The Virginia Gazette

To the Author of the London Evening-Post, Octob. 6.

SIR,

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 authentic 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 received 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 Princes made him a Present of a Ring with a large Diamond in it set round with 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, that that squeaking Fellow has gather'd up more Wealth in a Month at the Catholick Court, than either the gallant Man* that saved Oran, or any of the General Officers of his Country in the Spanish Service have acquired by 30 Years Campaigning.

*Brigadier-General Lacy, Nephew to the Field-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, though hardly a Moment on Shore, trip off their Coats to make them lighter, and march'd them up with such Expedition to the Relief of the Place, that it was Saved, and the Moors entirely defeated; but I never heard of any great Presents made by the Spanish Court, either to the Conquerors or Preservers of Oran.

But nevertheless, it is highly absurd to say that his Catholick Majesty has conferr'd the Honour of Knighthood upon 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 of 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 Levee: As some of our Nobility and Gentry had made no less than an Idol of him, he thought it might be at least hail Fellow well met every where, and who but Farinello in his Velvet and Brocade among the foremost of them at that 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 Gentleman of the Bed-chamber to 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. Is it 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 soever they might suffer them into their Company to divert them with his Voice?

I acknowledge with the late great Mr. Addison, that trifling Talents, such as fiddling and singing, require a sufficient Quantity of Impudence, are the best Recommendation to some Courts, and Farinello has luckily enough experienced it; but as to the Post and Title of Honour bestowed on him in the News-Papers, there is not the least Tittle of Truth in them. By the same Rule that the King of Spain would make a Sir Farinello, he might also make a Sir Harlequin, Sir Scaramouch, 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 received, 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 seemed to have fixed 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 the Spanish Court over a Man of the most shining Sense and Parts, and how parsimonious the King and Queen of Spain were in the Case of the most noble and matchless Duke of Wharton, whose Tongue and Pen were, to an enterprising Court, worth all the Singers of 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, though 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 extraordinary Presents to Vagabonds for tickling her Ears with a Song, it is to be hop'd he will find some, or at least be made to find it, to indemnify our Merchants, and make them ample Satisfaction for the 20 Years Robberies and Plunders they have suffer'd from the Spanish Guarda Costas. The Resolution of the States-General, mention'd in the London Evening-Post of the 29th of September last. 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 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 don't doubt but to see full Reparation and Atonement, with Interest, wrung from the Spaniards for their unjust 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 Chastisement 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 perpetual future Insults from Spain, thro' the Encouragement which our Inactivity and Indolence will give to the Ministers of the Court of Madrid.