New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-05-28
The o,ree Of Carlisle House, Soho Square


In the bankrupt list Of the London Gazette for
November, 1772, the attention of the public was
called, somewhat significantly, to " Teresa Cor
nelys, Carlisle House. St. Ann Soho, dealer.n 1t
will not be uninteresting to the reader to have
some account of the nature of Teresa Cornelys's
dealings
This lady, by birth a German, and during many
years public singer in Italy and Germany, set
tied in London somewhere about the year 1856 or
1857; and for twenty years after that time she en-.
tertained the public, the VOtaries Of fashion of
both sexes" with series of entertainments of
masked balls and the like, at once fascinating
and elegant" These entertainments were held in
the suitable mansion of Carlisle House, Soho
Square, and fgurely largely in contemporary
papers.
The first printed document referring to Mrs.
Cornelys convinces us at once that she must have
been woman of tact. The date of it is, February
is, 1885, "0n Saturday last, Mrs Cornelys gave
ball at Carlisle House, to the upper-servants of
persons of fashion, as token of the sense she
has Ibid not Crce herself insert this little notice n
of her obligations to the nobility and gentry, for
their generous subscription to her assembly. The
company consisted of 220 persons, who made up
fourscore couple in country dances and as scarce
anybody was idle on this occasion, the rest sat
down to cards"
The nobility and gentry who patronized Car
Isle House did so by paying an annual subscrip-
ton, in consideration of which they received a
ticket, which gave them the run of all that was
there, whether it were ball, or masked ball, or
!" grand concert of vocal and instrumental
music. Also, it appears, they had the privilege of
lending these tickets to friends great convent
ence-proyded they wrote the name Of the
person upon the back of the said ticket, to whom
they have lent it - there the English is again a
little Germanized,l i to prevent any mistake. :"
No doubt single tickets for particular evenings
and the special benefit of non-subseribers were to
be had
Notwithstanding her great success, for it seems
to have been by no means inconsiderable, Mrs.
Cornelys had her troubles. It was natural that
competition should originate opposition establish
ments. But on her part the best of feeling is al
ways to be promised. "Whereas it has been in
dustriously reported, to the disadvantage of Mrs
Cornelys, that she has expressed herself dissatis
lied with subscription now on foot to build a
large room in opposition to hers, she eseems it
her duty in this public manner. to declare that she
never once entered thought so unjust and unrea-
sonable. Nay, SO satisfied is she with matters in
general, that her longings for fatherland' is per-
Ceptbly on the decline. She humbly hopes she
has not been wanting in duty and gratitude to her
protectors, and cannot sufficiently be thankful for
the comforts she enjoys in this happy country,
which she hopes never to leave"
Mrs Corneys seems to have spared no money
or pains to have everything in keeping with the
tastes of her illustrious friends. The expense of
the alterations and additions to Carlisle House in
Soho Square," and Of the new embellishments
and furniture" amounted for the year l765 alone
to little less than 92000|' and made that house.
in the news,writers opinion, the most magnifi-
cent place of public entertainment in Europe" To
one of the rooms W. find added, " the most curl
Gus, singular, and superb ceiling that was eX
ecuted or even thought off, and to obtain certain
complaints of excessive heat" she arranged to
have tea below stairs and ventiators above y
and succeeded SO admirably, thatsubscrbers were
no longer subjected to the least danger Of catch
ing cold" 10 relieve the press of the distinguished
crowd, in its entrance and exit, she provided an
additional door, and also 81 q new gallery for the
dancing of cotilons and allemaudes, and a suite Of
new rooms adjoining;" in consequence Of which
she was most reluctantly compelled to charge sub.
scrlbers an additional guinea
On February 27, l77O, Mrs. Cornleys continued
Efforts were rewarded with a most magnificent
masquerade.
First, as to the numbers who attended Monday
night the principal nobility and gentry OF this
kingdom, to the number of near eight hundred,
were present at the masked ball. at Mrs, COraeyss
in soho square"
Next as 10 the stir it made in the neighborhood
soho square and the adjacent streets were lined
with thousands Of people, whose curiosity led them
to get sight of the persons going to the nasquer
ade nor was any coach or chair suffered to pass
unreviewed, the windows being obliged to be let
down, and lights held up to display the figures
to more adyantage.n
One does not wonder at the anxiety Of the rab-
BILE to see all that to be seen, for the richness
and bdancies Of the dresses, we are told, were
almost beyond imagination ; ner did any assembly
ever exhibit collection of more elegant and beau
tful female fgures."
And now for the company. The reader may
form taintldea: Among them were lady Wal
degraVe, lady Pembroke, the duchess OF Hamilton
Mrs, Crowe, Mrs. Hodges, lady Amelia Carpenter u
etc,
The characters assumed by the company were
extremely various Sir r, Phillips appeared as
double man, halfmiller, half chimney sweeper"
There was also "a figure of Adam in hesh-cOlOred
silk, with an apron of fig-leaves,h who in spite of
the hg-leaves must have seemed rather out OF
keeping. The Earl of Carlisle figured as running
fOntman Mr.. James, the painter, as Midas The
Duke of Devonshire was very fine, but in no par
ticular character" And Lord Edg - b, in the
character of an old woman, was full as lovely as
his lady.
But the ladies' are not to be outdone on this
festive occasion. 'The Countess Dowaeer of
Waldegrave wore a dress richly trimmed with
beads and pearls, in the character ofh-we are
sorry to observe it," Jane Shoren MANY in
dulged a classical fancy. The Duchess of Boil
ton in the character of Diana, was captivating
" Lady Stanhope, as Melpomene, was striking
fine hgure.o Lady Augustus Stuart as Yes
tai and Lady Caroline as a File de Patrnos
showed that true elegance may be expressed with,
out gold and diamondsn Others took more
modern turn. The Countess of POmfret, in the
character of Greek sultana and the two Miss
Fredericks, who accompanied her, as Greek slaves
made complete group =; and to eclipse ALL - Miss
Munokton daughter of Lore Galway, appeared in
the character of an Indian sultana in a robe of
cloth of gold and rich veil. The seams Of her
habit were embroidered with precious stones, ana
she had magnificent cluster OF diamonds on her
hand; the jewels she wore were valued al
ESQ 000.n
But all these brilliant achievements, it seems
were % have an end The opening of the Pq7.-
tleoD shattered Mrs. CornelyB TO some extent
Them unfortunately, there were certain " bills Ol
Indictment pre- arred Re the grand faFy.n These