The morning call., 1891-01-11
REMARKABLE PEOPLE.
The Eccentric Habits and Devotion Of Mario and
GriSi Of the Lyric Stage.

Mario, Marquis of Gambia, one of the
greatest tenorS of his own, or, indeed, of
any age. married in 1856 Guilia Grisi, who
was, perhaps, the greatest dramatic singer
of this century. She died in 1869. He, after
making and losing an enormous fortune,
died in 1888 at the age of IS. Both were re-
markable people, not merely as artists, and
the lives of both Will no doubt some day be
written.
But 1t is already high time for the serious
biographer to take up his pen. While he is
delaying, writers who have but fragmentary
facts at their disposal are investing the
careers of the two singers with legends and
myths which, unless soon coEtradlcted, will
eventually be accepted as history.
According to a sketch by one of these
writers, recently published in Paris. and
which contains statements that, although
they are probably not all true. are suffi-
GENTLY curious to deserve notice, Mario
was the most eXtraYagant individual that
ever lived. Not satisfied with possessing
houses in Paris and in London, he had IL
villa at Brighten and palace at Florence
and O. each of these establishments he kept
large permanent staff of servants. Every
where money ran like water. After his
marriage with Grisi he never permitted her
to spend farthing of her own income and
she was thus enabled to save something for
her daughters from the ultimate wreck of
Mari0's fortunes.
When he was not singing Mario dined in
great state at 8 o'clock. An invitation to
his banQuetS, we are assured, was much
sought after; but the host seems TO have
made little or 10 distinction between Kings
and peasants. His maitre d. hotel informed
him when dinner was served, and it was
not an uncommon thing for Mario to enter
his dinng-room with princess on his arm.
Grisi, nevertheless, always sat on his right
and after the soup her devoted husband in
variably turned toward her and, with a
pretty speech, emptied his first glass in her
honor.
He usually slept by day and seldom awoke
until five o'clock in the afternoon. Mean
time the newspapers were placed by his
bedside but he never looked at them, and
so great was his distaste for letters and
papers of all kinds that one of his finest
estates is said to have been seized and sold
by his creditors, he learning nothing of the
affair until several weeks had elapsed.
Even then lie only heard of the busin esS by
accident.
Grisi, on the other hand. was most me-
thodlcal. She arose early and personally
looked after the comfort of her children and
household. Her weakness was an inordi-
nate love of jewelry, and she would wear
scores of rings on her fingers and two
watches at a time. She was proud OF her
beauty and tried to preserve it by causing
herself to be rubbed with orris and violet
pOWueI, anu Dy UdlHlUR HeT lace, neck ant
arms in crushed strawberries, of which she
consumed fabulous quantities, both III and
out of season. She also drank milk of
almonds, beverage which, in the belief of
some, indirectly caused her death. She had
three maids, whose sole employment was to
dress her, but they were not enough for her
needs, for she changed her costume at every
hour of the day, although it was her Gus tom
never to wear anything but white before
dinner. At dinner her favorlte robe was of
black velvet, over which she wore neck
lace of twelve rows of pearls.
Mario gave her presents almost daily, and
at her death she left large collection of
valuable trinkets and curioSities. Although
he was always a most devoted husband,
Grisi was not above Jealousy, and ouce,
when he was singing at St Petersburg and
n rumor reached her that a Russian princaSS
was showing him attentions, she left Flor
ence with the intention of facing and con-
founding her supposed rival. 1t was her
last journey. She fell i'll at Vienna, whence
she telegraphed to Mario, who came at once
But he came too late. Grisi was dead when
he arrived.
The French's authors account of Crisis
funeral is almost incredible. Mario, he
says. ordered coffin to be cut out of rock
crystal and to be mounted in silver.
Within, visible to all, was laid the dead
singer, dressed in her favorite white and
covered with gems. Soon after her death
he withdrew from the stage and retired to
Rome, when he entirely changed his habits
of life.
"a year before his DEATH" concludes the
writer, q | had the pleasure of passing the
evening with him. We sat together until
far into the night. so completely did he en-
thrall me with his "reminiscences. The singer
had become philosopher. AS far as was
able to judge, he accepted his modest posi-
ton, and was even happy in it. His favorite
occupation at that time was the reseating of
canp-OOtf0med chairSt'
He was then poor, and, of course, too old
to attempt TO retrieve his fortunes. During
one of his previous residences in England
he lived at Kingston-o Thames, where many
strange stories of his princey liberality. his
kindness of heart, his curious nocturnal
habits, and his commanding appearance,
are still current. A good ana true account
of his life should form one of the most en-
chanting books of biography; but this
French sketch of him is too brief and too
romantic TO fill the void.-CasselPs Saturda y
Journal.