town, as they usually did every Wednesday. The Count had an appointment
(as we understand) with his particular friend Mr. Canning, to meet him
at ten o’clock, and had actually taken his papers in his hat and
proceeded down the staircase from his bedroom, his lady, who went
before, being at the door waiting, and calling for the servant to open
the carriage. Lorenzo at that moment took from the bed of his master a
pistol and a most superb Turkish poignard, which the Count d’Antraigues
had brought with him from Constantinople. He discharged the pistol at
his master, at six paces distance, on the staircase, and missed him, the
ball passing between the Count and Countess.
“The murderer, seeing that the ball had not taken effect, took to the
poignard, and stabbed his master in the shoulder. Though the blow was
mortal, the Count had still strength to walk to his room. The servant
then ran to the Countess, who was shrieking, and plunged, in the most
audacious manner, the poignard into her breast. She fell, and died
instantly, without any groans, saying only, ‘Lorenzo! Lorenzo!’
“It appears that the Count died, as soon as he re-entered his room, from
an effusion of blood in his chest. The murderer, bewildered and frantic
after his ferocious deed, came to the room where his master was lying,
and, seizing on another of the four pistols which the Count kept
constantly for his protection at his bedside, with the poignard, under
the presentiment that one day or other his life would be attempted,
discharged the contents into his mouth, and shattered his head in the
most fearful manner. He died on the spot, and fell dead by the side of
his master.[215]
“The alarm was given by the coachman, who was standing at the door, and
the other servants. Two professional men came instantly, but no
assistance could prevail. The house was besmeared with blood, and
presented a most shocking spectacle, the three bodies being extended in
such a small space. The coachman drove to town to fetch the doctor and
the lawyer who was generally employed by the Count, and to convey the
melancholy tidings to the house of the deceased in Queen Anne Street,
W., where a great crowd of people were collected during the whole of the
day. Dr. Chavernac of Gerrard Street, the surgeon, and Mr. Trickey, the
solicitor, both the intimate friends of the deceased, went post-haste to
Barnes Terrace. The papers, jewels, and other effects of the Count and
Countess were put under seal in their presence, and in that of a
magistrate and several respectable neighbours. A coroner’s inquest is to
take place this day at Barnes on the three bodies.
“No cause is yet known for the atrocious act which has deprived of life
two persons, who, by their talents, knowledge, amiable manners, and
powerful connections, ranked very high in society. The Count was a man
of colossal stature and imposing countenance, only fifty-eight years of
age, and his lady fifty-two.
“Mr. Vansittart, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the particular friend
of the Count, was informed of the lamentable event early yesterday, and
Lord Sidmouth commissioned Mr. Brooks of the Alien Office to take,
conjointly with the Count La Châtre, Commissary of his Majesty Louis
XVIII., the proper measures to secure the papers and property of the
deceased, who had been formerly Commissary of his Most Christian Majesty
in Italy, and till his death an agent and correspondent of the Emperor
of Russia.”
REPORT OF THE INQUEST.
(From the _Times_, July 24, 1812.)
“An inquest was held yesterday at the ‘White Hart,’ Barnes Terrace,
before Charles Jemmett, Esq., Coroner for the County, after a view
of the bodies of the Count and Countess d’Antraigues, and of
Lawrence, who murdered them.
“Susannah Black, the first witness, deposed that, on July 22nd
inst., she was ordered by the Countess, about eight o’clock in the
morning, to take some books, &c., to the carriage door; that she
followed the Countess to the door, and saw Lawrence near the
carriage with his face to the door, and ordered him to open the
carriage door for his mistress, instead of which he walked into the
house, and as he passed her mistress a pistol was fired, but she
did not know who discharged it. She saw the Count on the stairs,
and Lawrence going up the stairs. Did not see anything in his
hand. She afterwards saw Lawrence coming downstairs with a pistol
in his right hand, and his left hand behind him, but could not see
whether he had anything in it or not; that she ran into the garden
alarmed; and that, on her return into the house by the hall, she
went to the front door and saw her mistress lying on the ground, in
the footpath of the street, near the carriage. She called for
assistance, and another servant and the coachman, David Hebditch,
came to her, and they took the Countess into the house. There was a
great deal of blood about her, and she was alive, though
speechless. Mr. Ball, a surgeon, was sent for, who attended
immediately. But her mistress died in a few minutes after the same.
Witness stated that one day, about three weeks ago, when the Count
was absent, she was with the Countess in her bedroom, when they
heard a loud report, and she ran downstairs, thinking it was a rap
at the door. But finding no one there, she called ‘Lawrence,’ but
no one answered. She then returned upstairs. The Countess met her
at the door of the bedroom, and said it was the report of a pistol.
Witness ran upstairs to the Count’s room, and on coming to the
door, she saw some smoke issue from it, and saw Lawrence in the
room. She asked him what he was doing and he answered, ‘Nothing.’
She then went to her mistress, and told her Lawrence had fired off
a pistol. The Countess went upstairs, and witness followed her, and
heard her talk to Lawrence very coolly, but could not tell what she
said, as she spoke French or Italian; but the Countess told her
afterwards that he said he had been handling the pistol and it went
off. When Lawrence came to the kitchen, she asked him how he dared
to meddle with his master’s pistols in his absence, and he
answered it went off by chance as he was handling it. She never
knew of any quarrel or anger between the Count and Lawrence. Said
Lawrence was a sober man, but latterly had been more passionate
than before. Yesterday morning, the wind having blown the parlour
door to with a great noise, the Count spoke rather sharply to
Lawrence, thinking he banged it, and would wake his mistress.
Lawrence had lived in the family about three months. Believed the
dagger produced to be her master’s, having many times seen it
hanging in his room.
“Elizabeth Ashton, another servant of the Count and Countess,
deposed that when the Countess came first downstairs, she was
standing at the street door to wait on her mistress. The carriage
was at the door. Her mistress passed her and went towards the
carriage--the Count was coming downstairs. Witness heard the report
of a pistol, was stunned by it, said she was a dead woman, turned
round and said, ‘Lawrence! Lawrence!’ When, looking up, she saw
Lawrence coming downstairs, with a pistol in one hand, and a dagger
in the other. She screamed out, and ran into the street, crying
‘Murder murder!’ went over to the public-house to give the alarm
and, on her return, found her mistress lying on the footpath of the
street near the carriage, and, being so affected that she found she
could not give any assistance, she went away.
“David Hebditch, coachman to the Count and Countess, deposed that
he received orders from Lawrence to have the carriage ready
yesterday morning, July 22, at five minutes before eight; that he
was at the door with the carriage before the clock struck eight;
that, as soon as he arrived there, Lawrence came to the coach,
opened the door, and put into the carriage a tin can filled with
oil; that he then went into the house, and soon afterwards
returned; that when the Countess came down and was proceeding to
the carriage, Lawrence went into the house, and soon after he
passed his mistress, the report of a pistol was heard; that the
Countess asked him, the coachman, what was the matter, and he
answered it was from the inside of the house, that in a few minutes
afterwards, as he was sitting on his box before the door, he saw
Lawrence come downstairs, and, with a sharp instrument he held in
his hand, which the witness believed to be a dagger, strike it into
the shoulder of the Count--he saw the dagger under his shoulder;
that Lawrence then passed the Count and proceeded towards the
street-door; that he, the coachman got off the box as quickly as he
could, and, as he was going towards his master, the Countess passed
him, going towards the carriage, and, on turning round, to follow
her, he saw her staggering, and she fell, exclaiming: ‘It was
Lawrence! it was Lawrence!’ He saw blood about her, and some on the
ground, but could not tell exactly what part it came from. Did not
see Lawrence afterwards, but in about three minutes more heard
report of another pistol, which appeared to come from upstairs.
Soon after the Count came to the door, and blood ran out of his
sleeve. Left him there, and went to assist the Countess into the
house. On surgeon coming and desiring her to be stripped, went out
of the room to look after his master, and found him sitting on the
bed in his own room, in a reclining posture, with his feet on
floor. Was then alive, but speechless. At the same time, saw
Lawrence, with his face lying on the floor, apparently dead, with
some blood near his mouth. Mr. King, a surgeon, then came and
desired the Count might be stripped. Witness assisted to do so, and
held him while they got a sponge and some water, and washed the
wound. After that he went away and drove carriage to town. Believed
Lawrence was sober. He spoke very correct to him, the coachman,
when he gave him his order, and did not appear at all mentally
deranged.
“William Hitchin, master of the ‘Sun’ public-house, at Barnes,
deposed that yesterday morning, about eight o’clock, coming along
the street, he saw Lawrence put a tin can into the Count’s
carriage, and return into the house. When he got opposite the door,
he heard the report of a pistol. Turned immediately round, and saw
the Count and Countess just within the door. The Countess said
something to the coachman, who answered, ‘It is indoors, my lady.’
The Count and lady returned into the house. He then heard some
persons screaming, and was going to get some weapon, but coachman
begged him not to go, and he did not. The coachman and he were
going into the house, when the Countess came out of the house,
passed them and fell down. Thought she had only fainted, and, while
standing by her, saw the Count come out of the house, with blood
streaming from his shoulder. The Count instantly returned into the
house, and immediately afterwards witness heard the report of a
pistol in one of the upper rooms; this report occurred before the
Count could possibly get to his own room. Some people came up, and
he accompanied them into the house. The first thing he saw on the
floor of the passage was a dagger, bloody and with some silk on it,
as if it came from a shawl; on desiring a person to go upstairs
with him, he refused without having a weapon, on which witness
gave him the dagger, and himself took a poker. The coachman
followed, and the witness desired him to go first into the room,
which he did. On entering the room, he saw the Count sitting on a
bed, alive, but speechless, and Lawrence lying on the floor dead,
with a brass double-barrelled pistol close to him.
“Matthew Ball, Surgeon, of Barnes, deposed that, about a quarter
past eight o’clock in the morning, a woman came to his house, and
desired him to come immediately to Count d’Antraigues, for the
Count and Countess were both murdered; immediately went, and when
he came into the house, saw the Countess lying on the floor of the
parlour, and a great deal of blood both on the floor and on her
clothes. Then examined and found a large lacerated wound on her
right breast, made by a sharp instrument, which had passed through
the third and fourth ribs to the cavity of the chest, from which a
great effusion of blood had proceeded. As soon as he found the
wound was mortal, and that she could not live many minutes, witness
went up to the Count, to assist Mr. King, a surgeon, who had
previously gone up to dress his wound, and found the Count had
received a wound on the shoulder from a sharp instrument, which had
penetrated four inches. He was motionless and speechless, and died
in about a quarter of an hour after his (Mr. B.) seeing him. Saw
two small leaden bullets in the string-board of the stairs, which
appeared to have been shot from a pistol. When he entered the
Count’s room, saw Lawrence lying on the floor on his belly, with a
quantity of blood under his face; on examination, found a loaded
pistol had been discharged into his mouth, the contents of which
had very much lacerated and torn his mouth, and from which wound he
had instantly died, the bullet being still lodged in the vertebra
of the neck.
“The Coroner then told the jury that, as they had not only heard
what the witnesses had sworn, but also the depositions read over to
them, it was unnecessary for him to go into a recapitulation
thereon. He should, therefore, leave them to determine whether,
from the evidence they had heard, they believed, first that
Lawrence had murdered the Count and Countess; and, secondly,
whether he had committed suicide, being in his senses.
“In about five minutes, the jury returned a verdict that Lawrence
had murdered the Count and Countess, and had afterwards committed
suicide, being in his senses.”
“Thus perished,” says M. Adolphe Jullien, “the greatest lyric
_tragédienne_ whom France has possessed. But she did not wholly die: the
recollection of her remains graven in the mind of her admirers, and she
left behind her a luminous trace of her passage across the stage of the
Opera. Her generous influence continued to make itself felt throughout
long years; her triumphs excited many ambitions, inflamed many
resolutions. She remained an object of admiration and emulation for all
the artistes, for those who had seen her, as for those who, in later
times, knew her only by renown. She united, in fact, in the highest
degree, two qualities usually disconnected: the rarest talent of the
singer and the greatest art of the _tragédienne_. She was in every sense
of the word an artiste of genius.”[216]
INDEX
A
_Adèle de Ponthieu_, incident during a representation of, 69
Aiguillon, Duc d’, his _galanterie_ with Mlle. Raucourt, 159
_Alceste_, Gluck’s, 69-75, 78
Alembert, d’, 4, 79, 96, 159
_Alexis et Justine_, Madame Dugazon’s appearance in, 210
Allard, Mlle, (_danseuse_), 105, 265
Alleaume (notary), Sophie Arnould’s letters to him, 80-82
Alopeus (Swedish Minister in London), 330
Amelot (Minister of the King’s Household), 292, 294,
300, 305, 312, 313, 315, 322
_Amis des Lois, les_, scene during the performance of, 183
_Amours des Dieux, les_, Sophie Arnould’s appearance in, 15
Antraigues, Comte d’, his ancestry, 320;
his early life, 321;
his political writings, 321;
changes his politics, 321;
his relations with Madame Saint-Huberty, 322;
his letter to her, 322;
takes refuge in Switzerland, 326;
joined by Madame Saint-Huberty, 326;
marries her secretly, 327;
an active agent of the counter-revolution, 328 and note;
arrested at Trieste, 328;
escapes from Milan, 329;
establishes himself with his wife in England, 330;
employed by the Foreign Office, 330;
assassinated, with his wife, by their Piedmontese servant, Lorenzo, 331-337;
inquest upon, 337-343
Antraigues, Comtesse: d’, _see_ Saint-Huberty, Madame
_Ariane dans l’Île de Naxos_, Madame Saint-Huberty’s appearance
in, 286, 287, 299, 300
_Armide_, Gluck’s, 107, 266, 275, 313, 317
Arnaud, Abbé, 46
Arnault, 257
Arnould (daughter of Sophie Arnould), Alexandrine Sophie, birth, 43;
marries André de Murville, 82, 83;
her character, 83 and note;
ill-treated by her husband, 83, 84;
wishes to join the Opera, 84;
divorces her husband and marries again, 89
Arnould, Jean (father of Sophie Arnould), a worthy man, 4;
declines to force his daughter to marry M. de Malézieux, 13;
in financial straits, 21;
takes the Hôtel de Lisieux, 21;
deceived by the Comte de Lauraguais, 21-23;
reconciled to his daughter after her elopement, 24
Arnould, Madame (mother of Sophie Arnould), affects literary society, 4;
takes her daughter to visit Madame de Pompadour, 9;
dreads Sophie joining the Opera, 11;
favours the suit of the Chevalier de Malézieux, 13;
sends Sophie to take lessons from Mlles. Fel and Clairon, 18;
a vigilant guardian, 20, 21;
deceived by the Comte de Lauraguais, 21-23;
in despair at her daughter’s elopement, 23;
reconciled to her dishonour, 24
Arnould, Sophie, birth and parentage, 3 and note, 4;
education, 4;
taken by the Princesse de Conti to live with her, 5;
sings in the choir of the Ursulines of Saint-Denis, 5;
receives a letter from Voltaire, 5, 6;
sings at the Abbey of Panthémont, 7;
visits Marie Leczinska, 8, 9;
and Madame de Pompadour, 9-11;
appointed a singer of the Queen’s Chamber, 11;
ordered to join the Opera, 11;
receives an offer of marriage from the Chevalier de Malézieux, 12-14;
her _début_ at the Opera, 12-14;
her success in _La Provençale_, 15;
in _Énée et Lavinie_, 15, 16;
and in _Les Fêtes de Paphos_, 16, 17;
her voice, 17, 18;
her acting, 18;
her personal appearance, 19 and note, 20;
surrounded by _soupirants_, 20, 21;
her elopement with the Comte de Lauraguais, 21-24;
her _liaison_ with him, 28, 29;
the idol of the public, 30;
her wit, 30-34;
leaves Lauraguais, 35-37;
“comes to an arrangement” with the financier Bertin, 37, 38;
bestowing her favours freely, 38;
discards Bertin and returns to Lauraguais, 39;
stormy character of their relations, 40;
procures Lauraguais’s release from prison, 43;
has a daughter by him, 43;
supplanted in his affections by Mlle. Heinel, 45;
receiving great attention from the Prince de Conti, 45 and note;
leading an unedifying life, 46;
accepts the “protection” of the Prince d’Hénin, 46, 47;
her projected hôtel in the Chaussée-d’Antin, 47;
falls in love with the architect Belanger, 47, 48;
insults the Lieutenant of Police, 49;
behaves with “unexampled audacity” towards Madame du Barry, 49 and note;
her caprices a source of much tribulation to the
administration of the Opera, 49-52;
her triumphs as a singer, 53, 54;
insufferably bored by the Prince d’Hénin, 54, 55;
wishes to retire from the Opera, 56;
her vocal powers and popularity declining, 56, 57;
chosen by Gluck for the name-part in _Iphigénie en Aulide_, 57;
claims the right to take liberties with the time when singing, 59-61;
her success in _Iphigénie en Aulide_, 65;
quarrel between Gluck and the Prince d’Hénin at her house, 66;
her performance in _Orphée_, 68;
shocks the audience during a performance of _Adèle de Ponthieu_, 69;
passed over by Gluck in favour of Rosalie Levasseur, 70-72;
believed to have joined a cabal to ensure the failure of _Alceste_, 72, 73;
her letter to the _Nouveau Spectateur_, 73, 74;
the object of hostile demonstration at the Opera, 75, 76;
interference of Marie Antoinette in her favour, 75, 76;
refuses to bow to the storm, 77;
insulted in the garden of the Palais-Royal, 77, 78;
retires from the stage, 78;
her house a rendezvous for men of letters, 78;
Voltaire’s visit to her, 79;
failure of Mesmer to cure her dog, 79, 80;
her letters to the notary Alleaume, 81, 82;
marriage of her daughter Alexandrine, 82, 83;
goes to live at Clichy-la-Garenne, 83;
her life there, 84, 85;
in financial difficulties, 85;
declines to prosecute a burglar, 85, 86;
attack of Champcenetz upon her in _La Chronique scandaleuse_, 86, 87;
removes from Clichy to Luzarches, 87;
her description of her new home, 87;
receives a domiciliary visit from the local revolutionary
committee, 87, 88 and note;
her _bon mot_ on
the occasion of her daughter’s second marriage, 89;
becoming poorer and poorer, 89, 90;
befriended by Belanger, 90;
her letter to him, 90, 91;
returns to Paris, 91;
her letter to Lauraguais, 92, 93;
her generosity the cause of her poverty, 93;
her letter to Lucien Bonaparte, 94, 95;
in a pitiable condition, 95;
Belanger’s letter to Lucien Bonaparte on her behalf, 96, 97;
her death, 97;
her kindness to Mlle. Raucourt, 170, 171;
deserted by the Prince d’Hénin for that actress, 177
Artois, Comte d’, casts a “benevolent glance” on Sophie Arnould, 69;
credited with a desire to participate in the favours of Mlle. Raucourt, 177;
witnesses the performance of the _Mariage de Figaro_, at Gennevilliers, 235;
become the _amant en titre_ of Mlle. Contat, 243;
indulges in a practical joke at her expense, 244;
obtains for her an authorisation to play _biribi_ at her house, 244;
refuses to recognise his daughter by her, 245;
sends her three thousand louis to pay her debts, 246
Ashton, Elizabeth, her evidence at the inquest upon
the Comte and Comtesse d’Antraigues, 339
_Atys_, Piccini’s, 288, 313
B
Bachaumont, 319;
(cited) 49 note, 52, 53, 111
_Bajazet_, Mlle. Contat’s appearance in, 226
Balbatri (musician), 6
Ball, Matthew (surgeon), his evidence at the inquest
on the Comte and Comtesse d’Antraigues, 342, 343
_Barbier de Seville_, Beaumarchais’s, 188, 231
Beaumarchais, a visitor at Sophie Arnould’s house, 79;
his manœuvres to stimulate public interest in his _Mariage de Figaro_, 230;
enables the Comte de Vaudreuil to win a wager, 230 note;
chooses Mlle. Contat for the part of Suzanne, 231;
performance of his _Mariage de Figaro_ at Théâtre
des Menus-Plaisirs forbidden by Louis XVI.;
his diplomacy, 233;
his play performed at Gennevilliers, 235;
reads it to an audience selected by the Baron de Breteuil, 236, 237;
production of the _Mariage de Figaro_ at Comédie-Française, 237-240
Beaumesnil, Mlle, (singer), 33, 52
Beaumesnil, Christophe de (Archbishop of Paris) objects to the opening of
Mlle. Guimard’s private theatre in the Chaussée-d’Antin, 121;
persuades Louis XVI. to forbid a fête at her hôtel, 121, 122
Beauvau, Princesse de, 152 note, 157
Bélanger (architect), designs an hôtel
for Sophie Arnould in the Chaussée-d’Antin, 47;
becomes her _amant de cœur_, 48;
his practical joke at the expense of the actor Florence, 48;
wishful to marry Sophie, 48;
narrowly escapes the guillotine, 89;
marries Mlle. Dervieux of the Opera, 89;
his kindness to Sophie Arnould during her last years, 90;
her letters to him, 90, 91;
his letter to Lucien Bonaparte on her behalf, 96, 97
Bernis, Abbé (afterwards Cardinal) de, 4
Bernard, Marie Anne (mother of Mlle. Guimard), 101, 102, 104, 105.
Bertin (farmer-general) “comes to an arrangement” with Sophie Arnould, 37;
presents her to his friends, 38;
his generosity powerless to gain her affection, 38;
discarded by Sophie, 39;
indemnified by the Comte de Lauraguais, 39;
furnishes a handsome apartment for Mlle. Guimard, 105;
supplanted in her affections by M. de Boutourlin, 108
Berton (director of the Opera), 53 note
Bièvre, Marquis de, first _amant en titre_
of Mlle. Raucourt, 159 and note, 160
Billington, Miss (singer), 213
Black, Susannah, her evidence at the inquest
on the Comte and Comtesse d’Antraigues, 337-339
_Blaise et Babet_, Madame Dugazon’s performance in, 209, 210;
played at Trianon by Marie Antoinette and her friends, 209, 210
Boïeldieu (cited), 208
Bompas, commits a burglary at Sophie Arnould’s house at Clichy, 85;
pardoned by her, 86
Bonaparte, Lucien, Sophie Arnould’s letter to him, 94, 95;
promises her a benefit performance at the Opera, 95;
Belanger’s letter to him on her behalf, 96, 97
Boucher (painter), 10
Boudreau (financier), lover of Madame Dugazon, 205, 206
Boufflers, Chevalier de, 53 note
Bouillon, Duc de, 32, 320 note
Bouilly, 217, 221, (cited) 207, 212
Bourbon, Duc de, his offer to Mlle. Raucourt, 156
Boutin (financier), lends money to Sophie Arnould, 85
Boutourilin, M. de, lover of Mlle. Guimard, 108
Boynes (Minister of Marine), Sophie Arnould’s _bon mot_ at his expense, 34
Brancas, Constant de (son of Sophie Arnould and Comte de Lauraguais), 91