Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/191

 12 S. I. MAR. 4, 1916. ;

NOTES AND QUERIES.

185

conclusion that he thought that his un- doubted love for his country could be more effectively and artistically expressed through the medium of history freely manipulated to suit his purpose. No doubt the rough out- line of his political philosophy here indi- cated could be subjected, did space permit, to considerable modification in various particulars. But its main outline, as well as his mode of expressing it, seems to be as here stated. GORDON CROSSE.

CASANOVA IN ENGLAND.

(See 10 S. viii. 443, 491 ; ix. 116 ; xi. 437 ; US. ii. 386 ; iii. 242 ; iv. 382, 461 ; v. 123, 484; 12 S. i. 121.)

CASANOVA gives an interesting, though an inaccurate description of " Sunday observ- ance " in England at the period of his visit :

" I went to St. James's Park to call on Lady Harrington,* for whom I had a letter, as I have mentioned. This lady lived in the precincts of the Court, and for this reason she had an Assembly every Sunday. It was allowable to play in her house, as the park is under the jurisdiction of the Crown. In all other places one does not dare to play cards or have music on Sundays. The town abounds in spies, and if they have reason to suppose that there is any gaming or music going on they watch for their opportunity, slip into the house, and arrest all the bad Christians who dare to profane the Lord's Day by an amusement which is thought innocent in any other country." ' Memo ires de Casanova ' (Gamier), vi. 364.

Perhaps the memoirist, wearied by the dullness of an English Sabbath, like many foreigners, was exaggerating the extent of our Puritanism unconsciously, or else some one had been "pulling his leg." From references in The Rambler, The World, and The Connoisseur, the late Mr. Lecky has shown that Sunday card-parties were fashion- able amusements about the middle of the century. " Sunday concerts were somewhat timidly introduced," the same writer con- tinues, "but soon became popular" ('Hist, of England,* vol. ii. 534). Still, there was the danger of a vigorous protest from the man in the street, as indicated by the state- ment of Dr. Burney that a Lady Brown " was one of the first persons of fashion who had the courage, at the risk of her windows, to have concerts on a Sunday evening " (' History of Music,' iv. 671). There was no


 * Caroline, Countess of Harrington, nee Fitzroy,

died June 28, 1784. Married William, second

Earl of Harrington, Aug. 11, 1746. She lived at

> Stable Yard, so Casanova is correct in regard to

her place of residence.

rigorously enforced law to prevent these recreations, as Casanova declares, but there undoubtedly was a prejudice against them, fostered no doubt by the pious example of King George III., both at the time of the Venetian's visit to England and long after- wards. Speaking of the Berrys a quarter of a century later, Horace Walpole says :

" This delightful family comes to me almost every Sunday evening . . . . to play at cards .... I do not care a straw for cards, but I do disapprove of this partiality to the youngest child of the week.'* ' Letters ' (Toynbee), xiv. 89.

Lady Mary Coke, however, made no bones about playing cards on Sundays, as her ' Journal ' testifies.

There is, I think, a satisfactory explana- tion of the riot at Drury Lane Theatre described in the ' Memoires ' (Garnier), vi. 369. During the year 1763 there were several theatrical riots, the most famous of which took place at Drury Lane on Jan. 25 and 26 during the performance of * The Two Gentlemen of Verona,' five months before Casanova arrived in England. These dis- turbances, which were directed against Garrick (as related by Casanova), were inspired by an Irishman named Thaddeus (known as "Thady") Fitzpatrick. On Jan. 26 John Moody (as well as Garrick) was called upon to apologize, because he had prevented a maniac from setting fire to the theatre. " I am sorry," he retorted, sar- castically, " that I have displeased you by saving your lives." Enraged by this reply, the audience demanded that he should apologize " on his knees," which the actor refused to do ( ' Account of the English Stage,' J. Genest, v. 14-16). A memoir and portrait of "Thady" Fitzpatrick will be found in The Town and Country Magazine, vii. 177. Probably Casanova, having been told of these occurrences by Martinelli, has given his description from hearsay, or it is possible, since the feud between Garrick and Fitzpatrick continued for some time, that the Italian may have witnessed a similar disturbance in the playhouse. I am inclined towards the former supposition, since it is incredible that David Garrick was compelled by the audience (as Casanova says he was) to apologize " on his knees."

I have remarked previously that it is a curious thing that Casanova does not mention John Wilkes, who was the most- talked-of man in England during the year 1763. It is possible, however, that the adventurer and the " patriot " met one another four years later. Through the kindness of M. Charles Samaran I have