MORPHY IN SOCIETY.
All the Paris newspapers soon took to writing about our hero, from the
_Moniteur_ to the _Charivari_. The latter, the oldest and most famous of
all comic papers, gave cut after cut and article after article upon him;
in fact, Morphy was its standing joke for a long period. One day there was
a picture representing "Britannia, astonished at the _checks_ she was
receiving in India, requesting the young American to get her out of the
difficulty." Another represented an individual who declined entering the
_Cafe de la Regence_ in company with his wife, "because there was inside a
certain Mr. Morphy who would capture his queen from him." After the
blindfold exhibition, the famous Taxile Delord wrote as follows:
"Well, let us have a game of chess. Shall I give you the rook? Sit down
here, and I will place myself in this arm-chair."
"Oh, no! Now-a-days, no man who respects himself, thinks of playing with
the board in front of him."
Upon this imaginary conversation, Delord lets loose a volley of fun,
ending in this manner:
"I can understand _Ecarte_, I can appreciate _Picquet_, I can even rise to
the grandeur of _Tric Trac_, but don't talk to me of _Chess_. That game
will bring us back to tragedy."
What with the illustrated papers giving Morphy's portraits, no two of
which were ever alike, and the innumerable articles in the "dailies," he
began to be notorious. Saint Amant wrote that he supplied a want which
Paris had felt for a long time--the want of a hero. Monsieur Lequesne
requested him to sit for his bust, and threw so much labor of love into
the work, that he produced a _chef d'oeuvre_ which all Paris went to
criticize and to praise. All these various occurrences could not but cause
excitement in the _salons_, and invitations began to pour in from the
Faubourgs St. Honore and St. Germain. The first came from the Duchess de
T----. My readers must forgive me for not mentioning names where a lady is
concerned. The Duchess stated that she had played at chess since a child,
and that she was desirous of becoming acquainted with a gentleman whom
fame heralded as so superior to all amateurs; but that she had no hope of
proving an antagonist worthy of him. Well, Morphy waited on his fair
challenger, and out of five games each won two, and one was drawn! Then
the Princess M---- expressed a desire to play our hero, and other great
dames followed; and knowing, as I do, the result, I solemnly declare
that, in spite of my confidence in Morphy's powers of combination, I never
would bet a cent upon him when his opponent is a lady.
I am not bound to silence when gentlemen are concerned, and I am glad to
mention amongst chess amateurs, such names as the Duke of Brunswick and
Counts Casabianca, Isouard, and Bastorot. These gentlemen are thorough
veterans in the noble game, and chess works and periodicals are no
strangers to their contests. Count Casabianca was "at home" every Friday
night, and, whilst some of the company were at whist, ecarte, or other
games _de la societe_, he would always be in a corner with the Duke of
Brunswick, Count Isouard, Signor Preti, and other chess amateurs. Morphy
played against the Duke and the Counts in consultation, and, although he
almost invariably won, it was no easy matter.
H. R. H. the Duke of Brunswick is a thorough devotee to Caissa; we never
saw him but he was playing chess with some one or other. We were frequent
visitors to his box at the Italian Opera; he had got a chess-board even
there, and played throughout the performance. On our first visit "Norma"
was performed. The Duke's box is right on the stage; so close, indeed,
that you might kiss the _prima donna_ without any trouble. Morphy sat with
his back to the stage, and the Duke and Count Isouard facing him. Now it
must not be supposed that he was comfortable. Decidedly otherwise; for I
have already stated that he is passionately fond of music, and, under the
circumstances, wished chess at Pluto. The game began and went on: his
antagonists had heard _Norma_ so often that they could, probably, sing it
through without prompting; they did not even listen to most of it, but
went on disputing with each other as to their next move. Then Madame
Penco, who represented the Druidical priestess, kept looking towards the
box, wondering what was the cause of the excitement inside; little
dreaming that Caissa was the only _Casta Diva_ the inmates cared about.
And those tremendous fellows, the "supes," who "did" the Druids, how they
marched down the stage, chaunting fire and bloodshed against the Roman
host, who, they appeared to think, were inside the Duke's box.
Some of the pleasantest hours passed by Paul Morphy in the French capital
were spent at the Baronne de L.'s. This lady, who has long ranked as one
of the great beauties of Parisian society, is renowned as a patroness of
the arts. Her friendship for the lamented Pradier has passed into history,
and her _salons_ are the weekly resort of the most celebrated sculptors,
painters, and authors of France. And no wonder, for the Baronne is
gloriously merry and witty, a true child of the sunny South. A Creole,
from the French West Indies, she immediately took a liking to Morphy,
"Because," said she, "he is another lazy Creole like myself;" and she
invited all her acquaintances to come and see him. She would get Morphy
opposite her, and St. Amant or Lequesne by her side to stop her when she
was about making too serious a mistake, and would play game after game,
making us all laugh the whole time with her charming anecdotes and _jeux
d'esprit_. How she would amuse us when she declared that parties and late
hours were killing her, and that _they did kill her last season_, and yet
she was always as fresh as a newly plucked rose. When she found how fond
Morphy was of music, the principal singers from the opera would be
present. I remember one night she asked that finest of living _baritones_,
"the honey-voiced" Graziani, to play our hero at the odds of the Queen.
Signor Graziani had caught the general enthusiasm, and was applying his
leisure moments to chess with the energy of a Standigl, and had lately
been taking lessons from Preti. He at first objected to play, from
modesty, but the Baronne had determined he should, and she told him that,
if he would play a game, Morphy would sing a _duo_ with him afterwards.
This was a sparkle of her fun, of course; but Graziani played, not one,
but three games, and he then said: "If anybody asks me if I understand
chess, I shall say, 'Oh, yes; I play sometimes with Mr. Morphy.'"
The United States minister, the Hon. Mr. Mason, took a warm interest in
his young countryman, occasionally sitting at the board when Morphy was at
play. The Judge is acquainted with the "Mystery of Chesse," and asked many
pointed questions after the conclusion of the game, as to the why and the
wherefore of different moves. It were scarcely right for the United
States government to appoint a minister to the Court of the Tuileries who
is ignorant of chess; it would be an insult to the memory of Franklin.