252.—OVERFED COMPOSERS.
While some of the men whom we have to thank for our best music had to struggle hard for the necessities of life, and then were not always successful in obtaining them, others have lived in luxury and have even been famous as gourmands.
Rossini, for one, was quite an epicure. It is told that he once gave his picture to his provision dealer with the words "To my stomach's best friend" inscribed on it. The merchant thought this too good an advertisement to lose and so had the whole thing engraved on his bill-heads and circulars.
Dussek was a notorious glutton, in fact, over eating and drinking brought him to his death-bed. His patron, Prince Benevento, besides paying him a good salary furnished him seats for three at his tables, and it was no infrequent thing that Dussek "got outside of" the provisions at all three places.
Many a time was Händel caricatured in England as an overfed glutton. In one fanciful engraving he was pictured as a huge hog sitting on the organ bench surrounded with cabbages and strings of sausage. There was some cause for this, as witness the following: Intending to dine at a certain inn, Händel ordered dinner for three. He waited a while, and, as the dinner did not put in an appearance, he asked why the delay. The waiter replied,
"It shall be sent up, sir, as soon as your company arrives."
"Den bring up de tinner prestissimo. I am de gombany!"