The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-07
The New Roman NobIe.se..

person oftener mentioned in Rome than
any other nobleman Is the Duke OF Fucino better
known by his family name OF Torlonia. Not only Is
he the greatest banker and Landowner In all Italy, but
he Is everywhere famous for having devoted a long
life and Immense fortune TO charity and to public
works. Through marquis by the grace of the Pope
and duke by thai q yigrg- mannee TIE bool Of
been common bakef III Naples, when, at the time Of
the great famine toward the close of the last century,
he drew great advantage from the necessities of the
poor e able. with the proceeds to set up agreat
banking house. As banker, his good luck continued
to attend him, and having made himself useful to
the King of Naples, he was recommended by him to
the Pope, who made him n marquis. But though In
the eyes of King and Pope non olet pecunfu, the
Roman arstocracy was inclined to turn up Its nose at
the baker and iisurer marquis. and II was not till he
and his had made their power evident by securing
control of nearly all the Immediate neghborhood of
Rome that the family began to be received In society,"
As regards local reputation the Torlonlas have the
immense advantage that their wealth being invested
IN real estate, H. so to say tangible not kept out OF
sight in government bonds and stock companies But
the grandest invgstmett ever iiade ty this family was
the draining Of tho famous Lake Fucno, OH the
border of the former kingdom of Naples, by means 6f
tunnel under mountain j, 800 feet high, by which
i0 900 of the richest land were once more made
arable Aside from the magnitude of the results OBJ
talne, extraordinary interest attaches to this opera
tion because OF previous unsuccessful efforts
plIsh the object the first having been made by
pIoyed upon the work eleven years IL was Tie honor
Of this great achievement that the Marquis TorOnla
papal friends greatly opposed to his accepting.
But TOrOnia is noOne senemy, and as far as possible,
everybody sfrend, having even received the church,
his last hobby, the regulation Of tho Tiber. While
abstainng from opposition to the new political re-
gime, which In his heart, no dOubtessy welcomed,
the Duke of FucinO has forgotten tho gratitude
his family owes the papacy, and constantly tcstnes to
1t by pecuniary offerings 1t should not, however, be
supposed that all his immense expenditures arc die
tated by personal motives, for he has spent great sums
in beterihg the lot of the peasants In his Neapoan
foundllng hospital schools, and estates, and In aiding
other institutions which neither directly indirectly
bring him any return. 1t wod seem rs II e were
e with as desire 10 Us lar as osso'e ae
| guilty, and from which the vengeance Of Heaven at
last seems inclined to descend. For high as his title
is. proud his nanle and boundless his wealth rs wish
| can claim the Duke of Eucino has had more than
| the common share of misery. To make him renouncc
career of mere money making tho severest trials
were necessary. His wife was long an invalid, aud
| was released from her suHerings but a year or two
ago leaving her husband son to keep up the glory
| Of the house, and but two daughters, one OF whom
indeed, married to Marquis Boighese, Is the mother
Of large family, but even as such belongs no Longer
TO her father, while the other, her aged PARENTS only
companion, is blind. dumb, deforiAed, and idiotic.
From another point OF view-wliat might be termed
the ladies' point OF vew-e most Interesting man III
| Rome is tile Duke OF Gallese, who Is an even NOR,
striking example than Toronla OF the vanity OF human
| wishes. The dukes name Is Harbour, and he wal
born In village In the South Of France. whence, asi
sergeant OF cavalry, he came In the army OF occupa
| tiOn to Rome He happened to be qiartered IN TN
Palazzo Alemps, in te court Of which he was dali,
to bo seen groonling his horse While thus engaged
he used to I've observed and admired by the owner o
the paiazzo, the mddIe-aged Countess AItemps, wi'
| should be mere French sergeant. Tender relation
began between the two but how could sllo MARI
| M uncommssioned onlcer! womans ingenuity
however, found way out Of the difficulty. AlonI
with various properties the Countess Inherited
titles which seemed destined to die with her, sIi
had no children. Her wealth and social position mad
her influential at the Vatican, and the good natures
Plus TX ready to Oblige his friends. lie wa
induced, therefore, to bestOw OF these titles upO
the lucky Harbour, who thereupon lost no time Il
marrying his patroness. And 1t soon appeared tha
fortune had oly begun to smile upon him, for bcfsr
long his wife died In childbirth, leaving u son wi,
lived Just long enough to inherit his mothers propcrt
and pass 1t TO his father. Here was now III, hewl
made Duke enormously rich, siill young and as hand
some ms ever; only wife after his own heart wa
necessary To complete his happiness, and for tiis Il
lad not FAR to seek. Young, beautiful, and OF goo
family, tile new Duchess, OF course slnoothed ht
husband path In society," which, at the worst, wou
not have been too rough for, though uneducated III
Duke not without tact and good sense. But III
copetehappinesB was not destined to last long FOR afte
few years the Duchess suddenly stricken wit
madness. Her monOnania consisted In believing hei
self to be pursued by ghost OF her predecessor
Ing herself everywhere followed by u woman with
dead child In her arms, who VOWS destruction to III
and her children. Frequently she has escaped fro
her house and hurried through the streets OF Rome
ward the Tber, ever crying, my children III
children Roman SOeitfU ~ The AHiericuy