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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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72<br />

debt on his shoulders, which from time to time he ought to find heavy. He<br />

does not deserve a worse punishment. To-day, in the seventy-third year of<br />

my life, my only desire is to live in peace <strong>and</strong> to be far from any person<br />

who might imagine that he has rights over my moral liberty, for it is<br />

impossible that any kind of tyranny should not coincide with this<br />

imagination."<br />

Early in February, 1798, <strong>Casanova</strong> was taken sick with a very grave<br />

bladder trouble of which he died after suffering for three-<strong>and</strong>-a-half<br />

months. On the 16th February Zaguri wrote: "I note with the greatest<br />

sorrow the blow which has afflicted you." On the 31st March, after having<br />

consulted with a Prussian doctor, Zaguri sent a box of medicines <strong>and</strong> he<br />

wrote frequently until the end.<br />

On the 20th April Elisa von der Recke, whom <strong>Casanova</strong> had met, some years<br />

before, at the chateau of the Prince de Ligne at Teplitz, having returned<br />

to Teplitz, wrote: "Your letter, my friend, has deeply affected me.<br />

Although myself ill, the first fair day which permits me to go out will<br />

find me at your side." On the 27th, Elisa, still bedridden, wrote that<br />

the Count de Montboisier <strong>and</strong> his wife were looking forward to visiting<br />

<strong>Casanova</strong>. On the 6th May she wrote, regretting that she was unable to<br />

send some crawfish soup, but that the rivers were too high for the<br />

peasants to secure the crawfish. "<strong>The</strong> Montboisier family, Milady Clark,<br />

my children <strong>and</strong> myself have all made vows for your recovery." On the 8th,<br />

she sent bouillon <strong>and</strong> madeira.<br />

On the 4th June, 1798, <strong>Casanova</strong> died. His nephew, Carlo Angiolini was<br />

with him at the time. He was buried in the churchyard of Santa Barbara at<br />

Dux. <strong>The</strong> exact location of his grave is uncertain, but a tablet, placed<br />

against the outside wall of the church reads:

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