Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/468

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462


NOTES AND QUERIES. tn s. iv. DEC. 9, 1911


for the purpose, and presented to " all the Catholic Europeans or their immediate descendants dying in this Settlement." Her tomb is still standing on which she is described as " Uxor Edwardi Tiretta, Tarvisini." The inscription is given in ' The Complete Monumental Register,' by M. Derozario, Calcutta, 1815, p. 148. When Tiretta himself died does not appear to be known, but as no memorial of him exists in any of the Calcutta cemeteries, it is pos- sible that he returned to Europe.

W. F. PRIDEATJX.

CASANOVA : SOME CHARACTERS IDEN- TIFIED. In the Gamier edition of the famous ' Memoires de Casanova ' there are many names distorted either by Casanova himself or by his successive printers. Some of these are easily identified, e.g., " the Duke of Rosebury" (the 3rd Earl of Rosebery, who was " some time on the Continent ") ; " Lord Talon, son of Lord Limore " (Lord Tallow, son of the Earl of Lismore, of Jacobite creation) ; and " Miss Chodeleigh," at once settled as she is described as " devenue Duchesse de Kingston." There are many other instances where a stroke of the pen puts all right. It is different, however, with another class, where the names are less well known. It takes some research to find out that "leComte de Holstein," who appears in the episode of " La Catinella " (ii. 282), was the brother of Johann Friedrich Karl d'Ostein (1743-63), Archbishop of Mayence ; and that " la Princesse de Toude- ville " (v. 12), daughter of Madame d'Urfe, was really Agnes Marie (d. 1 July, 1756, aged 24), wife of Paul Edouard Colbert, Comte de Creuilly, known later as Due d'Estouteville. In the episode of " Rosalie " (v. 105) we find the lady welcomed and admired by " un vieil officier qui senommait Peterson " ; this was none other than Sir James Paterson, a son of Sir Hugh Paterson of Bannockburn, Bart., who was lieutenant- general in the army of the King of Sardinia, and Governor of Nice, and died at Bath 5 Sept., 1765.

On p. 153 of vol. vii. Casanova mentions a love-affair between Lord Macartney and a Russian, Mile. Chitroff. This seems to be the same lady whom Lord Macartney him- self describes as " Mile. Keyshoff . . . .of a great family, but neither young, handsome, nor clever .... Her only merit in my eyes was a passion which she either had or affected to have for me " (p. 25, H. M. Rob- bins's ' Our First Ambassador in China'). I have been fortunate enough to find con-


temporary evidence for what Casanova! writes about the mother of Mile. X. C. V, (ii. 347, and iv. 39 et seq., which evidently refers to the same family). Lady Mary Wortley Montagu wrote to Lady Bute from. Venice, 3 Oct., 1758, about an Anglo-Greek family who are obviously identical (' Letters,' ii. 339-40) :

" Three fair ladies (I should say four, including, the Signora Madre) set out for London a few days- ago. As they have no acquaintance there, I think it very probable (knowing their assurance) that some of them may try to make some by visiting you, perhaps in my name. Upon my word I never saw them except in public and at the resident's, who, being one of their numerous passionate admirers, obliged his wife to receive them. The father's name was Wynn ; some say he had 1,200/. per annum, others 2,000/. He came several years since to Venice to dissipate his affliction for the loss of his lady. He was introduced by his gondolier (who are as industrious as the drawers at London) to this Greek, who I believe was then remarkably handsome, having still great remains of beauty. He liked her well enough to take her into keeping, and had three daughters by her, before her artifices prevailed on him to marry her. Since then she produced two boys. Mr. W. died here, leaving all! his children infants. He left the girls 1,500^. each. The mother carried them all to England, I suppose- being told it was necessary to prove the marriage. She stayed there one year, but bein^ tired of tne- place, where she knew nobody, nor one word of the- language, she returned hither, where she has flourished exceedingly and receives the homage of all the young fellows in the town, strangers and natives. They kept a constant assembly, but had no female visitors of any distinction. The eldest daughter speaks English. I have said enough to- hinder your being deceived by them, but should have much more, if you had been at Caenwood in full leisure to read novels. The story deserves the- pen of my dear Smollett "

In one place Casanova says that Madame- Winne's eldest daughter (ii. 347) was then at Venice, "veuve du Comte de Rosenberg," Ambassador from Marie Theresa ; in another,. Mile. X. C. V., " devint grande dame " at Venice (iv. 127). I take it she was " 1st Comtesse Wynne de Rosenberg" who was author of ' Du Sejour des Comtes du Nord ; a Venise en Janvier, 1782,' Paris, 1782 ; ' Pieces morales et sentimentales,' London r

1785 ; 'II Trionfo dei Gondolieri,' Venice,

1786 ; and ' Altichiero,' Padua, 1787 ; as cited in Philippe Monnier's ' Venise au XVIII. Siecle.' A. FRANCIS STEUART.

79, Great King Street, Edinburgh.


SIGNS OF OLD COUNTRY INNS. FOLLOWING up MB. LINDSAY HILSON'S note- (ante, p. 226), I give a list of inns from a manuscript account of a journey from Liverpool to the South and back, begun 24 April, 1768, and ended 7 June of the