300 



KAUMTZ KEAN. 



Naples, she acquired great skill; ami her subsequent 

 \ IMI ID London, where she )>ainted the. whole royal 

 family, increased her reputation and improved her 

 riri-unistanres. Here she was elected a member of 

 the royal academy, and here, also, she contracted an 

 unfortunate marriage, of which the following circum- 

 stances are related. An English artist, who had 

 paid his addresses to her, offended by her refusal, 

 determined on vengeance. A handsome younir man, 

 rlioM-n from the lowest class, was enabled to appear 

 in tlie house of Angelica, and to become her suitor. 

 She suffered herself to be deceived, and became his 

 wife. The rejected artist now disclosed the deceit. 

 Angelica obtained a divorce, but was obliged to 

 settle an annuity on her husband. He, however, 

 soon died. After her return to Rome in 1782, she 

 was married a second time, more liappily, to a Vene- 

 tian painter, Zucchi, but she never liad any children, 

 /.urchi, likewise, died long before her. Angelica 

 then devoted herself to painting till her death, in 

 1807. Her bust was placed, in 1808, in the Pan- 

 theon. She left a select library, some beautiful 

 original paintings of old masters, and a considerable 

 fortune, which she divided among several individuals 

 and charitable institutions. She painted many por- 

 traits and historical pictures, the latter chiefly after 

 antiques. She preferred ideal female figures. Her 

 works are remarkable for grace, though the critic 

 may discover in them incorrectness of style and 

 sameness of plan and execution. 



KAUNITZ, WENCESLAUS ANTHONY, prince of, 

 knight of the golden fleece, fifth son of count Kau- 

 nitz, and one of nineteen children, was born in 

 Vienna, in 1711, and was at first destined for the 

 church, but, after the death of all his brothers, en- 

 gaged in political life. His talents, aided by a 

 favourable exterior, opened a brilliant career to him. 

 Alter having studied at Vienna, Leipsic, and Leyden, 

 he entered upon his travels, in 1732. In 1741, he 

 was sent to pope Benedict XIV., and to Florence, 

 on a secret mission, by Maria Theresa. In 1742, 

 he went as Austrian ambassador to Turin, where he 

 accomplished his mission to unite Sardinia more 

 closely with Austria against the Bourbon courts so 

 successfully, that, in 1744, he was appointed minister 

 at the court of Charles, duke of Lorraine, then gover- 

 nor-general of the Austrian Netherlands. He con- 

 ducted the most difficult affairs, in a highly critical 

 state of the Netherlands, to the greatest satisfaction 

 of the empress; but his feeble health obliged him to 

 ask his dismission, and he returned to Vienna. Soon 

 afterwards, however, he appeared as minister pleni- 

 potentiary at the congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (q. v.), 

 where he laid the foundation of his fame as a diplo- 

 matist. From 1750 to 1752, he was minister at 

 Paris, and prepared the union of Austria and France, 

 which took place in 1756. In 1753, he had been 

 made court and state chancellor, and, in 1756, was 

 created chancellor of Italy and the Netherlands. 

 Thus he not only managed the foreign affairs of 

 Austria, under Maria Theresa, but had also the 

 greatest influence upon the domestic concerns. In 

 1764, the emperor, Francis I., raised him to the 

 dignity of prince. As long as Maria Theresa lived, 

 her confidence in Kaunitz was unbounded; but the 

 emperor Joseph did not implicitly follow his advice; 

 of which the unsuccessful attempt to open the Scheldt 

 and to exchange Bavaria, as well as the unfortunate 

 war with Turkey, were consequences. Under the 

 reign of Leopold II., the influence of prince Kaunitz 

 was still less. When Francis II. ascended the throne, 

 his advanced age induced him to resign the office ol 

 court and state chancellor. He made up his opinion; 

 slowly, and after mature consideration. Voltaire 

 \\a his favourite author, and he had much esteem 



or Rousseau, who had been for a few weeks his 

 >ri\atr secretary at Paris. In Lombardy and tlie 

 Netherlands, he instituted academics. Learned men 

 ound tree access to him, and he cultivated the arts. 

 The school of art at Vienna is almost entirely his 

 work. Several painters and engravers were indebted 



him for his patronage. His love of dress was con- 

 idered extravagant. He was strictly honest and 

 aitliful. He rarely laughed, yet he was affable to 



all below him in rank. Under Joseph's government, 

 Kaunitz ceased to appear at court, but the emperor 

 often went to visit him, and received much assistance 

 rom him in his ecclesiastical reforms; hence he was 

 called, by the court of Rome, il ministro eretico; 

 yet, when the pope was at Vienna, he gave him, as 



1 matter of policy, not the back, but the palm of his 

 land to kiss, which was formerly considered the 

 lighest favour; but the prince, pretending not to 

 understand this etiquette, took the hand of the pope 

 n his, and gave it a hearty shake. He died in 1794, 



with the reputation of one of the ablest ministers 

 Austria had ever produced, and the still greater 

 ame of a man of noble character. No minister was 

 ever treated with a longer and more intimate con- 

 fidence, which was founded equally on his talents 

 and his strict integrity. 



KEAN, EDMUND, the most brilliant and effective 

 tragic actor of the age, was the reputed son of a Miss 

 Darey, strolling actress and itinerant vender of per- 

 fumes, and an Edmund Kean, a scene carpenter. He 

 was born in London, on the 17th March, 1787, or, 

 according to other statements, 1789. His father pro- 

 cured a situation for him as a figurant in the panto- 

 mimes at Drury-lane theatre, when he was only two 

 years old; but here, by the unnatural and forced 

 positions which he had to practise in order to make 

 liis limbs more pliable, he became deformed. Some 

 of the actors procured him surgical assistance, his 

 limbs were supported, and he finally outgrew his 

 bodily defects. At seven years, his mother sent him 

 to a little school; but order and obedience were not 

 in his character, and he engaged himself as cabin-boy 

 in a vessel going to Madeira. This situation, how- 

 ever, equally displeased him, and, to deliver himself, 

 in Madeira, he feigned deafness, and played his part 

 so well, that the captain sent him home. In London, 

 he could not find out his mother; but a woman who 

 had had him under her care recommended him to 

 Miss Tidswell, an actress at Drury-lane theatre, who 

 gave him much assistance. At one period, after his 

 return to London, he exhibited as a droll, in a booth. 

 After this, he was placed in one of the minor theatres, 

 and was much applauded in Rolla's address to the 

 Peruvians. From this period he commenced reading 

 dramatic productions. His protectress recommended 

 him to a company of players in Yorkshire, where he 

 appeared under the name of Carey. Although not 

 more than thirteen years old, he performed the parts 

 of Hamlet, Lord Hastings, and Addison's Cato, well 

 enough to please a provincial audience. In Windsor, 

 his talent was applauded by the royal family, in 

 Satan's address to the sun, from Paradise Lost, and 

 the first soliloquy in Shakspeare's Richard III. 

 About this time, he was fortunate enough to attract 

 the attention of doctor Drury,. who recommended 

 him to the directing committee of Drury-lane, as fitted 

 to revive this declining theatre. He was, in conse- 

 quence, engaged for three years at Old Drury. Kean 

 appeared for the first time on the London boards, Jan. 

 26, 1814, in the character of Shylock. The first even- 

 ing was decisive ; but his Richard III. made him the. 

 idol of the Londoners. In Othello, also, and Sir 

 Giles Overreach, he has been unequalled by any con- 

 temporary. When he performed Massinger's Jew 

 the first time, the actors, and others of his admirers, 



