In spite of Bononcini's fall his faction did not the less continue the war against Handel. On the 13th of June, 1733, as we have seen, they held a sort of coalition conference with Senesino. Their great adversary seems to have regarded the storm which was brewing around him with a cairn, untroubled eye; for, having finished Athalia on the 7th of June, he went tranquilly to introduce it at a Public Act of the University of Oxford.

What is called a Public Act is the ceremony which takes place every year, for conferring the degrees of the University after an examination. This lasts three or four days; the mornings of which are devoted to science and the evenings to pleasure. The Memoirs of Thomas Hearne. (a Master of Arts belonging to St. Edmund's Hall, one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford), published very recently, declare that Handel was directly invited by the Vice-Chancellor of this University :- o” 1733, July 5.–One Handell, a foreigner (who, they say, was born at Hanover), being desired to come to Oxford, to perform in musick at this Act, in which he hath great skill, is come down, the Vice-Chancellor (Dr. Holmes) having requested him so to do, and, as an encouragement, to allow him the benefit of the Theater both before the Act begins and after it. Accordingly, he hath published papers for a performance to-day, at 5s. a ticket. This performance began a little after five o'clock in-the evening. This is an innovation. The players might be as well permitted to come and act.”