HANDEL.
One night, while Handel was in Dublin, Dubourg, having a solo part in a song, and a close to make at his pleasure, he wandered about in different keys a great while, and seemed a little bewildered, and uncertain of his original key; but, at length, coming to the shake which was to terminate this long close, Handel, to the great delight of the audience and augmentation of applause, cried out, loud enough to be heard in the most remote part of the theatre, “You are welcome home, Mr. Dubourg!”
In 1749, Theodora was so very unfortunately abandoned, that he was glad if any professors, who did not perform, would accept of tickets or orders for admission. Two gentlemen of that description, now living, having applied to Handel, after the disgrace of Theodora, for an order to hear the Messiah, he cried out, “Oh, your sarvant! you are tamnaple tainty! you would not co to Theodora—there was room enough to tance dere when dat was perform.”
Sometimes, however, I have heard him as pleasantly, as philosophically, console his friends, when, previous to the curtain being drawn up, they have lamented that the house was so empty, by saying, “Nevre moind, de moosic vil sound de petter.”