Parker says, in his Musical Memoirs, that the Oxford scholars once
hissed Madame Mara, conceiving she assumed too much importance in her
bearing. No wonder they so treated Signor Samperio, one evening at a
concert, attracted, when he came forward to sing, by his "tall, lank
figure, sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, and shrill voice;" in fact, they
hissed him off before he had half got through his cavatina. The
gentleman who acted as steward was deeply moved at his situation, and,
going up to Samperio, endeavoured to soothe him. But the signor, not
at all hurt, replied, "O, sare, never mind; dey may hissa me as much
as dey please, if I getti di money." Another anecdote is told of--