Chapter 17 of the Memoise of Jacques Casanova, Volume 1 by Jacques-Casanova. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Memoise of Jacques Casanova, Volume 1, the Venetian Years by Jacques-Casanova. Chapter 17 I turn out a worthless fellow. My good fortune. I become a rich nobleman. With an education which ought to have ensured me an honorable standing in the world, with some intelligence, wit, good literary and scientific knowledge, and endowed with those accidental physical qualities which are such a good passport into society, I found myself at the age of twenty, the mean follower of a sublime art, in which, if great talent is rightly admired, mediocrity is as rightly despised. I was compelled by poverty to become a member of a musical band, in which I could expect neither esteem nor consideration, and I was well aware that I should be the laughingstock of the persons who had known me as a doctor in divinity, as an ecclesiastic, and as an officer in the army, and had welcomed me in the highest society. I knew all that, for I was not blind to my position, but contempt, the only thing to which I could not have remained indifferent, never showed itself anywhere under a form tangible enough for me to have no doubt of my being despised, and I said it at defiance, because I was satisfied that contempt is due only to cowardly, mean actions, and I was conscious that I had never been guilty of any. As to public esteem, which I have been ever anxious to secure, my ambition was slumbering, and satisfied with being my own master, I enjoyed my independence without puzzling my head about the future. I felt that, in my first profession, as I was not blessed with the vocation necessary to it, I should have succeeded only by dint of hypocrisy, and I should have been despicable in my own estimation, even if I had seen the purple mantle on my shoulders, for the greatest dignities cannot silence a man's own conscious. If, on the other hand, I had continued to seek fortune in a military career, which is surrounded by a halo of glory, but is otherwise the worst of professions for the constant self-abnegation, for the complete surrender of one's will, which passive obedience demands. I should have required a patience to which I could not lay claim, as every kind of injustice was revolting to me, and as I could not bear to feel myself dependent. Besides, I was of opinion that a man's profession, whatever it might be, ought to supply him with enough money to satisfy all his wants, and the very poor pay of an officer would never have been sufficient to cover my expenses, because my education had given me greater wants than those of officers in general. By scraping my violin, I earned enough to keep myself without requiring anybody's assistance, and I have always thought that the man who can support himself is happy. I grant that my profession was not a brilliant one, but I did not mind it, and, calling prejudices all the feelings which rose in my breast against myself, I was not long in sharing all the habits of my degraded comrades. When the play was over, I went with them to the drinking booth, which we often left intoxicated to spend the night in houses of ill fame. When we happened to find these places already tenanted by other men, we forced them by violence to quit the premises, and defrauded the miserable victims of prostitution, of the mean salary the law allows them, after compelling them to yield to our brutality. Our scandalous proceedings often exposed us to the greatest danger. We would very often spend the whole night rambling about the city, inventing and carrying into execution the most impertinent practical jokes. One of our favorite pleasures was to unmoor the patrician's gondolas and let them float at random along the canals, enjoying by anticipation all the curses that gondoliers would not fail to indulge in. We would rouse up hurriedly in the middle of the night an honest midwife telling her to hasten to madam so-and-so, who, not even being pregnant, was sure to tell her that she was a fool when she called at the house. We did the same with physicians, whom we often sent half-dressed to some nobleman who was enjoying excellent health. The priests fared no better. We would send them to carry the last sacraments to married men who were peacefully slumbering near their wives and not even thinking of extreme unction. We were in the habit of cutting the wires of the bells in every house, and if we chanced to find a gate open we would go up the stairs in the dark and frighten the sleeping inmates by telling them very loudly that the house door was not closed, after which we would go down, making as much noise as we could, and leave the house with the gate wide open. During a very dark night we formed a plot to overturn the large marble table of St. Angelo's Square, on which it is said that in the days of the League of Cambrai the commissaries of the Republic were in the habit of paying the bounty to the recruits who engaged a fight under the standard of St. Mark, a circumstance which secured for the table a sort of public veneration. Whenever we could contrive to get into a church tower we thought it great fun to frighten all the parish by ringing the alarm bell as if some fire had broken out. But that was not all. We always cut the bell ropes so that in the morning the church wardens had no means of summoning the faithful to early mass. Sometimes we would cross the canal, each of us in a different gondola, take to our heels without paying as soon as we landed on the opposite shore in order to make the gondoliers run after us. The city was alive with complaints and we laughed at the useless search made by the police to find out those who disturbed the peace of the inhabitants. We took good care to be careful, for if we had been discovered we stood a very fair chance of being sent to practice rowing at the expense of the Council of Ten. We were seven, sometimes eight, because being much attached to my brother Francois I gave him a share now and then in our nocturnal orgies. But at last fear put a stop to our criminal jokes which in those days I used to call only the frolics of young men. This is the amusing adventure which closed our exploits. In every one of the seventy-two parishes of the city of Venice there is a large public house called Magasino. It remains open all night and wine is retailed there at a cheaper price than in all the other drinking houses. People can likewise eat in the Magasino but they must obtain what they want from the pork butcher nearby who has the exclusive sale of eatables and likewise keeps his shop open throughout the night. The pork butcher is usually a very poor cook but he is cheap. Poor people are willingly satisfied with him and these resorts are considered very useful to the lower class. The nobility, the merchants, even workmen in good circumstances are never seen in the Magasino for cleansiness is not exactly worshipped in such places. Yet there are a few private rooms which contain a table surrounded with benches in which a respectable family or a few friends can enjoy themselves in a decent way. It was during the carnival of 1745 after midnight we were all the eight of us rambling about together with our masks on in quest of some new sort of mischief to amuse us and we went into the Magasino of the parish of the Holy Cross to get something to drink. We found the public room empty but in one of the private chambers we discovered three men quietly conversing with a young and pretty woman and enjoying their wine. Our chief, a noble Venetian belonging to the Balbi family said to us, it would be a good joke to carry off those three blockheads and to keep the pretty woman in our possession. He immediately explained his plan and under cover of our masks we entered their room, Balbi at the head of us. Our sudden appearance rather surprised the good people but you may fancy their astonishment when they heard Balbi say to them, under penalty of death and by order of the Council of Ten I command you to follow us immediately without making the slightest noise. As to you, my good woman, you need not be frightened. You will be escorted to your house. When he had finished his speech two of us got hold of the woman to take her where our chief had arranged beforehand and the others seized the three poor fellows who were trembling all over and had not the slightest idea of opposing any resistance. The waiter of the Magasino came to be paid and our chief gave him what was due in joining silence under penalty of death. We took our three prisoners to a large boat. Balbi went to the stern, ordered the boatman to stand at the bow and told him he did not inquire where we were going that he would steer himself whichever way he thought fit. Not one of us knew where Balbi wanted to take the three poor devils. He sails all along the canal, gets out of it, takes several turnings and in a quarter of an hour we reach St. George where Balbi lands our prisoners who are delighted to find themselves at liberty. Just the boatman is ordered to take us to St. Genevieve where we land after paying for the boat. We proceed at once to Balombo Square where my brother and another of our band were waiting for us with our lovely prisoner who was crying. Do not weep my beauty, says Balbi to her. We will not hurt you. We intend only to take some refreshment at the Rialto and then we will take you home in safety. Where is my husband? Never fear, you shall see him again tomorrow. Comforted by that promise and as gentle as a lamb she followed us to the two swords. We ordered a good fire in a private room and everything we wanted to eat and drink having been brought to us we sent the waiter away and remain alone. We take off our masks and the sight of eight young healthy faces seems to please the beauty we had so unceremoniously carried off. We soon managed to reconcile her to her fate by the gallantry of our proceedings encouraged by a good supper and by the stimulus of wine prepared by our compliments and by a few kisses. She realizes what is in store for her and does not seem to have any unconquerable objection. Our chief as a matter of right claims the privilege of opening the ball and by dint of sweet words he overcomes the very natural repugnance she feels at consummating the sacrifice in so numerous company. She, doubtless, thinks the offering agreeable for when I present myself as the priest appointed to sacrifice a second time to the God of Love she receives me almost with gratitude and she cannot conceal her joy when she finds out that she is destined to make us all happy. My brother Francois alone exempted himself from paying the tribute saying that he was ill the only excuse which could render his refusal valid for we had established as a law that every member of our society was bound to do whatever was done by the others. After that fine exploit we put on our masks and the bill being paid escorted the happy victim to St. Job where she lived and did not leave her till we had seen her safe in her house in the street door closed. My readers may imagine whether we felt inclined to laugh when the charming creature beat us good night thanking us all with perfect good faith. Two days afterwards our nocturnal orgy began to be talked of. The young woman's husband was a weaver by trade and so were his two friends they joined together to address a complaint to the Council of Ten. The complaint was candidly written and contained nothing but the truth but the criminal portion of the truth was nailed by a circumstance which must have brought a smile on the grave countenances of the judges and highly amused the public at large. The complaint setting forth that the eight masked men had not rendered themselves guilty of any act disagreeable to the wife and went on to say that the two men who had carried her off had taken her to such a place where they had an hour later been met by the other six and that they had all repaired to the two swords where they had spent an hour in drinking. The said lady, having been handsomely entertained by the eight masked men had been escorted to her house where she had been politely requested to excuse the joke perpetrated upon her husband. The three plaintiffs had not been able to leave the island of St. George until daybreak and the husband on reaching his house had found his wife quietly asleep in her bed. She had informed him of all that had happened. She complained of nothing but of the great fright she had experienced on account of her husband and on that count she entreated justice and the punishment of the guilty parties. That complaint was comic throughout for the three rogues showed themselves very brave in writing stating that they would certainly have not given way so easily if the dread authority of the council had not been put forth by the leader of the band. The document produced three different results. In the first place it amused the town. In the second all the idlers of Venice went to St. Job to hear the account of the adventure from the lips of the heroine herself and she got many presents from her numerous visitors. In the third place the council of ten offered a reward of five hundred dookouts to any person giving such information as would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the practical joke even if the informer belonged to the band providing he was not the leader. The offer of that reward would have made us tremble if our leader precisely the one who alone had no interest in turning informer had not been a patrician. The rank of Balbi quieted my anxiety at once because I knew that even supposing one of us were vile enough to betray our secret for the sake of the reward the tribunal would have done nothing in order not to implicate a patrician. There was no cowardly traitor amongst us although we were all poor but fear had its effect and our nocturnal pranks were not renewed. Three or four months afterwards the Chevalier Nicholas Iron then one of the inquisitors astonished me greatly by telling me the whole story giving the names of all the actors. He did not tell me whether any one of the band had betrayed the secret and I did not care to know but I could clearly see the characteristic spirit of the aristocracy in which the Sola Mihi is the supreme law. Towards the end of April of the year 1746 Monsieur Guerrellamo Connaro the oldest son of the family Connario de la Riene married a daughter of the house of Soranzo de St. Paul and I had the honor of being present at the wedding as a fiddler. I played the violin in one of the numerous bands engaged for the Balls given for three consecutive days in the Soranzo Palace. On the third day towards the end of the dancing an hour before daybreak feeling tired I left the orchestra abruptly and as I was going down the stairs I observed a senator wearing his red robes on the point of getting into a gondola. In taking his handkerchief out of his pocket he let a letter drop on the ground. I picked it up and coming up to him as he was going down the steps I handed it to him. He received it with many thanks and inquired where I lived. I told him and he insisted upon my coming with him in the gondola saying that he would leave me at my house. I accepted gratefully and sat down near him. A few minutes afterwards he asked me to rub his left arm which he said was so benumbed that he could not feel it. I rubbed it with all my strength but he told me in a sort of indistinct whisper that the numbness was spreading all along the left side and that he was dying. I was greatly frightened. I opened the curtain, took the lantern and found him almost insensible and the mouth drawn on one side. I understood that he was seized with an apoplectic stroke and called out to the gondoliers to land me at once in order to procure a surgeon to bleed the patient. I jumped out of the gondola and found myself on the very spot where three years before I had taught Rosetta such a forcible lesson. I inquired for a surgeon at the first coffee house and ran to the house that was pointed out to me. I knocked as hard as I could. The door was at last opened and I made the surgeon follow me in his dressing gown as far as the gondola which was waiting. He bled the senator while I was tearing my shirt to make the compress and the bandage. The operation being performed I ordered the gondoliers to row as fast as possible and re-reached St. Marina. The servants were roused up and taking the sick man out of the gondola we carried him to his bed almost dead. Taking everything upon myself I ordered a servant to hurry out for a physician who came in a short time and ordered the patient to be bled again thus approving the first bleeding prescribed by me thinking I had the right to watch the sick man I settled myself near his bed to give him every care he required. An hour later two noblemen friends of the senator came in one a few minutes after the other they were in despair they had inquired about the accident from the gondoliers and having been told that I knew more than they did they loaded me with questions which I answered they did not know who I was and did not like to ask me if I had a better to preserve a modest silence the patient did not move his breathing alone showed that he was still alive fomentations were constantly applied and the priest who had been sent for and was of very little use during such circumstances seemed to be there only to see him die all visitors were sent away by my advice and the two noblemen and myself were the only persons in the sick man's room at noon we partook silently and some dinner which was served in the sick room in the evening one of the two friends told me that if I had any business to attend to I could go because they would both pass the night on a mattress near the patient and I, sir, I said will remain near his bed in this armchair for if I went away the patient would die and he will live as long as I am near him this sententious answer struck them with astonishment as I expected it would and they looked at each other in great surprise we had supper and in the little conversation we had I gathered the information that the senator, their friend was Monsieur de Bragedon the only brother of the procurator of that name he was celebrated in Venice not only for his eloquence and his great talents as a statesman but also for the gallantries of his youth he had been very extravagant with women and more than one of them had committed many follies for him he had gambled and lost a great deal and his brother was his most bitter enemy because he was infatuated with the idea that he had tried to poison him he had accused him of that crime before the council of ten which after an investigation of eight months had brought in a verdict of not guilty but that just sentence although given unanimously by that high tribunal had not the effect of destroying his brother's prejudices against him Monsieur de Bragedon who was perfectly innocent of such a crime and impressed by an unjust brother who deprived him of half his income spent his days like an amiable philosopher surrounded by his friends amongst whom were the two noblemen who were then watching him one belonged to the Dandolo family the other was a Barbaro and both were excellent men Monsieur de Bragedon was handsome learned, cheerful and most kindly disposed he was then about fifty years old the physician who attended him was named Tarot he thought by some peculiar train of reasoning that he could cure him by applying a mercurial ointment to the chest to which no one raised any objection the rapid effect of the remedy delighted the two friends but it frightened me for in less than twenty four hours the patient was laboring under great excitement of the brain the physician said that he had expected that effect but on the following day the remedy would act less on the brain and diffuse its beneficial action through the whole of the system which required to be invigorated by a proper equilibrium in the circulation of the fluids at midnight the patient was in a state of high fever and a fearful state of irritation I examined him closely and found him hardly able to breathe I roused up his two friends and declared that in my opinion the patient would die unless the fatal ointment was at once removed without waiting for their answer he took off his chest took off the plaster washed the skin carefully with lukewarm water and in less than three minutes he breathed freely and fell into a quiet sleep delighted with such a fortunate result we lay down again the physician came very early in the morning and was much pleased to see his patient so much better but when Monsieur Dandolo informed him what had been done he was angry saying it was enough to kill his patient he was no audacious as to destroy the effect of his prescription Monsieur de Bragedon speaking for the first time said to him doctor the person who has delivered me from your mercury which was killing me is a more skilled physician than you and saying these words he pointed to me it would be hard to say who was the more astonished the doctor when he saw the person whom he must have taken for an imposter declared more learned than himself or I when I saw myself transformed into a physician at a moment's notice I kept silent looking very modest but hardly able to control my mirth whilst the doctor was staring at me with a mixture of astonishment and of spite evidently thinking me some bold quack who had tried to supplant him the rest turning towards Monsieur de Bragedon he told him coldly that he would leave him in my hands he was taken at his word he went away and behold I had become the physician of the most illustrious member of the Venetian Senate I must confess that I was very glad of it and I told my patient that a proper diet was all he needed and that nature assisted by the approaching fine season would do the rest the dismissed physician related the affair throughout the town and as Monsieur de Bragedon was rapidly improving one of his relations who came to see him told him that everybody was astonished at his having chosen for his physician a fiddler from the theater but the senator put a stop to his remarks by answering that a fiddler could know more than all the doctors in Venice and that he owed his life to me the worthy nobleman he considered me as his oracle his two friends listened to me with the deepest attention their infatuation encouraged me I spoke like a learned physician I dogmatized I quoted authors whom I had never read Monsieur de Bragedon who had the weakness to believe in the occult sciences told me one day that for a young man of my age he thought my learning too extensive and that he was certain from supernatural endowment he entreated me to tell him the truth what extraordinary things will sometimes occur from mere chance or from the force of circumstances unwilling to hurt his vanity by telling him that he was mistaken I took the wild resolution of informing him in the presence of his two friends that I possessed a certain numeral calculus which gave answers also in numbers to any questions I like to put Monsieur de Bragedon said that it was Solomon's key vulgarly called Kabbalistic science and he asked me from whom I had learnt it from an old hermit I answered who lives in the compagna mountains and whose acquaintance I made quite by chance when I was a prisoner in the Spanish army the hermit remarked the senator has without informing you of it linked an invisible spirit to the calculus he has taught you for simple numbers cannot have the power of reason you possess a real treasure and you may derive great advantages from it I did not know I said in what way I can make my science useful because the answers given by the numerical figures are often so obscure that I have felt discouraged and I have very seldom tried to make use of my calculus yet it is very true that if I had not formed my pyramid I should never have had the happiness of knowing your Excellency well how so? on the second day during the festivities of the Soronzo Palace I inquired of my oracle whether I should meet at the ball anyone whom I should not care to see the answer I obtained was this leave the ballroom at precisely four o'clock I obeyed implicitly and met your Excellency the three friends were astounded Monsieur Dandolo asked me whether I would answer a question he would ask the interpretation of which would belong only to him as he was the only person acquainted with the subject of the question I declared myself quite willing for it was necessary to brazen it out after having ventured as far as I had done he wrote the question and gave it to me I read it I could not understand either the subject or the meaning of the words but it did not matter I had to give an answer if the question was so obscure that I could not make out the sense of it it was natural that I should not understand the answer I therefore answered in ordinary figures four lines of which he alone could be the interpreter not caring much at least in appearance how they would be understood Monsieur Dandolo read them twice over seemed astonished said it was all very plain to him it was divine it was unique it was a gift from heaven the numbers being only the vehicle but the answer emanating evidently from an immortal spirit Monsieur Dandolo was so well pleased that his two friends very naturally wanted also to make an experiment they asked questions on all sorts of subjects and my answers perfectly unintelligible to myself were all held as divine by them I congratulated them on their success and congratulated myself in their presence upon being the possessor of a thing to which I had until then attached no importance whatsoever but which I promised to cultivate carefully knowing that I could thus be of some service to their excellencies they all asked me how long I would require to teach them the rules of my sublime calculus not very long I answered and I will teach you as you wish although the hermit assured me that I would die suddenly within three days if I communicated my science to anyone but I have no faith whatever in that prediction Monsieur de Bragedin who believed in it more than I did told me in a serious tone that I was bound to have faith in it and from that day they never asked me again to teach them they very likely thought that if they could attach me to them it would answer the purpose as well as if they possessed the science themselves thus I became the high rural font of these three worthy and talented men who in spite of their literary accomplishments were not wise since they were infatuated with occult and fabulous sciences and believed in the existence of phenomena impossible in the moral as well as in the physical order of things they believed that through me they possessed the philosopher stone the universal panacea with all the elementary heavenly and infernal spirits and they had no doubt whatever that thanks to my sublime science they could find out the secrets of every government in Europe after they had assured themselves of the reality of my cabalistic science by questions respecting the past they decided to turn it to some use by consulting it upon the present and upon the future I had no difficulty in showing myself a good guesser because I always gave answers with a double meaning one of the meanings being carefully arranged by me so as not to be understood until after the event in that manner my cabalistic science like the oracle of Delphi could never be found in fault I saw how easy it must have been for the ancient heathen priests to impose upon ignorant and therefore credulous mankind I saw how easy it will always be for imposters to find dupes and I realized even better than the Roman orator why two augurs could never look at each other without laughing it was because they both had an equal interest in giving importance to the deceit they perpetrated and from which they derived such immense profits but what I could not and probably never shall understand was the reason for which the fathers who were not so simple and so ignorant as our evangelists did not feel able to deny the divinity of oracles and in order to get out of the difficulty ascribe them to the devil they would never have entertained such a strange idea if they had been acquainted with cabalistic science my three worthy friends were like holy fathers they had intelligence and wit but they were superstitious and no philosophers but although believing fully in my oracles they were too kind hearted to think them the work of the devil and it suited their natural goodness better to believe my answers inspired by some heavenly spirit they were not only good Christians and faithful to the church but even real devotees and full of scruples they were not married and after having renounced all commerce with women they had become the enemies of the female sex perhaps a strong proof of the weakness of their minds they imagined that chastity was the condition seeing quenol exacted by the spirits from those who wish to have intimate communication or intercourse with them they fancy that spirits excluded women and vice versa with all these oddities the three friends were truly intelligent and even witty and at the beginning of my acquaintance with them I could not reconcile these antagonistic points but a prejudice mind cannot reason well the faculty of reasoning is the most important of all I often laughed when I heard them talk on religious matters they would ridicule those whose intellectual faculties were so limited that they could not understand the mysteries of religion the incarnation of the word they would say was a trifle for God and therefore easy to understand and the resurrection was so comprehensible that it did not appear to them wonderful because as God cannot die Christ was naturally certain to rise again as for the Eucharist transubstantiation the real presence it was all no mystery to them but palpable evidence and yet they were not Jesuits they were in the habit of going to confession every week without feeling the slightest trouble about their confessors whose ignorance they kindly regretted they thought themselves bound to confess only what was sin in their opinion and in that at least they reasoned with good sense with those three extraordinary characters worthy of esteem and respect for their moral qualities their honesty, their reputation and their age as well as for their noble birth I spent my days in a very pleasant manner although in their thirst for knowledge they often kept me hard at work for ten hours running all four of us being locked up together in a room and unapproachable to everybody even to friends or relatives I contemplated the conquest of their friendship by relating to them the whole of my life only with some proper reserve so as not to lead them into any capital sins I confess candidly that I deceived them as the papa Del Demopolo used to deceive the Greeks who applied to him for the oracles of the virgin I certainly did not act towards them with a true sense of honesty but if the reader to whom I confess myself is acquainted with the world and with the spirit of society I entreat him to think before judging me and perhaps I may meet with some indulgence at his hands I might be told that if I had wished to follow the rules of pure morality I ought either to have declined intimate intercourse with them or to have undeceived them I cannot deny these premises but I will answer that I was only twenty years of age I was intelligent, talented and had been a poor fiddler I should have lost my time in trying to cure them of their weakness I should not have succeeded for they would have laughed at my face deployed my ignorance and the result of it all would have been my dismissal besides I had no mission no right to constitute myself an apostle and if I had heroically resolved on leaving them as soon as I knew them to be foolish visionaries I should have shown myself a misanthrope the enemy of those worthy men for whom I could procure innocent pleasures and my own enemy at the same time because as a young man I like to live well and to enjoy all the pleasures natural to youth and to a good constitution by acting in that manner I should have failed in common politeness I should perhaps have caused or allowed Missoude Bragedon's death and I should have exposed those three honest men the symptoms of the first bold cheat who ministering to their monomania might have won their favor and would have ruined them by inducing them to undertake the chemical operations of the great work there is also another consideration dear reader and as I love you I will tell you what it is an invincible self-love would have prevented me from declaring myself unworthy of their friendship either by my ignorance or by my pride I should have been guilty of great rudeness if I had ceased to visit them I took, at least it seems so to me, the best, the most natural the noblest decision if we consider the disposition of their mind when I decided upon the plan of conduct which ensured me the necessaries of life and of those necessities who could be a better judge than your very humble servant through the friendship of those three men I was certain of obtaining consideration and influence in my own country besides I found it very flattering to my vanity to become the subject of the speculative chattering of empty fools who having nothing else to do and always trying to find out the cause of every moral phenomena they meet with which their narrow intellect cannot understand people racked their brain in Venice trying to find out how my intimacy with three men of that high character could possibly exist they were wrapped up in heavenly aspirations I was a world's devotee they were very strict in their morals I was thirsty of all pleasures at the beginning of summer Monsieur de Bragedon was once more able to take his seat in the senate and the day before he went out for the first time he spoke to me thus whoever you may be I am indebted to you for my life your first protectors I am indebted to make you a priest a doctor, an advocate a soldier and ended by making a fiddler of you those persons did not know you God has evidently instructed your guardian angel to bring you to me I know you and appreciate you if you will be my son you have only to acknowledge me for your father and for the future until my death I will treat you as my own child your apartment is ready you may send your clothes you shall have a servant a gondola at your orders my own table and ten sequins a month it is the sum I used to receive from my father when I was your age you need not think of the future think only of enjoying yourself and take me as your advisor in everything that may happen to you in everything you may wish to undertake and you may be certain of me, your friend I threw myself at his feet to assure him of my gratitude and embraced him calling him my father he folded me in his arms called me his dear son I promised to love him and to obey him his two friends who lived in the same palace embraced me affectionately and we swore eternal fraternity such is the history of my metamorphosis and of the lucky stroke which taking me from the vile profession of a fiddler raised me to the rank of a grandee End of Chapter 17 The Memoirs of Jacques Cassanova Volume I The Venetian Years by Giacomo Cassanova Episode 4 Return to Venice Chapter 18 Part 1 Fortune, which had taken pleasure in giving me a specimen of its despotic apprice and had ensured my happiness through means which sages would disavow had not the power to make me adopt a system of moderation and prudence which alone could establish my future well-fair on a firm basis at the house of Madame Avogadro a woman full of wit in spite of her sixty years I made the acquaintance of a young Polish nobleman called Zawoski he was expecting money from Poland but in the meantime the Venetian ladies did not let him want for any being all very much in love with his handsome face and his Polish manners we soon became good friends my purse was his and he assisted me to a far greater extent in Munich Zawoski was honest he had only a small dose of intelligence but it was enough for his happiness he died in Trieste five or six years ago the ambassador of the Elector of Treves I will speak of him in another part of these memoirs this amiable young man who was a favorite with everybody and was thought a free thinker because he frequented the society of Angelo Carini and Lunardo Venier walking to an unknown Countess who took my fancy very strongly we called on her in the evening and after introducing me to her husband Count Rinaldi she invited us to remain and have supper the Count made a ferro bank in the course of the evening I punted with his wife as a partner and won some fifty ducats very much pleased with my new acquaintance I called alone on the Countess the next morning the Count apologizing for his wife but not yet took me to her room she received me with graceful ease and her husband having left us alone she had the art to let me hope for every favor yet without committing herself when I took leave of her she invited me to supper for the evening after supper I played still in partnership with her one again and went away very much in love I did not fail to pay her the next morning but when I presented myself at the house I was told that she had gone out I called again in the evening and after she had excused herself for not having been at home in the morning the ferro bank began and I lost all my money still having the Countess for my partner after supper and when the other guests had retired I remained with Savoyski Count Rinaldi having offered to give us our revenge as I had no more money I played upon trust and the Count threw down the cards after I had lost 500 sequins I went away in great sorrow I was bound in honor to pay the next morning and I did not possess a groat love increased my despair for I saw myself on the point of losing the esteem of a woman by whom I was smitten and the anxiety I felt did not escape Monsieur de Braguerre when we met in the morning he kindly encouraged me to confess my troubles to him I was conscious that it was my only chance and candidly related the whole affair and I ended by saying that I should not survive my disgrace he consoled me by promising that my debt would be canceled in the course of the day if I would swear never to play again upon trust I took an oath to that effect and kissing his hand I went out for a walk relieved from a great load I had no doubt that my excellent father would give me 500 sequins during the day and I enjoyed my anticipation the honor I would derive in the opinion of the lovely Countess by my exactitude and prompt discharge of my debt I felt that it gave new strength to my hopes and that feeling prevented me from regretting my heavy loss but grateful for the great generosity of my benefactor I was fully determined on keeping my promise I dined with the three friends and the matter was not even alluded to but as we were rising from the table a servant brought M. Dubraganin a letter and a parcel he read the letter asked me to follow him into his study and the moment we were alone he said here is a parcel for you I opened it and found some 40 sequins seeing my surprise M. Dubraganin laughed merrily and handed me the letter the contents of which ran thus M. Decasanova may be sure that our playing last night was only a joke he owes me nothing my wife begs to send him half of the gold which he has lost in cash Count Rinaldi I looked at M. Dubraganin perfectly amazed and he burst out laughing I guessed the truth, thanked him and embracing him tenderly I promised to be wiser for the future the mist I had before my eyes was dispelled I felt that my love was defunct and I remained rather ashamed when I realized that I had been the dupe of the wife as well as of the husband this evening said my clever physician you can have a gay supper with the charming Countess this evening my dear respected benefactor I will have supper with you you have given me a masterly lesson the next time you lose money upon trust you better not pay it but I should be dishonored never mind the sooner you dishonor yourself the more you will save for you will always be compelled to accept your dishonor whenever you find yourself utterly unable to pay your losses it is therefore more prudent not to wait until then it is much better still to avoid that fatal impossibility by never playing otherwise than with money in hand no doubt of it for then you will save both your honor but as you are fond of games of chance I advise you never to punt make the bank and the advantage must be on your side yes, but only a slight advantage as slight as you please but it will be on your side and when the game is over you will find yourself a winner and not a loser the punter is excited the banker is calm the last says I bet you do not guess while the first says which is the fool and which is the wise man the question is easily answered I adjure you to be prudent but if you should punt and win recollect that you are only an idiot if at the end you lose why an idiot? fortune is very fickle it must be necessarily so it is a natural consequence leave off playing believe me the very moment you see luck turning even if you should at that moment I had read Plato and I was astonished at finding a man who could reason like Socrates the next day Zawiski called on me very early to tell me that I had been expected to supper and that Count Rinaldi had praised my promptness in paying my debts of honor I did not think it necessary to undeceive him but I did not go again to Count Rinaldi's whom I saw 16 years afterwards in Milan as to Zawiski I did not tell him the story till I met him in Carlsbad old and death 40 years later three or four months later Monsieur de Bragedin taught me another of his masterly lessons I had become acquainted through Zawiski with a Frenchman called Labadi who was then soliciting from the Venetian government the appointment of inspector of the armies of the Republic the senate appointed and I presented him to my protector he promised him his vote but the circumstance I am going to relate prevented him from fulfilling his promise I was in need of 100 sequence to discharge a few debts and I begged Monsieur de Bragedin to give them to me why my dear son do you not ask Monsieur de Labadi to render you that service I should not dare to do so dear father try him I am certain that he will be glad to lend you that sum I doubt it but I will try I called upon Labadi on the following day and after a short exchange of compliments I told him the service I expected from his friendship he excused himself in a very polite manner drowning his refusal in that sea of common places which people are sure to repeat when they cannot or will not oblige a friend Zawiski came in as he was still apologizing and I left them together I hurried at once to Monsieur de Bragedin and told him my want of success he merely remarked that the Frenchman was deficient in intelligence it just happened that it was the very day on which the appointment of the inspectorship was to be brought before the senate I went out to attend to my business I ought to say to my pleasure and as I did not return home till after midnight I went to bed without seeing my father in the morning I said in his presence that I intended to call upon Labadi to congratulate him upon his appointment you may spare yourself that trouble the senate has rejected his nomination how so? three days ago Labadi felt sure of his success he was right then for he would have been appointed if I had not made up my mind to speak against him I have proved to the senate that a right policy forbade the government to trust such an important post to a foreigner I am much surprised for your excellency was not of that opinion the day before yesterday very true but then I did not know Mr. de Labadi I found out only yesterday that the man was not sufficiently intelligent to fill the position he was soliciting is he likely to possess a sane judgment when he refuses to lend you one hundred sequins that refusal has cost him an important appointment and an income of three thousand crowns which would now be his when I was taking my walk on the same day I met Zoyski with Labadi and did not try to avoid them Labadi was furious and he had some reason to be so if you had told me he said angrily that the one hundred sequins were intended as a gag to stop Mr. de Bregadin's mouth I would have contrived to procure them for you if you had an inspector's brains you would have easily guessed it the Frenchman's resentment proved very useful to me because he related the circumstance to everybody the result was that from that time those who wanted the patronage of the senator applied to me comment is needless this sort of thing has long been in existence and will long remain so because very often to obtain the highest of favors all that is necessary is to obtain the goodwill of a minister's favorite or even of his valet it was about that time that my brother Jean came to Venice with Garienti, a converted Jew who was the judge of paintings who was traveling at the expense of his Majesty the King of Poland and the Elector of Saxony it was the converted Jew who had purchased for his Majesty the gallery of the Duke of Modena for one hundred thousand sequins Garienti and my brother left Venice for Rome where Jean remained in the studio of the celebrated painter Raphael Mengs whom we shall meet again hereafter now as a faithful historian I must give my readers the story which were involved the honour and happiness of one of the most charming women in Italy who would have been unhappy if I had not been a thoughtless fellow in the early part of October 1746 the theatres being opened I was walking about with my mask on when I perceived a woman whose head was well enveloped in the hood of her mantle getting out of the Ferrara barge which had just arrived seeing her alone and observing her in certain walk I saw myself drawn towards her as if an unseen hand had guided me I came up to her and offered my services if I can be of any use to her she answers timidly that she only wants to make some inquiries we're not here in the right place for conversation I say to her but if you would be kind enough to come with me to a café you would be able to speak and explain your wishes she hesitates I insist and she gives way the tavern was close at hand we go in and we are alone in a private room I take off my mask and out of politeness she must put down the hood of her mantle a large muslin headdress conceals half of her face but her eyes, her nose, and her pretty mouth are enough to let me see on her features beauty nobleness sorrow and that candor which gives youth such an undefinable charm I need not say that with such a good letter of introduction the unknown at once captivated my warmest interest after wiping away a few tears which are flowing in spite of all her efforts she tells me that she belongs to a noble family and that she has run away from her father's house alone trusting in God to meet a Venetian nobleman who had seduced her and then deceived her thus sealing her everlasting misery you have then some hope of recalling him to the path of duty I suppose he has promised you marriage he has engaged his faith to me in writing the only favor I claim from your kindness is to take me to his house to leave me there and to keep my secret you may trust, madam, to the feelings of a man of honor I am worthy of your trust have entire confidence in me for I already take a deep interest in all your concerns tell me his name alas, sir, I give way to fate with these words she takes out of her bosom a paper which she gives me I recognize the handwriting of Zanetto Stefani it was a promise of marriage by which he engaged his word of honor to marry within a week in Venice the young countess A.S. when I have read the paper I return it to her saying that I knew the writer quite well that he was connected with the chancellor's office known as a great libertine and deeply in debt but that he would be rich after his mother's death for God's sake take me to his house I will do anything you wish but have entire confidence in me and be good enough to hear me I advise you not to go to his house he's already done you great injury and even supposing that you should happen to find him at home he might be capable of receiving you badly if he should not be at home it is most likely that his mother would not exactly welcome you if you should tell her who you are and what is your errand trust me and be quite certain that God has sent me on your way to assist you I promise you that tomorrow at the latest you shall know whether Stefani is in Venice what he intends to do with you and what we may compel him to do until then my advice is not to let him know you're a rival in Venice good God where shall I go tonight to a respectable house of course I will go to yours if you are married I am a bachelor I knew an honest widow who resided in a lane and who had two furnished rooms I persuade the young countess to follow me and we take a gondola as we are gliding along she tells me that one month before Stefani had stopped in her neighborhood for necessary repairs to his travelling carriage and that on the same day he made her acquaintance at a house where she had gone with her mother for the purpose of offering their congratulations to a newly married lady I was unfortunate enough to inspire him with love and he postponed his departure he remained one month in sea never going out but in the evening and spending every night under my windows conversing with me he swore a thousand times that he adored me that his intentions were honorable I entreated him to present himself to my parents to ask me in marriage but he always excused himself by alleging some reason, good or bad assuring me that he could not be happy I told him entire confidence he would beg of me to make up my mind to run away with him unknown to everybody promising that my honor should not suffer from such a step because three days after my departure everybody should receive notice of my being his wife and he assured me that he would bring me back on a visit to my native place shortly after our marriage Alas, sir, what shall I say now? Love blinded me I fell into the abyss I believed him I agreed to everything he gave me the paper which you have read and the following night I allowed him to come into my room through the window under which he was in the habit of conversing with me I consented to be guilty of a crime which I believed would be atoned for within three days and he left me promising that the next night he would be again under my window ready to receive me in his arms could I possibly entertain any doubt after the fearful crime I had committed for him I prepared a small parcel and waited for his coming, but in vain oh, what a cruel long night it was in the morning I heard that the monster had gone away with his serve at one hour after sealing my shame you may imagine my despair I adopted the only plan that despair could suggest and that of course was not the right one one hour before midnight I left my father's roof alone, thus completing my dishonour but resolved on death if the man who has cruelly robbed me of my most precious treasure and whom a natural instinct told me I could find here does not restore me the honour which he alone could give me back I walked all night in nearly the whole day without taking any food until I got into the barge which brought me here in 24 hours I travelled in the boat with five men and two women but no one saw my face or heard my voice I kept constantly sitting down in a corner holding my head down half asleep and with this prayer-book in my hands I was left alone no one spoke to me and I thanked God for it when I landed on the wharf you did not give me time to think how I could find out the dwelling of my profiteous seducer but you may imagine the impression produced upon me by the sudden apparition of a masked man who, abruptly and as if placed there purposefully the providence offered me his services it seemed to me that you had guessed my distress and far from experiencing any repugnance I felt that I was acting rightly and trusting myself in your hands in spite of all prudence which perhaps ought to have made me turn a deaf ear to your words and refuse the invitation to enter alone with you the house to which you took me you know all now sir but I entreat you not to judge me too severely I was virtuous all through my life one month ago I had never committed a fault which could call a blush upon my face and the bitter tears which I shed every day will I hope wash out my crime in the eyes of God I have been carefully brought up but love and the want of experience have thrown me into the abyss I am in your hands and I feel certain that I shall have no cause to repent it I needed all she had just told me to confirm me in the interest which I felt in her from the first moment I told her unsparingly that Stefani had seduced and abandoned her of malice of forethought and that she ought to think of him only to be revenged of his perfidy my words made her shudder and she buried her beautiful face in her hands we reached the widow's house I established her in a pretty comfortable room and ordered some supper for her desiring the good landlady to skew her every attention and let her want for nothing but a affectionate leave of her promising to see her early in the morning on leaving this interesting but hapless girl I proceeded to the house of Stefani I heard from one of his mother's gondoliers that he had returned to Venice three days before but that 24 hours after his return he had gone away again without any servant and nobody knew his whereabouts not even his mother the same evening happening to be seated next to an abbey from Bologna at the theatre I heard from him all the information I required and amongst other things I heard that the young countess had a brother then an officer in the papal service very early the next morning I called upon her she was still asleep the widow told me that she had made a pretty good supper but without speaking a single word and that she had locked herself up in her room immediately afterwards as soon as she had opened her door I heard that the young countess had a brother then an officer as soon as she had opened her door I entered a room and cutting short her apologies for having kept me waiting I informed her of all I had heard her features bore the stamp of deep sorrow but she looked calmer and her complexion was no longer pale she thought it unlikely that Stefani would have left for any place but for sea admitting the possibility that she might be right I immediately offered to go to see myself and to return without loss of time to fetch her in case Stefani should be there without giving her time to answer I told her all the particulars I had learned concerning her honourable family which caused her real satisfaction I have no objection she said to your going to sea and I thank you for the generosity of your offer but I beg you will postpone your journey I still hope that Stefani will return and then I can take a decision I think you're quite right I said will you allow me to have some breakfast with you do you suppose I could refuse you I should be very sorry to disturb you in any way how did you used to amuse yourself at home I'm very fond of books and music my harpsichord was my delight I left her after breakfast and in the evening I came back with a basket full of good books and music and I sent her an excellent harpsichord my kindness confused her but I surprised her much more when I took out of my pocket three pairs of slippers she blushed and thanked me with great feeling she had walked a long distance her shoes were evidently worn out her feet soar and she appreciated the delicacy of my present as I had no improper design with regard to her I enjoyed her gratitude and felt pleased at the idea she evidently entertained of my kind attentions I had no other purpose in view but to restore calm to her mind the unworthy Stefani had given her of men in general I never thought of inspiring her with love for me and I had not the slightest idea that I could fall in love with her she was unhappy and her unhappiness a sacred thing in my eyes called all the more for my honorable sympathy because without knowing me she had given me her entire confidence situated as she was I could not suppose her heart susceptible of harboring a new affection and I would have despised myself if I had tried to seduce her by any means in my power I remained with her only a quarter of an hour being unwilling that my present should trouble her at such a moment as she seemed to be at a loss how to thank me and express all her gratitude I was thus engaged in a rather delicate adventure the end of which I could not possibly foresee but my warmth for my protégé did not cool down and having no difficulty in procuring the means to keep her I had no wish to see the last scene of the romance that singular meeting which gave me the useful opportunity of finding myself endowed with generous dispositions stronger even than my love for pleasure flattered myself love more than I could express I was then trying a great experiment and conscious that I wanted sadly to study myself I gave up all my energies to acquire the great science of the X on the third day in the midst of expressions of gratitude which I could not succeed in stopping she told me that she could not conceive why I showed her so much sympathy because I ought to have formed but a poor opinion of her in consequence of the readiness with which she had followed me into the café she smiled when I answered that I could not understand how I had succeeded in giving her so great a confidence in my virtue when I appeared before her with a mask on my face in a costume which did not indicate a very virtuous character it was easy for me madam I continued to guess that you were a beauty in distress when I observed your youth the nobleness of your continents and more than all your candor the stamp of truth was so ill-affixed to the first words you uttered that I could not have the shadow of a doubt left in me as to your being the unhappy victim of the most natural of all feelings and as to your having abandoned your home through a sentiment of honour your fault was that of a warm heart seduced by love over which reason could have no sway and your flight, the action of a soul crying for reparation or for revenge, fully justifies you your cowardly seducer must pay with his life the penalty due to his crime and he ought never to receive by marrying you an unjust reward for he is not worthy of possessing you after degrading himself by the vilest conduct everything you say is true my brother I hope will avenge me you are greatly mistaken if you imagine that Stefani will fight your brother Stefani is a coward who will never expose himself to an honourable death as I was speaking she put her hand in her pocket and drew forth after a few moments consideration a stiletto, six inches long which she placed on the table what is this I exclaimed it is a weapon upon which I reckoned until now to use against myself in case I should not succeed in obtaining reparation the crime I have committed but you have opened my eyes take away I entreat you this stiletto which henceforth is useless to me I trust in your friendship and I have an inward certainty that I shall be indebted to you for my honour as well as for my life I was struck by the word she had just uttered and I felt that those words as well as her looks had found their way to my heart besides enlisting my generous sympathy I took the stiletto and left her with so much agitation that I had to acknowledge the weakness of my heroism which I was very near turning into ridicule yet I had the wonderful strength to perform at least by halves the character of a cato until the seventh day I must explain how a certain suspicion of the young lady arose in my mind that doubt was heavy on my heart for if it had proved true I should have been a dupe and the idea was humiliating she had told me that she was a musician I had immediately sent her a harpsichord and yet although the instrument had been at her disposal for three days she had not opened it once for the widow had told me so it seemed to me that the best way to thank me for my attentive kindness would have been to give me a specimen of her musical talent had she deceived me if so she would lose my esteem but unwilling to form a hasty judgment I kept on my guard with a firm determination to make good use of the first opportunity that might present itself to clear up my doubts I called upon her the next day after dinner which was not my usual time having resolved on creating the opportunity myself I caught her seated before a toilet glass while the widow dressed the most beautiful auburn hair I had ever seen I tendered my apologies for my sudden appearance at an unusual hour she excused herself for not having completed her toilet and the widow went on with her work it was the first time I had seen the whole of her face her neck and half of her arms which the graces themselves had moulded I remained in silent contemplation I praised quite by chance the perfume of the pomadom and the widow took the opportunity of telling her that she had spent in combs, powder and pomadom the three lever she had received from her I recollected that she had told me the first day that she had left sea with ten paoli I blushed for very shame for I ought to have thought of that as soon as the widow had dressed her hair she left the room to prepare some coffee for us I took up a ring which had been laid by her on the toilet table and I saw that it contained a portrait exactly like her I was amused at the singular fancy she had of having her likeness taken in a man's costume with black hair you are mistaken she said it is a portrait of my brother he is two years older than I and is an officer in the papal army I begged her permission to put the ring on her finger she consented and when I tried out of mere gallantry to kiss her hand she drew it back blushing I fear she might be offended and I assured her of my respect ah sir she answered in the situation in which I am placed I must think of defending myself against my own self much more than against you the compliment struck me as so fine and so complimentary to me that I thought it better not to take it up but she could easily read in my eyes that she would never find me ungrateful for whatever feelings she might entertain my favor yet I felt my love taking such proportions that I did not know how to keep it a mystery any longer soon after that I was again thanking me for the books I had given her saying that I had guessed her taste exactly because she did not like novels she added I owe you an apology for not having sung to you yet knowing that you are fond of music these words made me breathe freely without waiting for any answer she sat down before the instrument and played several pieces with a facility with a precision with an expression of which I could not convey any idea I was in ecstasy I entreated her to sing after some little ceremony she took one of the music books I had given her and she sang at sight in a manner which fairly ravished me I begged that she would allow me to kiss her hand and she did not say yes but when I took it and pressed my lips on it she did not oppose any resistance the courage to smother my ardent desires and the kiss I imprinted on her lovely hand was a mixture of tenderness respect and admiration I took leave of her smitten full of love and almost determined on declaring my passion reserve becomes silliness when we know that our affection is returned by the woman we love but as yet I was not quite sure End of chapter 18 Part 1 Chapter 18 Part 2 of the Memoirs of Jacques Casanova Volume 1 by Jacques Casanova This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by David Lincoln Brooks The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova Volume 1 The Venetian Years by Jacques Casanova Episode 4 Return to Venice Chapter 18 Part 2 The disappearance of Stefani was the talk of Venice but I did not inform the charming countess of that circumstance It was generally supposed that his mother had refused to pay his debts and that he had run away to avoid his creditors It was very possible But whether he returned or not I could not make up my mind to lose the precious treasure I had in my hands Yet I did not see in what manner, in what quality I could enjoy that treasure and I found myself in a regular maze Sometimes I had an idea of consulting my kind father but I would soon abandon it with fear for I had made a trial of his empiric treatment in the Rinaldi affair and still more in the case of Labadi His remedies frightened me to that extent that I would rather remain ill than be cured by their means One morning I was foolish enough to inquire from the widow whether the lady had asked her who I was What an egregious blunder I saw it when the good woman instead of answering me said Does she not know who you are? Answer me and do not ask questions I said I wanted to hide my confusion The worthy woman was right Through my stupidity she would now feel curious The tittle-tattle of the neighborhood would of course take up the affair and discuss it and all through my thoughtlessness it was an unpardonable blunder One ought never to be more careful than in addressing questions to half educated persons During the fortnight that she had passed under my protection Countess had shown me no curiosity whatever to know anything about me but it did not prove that she was not curious on the subject If I had been wise I should have told her the very first day who I was but I made up for my mistake that evening better than anybody else could have done it and after having told her all about myself I entreated her forgiveness for not having done so sooner thanking me for my confidence she confessed how curious she had been to know me better and she assured me that she would never have been imprudent enough to ask any questions about me from her landlady Women have a more delicate assurer tact than men and her last words were a home thrust for me Our conversation having turned to the extraordinary absence of Stefani she said that her father must necessarily believe her to be hiding with him somewhere He must have found out, she added that I was in the habit of conversing with him every night for my window and he must have heard of my having embarked for Venice on board the Ferrara Barge I feel certain that my father is now in Venice making secretly every effort to discover me When he visits this city he always puts up at Bon Cousin Will you ascertain whether he is there? She never pronounced Stefani's name in hatred and she said she would bury herself in a convent far away from her native place where no one could be acquainted with her shameful history I intended to make some inquiries the next day but it was not necessary for me to do so for in the evening at supper time Monsieur Barbaro said to us A noble man a subject of the Pope has been recommended to me and wishes me to assist him with my influence in a rather delicate and intricate matter One of our citizens has, it appears carried off his daughter and has been hiding somewhere with her for the last fortnight, but nobody knows where The affair ought to be brought before the Council of Ten but the mother of the ravisher claims to be a relative of mine and I do not intend to interfere I pretended to take no interest in words and early the next morning I went to the young Countess to tell her the interesting news She was still asleep but being in a hurry I sent the widow to say that I wanted to see her only for two minutes in order to communicate something of great importance She received me covering herself up to the chin with the bedclothes As soon as I had informed her of all I knew she entreated me to enlist between herself and her father assuring me that she would rather die than become the wife of the monster who had dishonored her I undertook to do it and she gave me the promise of marriage used by the deceiver to seduce her so that it could be shown to her father In order to obtain Monsieur Barbaro's mediation in favor of the young Countess it would have been necessary to tell him that she was under my protection and I felt it would injure my protégé I took no determination at first and most likely one of the reasons for my hesitation was that I saw myself on the point of losing her which was particularly repugnant to my feelings After dinner Count A.S. was announced as wishing to see Monsieur Barbaro He came in with his son the living portrait of his sister Monsieur Barbaro took them to his study to talk the matter over and within an hour they had taken leave As soon as they had gone the excellent Monsieur Barbaro asked me, as I had expected to consult my heavenly spirit and to ascertain whether he would be right in interfering in favor of Count A.S. He wrote the question himself and I gave the following answer with the utmost coolness You ought to interfere but only to advise the father to forgive his daughter and to give up all idea of compelling her to marry her ravisher for Stefani has been sentenced to death by the will of God The answer seemed wonderful to the three friends and I was myself surprised at my boldness but I had a foreboding that Stefani was to meet his death at the hands of somebody Love might have given birth to that presentiment Monsieur de Bargadin who believed my oracle infallible observed that it had never given such a clear answer and that Stefani was certainly dead He said to Monsieur de Barbaro You had better invite the Count and his son to dinner here tomorrow You must act slowly and prudently It would be necessary to know where the daughter is before you endeavor to make the father forgive her Monsieur de Barbaro very nearly made me drop my serious countenance by telling me that if I would try my oracle I could let them know at once where the girl was I answered that I would certainly ask my spirit on the morrow thus gaining time in order to ascertain beforehand the disposition of the father and the son but I could not help laughing for I had placed myself under the necessity of sending Stefani to the next world if the reputation of my oracle was to be maintained I spent the evening with the young Countess who entertained no doubt either of her father's indulgence or of the entire confidence she could repose in me What delight the charming girl experienced when she heard that I would dine the next day with her father and brother and that I would tell her every word that would be said about her but what happiness it was for me to see her convinced that she was right in loving me and that without me she would certainly have been lost in a town where the policy of the government tolerates debauchery as a solitary species of individual freedom we congratulated each other upon our fortuitous meeting and upon the conformity in our tastes which we thought truly wonderful we were greatly pleased that her easy acceptance of my invitation or my promptness in persuading her to follow and to trust me could not be ascribed to the mutual attraction of our features for I was masked and her hood was then as good as a mask we entertained no doubt that everything had been arranged by heaven to get us acquainted to fire us both even unknown to ourselves with love for each other confess I said to her in a moment of enthusiasm and as I was covering her hand with kisses confess that if you found me to be in love with you you would fear me alas my only fear is to lose you that confession the truth of which was made evident by her voice and by her looks proved the electric spark which ignited the latent fire folding her rapidly in my arms pressing my mouth on her lips reading in her beautiful eyes neither a proud indignation nor the cold compliance which might have been the result of a fear of losing me I gave way entirely to the sweet inclination of love and swimming already in a sea of delights I felt my enjoyment increased a hundredfold when I saw on the countenance of the beloved creature who shared it the expression of happiness of love of modesty and of sensibility which enhances the charm of the greatest triumph she had scarcely recovered her composure when she cast her eyes down and sighed deeply thinking that I knew the cause of it I threw myself on my knees before her and speaking to her words of the warmest affection I begged I entreated her to forgive me what offence have I to forgive you for dear friend you have not rightly interpreted my thoughts your love caused me to think of my happiness and in that moment a cruel recollection drew that sigh from me pray rise from your knees midnight had struck already I told her that her good fame made it necessary for me to go away I put my mask on and left the house I was so surprised so amazed at having obtained a felicity of which I did not think myself worthy that my departure must have appeared rather abrupt to her I could not sleep I passed one of those disturbed nights during which the imagination of an amorous young man is unceasingly running after the shadows of reality I had tasted but not savored that happy reality and all my being was longing for her who alone could make my enjoyment complete in that nocturnal drama love and imagination were the two principal actors hope in the background performed only a dumb part people may say what they please on that subject but hope is in fact nothing but a deceitful flatterer accepted by reason only because it is often in need of palliatives happy are those men who to enjoy life to its fullest extent require neither hope nor foresight in the morning recollecting the sentence of death passed on Stefani I felt somewhat embarrassed about it I wished I could have recalled it as well for the honor of my oracle which was seriously implicated by it as for the sake of Stefani himself whom I did not hate half so much since I was indebted to him for the treasure in my possession the count and his son came to dinner the father was simple artless and unceremonious it was easy to read on his countenance the grief he felt at the unpleasant adventure of his daughter and his anxiety to settle the affair honorably but no anger could be traced on his features or in his manners the son as handsome as the god of love had wit and great nobility of manner his easy, unaffected carriage pleased me and wishing to win his friendship and showed him every attention after the dessert Mr. Barbaro contrived to persuade the count that we were four persons with but one head and one heart and the worthy nobleman spoke to us without any reserve he praised his daughter very highly he assured us that Stefani had never entered his house and therefore he could not conceive by what spell speaking to his daughter only at night and from the street under the window he had succeeded in seducing her to such an extent as to make her leave her home alone on foot two days after he had left himself in his post-chez then observed Mr. Barbaro it is impossible to be certain that he actually seduced her or to prove that she went off with him very true, sir but although it cannot be proved there is no doubt of it and now that no one knows where Stefani is he can be nowhere but with her I only want him to marry her it strikes me that it would be better not to insist upon a compulsory marriage which would seal your daughter's misery for Stefani is in every respect one of the most worthless young men we have amongst our government clerks were I in your place said Mr. de Bragada I would let my daughter's repentance disarm my anger and I would forgive her where is she I am ready to fold her in my arms but how can I believe in her repentance when it is evident that she is still with him is it quite certain that in leaving sea blank she proceeded to this city I have it from the master of the barge himself and she landed within twenty yards of the Roman gate an individual wearing a mask was waiting for her joined her at once and they both disappeared without leaving any trace of their whereabouts very likely it was Stefani there waiting for her no for he is short and the man with the mask was tall besides I have heard that Stefani left Venice two days before the arrival of my daughter the man must have been some friend of Stefani and he has taken her to him but my dear Count all this is mere supposition there are four persons who have seen the man with the mask and pretend to know him only they do not agree here is a list of four names and I will accuse these four persons before the council of ten if Stefani should deny having my daughter in his possession the list which he handed to Mr. Barbero gave not only the names of the four accused persons but likewise those of their accusers the last name which Mr. Barbero read was mine when I heard it I shrugged my shoulders in a manner which caused the three friends to laugh heartily Mr. de Bragada seeing the surprise of the Count at such uncalled for a mirth said to him this is Casanova my son and I give you my word of honour that if your daughter is in his hands she is perfectly safe although he may not look exactly the sort of man to whom young girls should be trusted the surprise, the amazement and the perplexity of the Count and his son were an amusing picture the loving father begged me to excuse him with tears in his eyes telling me to place myself in his position my only answer was to embrace him most affectionately the man who had recognised me was a noted pimp whom I had thrashed some time before for having deceived me if I had not been there just in time to take care of the young Countess she would not have escaped him and he would have ruined her forever by taking her to some house of ill-fame the result of the meeting was that the Count agreed to postpone his application until Stefani's place of refuge should be discovered I have not seen Stefani for six months sir I said to the Count but I promise you to kill him in a duel as soon as he returns you shall not do it answered the young Count very coolly unless he kills me first gentlemen exclaimed Monsieur de Borghadan I can assure you that you will neither of you fight a duel with him for Stefani is dead dead said the Count we must not observe the prudent Barbero take that word in its literal sense but the wretched man is dead to all honour and self-respect after that truly dramatic scene during which I could guess the denouement of the play was near at hand I went to my charming Countess taking care to change my gondola three times a necessary precaution to baffle spies I gave my anxious mistress an exact account of all the conversation she was very impatient for my coming and wept tears of joy when I repeated her father's words of forgiveness but when I told her that nobody knew of Stefani having entered her chamber she fell on her knees and thanked God I then repeated her brother's words imitating his coolness you shall not kill him unless he kills me first she kissed me tenderly calling me her guardian angel her saviour and weeping in my arms I promised to bring her brother on the following day or the day after that at the latest we had our supper but we did not talk of Stefani or of revenge and after that pleasant meal we devoted two hours to the worship of the God of love I left her at midnight promising to return early in the morning my reason for not remaining all night with her was that the landlady might, if necessary swear without scruple that I had never spent a night with the young girl it proved a very lucky inspiration of mine for when I arrived home I found the three friends waiting impatiently for me in order to impart to me wonderful news which Monsieur de Vagadan had heard at the sitting of the senate Stefani, said Monsieur de Vagadan to me is dead as our angel Paralyse revealed it to us he is dead to the world for he has become a capuchin friar the senate as a matter of course has been informed of it we alone are aware that it is a punishment which God has visited upon him let us worship the author of all things and the heavenly hierarchy which renders us worthy of knowing what remains a mystery to all men now we must achieve our undertaking and console the poor father we must inquire from Paralyse where the girl is she cannot now be with Stefani of course God has not condemned her to be a capuchin nun I need not consult my angel dearest father for it is by his express orders that I have been compelled until now to make a mystery of the refuge found by the young countess I related the whole story except what they had no business to know for in the opinion of the worthy men who had paid heavy tribute to love all intrigues were fearful crimes M. Dandolo and M. Barbero expressed their surprise when they heard that the young girl had been under my protection for a fortnight but M. de Bragadin said that he was not astonished that it was according to Kabbalistic science and that he knew it we must only, he added, keep up the mystery of his daughter's place of refuge for the count until we know for a certainty that he will forgive her and that he will take her with him to sea, blank or to any other place where he may wish to live hereafter he cannot refuse to forgive her, I said when he finds that the amiable girl would never have left sea if her seducer had not given her this promise of marriage in his own handwriting she walked as far as the barge and she landed at the very moment I was passing the Roman gate an inspiration from above told me to accost her and to invite her to follow me she obeyed as if she was fulfilling the decree of heaven I took her to a refuge impossible to discover and placed her under the care of a God fearing woman my three friends listened to me so attentively that they looked like three statues I advised them to invite the count to dinner for the day after next I needed some time to consult Parales de Modo Tenendi I then told Mr. Barbero to let the count know in what sense he was to understand Stefani's death he undertook to do it and we retired to rest I slept only four or five hours and dressing myself quickly hurried to my beloved mistress I told the widow not to serve the coffee until we called for it because we wanted to remain quiet and undisturbed for some hours having several important letters to write I found the lovely countess in bed but awake and her eyes beaming with happiness and contentment for a fortnight I had only seen her sad, melancholy and thoughtful her pleased countenance which I naturally ascribed to my influence filled me with joy we commenced as all happy lovers always do and we were both unsparing of the mutual proofs of our love tenderness and gratitude after our delightful amorous sport I told her the news but love had so completely taken possession of her pure and sensitive soul that what had been important was now only an accessory but the news of her seducer having turned a capuchin fryer filled her with amazement and passing very sensible remarks on the extraordinary event she pitied Stefani when we can feel pity we love no longer but a feeling of pity succeeding love is the characteristic only of a great and generous mind she was much pleased with me for having informed my three friends of her being under my protection and she left to my care all the necessary arrangements for obtaining a reconciliation with her father now and then we recollected that the time of our separation was near at hand our grief was bitter but we contrived to forget it in the ecstasy of our amorous enjoyment why cannot we belong forever to each other the charming girl would exclaim it is not my acquaintance with Stefani it is your loss which will seal my eternal misery but it was necessary to bring our delightful interview to a close for the hours were flying with fearful rapidity I left her happy her eyes wet with tears of intense felicity at the dinner table Monsieur Barbaro told me that he had paid a visit to his relative, Stefani's mother and that she had not appeared sorry at the decision taken by her son although he was her only child he had the choice, she said, between killing himself and turning friar and he took the wiser choice the woman spoke like a good Christian and she professed to be one but she spoke like an unfeeling mother and she was truly one for she was wealthy and if she had not been cruelly avaricious her son would not have been reduced to the fearful alternative of committing suicide or of becoming a capuchin friar the last and most serious motive which caused the despair of Stefani who is still alive remained a mystery for everybody my memoirs will raise the veil when no one will care anything about it the Count and his son were of course greatly surprised and the event made them still more desirous of discovering the young lady in order to obtain a clue to her place of refuge the Count had resolved on summoning before the Council of Ten all the parties accused and accusing whose names he had on his list with the exception of myself his determination made it necessary for us to inform him that his daughter was in my hands and Monsieur de Bragadin undertook to let him know the truth we were all invited to supper by the Count and we went to his hostelry with the exception of Monsieur de Bragadin who had declined the invitation I was thus prevented from seeing my divinity that evening but early the next morning I made up for lost time as it had been decided that her father would on that very day be informed of her being under my care we remained together until noon we had no hope of contriving another meeting for I had promised to bring her brother in the afternoon the Count and his son dined with us and after dinner Monsieur de Bragadin said I have joyful news for you Count your beloved daughter has been found what an agreeable surprise for the father and the son Monsieur de Bragadin handed them the promise of marriage written by Stefani and said this gentleman evidently brought your lovely young lady to the verge of madness when she found that he had gone from sea blank without her she left your house alone on foot and as she landed in Venice Providence threw her in the way of this young man who induced her to follow him and has placed her under the care of an honest woman whom she has not left since whom she will leave only to fall in your arms as soon as she is certain of your forgiveness how folly she has committed oh let her have no doubt of my forgiving her exclaimed the father in the ecstasy of joy and turning to me dear sir I beg of you not to delay the fortunate moment on which the whole happiness of my life depends I embraced him warmly saying that his daughter would be restored to him on the following day and that I would let his son see her that very afternoon the opportunity of preparing her by degrees for that happy reconciliation Mr. Barbero desired to accompany us and the young man approving all my arrangements embraced me swearing everlasting friendship and gratitude we went out all three together and a gondola carried us in a few minutes to the place where I was guarding a treasure more precious than the golden apples of the hisperides but alas I was on the point of losing that treasure the remembrance of which causes me even now a delicious trembling I preceded my two companions in order to prepare my lovely young friend for the visit and when I told her that according to my arrangements her father would not see her till on the following day ah she exclaimed with the accent of true happiness then we can spend a few more hours together go dearest go and bring my brother I returned with my companions but how can I paint that truly dramatic situation oh how inferior art must ever be to nature the fraternal love the delight beaming upon those two beautiful faces with a slight shade of confusion on that of the sister the pure joy shining in the midst of their tender caresses the most eloquent exclamations followed by still more eloquent silence their loving looks which seem like flashes of lightning in the midst of a dew of tears a thought of politeness which brings blushes on her countenance when she recollects that she has forgotten her duty towards a nobleman whom she sees for the first time and finally there was my part not a speaking one but yet the most important of all the whole formed a living picture to which the most skillful painter could not have rendered full justice we sat down at last the young countess between her brother and Monsieur Barbara on the sofa I opposite to her on a low footstool to whom dear sister are we indebted for the happiness of having found you again to my guardian angel she answered giving me her hand to this generous man who was waiting for me as if heaven had sent him with the special mission of watching over your sister it is he who has saved me who has prevented me from falling into the gulf which yawned under my feet who has rescued me from the shame threatening me of which I then had no conception it is to him I am indebted for all to him who as you see kisses my hand now for the first time and she pressed her handkerchief to her beautiful eyes to dry her tears but ours were flowing at the same time such is true virtue which never loses its nobleness even when modesty compels it to utter some innocent falsehood but the charming girl had no idea of being guilty of an untruth it was a pure virtuous soul which was then speaking through her lips and she allowed it to speak her virtues seemed to whisper to her that in spite of her errors it had never deserted her a young girl who gives way to a real feeling of love cannot be guilty of a crime or be exposed to remorse towards the end of our friendly visit she said that she longed to throw herself at her father's feet but that she wished to see him only in the evening so as not to give any opportunity to the gossips of the place and it was agreed that the meeting which was to be the last scene of the drama should take place the next day towards the evening we returned to the Count's hostelry for supper and the excellent man fully persuaded that he was indebted to me for his honor as well as for his daughters looked at me with admiration and spoke to me with gratitude yet he was not sorry to have ascertained himself and before I had said so that I had been the first man who had spoken to her after landing before parting in the evening Monsieur Barberot invited them to dinner for the next day I went to my charming mistress very early the following morning and although there was some danger in protracting our interview we did not give it a thought or if we did it only caused us to make good use of the short time that we could still devote to love after having enjoyed until our strength was almost expiring the most delightful the most intense voluptuousness in which mutual ardor can enfold two young vigorous and passionate lovers the young Countess dressed herself and kissing her slippers she said she would never part with them as long as she lived I asked her to give me a lock of her hair which she did at once I meant to have it made into a chain like the one woven with the hair of Madame F which I still wore around my neck towards dusk the Count and his son Monsieur Dandolo, Monsieur Barberot and myself proceeded together to the abode of the young Countess the moment she saw her father she threw herself on her knees before him but the Count, bursting into tears took her in his arms, covered her with kisses and breathed over her words of forgiveness of love and blessing what a scene for a man of sensibility an hour later we escorted the family to the inn and after wishing them a pleasant journey I went back with my two friends to Monsieur de Bragada to whom I gave a faithful account of what had taken place we thought that they had left Venice but the next morning they called at the place in a peyote with six rowers the Count said that they could not leave the city without seeing us once more without thanking us again and me particularly for all we had done for them Monsieur de Bragada who had not seen the young Countess before was struck by her extraordinary likeness to her brother they partook of some refreshments and embarked in their peyote which was to carry them in twenty-four hours to Ponte di Lago Oscuro on the river Po near the frontiers of the papal states it was only with my eyes that I could express to the lovely girl all the feelings which filled my heart but she understood the language and I had no difficulty in interpreting the meaning of her looks never did an introduction occur in better season than that of the Count to Monsieur de Barbaro it saved the honour of a respectable family and it saved me from the unpleasant consequences of an interrogatory in the presence of the Council of Ten during which I should have been convicted of having taken the young girl with me and compelled to say what I had done with her a few days afterwards we all proceeded to Padua to remain in that city until the end of autumn I was grieved not to find Dr. Gotzi in Padua he had been appointed to a benefice in the country and he was living there with Bettina she had not been able to remain with the scoundrel who had married her only for the sake of her small dowry and had treated her very ill I did not like the quiet life of Padua and to avoid dying from ennui I fell in love with a celebrated Venetian courtesan her name was Anchilla some time after the well-known dancer Campioni married her and took her to London where she caused the death of a very worthy Englishman I shall have to mention her again in four years now I have only to speak of a certain circumstance which brought my love-adventure with her to a close after three or four weeks Count Medini, a young thoughtless fellow like myself and with inclinations of much the same caste had introduced me to Anchilla the Count was a confirmed gambler and a thorough enemy of fortune there was a good deal of gambling going on at Anchillas whose favorite lover he was and the fellow had presented me to his mistress only to give her the opportunity of making a dupe of me at the card table and to tell the truth I was a dupe at first not thinking of any foul play I accepted ill luck without complaining but one day I caught them cheating I took a pistol out of my pocket and aiming at Medini's breast I threatened to kill him on the spot unless he refunded at once all the gold they had won from me Anchilla fainted away and the Count, after refunding the money challenged me to follow him out and measure swords I placed my pistols on the table and went out reaching a convenient spot we fought by the bright light of the moon and I was fortunate enough to give him a gash across the shoulder he could not move his arm and had to cry for mercy after that meeting I went to bed and slept quietly but in the morning I related the whole affair to my father and he advised me to leave Padua immediately which I did Count Medini remained my enemy through all his life I shall have occasion to speak of him again when I reach Naples The remainder of the year, 1746, passed off quietly without any events of importance Fortune was now favorable to me and now adverse Towards the end of January 1747 I received a letter from the young Countess, A.S. who had married the Marquis of... Blank She entreated me not to appear to know her if by chance I visited the town in which she resided for she had the happiness of having linked her destiny to that of a man who had won her heart after he had obtained her hand I had already heard from her brother that after their return to see her mother had taken her to the city from which her letter was written and there, in the house of a relative with whom she was residing she had made the acquaintance of the man who had taken upon himself the charge of her future welfare and happiness I saw her one year afterwards and if it had not been for her letter I should certainly have solicited an introduction to her husband yet peace of mind has greater charms even than love but when love is in the way we do not think so fortnight I was the lover of a young Venetian girl very handsome whom her father a certain Ramon exposed to public admiration as a dancer at the theatre I might have remained longer her captive if marriage had not forcibly broken my chains her protectress, Madame Cecilia Valmarano found her a very proper husband in the person of a French dancer called Binet who had assumed the name of Binetti and thus his young wife had not to become a French woman she soon won great fame in more ways than one she was strangely privileged time with its heavy hand seemed to have no power over her she always appeared young even in the eyes of the best judges of fated bygone female beauty men as a general rule do not ask for anything more and they are right in not racking their brain for the sake of being convinced that they are the dupes of external appearance the last lover that the wonderful Binetti killed by excess of amorous enjoyment was a certain Moskiewski a pole whom fate brought to Venice seven or eight years ago she had then reached her sixty third year my life in Venice would have been pleasant and happy if I could have abstained from punting at Bassett the Redotti were only open to noblemen who had to appear without masks in their patrician robes and wearing the immense wig which had become indispensable since the beginning of the century I would play and I was wrong for I had neither prudence enough to leave off when fortune was adverse nor sufficient control over myself to stop when I had won I was then gambling through a feeling of avarice I was extravagant by taste and I always regretted the money I had spent unless it had been one at the gaming table for it was only in that case that the money had, in my opinion, cost me nothing at the end of January finding myself under the necessity of procuring two hundred sequins Madame Manzoni contrived to obtain for me from another woman the loan of a diamond ring worth five hundred I made up my mind to go to Treviso, fifteen miles distant from Venice to pawn the ring at the Mont-de-Piet which there lends money upon valuables at the rate of five percent that useful establishment does not exist in Venice where the Jews have always managed to keep the monopoly in their hands I got up early one morning and walked to the end of the Canale Reggio intending to engage a gondola to take me as far as Mestra where I could take post-horses, reach Treviso in less than two hours pledge my diamond ring and return to Venice the same evening as I passed along St. Job's Quay I saw in a two-ord gondola a country girl beautifully dressed I stopped to look at her the gondoliers supposing that I wanted an opportunity of reaching Mestra at a cheap rate rode back to the shore observing the lovely face of the young girl I do not hesitate but jump into the gondola and pay double fare on condition that no more passengers are taken an elderly priest was seated near the young girl he rises to let me take his place but I politely insist upon his keeping it End of Chapter 18 Part 2