Buckingham the following little billet: - "For seventeen songs, seventeen
hundred pounds." This large sum was paid at once, without hesitation;
proving that Lord Buckingham was a refined gentleman, in every sense
of the word.

Catalani's husband, M. de Valabreque, once fought a duel with a German
baron who had insulted the prima donna; the weapons used were sabres,
and Valabreque cut half of the Baron's nose clean off. Madame Catalani
lived for many years, highly respected, at a handsome villa near Florence.
Her two sons are now distinguished members of the Imperial court in
Paris; the eldest being Prefet du Palais, and the youngest colonel of
a regiment of hussars.

When George the Fourth was Regent, Her Majesty's Theatre, as the Italian
Opera in the Haymarket is still called, was conducted on a very different
system from that which now prevails. Some years previous to the period
to which I refer, no one could obtain a box or a ticket for the pit
without a voucher from one of the lady patronesses; who, in 1805, were
the Duchesses of Marlborough, Devonshire, and Bedford, Lady Carlisle,
and some others. In their day, after, the singing and the ballet were
over, the company used to retire into the concert-room, where a ball
took place, accompanied by refreshments and a supper. There all the
rank and fashion of England were assembled on a sort of neutral ground.
At a later period, the management of the Opera House fell into the hands
of Mr. Waters, when it became less difficult to obtain admittance; but
the strictest etiquette was still kept up as regarded the dress of the
gentlemen, who were only admitted with knee-buckles, ruffles, and chapeau
bras. If there happened to be a drawing-room, the ladies would appear
in their court-dresses, as well as the gentlemen, and on all occasions
the audience of Her Majesty's Theatre was stamped with aristocratic