The Memoires of Casanova

tended Countess Pic

r Father, M. D'O.-

ccolomini Forges a

d, and in Danger of

o Paduan Girls-I Re

he Rascally St. Ge

s Faithless to Me;

Despair-Esther Sp

etters to Manon Get

Her-We Talk of M

alue of a satin skin and rose petals, but rather that artificial fairness which is commonly to be seen at Rome on the faces of courtezans, and which disgusts those who know how it is produced. She had also splendid teeth, glorious hair

who, finding her to his taste, set himself to amuse her. I felt friendly disposed towards this Englishman, though my feelings were certainly not the result o

primero with the countess, who cheated him in a masterly manner; but though he saw it he laughed and paid, because it suited his purpose to do so. When he had lost fifty Louis he call

it my neighbour in the pit was Count Tot, brother

ttle. The count had proved his courage with the sword on the other's body-a rough kind of argument which was fashionable then as now. He told me he had no money, and I immediately put my purse at his service; but, as the saying goes, a kindness is never throw

," said the count, "and his

had already won a re

. He did not know the reason of this sudden departure, but a minute afterwards the countess came in, and her maid having whispered something to her she told me that the count ha

caught cheating and had given the lie to their fellow Englishman, who had detected him, and that they had gone out together. An hour

ess, waiting for me at the inn. He begged me to give his wife the letter, which would inform her of his plans, and then to bring he

itting up in bed playing with Walpole. She read the letter, told me that she could not start till the day following, and informed me what time she would go, as if it had been all settled; but I smiled sardonically, and told he

ner with the usual company, increased by two Frenchmen wh

asanova is no

e glad to see him, and ask for an e

ad never seen him before I began to get enraged;

he, in that self-satisfied tone

are mistaken;

self-possession, he

taken if you think you are th

t an unpleasant explanation, in myself. In the meanwhile I bore as well as I could the poor figure he must be cutting before the officers at table, who, after hearing the insolence of this young blockhead, might ta

etian, sir,

nd to France, as your republi

nough to do without the protection of France or of any other power, and that during the thirteen centuries of its existence it had had many friends

Albermarle. The Englishmen spoke in his favour, and said that if he had been alive there would have been no war between England and France; they were probably right, but even if the duke had lived war might have broken out, as the two nations in question have never yet succeeded in understanding that it is for bot

h her at Paris. I could restrain myself no longer; my indignation and rage consumed me. I took up my plate, and made as if I would throw it at his head

onversation went on for some time on indifferent subjects;

e till the company had all left the room, and when we were alone together I got up and looked him straight in the face, and went out, walking towards Sheveningue, sure that h

ed me, and sent him back quicker than he came. He was wounded in the chest above the right breast, but as my sword was flat and the opening large enough the wound bled easily. I lowered my sword and ran up to him, but I could do nothing; he said that we should meet again at Amsterdam, if I was goi

ether without a word being said about the duel, with the exception that an English lady said, I forget in what connection, that a man of honour should never risk sitting down to dinner at an hotel unless he felt inclined, if nec

ening before, an hour after giving the countess into her husband's charge. He said that he had got very tired of her, as he had nothing more to get from a woman who gave more than one asked, if one's purse-strings were ope

s he congratulated me on not having removed it into Holland, as I should have been ruined. I did not tell him that I had nearly come to that in France, as I considered such a piece of inform

prise and delight, and threw herself in my arms, where I received her with fondness equal to her own. I found her grown and i

a power over my father, and assures me that he will

this idle science, namely, the power to guide persons devoid of stren

would forgive me any sacrifices I might have

urther than we did,

d that now I was a true Pythoness without having to endure the torments of t

have known where the pocket-book

that you were afraid of the results. I am never so bold as that, and when my father asks me questions of that kind, my replies are more obscure than a

ave you in it. You are really a woman of ex

d she, in a rather vexed manner, "I

k I can go as

not going to lose the superiority I had over her, and racked my brains to find some convinc

whole time. He was her father's favourite clerk, and no doubt her father would have been glad if she had fallen in love with him, but I s

daughter to obtain the answers of the

one without losing it myself, for the oath I swore to the sage who taught me forbids me to impart it to another under pain of forfeiture. But as

had been imposed on her by the oracle, and that she could not communicate the cabalisti

r not, for I had given her a power over her father which a father's kindness could not have assured; but she perceived that what I had

d flatly contradict the other, and M. d'O-- having written his question on two sheets of paper gave them to us. Esther went up to her own room for the operation, and I questioned the oracle on the table at which we had had dinner, in the presence of the

of the French securities he held in spite

oracle

not up the vine before the season of the vintag

n as fo

ill be a new comptroller-general, who will pa

and, taking his hat and stick, said that since our replies agreed he would run the risk of losing three million francs and make a profit of five or six hundred thousan

t does deceive me this time it will only be a

t, on the cleverness of her answer, the elegance of her style, and her bol

, "for having confirmed my reply, bu

you, and I will even tell you tha

general in a year's time, and run the risk of compromising the oracle? I never dare to

but since the oracle has pronounced it I am wi

uch a master of the cabala as you are, and yet you will not confess that you invent t

think

alth would have made me a happy man if it were not for my master-passion, the love of in

me, as if I were some strange wild beast. Amongst those present were a Chevalier de Sabi, who wore the uniform of a Polish major, and protested he had known me at Dresden; a Baron de Wiedan, claiming Bohemia as his fatherland, who greeted me by saying that his friend the Comte St. Germain had arrived at the Etoile d'Orient, and had been enquiring after me; an attenuated-looking bravo who was introduced to me as the Chevalier de la Pe

etended Chevalier de Sabi, a pretty woman from Saxony, who, speaking Itali

e I greeted everybody politely, and then drawing a roll of a hundred Louis from my pocket I presented th

oundrel answered me, as he pocketed the money, that he remembered having

?" said I, in a dry an

, as you know right well. Here is the mark

the small round scar. This scene, which belonged more to farc

gain, if you still desire to cross swords with me; but while I am here I must beg you not to disturb me. All the same, you may as well kn

swords," said he. "However, I w

ll do w

ven Talvis, so I cut in. I had a run of bad luck and lost a hundred ducats, but, as usual, my loss only excited me. I wished to regain what I had lost, so I stayed to supper, and afterwards, with better luck, won back my money. I was content to stop at this, and to let the money I had paid to Talvis

of the revenge I owed him. He was in a bad humour, both on this account and because he had lost the hundred Louis I had paid him, and he all

o a coffee-house and to meet Rigerboos, Therese's friend, whose acquaintance the reader has already made. After greeting each other, and talking about Th

iginal from which it was co

t, and told me to come with him to be

fore for an individual who was unknown to him. In my indignation I begged Rigerboos to come with me to Picco

ll and he would send it to the bank to be cashed, but Rigerboos broke in by saying that it w

shed, and said that, "though he could not

d I, "but in the mean time I should be obli

ng his voice, "I guarantee to pay

enough, if I chose;

me see to this business myself." He took me to a fine-looking man, who turned out to be the lieutenant of police, and after he had heard the case he told me to give him the bill of exchange and to say where I was going to dine. I told him I

very day, for your eyes have a sway over me t

I choose, but, by-the-by, have you t

want to be co

intelligence distinct from your own you ought t

thought; I will

came in from the Exchange,

ficial brought me five hundred flor

reproached me for preferring such bad company to her. "By way of punishment," said she, "I hope you will come with

you, and that i

' gibberish, and was terribly bored, as Esther pre

e in return for the tedium to which she had condemned me. When we got home we had supper, and that evening, Heaven be thanked! I heard nothing more abo

Piccolomini standing before me, and as he had not sent in his name I began to

privately," said he, "te

ot know a word of Italian." Le Duc, o

, he told me that there was no time for consideration or argument; I must say yes or no there and then, for such were their instructions from the chief of police. I had no choice in the matter, so I paid the five hundred florins, but I did not get back the bill, and the man told me I could not have it unless

added that if I had been aware of this I would not only have refused the bill but would not have allowed him to play. Thereupon the second policeman said

at she had to say he informed her that she must find out the forger, since M. Casanova's honour might b

. You have got your money and you are not without friends. Get their influence exerted in th

ough for me. I should be glad to be of service to you, but I really don't see what I can do. The best advice I can give you is to make a sacrifice of the rascally shar

ing his back on me went out, saying

ll me that the signor had gone off threatening vengeance, a

aid I, "say no

ateful for his advice, and I gave

vinity of my oracle, a different task with one whose own wits had told he

l me something which

conditions, I told her that the oracle might revea

nswered, "as the secret wil

the answer as well as you, and it may be

ere, if the oracle is not your own brain you

limit to the powe

e that I am mistaken in my ideas or ackno

on the point of declaring myself con

neck, the arms, or the hands, are duplicated on the corresponding parts of the body. I concluded, therefore, that Esther had a mole like that on her chin in a certain place which a virtuous girl does not shew; and innocent as she was I suspected that she herself did not know of this sec

he entrance of the temple of love you have a mole

did not want it to be explained to her, but translated the numbers into letters as I wrote them down. As soon as I had extracted all the combinations of

eby save your delicacy from sharing with me a secret which may or may not be agreeabl

when I have verified t

ther, that I have had nothing

one that even I do not know of it. You need not know yourself, as it is only a trifle which would not interest you; but it will

favourably to me. Nevertheless, they were tears of remorse, and now, as I write after such a lapse of years, I still regret having deceived one so worthy of my esteem and lov

On the other hand, if I were right, Esther would no doubt be convinced for the moment, but her belief would speedily disappear if she chanced to discover that the correspondence of mole

t to go about without pistols. "I am on the eve of embarking for Batavia," said he, "in a vessel which I have laden with the ruins of my fortune. In the state my affairs are in I thought this the best plan. I h

rnelis, or Cornely, which, as I found out afterwards, was Rigerboo's real name. We spent an hour in writing to this curious woman, as we desired to take advantage of the circumstance that a man whom Rigerboos desired to commend to her was shortly going to England. When we had finished we went sleighing on the Amstel, which had been frozen over for several days. This diversion, of which the Dutch are very fond, is, to my thin

ill enough lighted I saw it was the wretched Lucie, whom I had met a year before without her recognizing me. I turned away, pretending not to know her, for the sight of her was disagreeable to me, but in a sad voice she called me by my name, congr

d me with terror and disgust. Since the days when I had known her at Pasean, nineteen years of misery, profligacy, and shame had made her the

lived on the sale of her charms for five or six months, and then a sea captain, who ha

ior kind, she set out for England with a young Greek girl, whom an English officer of marines treated as his wife, and whom he abandoned in the streets of London when he got tired of her. After living for two or three years in the vilest haunts in

hich neither I nor my friend touched. Finally, she told us she was now supported by

jokingly, if the girl

here, for they are ladies of high birth, and their uncle,

nt they had given of themselves, that if we wanted to be convinced we had only to go and see them at a house she rented fifty

e does not live with his

ar how business has been going, an

Rigerboos, "we wi

ble a profession, I told Lucie to take us to the house. I knew very well that the

whom they could talk. I found out directly that they came from Padua, not Venice, as they spoke the Paduan dialect, which I knew ve

ld of the one he liked best. Lucie brought in some ham, oyst

be prudish on his taking liberties with her, but as I began to follow his example the ladies relaxed their severity; w

ts, paid for the provisions we had consumed, and sent six Louis to Lucie. We then lef

xcuses to make, and that they would be well received. I rang for Le Duc, put on my dressing-gown, and sent him for my coffee. He had scarcely left the room when the door opened and I saw Perine and the fellow named Wiedan, whom I had seen at Piccolomini's, and who styled himself a friend of St. Germain. I was sitting on my bed, putting o

head with lightning speed, and all tha

I do for you?" Wiedan too

may escape from the difficult position in which your denunciation placed him. He has warned us that he is going

n, what have I

t have that much, and now. If you refuse we will take to flight with every

a pistol from his pocke

Stay, here are a hundred ducats more than you asked. Begone, and I wish you a pl

me up, and praising my noble generosity, would have put his arms around my neck and kissed me. I repulsed him, b

s silent even to my landlord; and, after I had sent my Spaniard to M. d'O-- to excuse my dining there that day, I went to the chief of police, but had to wait two hours before I could see hi

or doing so, and promised to see to it; but he advised me for the future to be on my guard and ready to def

ll these shocks had upset me; but I knew what to do. I took a strong glass of l

e saw how pale I was her face lighted up, and she asked me, in a voice of tenderest interest, if I had

dded I, to calm her fears, "I have had

as I had only eaten a few o

d bade me kiss her, with which request I complied gla

racle, or at least that you only do so when you choose. The reply you procured me was wonderful-nay, divine, for it told me of a secret

know that, for you are the man of my heart. But I want you to give me an exemplary proof of your love, and if you do love me you will not hesi

ject in question I should not wonder at her ignorance. Then, coming to the proof of my love, she told me that she wanted me to communicate the secret to her. "You love me," said she, "and you ought to make no difficulty in assuring the bliss of a girl who will be your wife, and in

respectful fervour, saying, "You know, Esther, dear, that my word is passed at Paris. Certainly, Manon i

ot teach her any other way of consulting the oracle than the method she understood as well as

ot see him, and as soon as my Spaniard went out I locked my door. What had happened already had made me suspicious, and I did not care to see any more gentlemen alone. The two scoundrels who

was waiting for an answer. I opened it, and recognized the name I had heard a short while ago. The writer said we knew e

man of about forty, dressed in the uniform of an officer of I do not know what

ou, sir?" said I, as

seventeen years ago, and I am delighted to ha

y way to Constantinople, and concluded that my visitor mu

u were the son of a Count Peccini, of Padua, al

cellent memory," said he, cool

do you want

business in the pres

lian, so you can speak out; however

my Paduan count told me that I had been with his nieces, and had treated t

ted them at him, bidding him be gone instantly. Le Duc came in and t

entioned the matter was Rigerboos, who not being in the same position as myself took his measures, the result of which was that Lucie had to send her high-born dames about their business. But the wretche

l, and I felt that if I wanted to be happy I should do well to kee

o be on my guard, as, according to his account, a Venetian officer I had i

d for wearing without the right to do so the uniform of an officer, thereby disgracing the whole army. And pray wha

e the country, and does not possess a single florin. I advise you to give him an alms once more, and you will h

ins, and I handed them to him in a coffee-house where the major told me I sho

terdam, where I might have been so happy, I am forced to admit that we ourselves are the authors of almost all our woes and griefs,

ion, for, contrary to the rules of Freemasonry, no one but the twenty-four members who comp

me the most distinguished reception, and I had the fortune to make myself so agreeable to them that I was unanimously chosen an honorary member during the ti

ion to which his daughter's oracle had replied in a very obscure manner.

and my company to transact a matter of the greatest

St. Germain was meant. M. d'O-- was not aware that I kne

or covering my oracle with glory, and givi

keys the letters O, S, A, D, the better to impose on Esther, I extracted

er is signed. They grant. The

cry of astonishment and declared that it gave a lot of information in

ou in the interpretation thereof. I shall prevent the thing going any further. The project is no less a one than to lend a hundred millions, taking in pledge the diamonds of the French cro

en we

ly came from another intelligence than yours. In the name of all you hold sac

ordinary cases they are unnecessary; but while I was making the pyramid

do the

holy names of the cardinal intelligen

whoever deals with the

ou, and it would be worse than murde

eiving you, d

e the cabala, you would imp

If I violate this command I should lose my knowledge; and thi

hat I am, your successor

ed intellectually for

fter all. If you like, my father would give you the

Do you think that to possess you would

happiest of my life-I left the too charmin

quadruple the cabalistic combinations. M. d'O-- strode into the room in a great hurry, striking his breast in a sort of ecstasy. We were surprised and

dear?" said Esther, "you sur

the Comte St. Germain should be delivered over, and that the Dutch authorities have answered that His Most Christian Majesty's requests shall be carried out as soon as the person of the count can be secured. In consequence of this the police, knowing that the Comte

ered that a warrant existed against him

ht, and that if he did not get the key of the fields he would be arrested. He is not so foolish as to despise a piece of advice like that. The Dutch Government has expressed its sorrow to

im a hundred thousand florins on account, which he said he must have immediately. He gave us in pledge the finest of the crown diamonds,

hing but express their gratitude to me. I am regarded as the most prudent and most farseeing man in H

enquire of your inscrutable intelligence whether we ought to declare ourselves i

papa embraced us on

an opportunity for giving me a strong proof of your friendship. It w

would refuse you a favour which is to cost me nothing, when

claimed. When he asks you a second time, tell him to seek the answer of me, and offer to consult the oracle also, in case my answer may be

otion? Let us set to work. Do you write the question, set up the pyramids, and inscribe with your own hand the all

ted made, and she was quite astonished to read the following reply: "Silence

one wild with delight. She

I can scarcely contain myself for joy! How much I owe you, you wonderful and delightful man! They will verify the truth of the oracle immediately, and when it is found that the famous diamond is but

from his daughter's oracle that the stone was false, the scene became a truly comical one. He burst into exclamations of astonishment, declared the thing impossi

st the pretended diamond, and to advise his associates to say nothing about the matter after they had received proofs of the worthlessness of the stone. This advice was, as it happened, useless; for though the persons conce

d with what she had done, she desired more fervently every day to p

in safety. In due time we shall hear some further details concerning this celebrated impostor; and in the m

t I was as far then as I am now from making my happiness into an omen of grief. But this time chance made the foolish belief of good effect. I r

ave kept my letters be kind enough to burn them. I rely on your honour. Think of me no more. Duty bids me do all I can to forget you, for at this hour to-morrow I

When I felt a little better I opened the packet. The first thing to fall out was my portrait. I looked at it, and such was the perturbation of my mind, that, though the miniature really represented me as of a chee

d imagination. I rejected them one by one, only to devise new ones. I would slay this Blondel, who had carried off a woman who was mine and mine only; who was all but my wife. Her treachery should

I began to read and re-read the letters I had written to Manon, calling upon her name in a sort of frenzy; and again set myself to write to her without finishing a single l

he Hague, where the chief masons of Holland met on the day following to keep t

with you, my dear

grief, but let us sa

isit, for at nine o'clock she and her governess came into the room. The sight of her did me good. She was astonished to see me so undon

me, the mighty healer, and still more your company, will effect a cure which I should in vain seek by appe

and spend the day with me, and I will do

t three days I have only taken

r face fell, and

desk, took a pen, and wrote a few line

n remove or even soothe your grief I can be your doctor, and you o

d kissed them affec

I would ask you and your father as a friend: what I want, and what no on

ce of you

not help

f I am not mistaken, the oracle

o consult the oracle this time. As for me I will have noth

ollow your advice u

ot to follow the advice of the oracle would be a

nifest, and I said that if she would stay to dinner I would get up, and no doubt her presence would give me an appetite. "Ah!" said she, "I will make you the dish you are so fond of." Sh

ward to spending a happy day; this shewed me that I could forget Manon, and I was delighted with the idea. I got out of bed, and when Esther came back a

funny idea, but as it pl

my hair done, and to be dressed as if I were goin

er, "I will cho

ted with her task, called in the assistance of her governess. She put on my bed a lace shirt, and the suit she

od; send for a dish, it will gi

irl over me, that, little by little, instead of loving Manon, I hated her. That gave me courage, and completed my cure. At the presen

sther, but only divert myself with the idea that she was inspecting my belongings, when all

imidly, "for having discover

aback, but looking k

; pity your friend, and

read all t

t, if it wil

ith mine to her, were together on my table. I pointed t

s, for the worthy governess, who was working at her lace by the window, looked at her lac

hich please you so well,

o! I will cur

nner you must help me to burn

sent of them. I promise to ke

her. I will send the

pages in length. She was enchanted to find herself the possessor of the lette

portrait to your faithl

ow what to

r by keeping it. I am sure that your oracle would give you t

or fear she should think Manon handsomer than herself, and conclude that I only shewd it her

eavored at the least to find some fault with her, but Esther pronounced her to be very

to put on the hateful affectations of the prude, to whom everything natural is an abomination. O-Morphi pleased her very much, and her history, which I related, struck her as very curious. The po

o have passed from death to life, and Esther was delighted to have been my physician. Before we rose from table I had declared my intention of sen

whether it would not be more generous to return it to the faithless Manon. Whilst she was calculating she said over and over again, with a smile, "I have not made up the answer." I pretend to believe her, and

, promising that the cabala should be obeyed implicitly, adding that she had

d, fearing lest I should really think so,

thus his growth increases, and thus tha

where your portrait is? Manon says in her letter that

I don't know in what direction. What was thus

r it; I should

the midst of a of books; Esther

u if such a present

give me anything

it, Esther, though it has

all the de

ess consists of calm and mutual joys without the tumultuous raptures of passion. Sh

rfect health, and I went to see Esther immediately. I found she was still abed and asleep, but

me my voluminous correspondence with Manon on her night-table, sa

dian muslin, which she had hastily thrown on, veiled rather than concealed her snowy breast, which would have shamed the works of Praxiteles. She allowed me to take a hund

charms of body and mind would make a m

fair to see all

her husband, I never had an opport

se," she said, with a smile, "such con

t in all respects, and that no mole or blemi

e a different

great secret you desired to know. Nevertheles

a stupidity which turne

, I could easily refrain

and evidently a little vexed, "that if you

s away, the same desires consumed us, and if the voice of prudence had not intervened, doubtless all would have been over. As it was, we had but a foretaste and an earnest of that bliss which it was in our power to procure. Three hours seemed to us as m

x, who believe themselves created for each other. Our flames burnt as brightly, but with more restraint, in the dining-room as in the bedroom. In the very air of the bedroom of a wom

of happiness, saying to e

e her to marry me without my first teaching her what could not be taught. I was sorry I had not let her think herself as clever as myself in the cabala, and I feared it would be impossible to undeceive

we were alone he told me that he had heard at the Hague that the Comte St. Germain had the art of making diamonds which only differed from the real

n the day following she would not leave her room, so that we could talk about get