Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/249

 n s. in. APRII, i, i9iL] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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we must not expect great precision in dates- For instance, Casanova seems to indicate that his letter of introduction was presented at Lord Egremont's house shortly after his arrival in London, but that the Earl was then ill, and died " some days afterwards " ; whereas this nobleman did not die until 21 August, when he was seized suddenly with an attack of apoplexy.

The riot at Drury Lane when Garrick apologized to the audience see * Memoires ' (Paris, Gamier), vi. 369 which must have occurred before 15 September, 1763, for on that day the actor left London on a tour to Italy, puzzled MR. EDGCUMBE (8 S. xi. 43); and I have failed to find any reference to the affair in the newspapers .or magazines. Yet the description is so elaborate that it is difficult to believe that Casanova did not witness the scene. On another occasion when he mentions the same name his wonder- ful memory appears to be quite accurate. He tells us that Lord Pembroke introduced him to two very pretty sisters named Garich ladies of the town and no doubt he is describing the two Miss Garricks, mentioned by Capt. Edward Thompson in ' The Mere- triciad ' as being famous courtesans in 1761 ' Memoires ' (Paris), vi. 488.

The account of Lady Rochford's character is endorsed by Walpole's * Letters ' and The Town and Country Magazine, while that of Lord Pembroke agrees perfectly with descrip- tions in contemporary memoirs ; but Casa- nova's judgment failed him in regard to the Chevalier d'Eon, whom he declared to be obviously a woman ' Memoires ' (Parish vi. 356.

The date of Casanova's presentation to George III., which, as I have stated pre- viously, appears from the ' Memoires ' to have taken place before the middle of August, cannot have been until after 16 October,

1763, as on that date the new French Ambassador, the Comte de Guerchy, to whom the memoirist owed his introduction, landed in England (St. James's Chronicle, 15-18 October, 1763). Zuccato, the Vene- tian Resident, who declined to present the adventurer, remained in his office till August.

1764, when he was succeeded by De Vignola. I have not been able to identify " The Star

Tavern" or "The Canon," visited by Casa- nova ; and it would be interesting to know if the names of Madame Binetti, dancer, and Madame Calori, singer, appear, as according to the * Memoires ' they must have done, in the playbills of the Opera-House.

HORACE BLEACKLEY.

OLD LONDON BRIDGE:' DEATH OF SIR THOMAS REMPSTON.

THE following document (presumably at one time part of a proof of age of Thomas, Lord Roos, who succeeded his brother in 1421) seems worth printing as giving a graphic account of the danger of shooting Old London Bridge against a rising tide. The protagonist was a knight of the Garter and Constable of the Tower. The document is in the Public Record Office, Miscellanea (Chancery), Bundle. 68, File 12, No. 333 :

" Die lune primo die Novembris anno regni Regis Henrici quart! post conquestum octavo datum fuit intelligi Galfrido Brook et Nicholao Wotton vicecomitibus ciyitatis Londoniarum et Thome Chaucer capital! pincerne et capital! coronatori domini Regis in eadem civitate quod quidam Thomas Rempstone miles jacuit momma in parochia Omnium Sanctorum parva in warda de Dowgate Londoniis videlicet super wharfham vocatam Yerdeswharfe qui quidem vicecomites et coronator accesserunt ad locum predictum et invenerunt ibidem corpus predict! Thome jacens ibidem mortuum ex alia morte quam morte natural! prout eis prius datum fuit intelligi. Super quo quidem visu prefati vicecomites et coronator coram eis venire fecit [sic] . xij. probos et legales homines warde predicte et trium aliarum wardarum propinquarum prout mos est et consuetude civitatis predicte videlicet per sacramentum etc. Qui quidem Juratores dicunt quod Thomas Rempstone qui ibidem mortuus jacuit die dominica ultimo die Octobris anno supradicto apud Powleswharfe in warda Castri Bernard! posuit se ipsum ibidem in quandam batellam cum suis servientibus ad remigandum versus Turrim Londoniarum subtus pontem civi- tatis predicte. Et idem Thomas sic remigando in batella predicta ipse cum servientibus suis pre- dictis, fiuxu aque tune temporis valide et con- trarie existente, super quo famuli dicte batelle vocati Botemen dixerunt eidem Thome quod ipsi non audebant dictam batellam subtus pontem predictum propter metum diet! fluxus et con- trarietatis vent! remigare nee ducere, qui quidem Thomas eisdem precipiebat ipsum ducere subtus pontem predictum sub pena amissionis eorum capitum, et sic ipsi famuli remigando dictam batellam subtus dictum pontem invitis eorum dentibus, contigebat dictam batellam transire erga quandam pilam diet! pontis et dictus Thomas hoc videns quod in periculo existebat posuit manum suam super dictam pilam causa cujus posicionis manus sue accidebat dictam batellam revolvere et resupinam fore, et sic dictus Thomas cum servientibus suis predictis in aquam ibidem mergere. TJnde idem Thomas ibidem submersus fuit et sic mortem suam cepit. Et ulterius dicunt juratores predict! quod idem Thomas causavit et causa fuit mortis sue predicte.

" Qui quidem Thomas Rempstone vicesimo septimo die septembris ante obitum suum de sacro fonte leyavit Thomam dominum de Roos et sunt jam xx j. anni completi elapsi et amplius."

An account of Sir Thomas will be found in the * D.N.B.' C. J.