CHAPTER VII - 1737–1741

Summary

The struggle to which Handel had succumbed, not only ruined him, but so much agitation and such excessive labour had undermined his iron constitution. The journals mention his indisposition as early as the month of April, 1737. In the London Daily Post for the 30th of April, we find:–”Mr. Handel, who has been some time indisposed with the rheumatism, is in so fair a way of recovery, that it is hoped he will be able to accompany the opera of Justin on Wednesday next, the 4th of May.” In this state of health, the difficulties of managership, which exposed a man so full of honour and pride to the regrets and humiliations of an insolvent debtor, affected him to such a degree that his mental faculties were temporarily disturbed.1 At the same time, he had an attack of paralysis, and he was with the greatest difficulty persuaded to go to the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle, where he was restored in less than six weeks. So prompt was his cure, that the Catholics of the place attributed it to a miracle, forgetting for a moment, that their Providence could scarcely be expected to work a miracle in favour of a patient so decidedly heretical; for Handel was a Lutheran. On the 28th of October, 1737, the London Daily Post informs the public, that “Mr. Handel the composer of Italian music,” was “hourly expected from Aix;” and on the 7th of November, his return is mentioned “greatly recovered in health.”