Old Age and Death The Memoirs Of Jacques Casanova De Seingalt ...
Old Age and Death The Memoirs Of Jacques Casanova De Seingalt ... Old Age and Death The Memoirs Of Jacques Casanova De Seingalt ...
66 "At the age of eighteen years, I entered the military service of my country, and I went to Constantinople. Two years afterward, having returned to Venice, I left the profession of honor and, taking the bit in my teeth, embraced the wretched profession of a violinist. I horrified my friends, but this did not last for very long. "At the age of twenty-one years, one of the highest nobles of Venice adopted me as his son, and, having become rich, I went to see Italy, France, Germany and Vienna where I knew Count Roggendorff. I returned to Venice, where, two years later, the State Inquisitors of Venice, for just and wise reasons, imprisoned me under The Leads. "This was the state prison, from which no one had ever escaped, but, with the aid of God, I took flight at the end of fifteen months and went to Paris. In two years, my affairs prospered so well that I became worth a million, but, all the same, I went bankrupt. I made money in Holland; suffered misfortune in Stuttgart; was received with honors in Switzerland; visited M. de Voltaire; adventured in Genoa, Marseilles, Florence and in Rome where the Pope Rezzonico, a Venetian, made me a Chevalier of Saint-Jean-Latran and an apostolic protonotary. This was in the year 1760. "In the same year I found good fortune at Naples; at Florence I carried off a girl; and, the following year, I was to attend the Congress at Augsburg, charged with a commission from the King of Portugal. The Congress did not meet there and, after the publication of peace, I passed on into England, which great misfortunes caused me to leave in the following year, 1764. I avoided the gibbet which, however, should not have dishonored me as I should only have been hung. In the same year I searched in vain for fortune at Berlin and at Petersburg, but I found it at Warsaw in the following year. Nine months afterwards, I lost it
67 through being embroiled in a pistol duel with General Branicki; I pierced his abdomen but in eight months he was well again and I was very much pleased. He was a brave man. Obliged to leave Poland, I returned to Paris in 1767, but a 'lettre de cachet' obliged me to leave and I went to Spain where I met with great misfortunes. I committed the crime of making nocturnal visits to the mistress of the 'vice-roi', who was a great scoundrel. "At the frontiers of Spain, I escaped from assassins only to suffer, at Aix, in Provence, an illness which took me to the edge of the grave, after spitting blood for eighteen months. "In the year 1769, I published my Defense of the Government of Venice, in three large volumes, written against Amelot de la Houssaie. "In the following year the English Minister at the Court of Turin sent me, well recommended, to Leghorn. I wished to go to Constantinople with the Russian fleet, but as Admiral Orlof, would not meet my conditions, I retraced my steps and went to Rome under the pontificate of Ganganelli. "A happy love affair made me leave Rome and go to Naples and, three months later, an unhappy love made me return to Rome. I had measured swords for the third time with Count Medini who died four years ago at London, in prison for his debts. "Having considerable money, I went to Florence, where, during the Christmas Festival, the Archduke Leopold, the Emperor who died four or five years ago, ordered me to leave his dominions within three days. I had a mistress who, by my advice, became Marquise de * * * at Bologna. "Weary of running about Europe, I determined to solicit mercy from the
- Page 15 and 16: 15 is known other than that which s
- Page 17 and 18: 17 Abano for those who do not come
- Page 19 and 20: 19 "I am very sensible, Monsieur, o
- Page 21 and 22: 21 PART THE SECOND VIENNA-PARIS I 1
- Page 23 and 24: 23 and eating like a wolf. On the 3
- Page 25 and 26: 25 "S. E. Pietro Zaguri sent to me
- Page 27 and 28: 27 III VIENNA On the 29th November,
- Page 29 and 30: 29 would never have been written. T
- Page 31 and 32: 31 19th May 1784. "I see, to my gre
- Page 33 and 34: 33 Casanova did not reach this peri
- Page 35 and 36: 35 "Giacomo Casanova, in love, to C
- Page 37 and 38: 37 my lover, so just a request, so
- Page 39 and 40: 39 PART THE THIRD DUX 1786-1798 I T
- Page 41 and 42: 41 I have been disconsolated at rec
- Page 43 and 44: 43 always will be, your true and si
- Page 45 and 46: 45 oldest had the impudence to put
- Page 47 and 48: 47 new-born babe and would wish you
- Page 49 and 50: 49 having known that I would not sa
- Page 51 and 52: 51 In May 1793, Da Ponte wrote from
- Page 53 and 54: 53 one raised the least difficulty
- Page 55 and 56: 55 Waldstein laughed and said he wo
- Page 57 and 58: 57 charming in every way, pretty as
- Page 59 and 60: 59 In March 1797, this Henriette we
- Page 61 and 62: 61 instant from its respective star
- Page 63 and 64: 63 V PUBLICATIONS In 1786, Casanova
- Page 65: 65 "I remained at Padua long enough
- Page 69 and 70: 69 see his conversation, on the sub
- Page 71 and 72: 71 resulted in the loss of the firs
- Page 73: 73 JAKOB CASANOVA Venedig 1725 Dux
67<br />
through being embroiled in a pistol duel with General Branicki; I pierced<br />
his abdomen but in eight months he was well again <strong>and</strong> I was very much<br />
pleased. He was a brave man. Obliged to leave Pol<strong>and</strong>, I returned to Paris<br />
in 1767, but a 'lettre de cachet' obliged me to leave <strong>and</strong> I went to Spain<br />
where I met with great misfortunes. I committed the crime of making<br />
nocturnal visits to the mistress of the 'vice-roi', who was a great<br />
scoundrel.<br />
"At the frontiers of Spain, I escaped from assassins only to suffer, at<br />
Aix, in Provence, an illness which took me to the edge of the grave,<br />
after spitting blood for eighteen months.<br />
"In the year 1769, I published my <strong>De</strong>fense of the Government of Venice, in<br />
three large volumes, written against Amelot de la Houssaie.<br />
"In the following year the English Minister at the Court of Turin sent<br />
me, well recommended, to Leghorn. I wished to go to Constantinople with<br />
the Russian fleet, but as Admiral Orlof, would not meet my conditions, I<br />
retraced my steps <strong>and</strong> went to Rome under the pontificate of Ganganelli.<br />
"A happy love affair made me leave Rome <strong>and</strong> go to Naples <strong>and</strong>, three<br />
months later, an unhappy love made me return to Rome. I had measured<br />
swords for the third time with Count Medini who died four years ago at<br />
London, in prison for his debts.<br />
"Having considerable money, I went to Florence, where, during the<br />
Christmas Festival, the Archduke Leopold, the Emperor who died four or<br />
five years ago, ordered me to leave his dominions within three days. I<br />
had a mistress who, by my advice, became Marquise de * * * at Bologna.<br />
"Weary of running about Europe, I determined to solicit mercy from the