Handel now possessed £10,000, which he had saved out of the profits of his previous works. In spite of the indifference which the public had manifested, and of the enormous loss which had been incurred in the face of a subscription supported by the entire aristocracy, he made arrangements with Heidegger, the proprietor of the Haymarket Theatre, to bring out operas there, and in partnership, for three years; and he went to Italy to bring together a company. In passing through Hamburg on his way back, he engaged a basso, Godfred Reimschneider, first singer at the cathedral of that town; but he did not see his old friend Mattheson, who says, with the dryness of a man who does not wish to complain, “he made a journey to Dresden to seek for some singers, and I heard that he passed through Hamburg.” Handel preserved no affection for Mattheson, with whom he had been so intimate in his youth; but what was the reason of this does not appear.

The Daily Courant of the 2nd of July, 1729, announces his return to London in the following manner :— “Mr. Handel, who is just returned from Italy, has contracted with the following persons to perform in the Italian Opera :—Sig. Bernacchi, who is esteemed the best singer in Italy; Signora Merighi, a woman of a very fine presence, an excellent actress, and a very good singer, with a counter-tenor voice; Signora Strada, who hath a very fine treble voice, a person of singular merit; Sig.