Paesiello’s “Didone,” Paer’s “Ero e Leandro,” and Guglielmi’s “Deborah e Sisera” rapidly succeeded, each one confirming afresh the admiration of her hearers, who were all cognoscenti, as Italian audiences generally are.  It became the vogue to patronize the beautiful cantatrice, and the large English colony, who were led by some of the noblest gentlewomen of England, such as Lady Templeton, Lady Palmerston, Lady Gertrude Villiers, Lady Grandison, and others, made it a matter of national pride to give the singer an enthusiastic support.  English influence was all-paramount at the court of Naples, from important political exigencies, and this cooperated with Mrs. Billington’s extraordinary merits to raise her to a degree of consideration which had been rarely attained by any singer in that beautiful Italian capital, prone as its people are to indulge in exaggerated admiration of musical celebrities.  She sang for nearly two years at the San Carlo, and in 1796 we find her at Bologna before French military audiences, whom Napoleon’s Italian victories had brought across the Alps.  The conqueror confessed himself vanquished by the lovely Billington, and made her the guest of himself and Josephine, who admired the art no less than she dreaded the beauty of a possible rival.

The English singer passed from city to city of Italy, everywhere arousing the liveliest admiration.  Her debut in Venice was to be in “Semiramide,” written expressly for her by Nasolini, a young composer of great promise.  Illness, however, confined her to her bed for six months, in spite of which the impressario paid her salary in full.  She recovered, and showed her gratitude by singing without recompense during the fair of the Ascension, when immense throngs flocked to Venice.  The corps diplomatique presented her on the first night with a jeweled necklace of immense value, as a testimonial of their esteem and pleasure at her recovery.

A singular evidence of the superstition of the Neapolitans was shown on her return to their city, which was then threatened by an eruption of Vesuvius and a dreadful earthquake, the cause of considerable damage.  The populace believed that it was a visitation of God in punishment for the permission granted to a heretic Englishwoman to sing at San Carlo.  Mrs. Billington’s safety was for a time threatened, but her talents and popularity at last triumphed, and she rose higher in public regard than before.  Her Neapolitan engagement was terminated very suddenly by the death of her husband, as he was in the act one evening of cloaking her prior to her stepping into her carriage to go to the theatre.  A single gasp and a convulsion, and Thomas Billington was dead at his wife’s feet.  The consternation at this event was mixed with much scandal, and many whispered that he had died from poison or the dagger.  It was known that the Neapolitan nobles had paid Mrs. Billington warm attention, and hints of assassination