Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-11-04

popular, club was opened, anG the
most ambitious was named Director
J Collet reserved to himself the modest
2 Office Of eostumer, and undertook TO or
: ganize a grand wardrobe. The day of
the general rehearsal was announced, il
} being agreed that the actors should APP
: peer in their costumes. This would be
/ prodigious, as all the embroidery was
made of fine gold. But on the day
Damed, they sought in vain for the CO.'S
: tuner. They at length learned that he
had departed post-haste; but, though
they did not think of interpreting il TO
r his disadvantage, Collet alone had the
r secret Of his sudden departure. He
had but one object in incurring these
, expenses-that Of furnishing himself,
through the subscribers, with all the
, costumes he would have occasion for in
} the new life Of adventures he was about
, TO attempt. He carried off, among the
} rest. priests raiment, those Of civil dig
! nitaries. military authorities, and diplo~
matte costumes-a complete collection
of all the signs, crosses, and ribands Of
every order. The young men of Mon.
dovi are, in the meantime, still waiting
, for the public rehearsal.
The first costume that served Collet
was that OF a general, having donned
which, he took grand hotel, carriages.
and servants. The second travestie was
that Of NeaPolitan priest. and he gave
himself out as a victim of the umbra~
geous power Of the Napoleon family.
He Eecounts, as follows, the episodes OF
this period Of his life in a memoir, the
manuscript Of which is in the hands of
NJ. APpert: f aa
r 81 repaired 10 Sion, small town,
whose authorities welcomed me. The
bishop received me kindly, and took so
ahectionately to me, that he wished me
to say mass in the parish church, which
] did for some time. Some days after,
monseigneur proposed to me TO do the
duty ola church ESt Peters, which was
very lucrative and readily accepted.
The mayor Of the parish was immedi-
ately written to, who cIme himself tor
/,
, agreeably surprised. for the house des-
tined for me resembled the palace Of a
duke. Nothing was wanting to it, In
, this parish | remained five months, du~
ring which ] performed the duties of a
eure-confessing. marrying, bapiising,
visiting the sick, burying the dead, in
strucling youth, and relieving the poor.
Several collections had already been
made to repair the church, which was
already falling TO ruins; and, as it was
necessary TO rebuild il entirely, il was
, no little expense. There were thirty
, thousand francs in hand; but the sum
, was not sufficient TO replace so large a
building. Always generous, | engaged
myself, by writing, TO make all the ad-
vances necessary for this object, only
demanding from the parish the thirty
, thousand francs already raised, and the
/ permission to build behind the grand al.
tar-piece a chapel dedicated to my pat
ron. and where, in the end, my mortal
remains should be deposited. All was
agreed TO as | had hoped. | was ap-
pointed president-treasurer OF the build.
ing fund, and all the money was placed
in my possession. / then invited the
mayor to dinner, and in his presence |
added to the thirty thousand francs IN
question sum, belonging to myself,
! Of nearly fifty thousand francs. Fancy
what marvellous effect this act of gen.
erosity producedl An architect and en-
gineer were engaged at fifteen francs a
day; all the laborers could enlist were
put TO work, and proceeded to the DEM
. clifton Of the church. sold the mate.
rails in the presence of the whole coun-
ell Of the building, for my avowed in.
iention was TO have it rebuilt with hewn
stone. sixty laborers were employed
, 10 cut the stone-others 10 square il. 1t
, was quite pleasure TO behold all this
, movement.
"But it was important to hasten my
departure. 1t was effected as follows:
} Having declared that | wished all TO be
, ready al the same time, | entered my
, carriage with the engineer, the mayor,
. and his son to go TO an adjoining town
10 purchase pictures, candelabras, tab
ernacle, two or three altars in beautiful
{ marble, chalice, a pix, &c. These
: articles were purchased, but not paid
for, although | had about me all my own
| money, and that belonging TO the build
J ing-fund. | requested the mayor TO re.
: turn with my purchase, and the engineer
TO go and look after the workmen. l
kept with me till the morrow the may
or's son, whom | charged TO carry let
ter TO his Iather; but no sooner got rid
! of my company, than Itook post-horses
and went to Strasburg.
, From Strasburg, CoIIet took the route
to Germany. crossed the Tyrolese
mountains, and re-entered Italy, cham
gi1g his robes and habits every day.
On his simple word of honor as gen.
eral be obtained one hundred thousand
francs al a bankers Of Savoy. Suspi-
cion was at length aroused, and the gem
eral suddenly became bishop, wore a
velvet cassock, an episcopal cross, and
called himself Dominique Pasqualmi,
Bishop of Manfedonia He presented
himself to the Bishop of Nice, showed
him his bull Of institutions, which he
had fabricated himself, and was received
by the preIate in the most cordial man
ner, and wished nonseigneur to visit
:, L. m