Egerton MS 2953

"ACIGE (i.e. Aci) e Galatea," cantata by George Frederick Handel, in score : a later arrangement in which are incorporated portions of the English pastoral " Acis and Galatea. A great part of it is in the hand of John Christopher Smith, senior, and a few passages (chiefly words) are autograph. At the end (ff. 98-101 b) are 4 leaves, signed at the end " Napoli li 16 Guignio, 1708, d'Alvito," which have been removed from the autogr. MS. of the work in its original form, which was bequeathed by the younger Smith at his death to George III, and is now deposited in the British Museum, see Cat. of Royal Music Collection, i, p. 1. The MS. was not used by the Händel-Gesellschaft in their edition of the work, though alluded to in the introduction to the volume. The names of the singers are given on f. 63 b. At the end (ff. 105-115) are letters of Victor Schoelcher and Rophino Lacy to W. B. Lambert, the then owner of the MS., 1857, 1858; and (f. 116) a Catalogue of the sale of Robert Smith's musical library (1813), of which the present MS. formed a part, from which it appears that [Thomas] Greatorex acquired it on that occasion. For a further description see Musical Times, 1921, pp. 690-692. Paper; ff. vii + 119. Oblong folio. xviii cent. Bookplates of Robert Smith [of St. Paul's Churchyard]. From the Farnborough Fund.