#16 Handel's Messiah 16

Today’s episode of the advent calendar is not for those faint of heart as it contains both love-making scenes, a kidnapping and hostage-taking. On 5 December 1738 Theophilus Cibber sued William Sloper for having ‘molested, robbed and had sexual intercourse with the plaintiff’s wife’. Theophilus wanted 5,000 pounds in compensation. Because the case involved such a famous actor, the judge ruled that no minutes would be taken during the trial. However, one clerk thought that the case contained so many juicy and sensational details that it would be a pity if the rest of London missed out on them. So he took his own notes. The judge, however, could not really picture Theophilus Cibber as an innocent, deceived husband, so to begin with William Sloper only had to pay Theophilus Cibber 10 pounds for having run off with his wife.
Music: Dunedin Consort ‘Handel’s Original Dublin Version 1742’

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the sixteenth episode of Handle's Messiah a
podcast Atlann Calendar. What's that's.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
What he's said, It's.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's yesterday. We heard the first part of the story
about Susanna Siba, who, thanks to Handle, really shun on
stage when Messiah was first performed in Dublin because like Handel,
she also need to kickstart her career again. At the

(01:03):
end of the last episode, we heard how Susanna Sibby's husband,
Theophilus Ziba, had broken into his wife's dressing room at
the theater in order to steal her jewelry and dresses
and sell them as she had started hiding her money
from him. That was a way to prevent him from
spending her money on Gamble Booze and other women. And

(01:26):
let me just warn you today's episode of the Advent
Calendar is not for those faint of heart, as it
contains both love making scenes, kidnapping and hostage taking. Theophilusiba
was known in London's theater world as vain, violent and unpredictable,
but he was also a reputable actor who could attract

(01:49):
a full audience. Susanna Siba was known as a gentle,
honorable and serious woman and a very devout Catholic. On
top of that, many versions of how William Sloba ended
up in Susanna's life. Everything, however, seems to suggest that
Theophilus introduced Susannah to William Sloper himself so that Slopa

(02:13):
could teach her how to play backgammon. It quickly came
to involve much more than backgammon, and in the summer
of seventeen thirty seven, Slopa rented a large house where
he stayed with the Zippers. Theophilis was full aware that
Susanna and Slopa were having an affair. There were even

(02:34):
those who believed that Theophilus had actually forced Susanna into it.
As Slopa was a very wealthy man, and with a
rich friend of the family, Theophilus did not need to
worry about paying the bills. Back in London, William Sloper
rented an apartment where he could continue his affair with Susanna.

(02:54):
Theophilus also knew about this. However, disaster rock once Slopa
and Susannah decided to move in together in a house
in Buckinghamshire. Because Theophilus never meant for the two persons
who paid for his lifestyle to disappear out of his life,
so he took on the role as the unhappy, abandoned

(03:17):
husband whose wife has been unfairly rocked from him. In
September seventeen thirty eight, he broke into their loveness with
two heavily armed men and forced Susannah to go back
to London with him no summon I. Sloba and Susanna's

(04:11):
brother Thomas Arne managed to find out where Theophilus kept
Susanna prisoner. The room was guarded by a mister Stint,
who worked as a candle snuffer in a theater. Sloba
and Anne had teamed with a lot of men hundreds
some road, but that was probably somewhat exaggerated, and they

(04:33):
bet up mister Stint and freed Susanna Siba. Shortly thereafter,
Theophilus had to flee all of his creditors in the
cover of darkness by literally wandering across the rules of
the city and catching a boat to Calais. When he
returned to London, he was determined to get revenge and money.

(04:53):
On the fifth of December seventeen thirty eight, Theophilis Sibba
sued William Slober, accusing him of assaulting, ravishing, and carnally
knowing Susannah Maria Siva, the plaintiff's wife. Theophilus wanted five
thousand pounds in compensation. Because the case involved such a

(05:14):
famous actress, the judge ruled that no report should be
made of the proceedings. However, one clerk thought that the
case contained so many juicy and sensational details that it
would be a pity if the rest of London missed
out on them, so he took his own notes, and
thus the rest of the city could wallow in the

(05:36):
detailed accounts of holes being drilled in a war trope
into Susannah's and Slopa's loveness, so that Theophilus's spy could
give a detailed description of the couple's love games, how
they untrusted each other, kissed each other, and had intercourse
in different ways. The judge, however, could not really picture

(05:57):
Theophilusibba as an innocent, deceived husband, so to begin with,
William Sloper only had to pay thee Feelers ten pounds
for having run off with his wife. The case was
not over, however. In the next episode, Sir Sanna Ziba
arrives in Dublin, and even though her problems are far

(06:18):
from over, everything will soon turn out good. On High.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
High has led, Cartiity Carton has led, cartiity cut you
and reasy way. It's for men, even old means ay,

(07:05):
even bore heads.