New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-07
An Englishman's Revenge.


late Partisan newspaper tells the story of q
wealthy Englishman, who may constantly be
seen at the grand opera and the Italian opera,
| and who enjoys great reputation, not only as
being a connoisseur of music, but further, as
being great amateur Of painting How the
latter reputation was acquired you will shortly
see. He was, he is, one of those Bedouin
Englishmen, who live alternately in all the
European capitals, except when they are on an
occasional jaunt to Egypt, or to China, or to
the Holy Land, He never travelled alone; his
wife was with him, his bona fde wife, for not
withstanding his errant life, $50 apt to weaken
ones morals,) he had all the Englshman's
respect for the sex, and true Engllshman's
love for his wife. She was a beautiful woman,
one of those sc keepsake beauties, that, once
seen, make q man dream forever Her social
success was very great in all the cities they
| visited.
| In Rome latter some years marriage) they
| became acquainted with German artist, of q
good deal of reputation, who, to his art, joined
| the learning of Benedictine, and knew the
| city of Rome as well as Hinckelmen or Visconti.
| The German volunteered to be their cicerone in
the Eternal City; they gladly accepted his
| offer. Many were the hours they passed away
| with him in the museum of the capital, in the
| Vatican, in st. Peters, and in the delightful
excursions they made in the environs of nome
! The artist became in love with the English
|
band was long while in seeing the stain upon
| his honor; several years had passed before he
| perceived it, for he was very much pleased with
| the artist, and they had long been on the most
intimate footing. Although stung to the quick
| by such base falthlessness and such gross VIOLA
tlon of the laws of hospitality and friendship, he
said nothing he disliked scenes he was, never
theless, determined upon complete revenge,
and he appealed to cooler reflections to furnish
| forth suitable punishment.
| The passions are bad counselors He left
| Italy and retired with his wife to England, say
| ing nothing but recoir to the artist. When
| he reached England, he told his wife of the pain
| full discovery he had made, and he gave her
back into her fathers hands, He then return
| ed to the continent alone, and visited Germany,
| Russia and France, whereh he purchased great
many paintings; he then went to Italy, mean
| while continuing to purchase paintings, and at
last-two years had now passed away since
| their last meeting he called on the German
| painter, who still lived in Rome, and demand
| ed satisfaction from him. His challenge was
accepted, and the Englishman, according to the
| European custom-mueh better than ours-be-
ing the offended party, selected the weapons; he
| chose pistols, During the past two years he
had practised daily for several hours and his
| known address with the pistol had become an
| unerring certainty of shot. He sent the shot
| wherever he wished it to 60 The parties went
on the ground; they were placed at thirty
PAGES apart, and with the privilege Of advancing
| ten steps before firing. The signal was then
| given: One, two, three! Fire! The word fire
was scarcely out of the seconds mouth, when
the Englishman fired without moving; his an
tagonlst's pistol fell from his hand, and was dis
charged by the fall, the ball burying itself in
the ground. The Englishman's ball had shat
| tered the artists wrist; amputation was ne
cessary; his career of artist was ended-and
| forever.
A few days after the amputation, the Eng
lishman called ON him, and without noticing the
angry reception he met, said to the suffering
| artist, g If you think my vengeance is satisfied
| with your shattered hand, aid the wreck of your
artists career, you strangely underrate the
| agony of q deceived, dishonored husband !;
| though have condemned yen TO life of vain
| regrets, to never ending series OF impotent
ighs. to total oblivion by all amateurs and
| historians of art
"oh, no, sir" interrupted the artist, his
face beaming with ray of hope, Is the last you
cannot do. My Madonna at ST. Petersburg !.
my Luther, at Berlin; my Flight into Egypt,
| at Paris my -"
The Englishman interrupted him in return :
"Spare me- said he, IS the names of your
works; but look over this catalogue and see if
have not the exact list Of them all +"
Yes, they are all there, even the painting
finished the day before the duel''
So l was persuaded. All the paintings on
this catalogue are my property; being my pro-
perty do with them what please and please
TO burn them-aye, to burn every one of them,
that your name snail be etfaced from the glori-
GUS roll of artists In two hours from this time,
your toll, your conceptions. your skill, will be
as completely etfaced from this world as the
lines which the urchn traces in the sand are
eFaced by the rising tide; fire is as destructive
as water"
In vain the poor artist begged for mercy, the
wronged husband was insensible to his supplica-
tions; and in two hours the servant brought to
the artists room large earthern vessel, COM
monty used to contain oil, filled with ashes. It
| was all that ramn;nad of his Daintipps