Stephenson:Neal:The System of the World:581:came down like a javelin (Rakitzis)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

The adjustable, metal endpin, while invented in the 18th century, was not commonly used until the mid-1800s. Cellos of Handel's era were played either with the cello held between the knees, or sometimes apparently with a wooden peg which is the precursor to the modern endpin. Even stipulating a wooden peg, I don't know if this peg could serve as Eliza's projectile weapon.

As a student of historical performance the whole encounter with Handel left me feeling uneasy... he would have almost certainly conducted the orchestra from the harpsichord, and not with a wooden staff; his cue to the musicians "fifth page", is meaningless if they were playing from parts and Handel was playing from his score; in fact the whole idea that his operas were rehearsed is up in the air, rehearsals in the 18th century were an optional extra, and sometimes advertised as such in the publicity for a concert!

Some interesting sources for rehearsal information can be found in the letters of Mozart, where some rehearsals are described. Notably among these is a complete month prior to the premiere of (IIRC) The Marriage of Figaro, but this month included the time not just for the performers to learn the opera, but also for Mozart to compose it! Certainly much less time was devoted to learning music (and plays, I believe) than now.

That said, it's particularly ridiculous, even more than was intended, when Handel calls out "Fifth page, 2nd bar!" after this encounter. The musicians certainly wouldn't have all been reading off the score, and would have different pages throughout. That said, rehearsal numbers/letters weren't invented until much later, probably due to the lack of rehearsal as mentioned above, so they might have been hard pressed to pick up the pieces, as it were.