RaBKaLBeNO—VeSheeSh—DiN.
The meaning is "Rabbi (Mr.) Kalbeno"—"And six"—"Judge." Perhaps Kalbeno should be Albeno, the initial letter being obscure. The above is put forth as a curious coincidence, not by any means with the certainty which a much more extended examination than a dozen letters can afford.
T. J. BUCKTON.
Lichfield.
INEDITED LETTER OF ALFIERI.
[The circumstances which led to Alfieri's hasty retreat from England in 1771, and to Lord Ligonier's successful application for a divorce, are doubtless familiar to all who have read the very amusing Autobiography of the Italian poet. At all events we must presume so, as they are scarcely of a nature to be reproduced in "NOTES AND QUERIES." Twenty years after that even, when about to embark for the Continent with the Countess of Albany, Alfieri, as he was stepping on board the packet, saw again for the first time since 1771 Lady Ligonier, who was on the quay. They recognised each other, but that was all.
Alfieri, after describing this event in the 21st chapter of his Autobiography, proceeds:—"Si arrivo a Calais; di dove io molto colpito di quella vista così inespettata le volli scrivere per isfogo del cuore, e mandai la mia lettera al Banchiere de Douvres, che glie la rimettesse in proprie mani, e me ne trasmettesse poi la risposta a Bruxelles, dove sarei stato fra pochi giorni. La mia lettera, di cui mi spiace di non aver serbato copia era certamente piena d' affetti, non già d' amore, ma di una vera e profonda commozione di vederla ancora menare una vita errante e sì poco decorosa al suo stato e nascita, e di dolore che io ne sentiva tanto più pensando di esserne io stato ancorchè innocentement o la cagione o il pretesto."
The original letter of Alfieri (which we presume he would have inserted in his Autobiography, had he kept a copy of it, seeing that he has there printed Lady Ligonier's reply) is in the possession of a nobleman, a relative of the unfortunate lady; and we are enabled by the kindness of a correspondent to lay before our readers the following copy of it.
How far it bears out the writer's description of it we do not stop to ask; but certainly if the reader will take the trouble to turn to the conclusion of the chapter to which we have referred, we think he cannot fail to be struck with the difference between the terms in which the quondam lover writes of the lady, and those which he addresses to her in the following Epistle.[5]]
[5] In the only edition of the Vita (12mo. 1809) to which we have an opportunity of referring, this event is represented as occurring in 1791: it will be seen that it really took place in 1792. The lady's reply is there dated (tom. ii. p. 193.) "Dover, 25th April," instead of 24th August.