Prince Borghese gave a ball about a fortnight after his sister’s death; whereupon it was written over his door next morning: “Dignum sororis funus.” His mother has been dead about a month, and he is not yet in mourning. Next month he proposes to give dances at his villa twice a week.
Lord Lucan said that the Ambassador from Malta spoke amazingly good French for an African.
Cardinal Hertzan, Minister of the Empire, having taken a palace through the interest of the Empress Queen (Maria Theresa), wanted to turn out the keeper of a coffee-house who lived in the palace. The man went to consult a Friar Felice to know how he could manage to resist the Cardinal. The friar told him that he saw no human means whereby he could avoid his loss, but that God Almighty would perhaps prevent it. The Cardinal being afterwards in danger of losing great part of his income through the death of the Empress Queen, Friar Felice passed for a saint.
Prince Doria gave to the (newly-made) Cardinal Altimari a fine carriage, with a pair of beautiful horses. Prince Borghese sent his tailor and his merchant to the same Cardinal, desiring him to order as many suits for himself, and as many liveries for his servants, as he thought proper. A woman of the second order, the widow of an “expéditionnaire,” likewise presented him with one thousand crowns in papetti, to give away as “mancia” (“pour boire”—drinking-money), and defrayed all his briefs, &c., for his new bishopric.
The Romans called Signora Giulia Falconieri, “Papa Giulia.” The Pope’s nephews being at the Opera with that lady, it was said, “Tutti li Santissimi erano ad Aliberti.”