Had our dull Bard escap'd the dreadful fright,
But sunk conceal'd in an excess of light."
Mr. Handel visited Italy in 1729, for the express purpose of collecting performers for the Opera-house in the Haymarket. Those persons are thus described in the Evening Post: "Signior Bernachi, who is esteemed the best singer in Italy; Signiora Merighi, a woman of a very fine presence, an excellent actress, and a very good singer—a contre-tenor; Signiora Strada, who hath a very fine treble voice, a person of singular merit; Signior Annibal Pio Fabri, a most excellent tenor and a fine voice; his wife, who performs a man's part exceeding well ; Signiora Bartoldi, who has a very fine treble voice—she is also a very genteel actress both in men and women's parts."
The delicately attenuated nerves of my female reader must be shocked by the transition from the above divine warblers to the horrid Mr. Figg, who fought his 271st battle in October 1730, with a Mr. Holmes, whose wrist he cut to the bone in
this amusing description of public entertainment. Master Figg was conqueror in all those conflicts; a tolerable poet, his contemporary, thus celebrated the exploits of the modern Gladiator:
"Inspir'd with generous thirst of martial fame
Figg's early years presag'd his future name,
As Hannibal, ere grown to manhood's bloom,
Swore in his blood fell enmity with Rome:
Like ardour did our infant Hero grace;