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Old Age and Death The Memoirs Of Jacques Casanova De Seingalt ...

Old Age and Death The Memoirs Of Jacques Casanova De Seingalt ...

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37<br />

my lover, so just a request, so I gave her the address she wished; but I<br />

addressed the letter to a city far from you. Is it not, my dear friend,<br />

that you would like well to know the name of the city, so that you could<br />

secure the letter by posts. But you can depend on my word that you will<br />

not know it until you have written me a very long letter begging me very<br />

humbly to indicate the place where the divine letter of the adorable<br />

object of your vows has gone. You might well make this sacrifice for a<br />

girl in whom the Emperor [Joseph II] interests himself, for it is known<br />

that, since your departure from Vienna, it is he who is teaching her<br />

French <strong>and</strong> music; <strong>and</strong> apparently he takes the trouble of instructing her<br />

himself, for she often goes to his house to thank him for his kindnesses<br />

to her, but I know not in what way she expresses herself.<br />

"Farewell, my dear friend. Think sometimes of me <strong>and</strong> believe that I am<br />

your sincere friend."<br />

On the 23rd April 1785, the ambassador Foscarini died, depriving <strong>Casanova</strong><br />

of a protector, probably leaving him without much money, <strong>and</strong> not in the<br />

best of health. He applied for the position of secretary to Count Fabris,<br />

his former friend, whose name had been changed from Tognolo, but without<br />

success. <strong>Casanova</strong> then determined to go to Berlin in the hope of a place<br />

in the Academy. On the 30th July he arrived at Bruen in Moravia, where<br />

his friend Maximilian-Joseph, Count Lamberg gave him, among other letters<br />

of recommendation, a letter addressed to Jean-Ferdin<strong>and</strong> Opiz, Inspector<br />

of Finances <strong>and</strong> Banks at Czaslau, in which he wrote:<br />

"A celebrated man, M. <strong>Casanova</strong>, will deliver to you, my dear friend, the<br />

visiting card with which he is charged for Mme. Opiz <strong>and</strong> yourself.<br />

Knowing this amiable <strong>and</strong> remarkable man, will mark an epoch in your life,<br />

be polite <strong>and</strong> friendly to him, 'quod ipsi facies in mei memoriam<br />

faciatis'. Keep yourself well, write to me, <strong>and</strong> if you can direct him to

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