M I N G O T T 1. 
f>36 
of her convent, particularly with the Litany fung there 
one feftival, that lhe went to the abbefs, with tears in her 
eyes, and trembling, both wdth fear of anger and of a re- 
fufal, to intreat her to teach her to fing as Jhe did in the 
chapel. The abbefs put her off, with faying, that the was 
very bufy that day, but would think of it. The next day 
file fent one of the elder nuns to a(k her who bade her make 
that requeft; when the little Regina, as (lie was then called, 
replied, that nobody had bid her, but that it was merely 
her own love formufic which infpired the thought. Af¬ 
ter this the abbefs fent for her, and told her, that (he had 
very little time to (pare ; but, if (he would promife to be 
diligent, (lie w r ould teach her herfelf; adding, that (lie 
could only afford her half an hour a-day ; but with that 
file (hould foon find what her genius and induftry were 
likely to produce, and (he (hould go on with or difcon- 
tinue her inftrudtions accordingly. Regina was in rap¬ 
ture with this compliance of the abbefs, who began to in- 
ftrudt her the next day, a table fee, as (lie exprefied it, 
without a harpfichord, or any other inftrument. She ap¬ 
plied to the harpfichord feveral years after, and (fill ac¬ 
companied on it very well. But it w'as perhaps owing to 
her manner of learning to ling without an inftrument, that 
flie acquired the firmnefs in performance, for which (lie 
lias always been remarkable. In this manner (he was 
taught the elements of rnufic and J'olfcggi, with the prin¬ 
ciples of harmony, and was obliged to fing the treble, 
while the abbefs lung the bafs. She (liowed us a very 
fmall book, in which all her firft lelfons were written : 
the explanations w'ere in the German language. She re¬ 
mained in this convent till (he had attained her 14th year, 
at which time, upon the death of her uncle, (he went 
home to her mother. During the life of her uncle, (lie 
liad been intended for the veil. When (he quitted the 
convent, (lie appeared, in the eyes of her mother and fil¬ 
ters, to be one of the molt ufelefs and helplefs of beings ; 
they looked upon her as a fine lady, brought up in a 
boarding-fehool, without knowing any thing of houfe- 
hold concerns; and her mother neither knew what to do 
with her or her fine voice, which both (he and her filters 
defpifed, not forefeeing that it would one day be produc¬ 
tive of fo much honour and profit to the poifelfor. 
Not many years after (he quitted the convent, fignor 
Mingotti, an old Venetian, and manager of the opera at 
Drelden, was propofed as ahulband for her. She detefted 
liim ; but was at length worried into a compliance, which 
was the fooner extorted from her, perhaps, as lhe, like 
other young women, imagined that by loiing (he (hould 
.gain her liberty. 
People talked very much of her fine voice and manner 
of finging. Porpora was at this time in the late king of 
Poland’s fervice at Drelden : he had heard her fing, and 
fpoke of her at court as a young perlon of great expec¬ 
tations ; which occafioned a propoial to her hulband for 
her entering into the fervice of the eledtor. He had before 
marriage promifed never to fuft’er her to fing on the ftage; 
however, (lie liked the thoughts of finging, and turning 
her voice to fome account, and therefore gladiy entered 
t into articles for a fmall ftipend, not above 3 or 400 crowns 
a-year. When her voice had been heard at court, her 
talents made fuch a noife at Drelden, that the fame of 
them reached Naples, to which place (he was invited to 
fing at the great theatre. In her way thither from Dref- 
den (he palled through Vienna, where lhe vifited unex¬ 
pectedly Metaftafio, 111 whole Attilio Regolo (he had dif- 
tinguilhed herlelf; of which vilit he gives the following 
account to the princefs di Belmonte : “ Signora Regina 
Mingotti, one of the principal ornaments of the vocal 
band at Drefden, being engaged at Naples in the fame 
.rank, has not efcaped the epidemic defire of bringing 
with her a letter from me to your excellence. This re¬ 
queft, however, would have been fruitlefs, had (he not 
mod wickedly and nialicioully hit upon the following ex¬ 
pedient, for vanquilhing my well-known repugnance to 
give way to fuch applications. When (he left the court 
of Drefden, what does (he do but poft away to Vienna 3 
and, without giving me the lead previous notice of my 
danger, early one fine morning prefents herfelf in my 
room, and in a military habit, preceded only by her 
fame, and accompanied by all the graces of youth, viva¬ 
city, talents, and, what is (till worfe, entitled to the chief 
credit of the fuccefs of my Attilio in Drefden. Now tell 
me, madam, with your ufual candour, if ever you heard 
of fo cunning a muilcal trick ? It was like putting a knife 
to the throat of a poor Chriftian. I know not what So¬ 
crates, Cato, or Ariftotle, would have done in fuch a cafe; 
but this I know, that I could not help writing the letter, 
and even devoutly thanking heaven, that (lie had the mo¬ 
deration to limit her pretentions to a letter only.” 
The firft character (lie appeared in at Naples, was Ariftsea 
in the opera of the Olimpiade, let by Galuppi. On this 
occafion her talents, as an adtrefs, gained her as much ap- 
plaufe as her finging: (he was bold and enterprifing; and, 
feeing the character in a different light from what others 
had done before her, would, in fpite of the advice of old 
adtors, who durft not deviate from cuftom, play it in a 
way quite different from any one of her predeceifors. It 
was in this original and courageous manner, that our 
Garrick firft lurpriied and charmed an Engliffi audience, 
and, in defiance of contracted rules, which flad been efta- 
bliflred by prejudice and want of genius, (truck out a ftyle 
of fpeaking and adting, which the whole nation has ever 
fince continued to approve, with acclamation rather than 
applaufe. 
After this fuccefs at Naples, Mingotti received letters 
from all parts of Europe, to offer her terms for engaging 
at different operas ; but (he was not then at liberty to ac¬ 
cept of any of them, being obliged to return to the court 
of Drefden, in which fervice lhe was (fill a penfioner; 
however, her falary was confiderably augmented, and (he- 
frequently exprefied her gratitude to that court, and (aid 
(he owed to it all her fame and fortune. Here (lie repeat¬ 
ed, with great applaufe, her part in the Olimpiade; every 
one agreed, that in point of voice, execution, and adding, 
her powers were very great; but many thought that (he 
was wholly unfit for any thing pathetic or tender. Haffe 
was now employed to let Demofoonte ; and lhe imagined 
that he kindly gave her an adagio, accompanied by the 
violins, pizzicati, merely to expofe and (how her defedts. 
But fufpedting the fnare, (lie ftudied hard to efcape it; and 
in the long, “ Se tutti i mali miei,” which (he afterwards 
fung in England with great applaufe, (hefucceded fo well, 
as to filence even Fauftina herfelf. Sir Ch. H. Williams 
was Englilh minifter there at that time, and, being inti¬ 
mate with Haffe and his wife, had joined their party, pub¬ 
licly declaring that Mingotti was utterly unable to fing a 
flow' and pathetic long; but, when he had heard her, he 
made a public recantation, aiking her pardon for doubting 
of her abilities, and ever after remained her firm friend and 
adherent. 
She went next to Spain, where (he fung with Gizziello, 
in the operas under the diredtion of Farinelli; who, (lie 
laid, was fo rigid a difeiplinarian, that he would not allow 
her to ling any-where but in the opera at court, or even 
to pradtile in a room next the ftreet. She was requefted to 
fing at private concerts by many of the firft nobility and 
grandees of Spain, but could not obtain permiflion from 
the diredtor; who carried his prohibition lb far, as to 
deny a pregnant lady, of great rank, the fatisfadlion of 
hearing her, though (he was unable to go to the theatre, 
and declared that lhe longed for a fong from Mingotti. 
The Spaniards have a religious refpedt for thefe involun¬ 
tary and unruly affedlions in females thus circumftanced, 
however they may be treated as problematic by M. Button 
and others. The hufband, therefore, of the lady, com¬ 
plained to the king of the cruelty of the opera-diredtor, 
which, he faid would kill both his wife and child, if his 
majefty did not interfere. The king lent a favourable ear „ 
to the complaint, and ordered Mingotti to receive the lady 
at her houfe, in which his majefty was implicitly obeyed, 
3 the 
