Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/408

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. NOV. IG, 1901.


elevated to the see of Carlisle in 1218, or at some time during his tenure of office, he may well have given to this episcopal residence a name not only descriptive of its position, but directly associated with his former lite.

The use of the name Beaulieu next referred to may probably be included in the same class. In 1212 the abbot and monks of bt. Denis en Broqueroie in Hainault authorized Badouin de Lobbes, seneschal of Valenciennes, to establish a chapelry at Havre, near Valen- ciennes, in the place called Bellus Locus (Beaulieu) ('Table Chronologique des Ohartes, &c., vol. iii. p. 374).

The names of the parish and rectory of Bewley in the county of Kilkenny, and the parish and rectory of Beaulieu in the county of Louth, had no doubt an ecclesiastical or monastic origin, though it may be impossible now to ascertain the Circumstances under which they were first given.

The collection of villas and hotels in a charming spot on the Riviera between Nice and Monaco, which bears the name of Beau- lieu, has only come into existence of recent years, and the origin of the name is self- evident. It is, however, almost the only place of that name that has come under my notice which has not some monastic or ecclesiastical connexion.

On a review of the matters above stated, it would appear that in ancient times Bellus Locus was in some instances essentially a descriptive name, of the same character as Clarus Fons or Vallis Clausa ; but one may conjecture, I think, that in other cases it was used figuratively, the monastery to which the name was attached being " a fair place " in contrast to its lawless or wild surround- ings. The main reason, however, for its adoption in after times would, I think, be the prestige acquired by some of the monasteries that first bore the name. The name for centuries may be said to have had a genuine monastic ring, and its association with great religious houses and with influential monastic orders may be the principal cause of its fre- quent and widespread use.

EDMUND T. BEWLEY.


CASANOVIANA. (Continued from p. 359.)

CASANOVA'S second preface was written in 1797. The following letter, which is supposed to have been addressed to Count Marcolini, may be inserted in this place :

Dux, le 27 Avril, 1797.

MONSIEUR, Voici la preface que vous avez honoree de votre suffrage : je 1'ai am61ior6e, la purgeant d une certaine metaphysique qui me parut


dire trop, on trop peu ; je vous ai vu de mon meme avis, malgre qu'en la lisant vous ayez cru de ne me devoir rien dire ; mais j'ose vous assurer que vous m'auriez fait plaisir, car 1'indocilite n'est pas mon defaut quand je raisonne avec des tetes carrees. Je dispute, et apres avoir bien marchande, le plus souvent je me rends. Vous trouverez plus ample- ment en moi ce caractere quand vous lirez de sens rassis, et h toute votre aise, mon premier tome que j'ai decide de vous livrer, si vous voulez bien, vous 1'appropriant, en devenir 1'editeur. Oh qu'il voye le jour de mon vivant ou postume, il me semble qu'il ne doit paraitre au jour que superieur a la critique : je crois qu'il le sera quand vous le trou- verez tel. La publication de ce premier tome nous fera connaitre la destineedes suivantsetnousd^ter- minera a les faire vivre ou a les bruler. We have here conclusive proof that, what- ever may have been Casanova's intention in 1791, all idea of a posthumous publication was abandoned in 1797. He now proposes to hazard the publication of the first volume, which, if successful, would be succeeded by others. Although this "trial trip" was never made, there is reason to suppose that portions of the memoirs were actually in print some time before Casanova's death. Among the papers found at Dux were several letters addressed to Casanova by the Prince de Ligne. I will give a few extracts.

In a letter dated Vienna, 17 December, 1794, the Prince advises Casanova to have his ' Histoire de ma Vie ' printed without the knoivledge of Count Waldstein, and conveys a hint that the Count may have had some pecuniary interest in a posthumous pub- lication :

" Faites comme moi, vendes-vous de votre vivant ; portes vos manuscrits aux freres Walter, a Dresde.

Mon cher ne veu* s'en desolera, s'il a fait la dessus

une speculation. Mais une confession g&ierale

votre conscience un capucin Walter vous

tiendra surement le secret."

A letter dated Vienna, 24 January, 1796, also from the Prince, says :

"Faites imprimer M.M. et L.L. puisque A.S. est niort. Henriette, votre bonne Esther, d'Urfe'W..., et imprimes vous bien, mon cher ami."

The following extract is taken from an undated letter written by the Prince de Ligne :

" J'approuve bien les deux annees [des memoires] que vous faites imprimer. Laches nous en, comme cela de terns en terns en petites f euilles ; vous verrs comme cela sera couru, achete*, In, et deVore."

On 17 November, 1797, Casanova com- pleted his 'Precis de ma Vie,'t which con- cludes thus : " C'est le seul precis de ma vie que j'ai ecrit, et je permets qu'on en fasse tel usage qu'on voudra."

In less than seven months after writing

  • Count Joseph Waldstein.

f See Le Livre, August, 1887, p. 225.