Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-23
PATTI AND THE FRENCH NOBILITY

Patti came to England in the spring of
1861. 0pera-goers still remember the
18th of May in that year, when Patti, as
Amina, In the Sonnambula," first con-
fronted an English audience. From that
day her life has been one long series of tri-
umphs. ! may mention that the late
Prince Albert, whose last opera season it
was to be, expressed himself with un.
feigned rapture on the subject OF Patti /;
but she stood in no need of even this
kindly patronage. For seven years she lived
among US fancy free, and fewer stones were
flung at her than at most ladies of her
profession. Then followed the first great
mistake of her life Yet the Marquis
de Caux was fne-looking man enough, of
courtly presence and ~of agreeable man
ners. His nobility, too, was of the most
authentic description, the Cahuzacs being
a very old Gascon family 1t is to be
feared indeed that the Marquis is doubly
Gascon. He had however SO far lowered
his nobility as to accept thep post of Cham
berlain to I" the Prince "-the only title
his kith and kin would accord to Napoleon
LII. The Emperor was much annoyed at
the marriage. Too conscious that his court
lacked prestige in the eye of Guelphs and
Hohenzollerns, he knew its luster would
scarcely be intensified by an officer OF the
palace espousing singer. However, he
was too good natured and incident to saw
anything unpleasant to the Marquis while
the Empress also constrained herself to be
civil. She so far unbent as to congratulate
the Patti, in grave, maternal sort of way,
and hoped she was aware of the responsible
ties that would be attached to her high sta.
ton. Patti took the lecture meekly enough,
and seems to have been rather awed by the
demeanor of the First Lady in France. On
one point their Majesties were memorable.
The husband of Adelina Patti could not
retain his post as Imperial Chamberlain.
But as the post was not lucrative one, the
Marquis cared little at the time, and
when Sedan supervened, still less. The mar.
riage took place in England, in the unsym.
pathetic neighborhood of Clapham. Patti
called on Mr.. eye a few days before the
ceremony, and lamented over the Difficult.
ties which she asserted the clergy put in her
way. 81 assure You l would never have
married if had known it would be such
trouble" The fact is, the poor girls
parents had given her an excellent musical
education, and, generally speaking be.
slowed all possible secular care on her, but
as for religion-why, there would be plenty
of time for that by and by. So Adelina
had never even "made her first COM
munion," nor been confirmed, nor been to
confession. And the priests will marry
no one who has not taken the sacrament
of confession. Patti had, accordingly, to
submit to brief course of theological
instruction. Of course. the Marquis,
too, had to confess, and to receive certifi.
cate to that effect. 1t is said that on the
morning of the wedding he could not find
this document, and expressed his annoy.
ance in extremely vigorous French. To
soothe his nerves and aid reflection he sat
down to smoke cigarette, when the
precious certificate was found in the case,
where the Marquis had deposited it for
GREATER security. London Truth