The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-13


"REMINISCENCES, ANECDOTES AND
RECOLLECTIONS OF MADAME
VESTRIES.
CONTRIBUTED BY Il. s.
Who have not heard OF Madame Vestries,
the sweetest looking soul that ever gazed
with human eyes? She was the personifica-
ton Of beauty made up by multiplicity Of
symmetrical parts uniting In consistent
representation OF the thurman form divine"
As a Terpsichorean, her exquisite figure,
which was so unsparingly displayed when
she graced the stage; as the muse that pre-.
sided over the choral song and the dance,
gave rise to songs In her praise and pas
quinades to her dlscredit that kept the town
on the qeti viue.
Her wit and beauty served to soften scan
dial. She was the prevailing idea; fair, ele-
giant In form and coquettish, her ravlshing
beauty and manners filled the beholders with
sympathy, wonder and pleasing emotions
Such was Vestries in the heyday Of her
youth-she who, fifty years ago, created a
"for0re' and drove the young men wild with
admiration of her, and almost killed with
envy the women Of her day.
Miss Bartolozzl, for that was the name of
the u,,sophisticated Vestries, was born in
Italy In the year 1897; In 1911, when only IA
years Of age, she was taken by her
father to Portugal during the PENN
sular war. Bartolozzi Pere was doubt
less disreputable old reprobate,
for he designedly exposed his daughter to
temptations from which he, as her natural
guardian, should have shielded her
The English and French generals and their
volatile officers, the proud Spanard and the
dull Portuguese were to be seen every Where;
distraction was almost q necessity from the
sound Of clarion and the clash Of arms; hence
the old Bartolozzi thought fife opportunity
favorable to present his daughter, and thus
invite the notice OF men Of rank and influ-
which side Of the quarrel to take, and
pitched his tent with the allied forces. He
then tnaugurated q series OF entertainments
for the amusement Of the garrison. His
daughter, 80 young. agile and piquant, soon
sung and danced Into notice, anu was at once
surrounded by fatterers and admirers. 1t so
CHANGED that one Vestries, q bullet master,
not young, but with fascinating manners adj
mired the young siren. He secretly urged
his suit, won and married her before there
was time for opposition. AS might be sup
posed, the marriage quite overturned old
Bart0lozzfs scheme. He had to smother his
anger, however, and became apparently re-
c,nciled to what he could not remedy. Mon.
sieur Vestrles was d man OF good taste and
skiliful as master Of the ballet; he was GER
tainiy not young, but with considerable orl-
ginality and not without some wit. It is re-
lated that when "Giuck,' the great com.
1sheo es hi crane ban opera youn 81
"Gluck" had not finished 1t with "Chac-
conf" and worried the composer to Introduce
one; at length Gluck, losing all patience with
toes, exclaimed, ibid the Greeks, whose man
ners | have striven to depict Ia this opera,
know anything OF Chaconne?" "Certainly
not" replied the persevering Vestries; "cer-
talnly not put SO much the worse f9r the
yestries In the year 1913. The lady, was
sixteen, and the master OF ballet could not
have been less than fifty. A year had
scarcely passed before rumors floated around
to the effect that May and December we're
far from being 10 accord. Mons. Vestrles saw
In his wife the means Of making money by
exhibiting her beauty and talents. Madame
son began to understand that she had mated
herself to q mercenary wretch, and rebelled
against her talent and destinations being
used as q means OF enriching reckless aud
interruptions fellow, to whose habits she
could not become reconclled. Their disagree
ments soon became matter OF notorlety,
and they at last separated by mutual
COHStuC DOIu0 yEtblS dlGti, UlOu6. ftStI lt5,
true to his instincts, appealed to the courts Of
law and obtained decree to the effect
that his wife must allow him a certain per-
centage OF her gains, which thencefor ward he
received regularly and dssipated in Paris I'M
til death relieved the madam OF the incubus
It might be said that the marriage and the
attendant disagreeables between husband and
wife which eliminated in a separation. strong
ly foreshadoWed the career Of Nine. Vestries.
The popularity she earned might have been
Hot to tho vain VActrina hu Infnrf II.
na'ely, it was mingled with admiration and
seorn. Her great attractions and ability as
an actress, coupled with her beauty, gave
her deserved recognition.
The war at an end, the Peninsula de-
serted by foreign armies, it eft but small in
ducements for the volatile Vestries to remain
there. She therefore embarked for England,
and arrived at a time when all London was
running wild at the termination Of the war,
and the town put to shame at the orgies OF
"Carlton House." The Prince Regent, who
was said to be the first gentleman Ia England.
was unquestionably a profigate. Carlton
House, and later the Pavilion at Brighton,
were the theatres Of scenes OF splendor and
debauchery that it is now not my purpose
to minutely describe.
1t was at Carlton House that Beau Brum-
mel, Richard Brinsley Sheridan and host of
other wits nightly met and reveied with the
gildad with grandeur, and the public was
dazzled with the splendors OF the Regents
Court. The brilliancy and sparkling wit
emanating from the men OF that coterie were
uDequaled in their day and certainly not sur
passed at any time. The vicious example Of
the Prince was pernicious 10 the hig est de-
gree, the nation sighed and wept for better
days, and we'll they might, for when the ruler
OF great country descends to vice, immoral
ity and the society Of gamblers and courte-
sans, a nation must languish and perish too,
unless civilization and national pride combine
to resuseltate her.
The days OF Carlton House we're soon num-
bered. The Prince In debt beyond extrica-
ton, unless paid by the nation, had to con-
sent to marriage he detested, and to reduce
his establishments.
It was about this time that Beau Brummel
offended the Prince. BrummeI relying on