Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/593

 10 s. vin. DEC. 21, loo:.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

491

CASANOVA IN ENGLAND. (10 S. viii. 443.)

THE edition of the ' Memoires de J. Casanova de Seingalt ' published by Gamier freres (Paris) strengthens some of MB. BLEACKLEY'S conclusions. It is not dated, but the first of the eight volumes of my copy has at the end a list of books, among which appears the above ' Casanova,' the date of the list being 1888. In what follows I use R for the Brussels edition published by Rozez in 1871, and G for the above Paris edition. The two editions differ greatly.

In the Duke of Bedford incident R (v. 424) says that the Duke's courier proposed to box with the owner of the packet-boat which Casanova had hired, saying that it ought to be placed at the disposition of his excellence. G (vi. 341) has nothing about boxing, but says that the courier asserted that he had chartered the boat by letter.

Regarding the so-called Lady Coventry, R (v. 436) speaks of her as the daughter, G (vi. 366) as the sister, of the Duchess of Hamilton.

As to the so-called Lord Brockill, R (v. 437) says that Casanova and Lord Hervey were walking one day in Hyde Park, when a stranger came up and talked to the admiral, who afterwards told Casanova that the gentleman was " the brother of Lord Brockill, who died on the scaffold."

In G (vi. 370) the incident takes place in St. James's Park. Casanova finds the two men talking to each other. Hervey is here called " Sir Auguste Heivey," and is not spoken of as an admiral, though elsewhere (ibid., p. 367) he appears as Lord Hervey, " who had conquered Havana." " He had married Miss Chodeleigh, but had had his marriage annulled " (ibid.). Hervey tells Casanova that his friend is "the brother of Lord Ferex, who had his head cut off a couple of months ago for having killed one of his servants." There can be little doubt that " Ferex " means Ferrers. This " couple of months ago " is an obvious error, for as Lord Ferrers was hanged (not beheaded) on 5 May, 1760, the date of Casanova's visit to London would be the summer of that year. This is impossible. The Duke of Bedford was not nominated Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of France until 4 Sept., 1762, and signed the treaty of peace on 10 Feb., 1763. Further, Casanova during

his visit was presented to King George III. and the Queen, whose marriage took place on 8 Sept., 1761. Collins's ' Peerage,' 1768, vol. i. p. 277, gives 12 June, 1763, as the date of the Duke of Bedford's arrival in London, which agrees with his having arrived at Dover on the llth in the evening.

As to Miss Fisher, R (vi. 34) tells how Goudar and Casanova went into " I know not what public place," where they met "the celebrated actress Miss Fischer " G (vi. 525) says that it was " chez la proxenete Wals, ou nous vimes la celebre courtisane Kety-Fisher."

The following is, according to G, the bank-note story :

" La Wals told us that one day this Kety swal- lowed a thousand-guinea bank note upon a slice of bread and butter. This was a present which the chevalier Akins, brother of the beautiful Mrs. Pitt, had just made her.'

Casanova adds : " I do not know whether the Bank thanked her for this gift."

It will be seen that whereas R gives two bank-note stories, and makes the " chevalier Stihens " the destroyer of one note of a hundred pounds, equal in value to that eaten by " Miss " herself, G makes the Chevalier Akins the donor of a thousand- guinea note, which " Miss " promptly swallowed. " Kety-Fisher " is mentioned previously in G (vi. 513) as one of the most celebrated courtesans of London, who, however, " commencait alors a passer de mode."

In R (v. 445) Miss Kennedy is mentioned as one of three of that name. The incident there related is recorded in G (vi. 384), but the name is not given, and the other two are not referred to. In G (vi. 525) Casanova says : " Je passai une heure avec Knedi, belle Irlandaise qui jargonnait le francais."

If there were three Kennedys, all on the list given by Lord Pembroke to Casanova, I do not think that the question put by the Miss Kennedy about the little present, or, as it appears in G, " What will you give me at dessert ? " proves any differentiating avarice.

Apart from the above, there is a notice of the Venetian resident's house in G (vi. 344), viz., " Madame Cornelis dwelt in Soho Square, nearly opposite the resident of Venice." This does not appear in R. As is well known, Madame Cornelis occupied, and had her assemblies at, Carlisle House, at the South Corner of Soho Square and Sutton Street. The house was pulled down in 1788, excepting the ball-room, which was converted into St. Patrick's Roman