The duke arrived soon after, and spoke to me in quite a different language.

He said very flattering things of my talents, and seemed as much disposed as ever to have my composition performed before the king.

"There is nothing," said he, "but the act of Tasso which cannot pass at court: you must write another." Upon this single word I shut myself up in my apartment; and in three weeks produced, in the place of Tasso, another act, the subject of which was Hesiod inspired by the muses.

In this I found the secret of introducing a part of the history of my talents, and of the jealousy with which Rameau had been pleased to honor me.

There was in the new act an elevation less gigantic and better supported than in the act of Tasso.
The music was as noble and the composition better; and had the other two acts been equal to this, the whole piece would have supported a representation to advantage.