Part 2 (1/2)

II

For the Argentine sounds of thy voice softly stealing on the hearer's senses, to him that confides in them open the portals of Heaven

III

Of the choirs sublime of the Cherubim thou hast borrowed thy strains; and as he listens, each auditor thinks it is the voice of his Guardian Angel that speaks

IV

Only from the depth of the purest of hearts can such tones arise; it is as if Heaven suhts

V

If so will be resumed; and, wrapped in eternity, it will have destroyed in us the enemy, and ill remain subject to a power of love and charity

VI

For through thy beautiful lips Heaven speaks to its children, and thy voice brings us news from those realms above, which are the asylum of all

VII

When thou shalt have returned to the Kingdom of Harmonies, and no elic choir, thou shalt sing to the throne suprehest reward of terrestrial singer!

We have traced here but very imperfectly e have observed ourselves, heard from travellers, or collected from the many journals and reviews of Germany What we have recorded is but a very small portion of the sum of constant happiness, of constant triumph, which attended Madame de Rossi since she left the theatrical career But at last came the fatal year 1848, when a political eruption, unprecedented for nitude and extent, fell upon the whole fabric of human happiness on the Continent, as unforeseen and as destructive as the volcanic outburst which, in a past age, buried Pompeii Madame de Rossi's fortune, when the revolution broke out at Berlin, was placed partly with bankers, partly in commercial securities; commerce ceased, public credit was shaken, and private credit lost, and with the latter the fortune of Madame de Rossi Shortly afterwards followed the events in Sardinia, in its turn deeply affecting the fortunes of her husband, and threatening the Count Rossi with the loss of that office which he had so long and so honorably held On the first news of the losses experienced by Mada how perfectly she had preserved her voice, the Direction of Her Majesty's Theatre made, in the most delicate manner that could be devised, ample offers to the unfortunate lady, in case she should deem it necessary to return to the scene of her former triumphs The Count and Countess Rossi did not contereat a sacrifice Later offers of unlimited temptation were made by other parties, and ereat vocalist of the golden age of the opera But they were at once refused

As events assumed a darker corew more and more anxious for her children, and used every endeavor to prevail on her noble husband to sacrifice the privileges and prejudices of rank, and the sweets of high office, to the future welfare of their children An artist of European fame, who not only commands adant and amiable manners, and his noble and elevated character--M

Thalberg, happened some months since to be in Berlin, and he is said to have seconded Madame de Rossi's efforts to persuade her husband

Communications were resuh still in a problematical and conditional form, and the Count Rossi repaired to Turin to endeavor to release himself from his duties

After son to retire for a time from his career When it was known later at Turin as the cause of his retirement, and that it was definitive, letters ritten, by order of the sovereign, in the highest degree cordial and flattering, both to M and Madame de Rossi From Turin the Count returned to Berlin; there Mr Luement was made, and a week after he had left Berlin, the Count and Countess Rossi arrived in London in a manner totally unforeseen In a week reat singers, she had not, owing to the necessity of secresy, been preceded by those announce beforehand herald forth a _prima donna_, and work upon public expectation, her reception was one never surpassed in enthusias has once lory are considered, a feeling of so more than ads, of which there are not one in so ht of, come in a critical hour, interpose their power, uphold a noble establishue, envy, and ingratitude, partakes of that providential character of events to which all others are secondary This is the second tireatest theatrical institution of the country If there existed in reality such a random power as _chance_, such events could scarcely be reckoned ast its casualties

If there could be any one so devoid of love for what is really good and really great, as not to be inspired by interest in the eventful life we have so very superficially sketched, they need only to repair to the theatre where our heroine appears, for the ever could resist, off the stage or on it, the sterling

SKETCHES OF THE COUNTESS DE ROSSI,

BY VARIOUS CELEBRATED WRITERS

PEN AND INK PORTRAIT

OF

HENRIETTE SONTAG,