The times., 1899-04-16
POOR and PROUD
MOBILES OF ITALY
Lords and Ladies Who tStarve
in Palaces.
They Have Long Titles, But Short
Purses.
Subject to the Insolcnce of Trades
people Bccnuse They Cannos
Pay Their bills.

Rome. Italy. April H.-Poverty. in what
ever guise. is pathetic but there is some-
thing tragic in the faded gsntility of once
| princely families. One sees SO much of IL
| here in Italy that the mere exterior OF a
palace calls up visions of decayed grandeur
! and suffering pride, and almost the first
question asked when noble family is
mentioned, is Have they any money!"
In four cases out OF every five the answer
is in the negative.
! The large majority of them are land poor.
having invested their money in the great
building speculation of the '10's, which fol-
| lowed the event OF Rome becoming the
capital of the government Tremendous
apartment houses. hotels and public build
! ings OF one sort and another were in pro-
cess OF construction when the enterprise
collapsed through bad management and
| sudden lack of funds, and more than one
! family was ruined.
| Others are the victims of the boundlsss
| ambition and extravagance of their ancss-
! tors. who have bequeathed to them enor-
nous palaces and villas without the
| means for their maintenance. The FANNY
residences OF the Italian nobility were
| built on a scale more In accord with the
| giantism Of the Roman empire OF the
| splendor of middle ege ecclesiastIcism,
! than with the modest civilization of mol
| ern Rome. The Dcria palace for instaucs.
| is almost two-thirds of the size OF St.
| Peters. and the Coliseum could stand
within its ground plan. II ussd to be said
| that thousand persons could live under
| its roof outside of the private apartments
| and the huge galleries. It's not to be
wondered that the heirs are obliged to let
| four fifth5 OF their family mansions. Aside
| from the fact that they need the rlrt
money, it is quite impossible for them 10
| occupy more than one-ffth OF the r-ons
| at time.
The income from the rent and the wife's
dowry is, in some cases. all an Italian noble
has to live on; for what money may come
| from toe estate must go for taxes. OF
! course there are a few families. such as
i the Borghese, the Massimo. and the Bran
/ acci, whose fortunes have either not suffer-
| ed vicissitudes, or have been mended by
American marriages, but here is naught to
| do with them.
| 1t is no exaggeration to say that the large
i majority live on credit. There is a law in
| Italy which allows that creditors may be
kept waiting twenty years: after that time
the personal property OF the debtor may be
seized. Some families have already suffer-
| ed the humiliation of being sold out and
are now living from hand to mouth, but in
other cases the nobility OF the name owes
! the creditors. and indulgence is extended
| indefinitely. But they must endure the
| insoleree of tradesmen which the situa-
\ tion ineurs.
| Only the other day an American woman
| witnessed an example OF il. This time it
was the impertinence of dressmaher. An
aristocratic looking woman was complain
| ing because her gown was not finished.
You always put US Italians off for the
English and Americans she said.
Countess, replied the dressmaker.
+kow do you suppose I could live without
! my foreign customers? l must have the
| American and English money in order to
shoulder the Italians bills
How dare you reply to her in that man.
ner?" said the American woman, after the
| italian had gone out without attempting
| to resent the speech.
Zone can afford 10 be impertinent TO
person who owes one thousand francs
replied the dressmaker. Then she went on
! TO relate tales of the pitiful existence drag
ged out by many of the nobility.
DO you mean to say exclaimed her
| American customer, that some of them
really live off the pantry shelf" Why.
| madame. in many eases mouse can't lave
| of their pantry shelves.
! And it is actually so One hears pathet-
| ic stories ON every side. Last week
! count applied for the position of "por-
| tiere'' at a convent here in Rome and was
| found to have been two whole days with
| cut fOcd. Outside the PoTta del Popolo
! on the road that leads to the artist VILE
| gas Moorish villa there sits an old beg
gar differing in no wise from the hundreds
whose wretched presence detracts from the
tourists pleasure save that his face has a
noticeable refinement of feature. This
poor human bears the title of count and
is the only survivor OF a once respectable
noble family.
Another case where the actual needs are
almost as urgent, but the evidence is care
fully concealed is that of a young count
received in the best circles whose friends
supply him with all his little luxuries
such as gloves. ties, calling cards, ETC.. and
often feel obliged to invite him to dine.
Not that he ever asks il or hints in any
way that ne is hungry; on the contrary his
pride would bid him starve fiTst-but that
his pallid countenance and hollow cheeks
proclaim Enthusiastically his suiferings. He
| is an accomplished gentleman and oeca-
sionally earns a few dollars by translating
articles into French and English for the
magazines But this comes through
friend and is kept very quiet lest the dis
grace OF his earning an honest penny
should become known. Besides" he says
quite frankly. what would be the use OF
my working? The family debts are so ire
mendous that it would be quite impossible
for one man TO make any impression on
them"
Americans have little patience. OF course
with the aversion the European noble
shows toward earning his own living. but
they little realize how few doors are open
to him in 4 business way, or how quickly
he would lose caste should he enter any
of them
1t is no rare occurrence in society to
meet with faded splendor in the person OF
a countess, or a marchesa. Often the oCs-
tune is velvet gown made in the fashion
of a past decade. whose shabbiness is but
poorly concealed by priceless old lace and
family Jewels Or it is forlorn eombina
ton of costly furs and rusty silk gown.
The carriage and horses are retained Until
the last moment for appearance sake.
when my lady may really need clothes for
herself.
One welI-known family here lives by
toadying to rich and ambitious Americans.
Rernunerative returns are made by AmeFi-
cans for the social favors procured by the
acquaintance and. occasionally. thsy are
allowed to purchase a valuable painting
or an old family Jewell
When il comes 10 the point as Il has
This winter of an entertainment being
given for the benefit of fallen noble fami-
lies. one can appreciate the gravity OF
their condition. This was in the form OF
a concert patronized by some OF the lead
ing women of the court circle The tick
cts were So EACH ard only the personal
friends of the patronsses were privileged
to buy them
MeIb:,'S WbistiinG.
MeIha ia said TO be an excellent whistler,