The Ugliest Person Alive

Swiss-born opera manager John Heidegger (1659-1749), master of the king’s revels, had the reputation of being as ugly as sin. However, Lord Chesterfield claimed that he’d seen uglier people. Heidegger promptly wagered 50 guineas, and Chesterfield was given one week to prove his claim. After scouring London’s most sordid districts, Chesterfield came upon the most repulsive woman he had ever seen and showed her to the assembled gamblers. But when Heidegger put on the woman’s hat, she nearly fainted, and he won the bet.