Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/127

 12 (J. L FEB. 12, 1916.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

121

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1916.

CONTENTS.- No. 7.

NOTES -Casanova in England, 121 Materia Medica in the Talmudic Age, 122- Recruiting for Agincourt Unusual Christian Names, 124 Payments to Eigbteenth- Century Authors Underground Railway of the United States Ferrers and Alleyne : Possible Connexion- London Society for Promoting Christianity among the j ews _The Emerald and Chastity, 125.

QUERIES : Rumours of Capture of Napoleon ' The Decamerone' Russian Regiments Gennys of Laun- ceston Tithe-Barn in London Smalt Mezzotint Engravings, 126 "Government for the people," &c. Swinburne Reference -Only Child Sudbury Hospital "Domus Cruciata" 'De Imir,ationi Christ! ' I). Ross Blantyre Estates Per Centum " H*> rmentrude's " Pedigrees Shilleto Family 'Blazon of Gentrie,' 127 Dean Church on 'Sordello' Dr. A. V. Smith's Ascent of Mont Blanc Timothy Constable Dorton-by- Brill Anomalies in the Peerage Joshua Steinfery ' The Tommiad 'Scott's Eve of St. John' Richardson, c. 1783

Cleopatra and the Pearl Joanna la Loca Mrs.

Plunkett and Arthur Murphy Walker of Middlesex, 123.

REPLIES : Tavolara : Small Republics Newspaper Placard, 129 Epigram by Scaliger Patterson Family- Duchesses who have married Commoners, 130 French Song, 131 -Phantom Parliament Clerks as Combatants

Heart Burial, 132 Biographical Information Skull

and Nail Leitner Shrines and Relics, 133 Hagiography of Cyprus Guidott Moray Minstrels, 134 Seventeenth- Century Quotations Wyvill Rev. P. Rosenhagen Ann Cook, 135 Author Wanted ' Magical Note' British Herb, 136 George Inn, Borough, 137 ' Passionate Pil- grim' General Guise Pindar of Wakefield John Stuart Regimental Nicknames, 138 Trevisa Mascots ' Vicar of Bray,' 139.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Runic Poems ' Whitaker's Almanack and Peerage Ryland's Library Bulletin Burlington.'

OBITUARY -.William Percy Addleshaw.

CASANOVA IN ENGLAND.

(See 10 S. viii. 443, 491 ; ix. 116 ; xi. 437 ; US. ii. 386 ; iii. 242 ; iv. 382, 461 ; v. 123, 484.)

IN almost every page of the ' Memoires ' that describes the visit to England some example may be found of Casanova's wonderful memory.

He tells us that Pauline, the Portuguese lady, was in the habit of attending the Bavarian ambassador's chapel, as one would expect a devout Catholic to do. ( ' Memoires ' {Gamier], vi. 393.) For such a chapel did, of course, exist, standing in Warwick Street, Golden Square. It was burnt down in the Gordon Riots in 1780. In 1763 the notorious Oount Haslang was the Bavarian ambassa- dor. In connexion with the mysterious Pauline, whom some commentators have concluded rather hastily to be a myth, Casanova mentions a M. de Saa, whom he <calls " envoye de Portugal." ('Memoires'

[Gamier], vi. 424, 452, 501 ; vii. 3.) At that time M. de Saa was, in fact, acting as Portu- guese ambassador in the absence of Don Mello y Castro, F.R.S., the Envoy Extra- ordinary, who did not arrive in England till January, 1764. (Rider's ' British Merlin ' for 1764, p. 108; cf. The Gentleman's Magazine, xxxiv. p. 43.) The Portuguese Embassy was in South Audley Street.

About February, 1764, Casanova left his "belle maison" in Pall Mall, and took "a little room at a guinea a week " in the house of a Mrs. Mercier. (' Memoires ' [Gamier], vii. 60, 68.) A copy of a MS. letter, preserved in the Archives at Dux, describes this lady as " Mistress Merce, near the gold head, Greet Street [sic], Soho Square." The name and address are confirmed by the West- minster Rate -Books, 1762-4, where the following entry appears: "Susanna Mer- cier, Greek Street, Soho, rent 19Z."

Casanova was surprised that his friend Commodore the Hon. Augustus Hervey (afterwards third Earl of Bristol) should speak to a brother of Lord Ferrers, the murderer, who had been hanged three years before at Tyburn.

" Is he not dishonoured," he asked, " by the execution of his relative ? "

" Dishonoured ! " replied Hervey. " Not at all."

It is curious to note that Dr. Johnson confirms this opinion. " No man is thought the worse of here whose brother was hanged," he told Boswell on April 6, 1772. (Boswell's ' Life of Johnson,' G. Birkbeck Hill, ii. 177.)

I have pointed out previously that Casanova's chronology in regard to his sojourn in England is often confused and inaccurate. He arrived at Dover from Calais, as we know, on Saturday, June 11, 1763 (see 10 S. viii. 443), after a passage of two hours and a half, which was a quick crossing, but quite possible. On Dec. 25 of the same year John Wilkes crossed from Dover to Calais in about the same time. (' Grenville Papers,' ii. 186 ; J. Almon's ' Life of Wilkes,' ii. 34.) Casanova says that he reached London in the evening ; but, if his description is to be trusted, it was the evening of Monday, June 13. (' Memoires' [Gamier], vi. 353.) At all events, he missed seeing Sophie Cornelys, who always dined with her mother on a Sunday. The house of Madame Cornelys (i.e., Carlisle House, which was on the east side of Soho Square, south of Sutton Street) is described by Casanova as opposite the residence of the Venetian ambassador. (' Memoires ' [Gamier], vi. 344.) This state- ment is no doubt correct, since, according