Sons, 1883), 282, n.
[7] Donald Burrows, “Handel and Hanover,” in Bach, Handel, Scarlatti Tercentenary Essays, ed. Peter Williams (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), 35-60: 40; trans. from German.