lageolet. In her manner she was
peculiarly bewitching. Her face and figure were beautiful, and her
countenance full of good humor, but she had comparatively little talent
as an actress. In 1786 she first appeared at Covent Garden, in the
presence of the king and queen, and her success was beyond her most
sanguine anticipations. She sang in a resplendently brilliant style,
and brilliancy was an innovation in English singing.

Mrs. Billington one day received a great compliment from Haydn, the
composer. Reynolds, the painter, was finishing her portrait, and Haydn,
on seeing it, said: "You have made a mistake. You have represented Mrs.
Billington listening to the angels; you should have made the angels
listening to her."

In 1796, while in Italy, Mr. Billington died in a sudden and mysterious
manner. Soon afterwards his widow went to Milan, where she fell in love
with a Frenchman, the son of a banker in Lyons, named Felican. He was a
remarkably handsome man, but no sooner were they married (in 1799) than
he commenced to treat her most brutally, and eventually she was obliged
to run away from him. She returned to London under the care of her
brother.

On reaching London, a lively competition for her services began between
Harris and Sheridan, the theatrical managers. She gave the preference to
Harris, and received L3,000 to sing three times a week, also a free
benefit was ensured at L500, and a place for her brother as leader of
the band. Eventually, however, the dispute was ended by arbitration, and
it was decided that she should sing alternately at each house. At the
height of her popularity Mrs. Billington is said to have averaged an
income of L14,000 a year.

She retired from the stage on March 30, 1806, on which occasion she was
the first to introduce Mozart's music into England, giving the opera,
"Clemenza di Tito," of which there was only one manuscript copy in
England. That belonged to the Prince of Wales, who lent it for the
occasion. After a separation of fifteen years, Mrs. Billington was
reunited to her second husband, but he at once resumed his brutal
treatment, and her death, in 1818, was caused by a blow from his hand.

One of the most popular and charming singers at La Scala, in the
Carnival of 1794, was Giuseppa Grassini, the daughter of a farmer of
Varese in Lombardy, where she was born in 1775. She received decided
advantages by making her debut with some of the greatest artists of her
time,--Marche