[98] A letter from Annibale Merlini to Ferdinando dei Medici, recently published by Mr. Streatfeild, says that on September 24, 1707, the famous Saxon (_Il Sassone famoso_), as Handel was already called, was still enchanting hearers in the musical evenings at Rome. [99] Both Mr. Ademollo, in an article in the _Nuova Antologia_, July 16, 1889, and Mr. Streatfeild, have established the true name of the chief singer in _Roderigo_. Thus the romantic story believed ever since Chrysander of Handel's love for the famous Vittoria Tesi has been destroyed. She was only seven years old in 1707, and did not come out until 1716. [100] Occasionally in St. Mark's there were six orchestras, two large ones in the galleries with the two grand organs, four smaller ones distributed in pairs in the lower galleries, each with two small organs. [101] Mainwaring relates that Handel arrived _incognito_ at Venice, and that he was discovered in a masquerade where he was playing the clavier. Domenico Scarlatti cried out that it must either be the celebrated Saxon, or the devil. This story, which shows that Handel was celebrated already as a virtuoso, accords very well with his taste for mystifying people, a marked trait in his character. [102] This appears thoroughly established by recent researches, and contradicts the statement of Chrysander that Handel's _Agrippina_ had been played at the commencement of 1708 at Venice. All the documents of that time agree in placing the first production of _Agrippina_ at the end of 1709 or at the beginning of 1710. [103] An autograph cantata by Handel, which is found in London, was dated Rome, March 3, 1708. [104] This Academy was founded at Rome in 1690 for the production and exposition of popular poetry and rhetoric. [105] Amongst the "shepherds" of Arcadia were counted four Popes (Clement XI, Innocent XIII, Clement XII, Benoit XIII), nearly all the sacred colleges, the Princes of Bavaria, Poland, Portugal; the Queen of Poland, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and a crowd of great lords and ladies. [106] Scarlatti under the name of Terpandro; Corelli under that of Archimelo; Pasquini as Protico; Marcello as Dryanti. Handel was not inscribed on the Arcadia list because he was not yet of the regulation age, twenty-four years. [107] Cardinal Ottoboni was a Venetian, and nephew of the Pope Alexander VIII. A good priest, very benevolent, and ostentatious art patron whose prodigalities were celebrated even in England, where Dryden eulogised them in 1691 in the Prologue of Purcell's _King Arthur_. He was a great _dilettante_, and even wrote an opera himself, _Il Columbo, overo l'India scoperta_, 1691. Alessandro Scarlatti set to music his libretto of _Statira_, and composed for him his _Rosaura_, and his _Christmas Oratorio_. He was particularly intimate with Corelli, who lived with him. [108] Corelli took the first violin, and Francischiello, the violoncello.