those beauties of nature which have so powerful an influence in molding
great susceptibilities. At his seventeenth year he had acquired as much
musical knowledge as could be acquired at a place like Busseto, and he
became anxious to go to Milan to continue his studies. The poverty of
his family precluding any assistance from this quarter, he was obliged
to find help from an eleemosynary fund then existing in his native town.
This was an institution called the Monte di Pietà, which offered yearly
to four young men the sum of twenty-five _lire_ a month each, in order
to help them to an education; and Verdi, making an application and
sustained by the influence of his friend the rich merchant, was one of
the four whose good fortune it was to be selected.

The allowance thus obtained with some assistance from Barezzi enabled
the ambitious young musician to go to Milan, carrying with him some
of his compositions. When he presented himself for examination at the
conservatory, he was made to play on the piano, and his compositions
examined. The result fell on his hopes like a thunder-bolt. The pedantic
and narrow-minded examiners not only scoffed at the state of his musical
knowledge, but told him he was incapable of becoming a musician. To
weaker souls this would have been a terrible discouragement, but to his
ardor and self-confidence it was only a challenge. Barezzi had equal
confidence in the abilities of his _protégé_, and warmly encouraged him
to work and hope. Verdi engaged an excellent private teacher and pursued
his studies with unflagging energy, denying himself all but the barest
necessities, and going sometimes without sufficient food.

A stroke of fortune now fell in his way; the place of organist fell
vacant at the Busseto church, and Verdi was appointed to fill it. He
returned home, and was soon afterward married to the daughter of the
benefactor to whom he owed so much. He continued to apply himself with