"GOSSIP OF THE CENTURY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9040, 19 November 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

" GOSSIP OF THE CENTURY."

A book has jusb been published entitled " Gossip of the Century: Personal and Traditional Memories." We quote some of the anecdotes:—

William IV. was not without a'-sense of humour, and could tell an amusing story now and then in a way which showed how fully ho realised .a joke. One day, at a dinner Riven by George IV., at The Cottage, Windsor Park, in 1827, he related with much drollery the following personal anecdote. " I had been riding one day," said His Highness, " unattended by a groom, between Teddington and Hampton Wick, when I was overtaken by a butcher's boy on horseback, with a tray of meat under his arm. ' Nice pony that of your'n, old gon'lman,' said he. ' Pretty air, I answered. 'Mine's a good 'un, too,' was his rejoinder; and lie added, ' I'll wager you a pot o' beer, old man, you don't trot to Hampton Wick quicker nor me.' 1 declined the match," continued the Duke, " and the butcher's boy, as he struck his single spur into his nag's side, turned back and called out with a contemptuous sneer, ' I knowed you was only a muff.'" At Queen Victoria's coronation an accident was supposed to have happened to the crown. This is the version given by an author :—

I recently asked Mrs. Leycester Adolphus, who was within the Abbey and is now aged ninety-five, whether she had any recollection of the circumstance that the noble functionary had, by treading on the train of hia velvet mantle as he approached Her Majesty, disturbed the equilibrium of his sacred charge, so that it tottered nearly to the ground. She immediately replied, " No; it was as he was retreating backwards down the steps;" and it seemed satisfactory to receive this corroboration of my own recollection. Supposing the occurrence to have taken place, it is perfectly natural that it should have remained unrecorded, for even in enlightened England there are probably a sufficient number of superstitious people to have seen in it an untoward omen, of which, happily, there has never been any realisation, Whether the crown had or had not a fall on the occasion of Her Majesty's coronation, there is no reason to doubt the fact of a subsequent accident. On August 9, 1843, Her Majesty went in State to the House of Lords to prorogue Parliament in person. The crown was carried on a velvet cushion by the Duke of Argyll (Lord High Steward). As the Duke was receding from the throne after the ceremony he forgot the two steps behind him, by which the floor of the throne was raised from the ground, and when he readied them stumbled, so that the crown fell from its cushion on to the ground and several of the stones dropped out. The Queen graciously expressed her hopes that the venerable Duke was nob hurt, and begged him not to be troubled at the mishap. As soon as the royal party had left the " House"-keeper appeared and requested those present not to approach till the stones had beeu collected uninjured. Whatever may have been thought of the omen by the superstitious, the young Queen early showed a tact, bravery, and conscientiousness which won the respect of all. She knew how to deal also with somewhat awkward situations. Amongst other anecdotes of the year 1837 here is one :—

. Among the most interesting is one narrated by Major Cumming Bruce at the Conservative dinner given to him aud Mr. M'Keuzie, jun., of Seatwell, at Forres, in September, 1837, he pledging his word for its truth. " Lord Melbourne, in his character of Premier, had to wait upon Her Majesty at Windsor upon State business. When it was concluded the noble Lord begged to be allowed to address the Queen on a subject which he felt it to be his duty to press on Her Majesty's attention, viz., ' Would Her Majesty graciously inform him whether there was any individual for whom she felt such a preference that she would wish to have him associated with her in the cares of the sovereignty.' The Queen no doubt felt a little surprised at such an inquiry, but sagely requested to know whether his Lordship made it as a Minister of the Crown, and whether he intended she should regard it as a matter of State policy ; if so, she would endeavour to answer it. Lord Melbourne replied that under no other circumstances would he have presumed to address such a question to Her Majesty. Then,' said the Queen, ' I must admit there is an individual for whom I entertain a decided preference, and that individual is the Duke of Wellington.' Gentlemen,' concluded Major Cumming Bruce,' I leave you to figure to yourselves the length of the noble Lord's face !' "

The young Disraeli does not seem to have been popular with his schoolmates, if we may judge from this story :—

Part of Benjamin Disraeli's early years were passed at a boarding-school at Walthamstow, where a first cousin of my own had been temporarily placed. From him I used to hear that the boy, who was subsequently to become so urbane and courtierlike, was at that time such an overbearing

little prig that he made himself most unpopular with his schoolfellows, and naturally became their butt, every kind of schoolboy trick being played off on him. One, of which my cousin confessed himself the inventor, though reprehensible in common _ with all practical jokes, had the merit of ingenuity. It seems that the young man, even in these early days, gave indications of the foppishness of his middle life, and used, on occasion, to appear in gay-coloured pantaloons, with Hessian boots. Accordingly, just before he donned them one day, some cobbler's wax was neatly plastered over the inner soles of the latter, and when the time came for removing them the other boys found fine opportunity for taunting the struggling wearer with his vanity, and suggesting that it would be a great pity ever to take them off.

Here is an anecdote of Malibran :—

An amusing anecdote is told of Malibran, which, simple as it may seem beside the grandeur of her professional character, serves to show what a thorough musician she was. She had been asked at a private party to bestow a contribution on the company, and seating herself at the piano played with solemn force and effect a magnificent march. All were impressed and delighted; then, reserving the same melody, she simply changed the time and the key, and the air assumed an entirely different aspect; proceeeding on this principle, gradually it became a jig, and ultimately turned out to be neither more nor less than "Polly, Put the Kettle On," as she ended by adding the words to the music.

And here is one of Grisi: — Grisi, without possessing much sense of humour, often said droll things, and the quaintness of Italianised English, abounding with literally translated Italian idiom, was amusing not only to others, but even to herself. ' However, she, like the others, took kindly to English customs, and I remember one day in the foyer des artistes, during a concert at the Bijou Theatre (when various views were being expressed as to the beverage least pernicious to the voice),, all agreed in condemning tea as detestable; coffee allowable only if taken noir; champagne admissible ; and Madere only doubtful. Grisi confessed that for her part she was very partial to " arf-an-arf," and Malibran revealed that in the desert scene in one of Balfe's operas, where she has to drink from a gourd, she always had it filled with . . . bottled stout! In fact, this stimulant seemed absolutely necessary to supply the dash and spirit needed in a bravura song, or in any scene requiring energy near the end of a performance. It is known that she once fainted on the stage after singing "Ah non giungee," the finale to the " Sonnambula," j ust as if she had been the real Amina.

Mario's superstitions are thus alluded to :—

In private life Mario was as charming as before the public, although quite in a different way. Well educated from his youth, he had always mixed much in the world, whether at Courts, or in the camp, or in chosen company ; hi 3 converation was bright and humorous, and he made friends among the most distinguished persons of many nationalities. He and Grisi received with perfect savoir-vivre, and always with a geniality which constituted the most winning of welcomes ; his remarks were often quaint and original, and it was amusing to lure him into the subject of superstitions, lucky and unlucky days, omens generally, and especially the " evil eye"— Italian, especiSouthern Italian, does not hold a belief in that? As for the ill-fated number " 13" and " Friday," both Grisi and he strongly shared the feeling of Dr. Johnson, Bryon, Scott, Sheridan, and other great geniuses, and spoke of it as of an established and a justifiable conviction. Nothing would induce Mario to undertake or begin anything on a Friday, and neither he nor Grisi would sit down to table if there were thirteen guests. If his frequent attitude, especially while residing in this country, was that of the dolce far nicnte, it must be admitted he smoked most industriously ; it may be said that, except when actually on the stage, he was never to be seen without a cigar between his lips; even during the performance, the instant he could escape to the wings he would seize the cigar always held ready for him, and smoke, literally till called on again.

Lablache's interview with the King of Maples seems to have been somewhat unfortunate.

A droll incident, showing the spontaneity of Lablache's humour, occurred on the occasion of his having been sent for by the King of Naples. Awaiting in the ante-room his turn to be admitted into the royal presence, he perceived a draught in the room, and, fearing the consequences, begged to be allowed to remain covered. A moment or two after he was beckoned by the usher, and forgetting that he wore his hat, took up one he found near him, and with one hat on his head and another in his hand, entered the room in which was His Majesty. The King at once perceived the mistake, and was so mightily amused at it that he received the great basso with a hearty laugh, which so startled the object of it that he soon discovered what had happened, and with his prompt wit exclaimed : " Sire, your Majesty is quite < right, one hat would be already too much for a fellow who has nO head."

We conclude with the following capital story of Sam Lover.

Lover was a genius, and I believe it is not unusual for geniuses to be touchy; but if he was peppery, the provocation given, unless of a very aggravated nature, was, as a rule, soon forgiven. I remember his telling me how, at a ball one night, in a crowded supperroom, happening to espy a friend, he attempted to carry on a conversation with him, notwithstanding the din. The subject of the weather, the temperature of the room, and the character of the assembly having been exhausted, Lover asked him if he had seen his new song, naming the title of it. " Oh, yes, to be sure," replied the other, thinking lie had caught the name ; " the ' Angel Swiss Boy,' and a capital song, too, my dear fellow ; you never did anything better. . _ ." Lover was disgusted. Hi repeated the title in a louder tone,'but with no better effect, eliciting the reply, " Yes, yes, of course — ' The Ancient Sister'—isn't that what I said ? Everybody's talking about it, and no wonder" " ' Ancient Sister' be ," exclaimed Lover, thoroughly exasperated; Ancient Sister,' indeed !" and, putting his month close to his friend's ear, he shouted, " The Angel's Whisper!" "Eh ! eh !" said the other, hurrying away to hide his confusion, " that's more like a devil's yell."