MADAME VESTRIS.

The absurd falsehoods which have, from time to time, issued from the press concerning this justly celebrated female, call imperatively for a memoir, which shall give a correct account of her ancestry, birth, parentage, and connections, and which shall not be disfigured by a single word of untruth; the writer, from a personal knowledge of the facts, having it in his power to challenge and defy contradiction.

The grandfather of Madame Vestris, the immortal F. Bartolozzi, was a native of Florence, and is well known to have been the greatest copper-plate engraver the world ever produced. He lived many years in a state of comparative indigence, from which, however, he was extricated in consequence of the fame he acquired by engraving the wellknown beautiful copper-plate of the death of the Earl of Chatham in the House of Lords, from a painting by Copley, the father of the present Baron Lyndhurst. For this admirable performance he received the sum of two thousand pounds; after this (as he termed it) "sloice of dam gud loke," he continued to reside in England for some time, in a state of comfort. At length he accepted very liberal offers from the Portuguese government to go to Lisbon; where, on his arrival, he was received by the lovers of the fine arts with open arms, and where his great talents soon procured for him the honour of knighthood. He died at Lisbon, shortly after he had completed the portrait of the Prince Royal of Portugal, at the advanced age of 87 or 88 years.

It may be considered worthy of remark, in this place, that, in consequence of Signor Bartolozzi having been instrumental, by his vast talents, in promoting the trade in

copper-plate prints in this country, the British government offered him a pension of four hundred pounds a-year, on the condition, however, that he should reside in England. But this offer coming after he had made his engagement with the Portuguese government, and, indeed, after he had sold off all his household and other property, he left England for ever.

Among his works, were engravings of the Townley Marbles, from exquisitely finished drawings by that prince of draughtsmen (as L'Empiere styles him), and accomplished gentleman and scholar, John Brown.

But to return to the immediate subject of the present memoir. Sir F. Bartolozzi's only offspring, G. Bartolozzi, was born at Rome, and had come to England with his father. His mother was never in this country. At first he followed the occupation of his father, but not being able to endure confinement, he at length became a picture dealer, and general dealer in everything that might present itself in his various journeys to and from Italy. Indeed, he was so very successful, that in a few years he accumulated an inde pendent fortune, and purchased an estate at Venice, with a country residence about fifty miles distant from that celebrated city.

There he expected to pass his life in peace and affluence, which, indeed, he would have done, but for the ravages of the French army, under General Buonaparte, whose troops swept away all the valuables and moveables that they could lay their hands on, without compunction, leaving the poor Venetians without a zechino, either in their banks or public funds. Thus was Signor Bartolozzi, among a thousand of others, hurled, in a moment, from the height of prosperity into the very gulph of poverty and distress; and the only means which remained to him of procuring a subsistence, was the pursuit of the profession of his late father. He accordingly resumed it; and not meeting with the expected success, he became involved, and was subjected to many serious vicissitudes.

It is now time that we refer to Madame Bartolozzi, the mother of our heroiue.

Mademoiselle Theresa Janson was the daughter of Mr. Janson, the first dancing master of his age in Germany, his native land. He was brought to this country by Earl Spencer and Lord Mulgrave, under whose patronage Miss Janson likewise immediately commenced teaching that beautiful and graceful art. Several of the highest families benefited by her instructions, and she was eminently successful; so much so, indeed, that she and her brother, Mr. L. Janson (who taught dancing only because he was bred to it by paternal authority, music being his decided forte) realised rather more than two thousand pounds per annum. They resided at No. 14, Great Marlborough-street, and they were both musical pupils of the immortal Clementi.

Miss Janson was one of the most noted performers of her time on the piano-forte; but her father's income being sufficient, she, during his life, had no occasion to make use of her abilities, further than to contribute to the amusement of her father's guests, who were generally persons of the very highest rank and fashion. Many costly entertainments were given by old Mr. Janson, but this extravagant expenditure of his income at length brought him into difficulties, and he became insolvent.

The musical compositions of Mr. Janson, jun., have long been before the public, and are too well known to require comment here.

Sig.

About the commencement of the year 1795 Miss Theresa Janson was first introduced to Mr. G. Bartolozzi, at a musical party of Col. Hamilton's, of pugilistic notoriety. Bartolozzi was a very fine violin and tenor player, and could boast of having introduced into this country the very first double bass player in the world, Signor Dragonetti, the very prop of the orchestra of the Italian Opera House.

Miss Janson being a very fine girl, and known to possess great talent, it is no wonder that she had many suitors. Among the rest, Mr. Rice, an eminent and wealthy East