| Citation |
VGW(PA.738.002
6-13 Jan 1738:11, 12, 21 (76)
To the Author of the London Evening-Post, Oct. 6.
Sir, I can't help taking notice of a paragraph of news in
one of our daily papers in the following words: "By private
letters from Spain we hear an account, that the King had not
only confer'd the honour of knighthood, and settled a
pension on the famous Farinello, but had also given him his
picture set round with diamonds, valu'd at above a thousand
pounds sterling. The Queen gave him a gold snuff-box, with
two large diamonds on the lid of it, and in it a bill for
500 pistoles, and the Prince of Asturias a diamond button
and loop for his hat of very great value; and it is also
said, that he is made one of the gentlemen of the King's bed
chamber."
As authentick as this piece of news may appear to some
people, I am morally sure that the two principal articles of
it are absolutely false; they seem as if Farinello had got
them inserted by the agency of his friends here, as a puff
for himself, and an insult on the directors of our opera; a
piece of gratitude which few Italians have omitted paying in
the end, as a proper return for the fortunes they made among
us.
That Farinello has receiv'd a great many presents from the
court of Spain is out of dispute: To what the papers take
notice of, my correspondent adds, that the Princess made him
a present of a ring with a large diamond in it set round
with brilliants, and also of a gold watch set with diamonds.
The Infante Don Phillip, and the Cardinal Infante,
Archbishop of Toledo, were also magnificently liberal to
him; and it is certain, that that squeaking fellow has
gather'd up more wealth in a month at the Catholick court,
than either the gallant man * [refers to a footnote below]
that sav'd Oran, or any of the general officers of his
country in the Spanish service have acquir'd by 30 years
campaigning.
But nevertheless, it is highly absurd to say that his
Catholick Majesty has confer'd the honour of knighthood upon
Farinello.
The Spanish court is one of the proudest in the universe,
and the Kings of Spain never make knights of any but such
man of merit and service as can prove themselves to be well
born: A knight and no gentleman has indeed been common
enough in England, and even in France, where the Chevaliers
de St. Louis are to be met with in swarms all over the
Kingdom, but in Spain it is otherwise; and that Farinello is
no gentleman is self-evident from his not being a man; for
there is not a man of family in Italy, how poor and indigent
soever, that would suffer his son to be mutilated, in order
to qualify him to get his bread by singing: The Italian
gentlemen, I assure you, are much more delicate and lofty
than that comes to.
Here, sir, I must put you in mind of Farinello's reception
at the Prince of Modena's Levy: As some of our nobility and
gentry had made no less than an idol of him, he thought it
might be at least hail fellow well met every where, and who
but Farinello in his velvet and brocade among the foremost
of them at that Prince's house in St. James's Street: His
Highness saw him with indignation, and taking a proper
opportunity to edge near him, get out fellow, says the
Prince to him in a low voice, none but gentlemen come here.
To say then that he has been knighted in Spain is
ridiculous, and still much more ridiculous to tell us he is
made gentleman of the bed-chamber to his Catholick Majesty:
that, sir, is a post for a grandee of Spain, and hardly can
a general officer of the first rank, if not a grandee, or
the son of one, obtain it. Is it consistent then with
common sense to imagine that such men, nice, haughty
Spaniards, would roll and do duty upon a level in the King's
bedchamber with a stroller, how often soever they might
suffer them into their company to divert them with his
voice?
I acknowledge with the late great Mr. Addison, that
trifling talents, such as fiddling and singing, with a
sufficient quantity of impudence, are the best
recommendation to some courts, and Farinello has luckily
enough experienc'd it; but as to the post and title of
honour bestow'd on him in the news-papers, there is not the
least tittle of truth in them. By the same rule that the
King of Spain would make a Sir Farinello, he might also make
a Sir Harlequino, Sir Scaramoucho, and a Sir Punchinello,
and make them all gentlemen too of His Catholick Majesty's
bed-chamber, provided he drove the nobility out of it.
The rich presents Farinello has receiv'd, and the high
pension settled upon him are infinitely more, even without
titles, than he can possibly deserve, when so many men of
merit remain neglected; and, in my humble opinion, they do
very little honour to the Catholick Court, especially when
we call to mind the poor, mean, pitiful provision made by
the then ministry of Spain for our British Cicero, upon
whose harmonious lips the God of eloquence himself seem'd to
have fix'd his throne; I need not tell you, Sir, that I mean
the late great, but unfortunate Duke of Wharton, who had but
18 pistoles a month from the Spanish Court for his support:
This I dare aver to you for fact; and by it you may see how
great an advantage a buffoon has at the Spanish Court, over
a man of the most shining sense and parts, and how
parsimonious the King and Queen of Spain were in the case of
the most noble and matchless Duke of Wharton; whose tongue
and pen were, to an enterprizing court, worth all the
singers of the universe put together. But who can help
these things? Fools generally have fortune on their side,
and they are not always the wisest men in the world, tho'
they may be the greatest, that distribute her gifts.
This piece of generosity to Farinello is an evidence that
affairs are extremely well mended with Spain since the Duke
of Wharton's niggardly reception there; and if the Catholick
Court has so much spare money to settle great pensions upon,
and make extraordinary presents to vagabonds for tickling
her ears with a song, it is to be hop'd she will find some,
or at least be made to find it, to indemnify our merchants,
and make them ample satisfaction for the 20 years robberies
and plunders they have suffer'd from the Spanish Guarda
Costas. The resolution of the States-General, mention'd in
the London Evening-Post of the 29th of September last, to
demand satisfaction of the Court of Madrid for their ships
taken by those pirates in the American Seas, is highly
worthy that illustrious republick; and as we are fellow
sufferers with the Dutch, I hope we shall strenuously join
them in endeavours so every way becoming men of courage and
honour: The Dutch never yet had an unsucessful quarrel with
the Spaniards; fortune, as well as justice, was always on
their side; and if in conjunction with us they begin another
war with Spain, for obtaining a satisfaction from which
neither they nor we can possibly desist without the highest
dishonour. I don't doubt but to see full reparation and
atonement, with interest, wrung from the Spaniards for their
unjust depredations committed on the subjects of Great-
Britain and Holland. I am, Sir, your most humble servant.
* Brigadier-General Lacy, nephew to the Veldt-Marshal
Count Lacy in the service of the Empress of Russia. The
Brigadier with his Irish regiment was sent from Spain to
reinforce the garrison of Oran and landed just as the Moors
had given a general assault to the town, and were upon the
point of entring it sword in hand; upon which Lacy made his
men, tho' hardly a moment on shore, strip off their coats to
make them lighter, and march'd them up with such expedition
to the relief of the place, that it was sav'd, and the Moors
entirely defeated; but I never heard of any great presents
made by the Spanish Court, either to the conquerors or
preservers of Oran.
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