| Citation |
BNL.738.001
29 Dec 1737-5 Jan 173[8]:11,12 (1763)
The following letter is taken from the Daily Post. London,
October 6. 1737.
Sir, Having now a little respite from a stubborn
indisposition that has handled me very roughly of late, I
can't help taking notice of a paragraph of news in one of
our daily papers in the following words; By private letters
from Spain we have an account, that the King had not only
conferr'd the honour of knighthood, and settled a pension on
the famous Farinello, but had also given him his picture set
round with diamonds, valu'd at above a thousand pounds
sterling. The Queen gave him a gold snuff box with two
large diamonds on the lid of it, and in it a bill for 500
pistoles, and the Prince of Asturias a diamond button and
loop for his hat of very great value; and it is also said
that he is made one of the gentlemen of the King's bed-
chamber.
As authentick as this piece of news may appear to some
people, I am morally sure that the two principal articles of
it are absolutely false; they seem as if Farinello had got
them inserted by the agency of his friends here, as a puff
for himself, and an insult on the directors of our opera; a
piece of gratitude which few Italians have omitted paying in
the end, as a proper return for the fortunes they made among
us.
That Farinello has receiv'd a great many presents from the
Court of Spain is out of dispute; To what the papers take
notice of my correspondent adds, that the Princess made him
a present of a ring with a large diamond in it set round
with small brilliants, and also of a gold watch set with
diamonds. The Infante Don Philip, and the Cardinal Infante,
Archbishop of Toledo, were also magnificently liberal to
him; and it is certain this squeaking fellow has gather'd up
more wealth in a month at the Catholick Court than either
the gallant man + that sav'd Oran, or any of the general
officers of his country in the Spanish service have acquir'd
by 30 years campaigning.
But nevertheless, it is highly absurd to say that his
Catholick Majesty has conferr'd the honour of knighthood on
Farinello.
The Spanish Court is one of the proudest in the universe,
and the Kings of Spain never make knights of any but such
men of merit and service as can prove themselves to be well
born: A knight and no gentleman has indeed been common
enough in England, and even in France, where the Chevaliers
de St.Louis are to be met with in swarms all over the
Kingdom, but in Spain it is otherwise; and that Farinello is
no gentleman is self-evident from his not being a man; for
there is not a man or family in Italy, how poor and indigent
soever, that would suffer his son to be mutilated in order
to qualify him to get his bread by singing: The Italian
gentlemen, I assure you, are much more delicate and lofty
than that comes to.
Here, Sir, I must put you in mind of Farinello's reception
at the Prince of Modena's levy: As some of our nobility and
gentry had made no less than an idol of him, he thought it
might at least hail fellow well met every where, and who but
Farinello in his velvet and brocade among the foremost of
them one morning at the Prince's house in St. James's
street: His Highness saw him with indignation, and taking a
proper opportunity to edge near him, get out fellow, says
the Prince to him in a low voice, none but gentlemen come
here.
To say then that he has been knighted in Spain is
ridiculous, and still much more ridiculous to tell us he is
made a gentleman of the bed-chamber of his Catholick
Majesty: That, sir, is a post for a grandee of Spain, and
hardly can a general officer of the first rank, if not a
grandee or the son of one, obtain it. It is consistent then
with common sense to imagine that such men, nice, haughty
Spaniards, would roll and do duty upon a level in the King's
bed-chamber with a stroller, how often never they might
suffer him into their company to divert them with his voice.
I acknowledge with the late great Mr. Addison, that trifling
talents, such as fidling and singing, with a sufficient
quantity of impudence, are the best recommendation to some
courts, and Farinello has luckily enough experienc'd it at
that of Madrid; but as to the post and title of honour
bestow'd on him in the news papers, there is not the least
title of truth in them. By the same rule that the King of
Spain would make a Sir Farinello, he might also make a Sir
Harlequino, Sir Scaramoucho, and a Sir Punchinello, and make
them all gentlemen too of his Catholick Majesty's bed
chamber, provided he drove the nobility out of it.
The rich presents Farinello has receiv'd, and the high
pension settled upon him are infinitely more, even without
titles, than he can possibly deserve, when so many men of
merit remain neglected; and, in my humble opinion, they do
very little honour to the Catholick Court, especially when
we call to mind the poor mean, pitiful provision made by the
then ministry of Spain for our British Cicero, upon whose
harmonious lips the God of eloquence himself seem'd to have
fix'd his throne; I need not tell you, Sir, that I mean the
late great, but unfortunate Duke of Wharton, who had but 18
pistoles a month from the Spanish Court for his support:
This I dare aver to you for fact, and by it you may see how
great an advantage a buffoon has at court ever a man of the
most shining sense and parts, and how parsimonious and close
fisted the King and Queen of Spain were in the case of the
Duke of Wharton, whose tongue and pen were, to an
enterprizing court, worth all the singers in the universe
put together. But who can help these things? Fools
generally have fortune on their side, and they are not
always the wisest men in the world, tho' they may be the
greatest, that distribute her gifts.
This piece of generosity to Farinello is an evidence that
affairs are extremely well mended with Spain since the Duke
of Wharton's niggardly reception there; and if the Catholick
Court has so much spare money to settle great pensions upon,
and make extravagant presents to vagabonds for tickling her
ears with a song, it is to be hop'd she will find some, or
at least be made to find it, to indemnify our merchants,and
make them ample satisfaction for the twenty years robberies
and plunders they have suffer'd from the Spanish Guarda
Costas. The resolution of the states general, to demand
satisfaction of the Court of Madrid for their ships taken by
those pirates in the American seas, is highly worthy that
illustrious republick; and as we are fellow sufferers with
the Dutch, I hope we shall strenuously join them in
endeavours so every way becoming men of courage and honour:
The Dutch never yet had an unsuccessful quarrel with the
Spaniards; Fortune, as well as justice, was always on their
side; and if in conjunction with us they begin another war
with Spain, for obtaining a satisfaction from which neither
they nor we can possibly desist without the highest
dishonour, I had almost said infamy, I don't doubt but to
see full reparation and atonement, with surerest, wrung from
the Spaniards for their villainous depredations committed on
the subjects of Great Britain and Holland.
I am, sir, your most humble servant.
P.S. Sir, if we obtain no satisfaction for the past
depredations, and if the Spaniards receive no due
chastisements from us and the Dutch for them, to the loss of
our effects and the loss of our honour, add this further
mortifying reflection, that we shall remain expos'd to
perepetual future insults from Spain, thro' the
encouragement which our inactivity and indolence will give
to the ministers of the Court of Madrid.
+ Brigadier-General Lacy, nephew to the Velt-Marshal Count
Lacy in the service of the Empress of Russia. The brigadier
with his Irish regiment was sent from Spain to reinforce the
garrison of Oran, and landed just as the Moors had given a
general assault to the town, and were upon the point of
entering it sword in hand; upon which Lacy made his men,
tho' hardly a moment on shore, strip off their coats to make
them the lighter, & marched them up with such expedition to
the relief of the place that it was sav'd, and the Moors
entirely defeated; but I never heard of any great presents
made by the Spanish Court, either to the conquerors or
preservers.
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