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The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt novel. A total of 566 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.Vol. I."Venetian Years"by Jacques
The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.Vol. I."Venetian Years"by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.CASANOVA AT DUX An Unpublished Chapter of History, By Arthur Symons I The Memoirs of Casanova, though they have enjoyed the popularity of a bad re
- 101 "But she declares that she is pregnant from your doings.""That may be, but it is not certain.""She says it is certain, and she swears that she has never known any other man.""If it is so, she is unfortunate; for in such
- 102 "Yes. I intend to call with my brother upon the secretary of war, and I hope he will take pity on me.""You do not know anybody here?""Not one person, sir; you are the first man in France to whom I have exposed my situation."&
- 103 "No, my dear:""Well, then, be good enough to take me somewhere out of Paris; to some place where I can breathe the fresh air freely; I shall then recover that appearance which you think I must have to interest in my favour those who will se
- 104 "Your question, my dear girl, is not an easy one to answer, for moral philosophy does not know a more important one, or a more difficult one to decide; it is a lesson which lasts throughout life. I will tell you in a few words that we call prejudice
- 105 His majesty then sat down, took the young girl on his knees, bestowed a few caresses on her, and having ascertained with his royal hand that the fruit had not yet been plucked, he gave her a kiss.O-Morphi was looking attentively at her master, and smiled.
- 106 This young man, well-made, pale, grave, as cold as a piece of marble, madly in love, who, in his reason mixed with utter despair, came to speak to me in such a manner with the most surprising calm, made me pause and consider. Undoubtedly I was not afraid,
- 107 "What!" said the count, "is it the pomatum the history of which I know?""Precisely.""It is astonis.h.i.+ng.""I wish to ask one more question concerning a woman the name of whom I would rather not give."&qu
- 108 The court at Dresden was at that time the most brilliant in Europe; the fine arts flourished, but there was no gallantry, for King Augustus had no inclination for the fair s.e.x, and the Saxons were not of a nature to be thus inclined unless the example w
- 109 The baroness was not long before she gave me to understand that she felt kindly disposed towards me, and that she would receive my attentions with pleasure; I paid her a visit the very next day. "If you are fond of cards," she said, "come i
- 110 CHAPTER XI I Return the Portrait I Had Stolen in Vienna I Proceed to Padua; An Adventure on My Way Back, and Its Consequences-- I Meet Therese Imer Again--My Acquaintance With Mademoiselle C. C.I found myself again in my native country with that feeling o
- 111 He left me with an apology for having troubled me, and saying that he hoped to see me in the evening at St. Mark's Square, where he would be with Madame C----, he gave me his address, telling me that he had retained possession of his apartment unknow
- 112 "What!" I exclaimed warmly, "what! beautiful C----, you do not condescend to ascribe my reserve to the feeling which you have inspired me with? You suppose that you do not please me? If a kiss is all that is needed to prove the contrary to
- 113 "And I feel certain that you would not have had recourse to that stratagem, if you could have guessed how deeply it would pain me.""Do you then feel much interest in me?""I would do anything in the world to convince you of it. I l
- 114 "Oh, dear! am I indeed so near happiness!"After kissing her tenderly, I went down to tell the mistress of the house not to disturb us, and not to bring up our dinner until we called for it. During my short absence, my charming C---- C---- had th
- 115 This time our enjoyment seemed to us more substantial; we relished it with a more refined delight, and, so to speak, we reasoned over it."Oh, my best beloved!" she said to me, "do all in your power to render me pregnant; for in that case my
- 116 I immediately sat down to write to my dear recluse, intending at first to write only a few lines, as she had requested me; but my time was too short to write so little. My letter was a screed of four pages, and very likely it said less than her note of on
- 117 Necessity, that imperious law and my only excuse, having made me almost the partner of a cheat, there was still the difficulty of finding the three hundred sequins required; but I postponed the task of finding them until after I should have made the acqua
- 118 We were to go away early on the Tuesday, and I instinctively longed for that moment. The counts whom P---- C---- had invited were delighted with his mistress, and they came to supper; but I avoided meeting them.On the Tuesday morning I was duly informed t
- 119 When I saw the linen which she had concealed under her clothes to bring it out, I could not disguise my horror, and I thought the sight would kill me. I fancied myself in a slaughter-house! Laura, thinking of consoling me, told me that I could rely upon t
- 120 "Recollect that, if I did not suppose you endowed with a n.o.ble soul and a high mind, I could never have resolved on taking a step which might give you an unfavorable opinion of my character"The tone of that letter, which I have copied word by
- 121 In my ridiculous position I was sorely tempted to complain to Countess S----; but I am happy to say I was prudent enough not to cross the threshold of her door. At last I bethought myself that the giddy nun was certainly labouring under constant dread, kn
- 122 "But what will your lover say?""He will be delighted to see me happy with such a lover as you. It is in his nature.""What an admirable nature! Such heroism is quite beyond me!""What sort of a life do you lead in Venice?&
- 123 "And he forgives your amorous caprices?""What do you mean by caprices? A year ago he obtained possession of me, and before him I had never belonged to a man; you are the first who inspired me with a fancy. When I confessed it to him he was
- 124 "The abbess," she said, "told me how glad she was to see you, and that she was certain to find out who you are."I then related to her the adventure of the spy, and we both thought that it was most likely the means taken by the sainted
- 125 "Are you mad, dearest? I am yours this very instant, if you wish it.""Ah! if I wish it! Although fasting, come! Love and happiness will be my food!"She felt cold, we sat near the fire; and unable to master my impatience I unfastened a
- 126 Five or six months ago, I was reading La Sagesse, by Charron, and somehow or other my confessor heard of it; when I went to him for confession, he took upon himself to tell me to give up reading that book. I answered that my conscience did not reproach me
- 127 The charm of that style consists in the negligence with which the paint is applied. The rouge must not appear natural; it is used to please the eyes which see in it the marks of an intoxication heralding the most amorous fury. She told me that she had put
- 128 Adieu."The small key enclosed in the letter belonged to a bureau in the boudoir. Anxious to know the nature of the present that she could offer me at the instance of her friend, I opened the bureau, and found a parcel containing a letter and a morocc
- 129 I answered that she had guessed rightly, that the locket of her friend was a present from me and contained my likeness, but that she was to keep the secret, and to be certain that my friends.h.i.+p for M---- M---- interfered in no way with the feeling whi
- 130 "Believe me, dearest, I am sick from unhappiness. I love you with my whole soul, but I am in such a situation that....""What! you are weeping, my love! Oh! I entreat you, spare my heart! I am so sorry to have told you such a thing, but I ca
- 131 "Silence, dearest! Love would not be of divine origin did he not possess the faculty of divination. He knows all, and here is the proof. Do you not wish to know whether my friend was with me during the fatal night which has cost me so many tears?&quo
- 132 With these words he looked at me attentively, as people will do when they are trying to recollect a person whom they have lost sight of. I then told him that we had never spoken to one another, and that he had not seen enough of me to recollect my feature
- 133 M---- M---- took up a book full of the most lascivious engravings, and said, with a significant glance in my direction: "Do you wish me to have a fire lighted in the alcove?"I understood her, and replied: "You would oblige me, for the bed b
- 134 The day after Shrove Tuesday, going to the casino of Muran, I found there a letter from M---- M----, who gave me two pieces of bad news: that C---- C---- had lost her mother, and that the poor girl was in despair; and that the lay-sister, whose rheum was
- 135 This truly heroic action was known all over the town, and it was Murray himself who made it known, citing me as his witness.This famous courtezan, whose beauty was justly celebrated, feeling herself eaten away by an internal disease, promised to give a hu
- 136 "In the morning," I said, "I will tell Laura to get me something less seducing;" but the night brought counsel, and in the morning I put on the armour of sophism, telling myself that my weakness was no fault of the girl's, and tha
- 137 Towards the end of April I saw M. M. at the grating, looking thin and much changed, but out of danger. I therefore returned to Venice. In my interview, calling my attachment and tender feelings to my aid, I succeeded in behaving myself in such wise that s
- 138 "The only thing I ask you is to come sharp to time; and not to come too late for a convent.""Will an hour after sunset suit you?""Admirably.""I shall also make it my business to compel my masked mistress to stop where sh
- 139 Her cloak and mask were on the bed, but she was dressed as a nun. As I wanted to see her face, I politely asked her to do me the favour of shewing it."I don't know you," said she; "who are you?""You are in my house, and don&#
- 140 The amba.s.sador, who like an Englishman kept quite cool the whole time, poured him out a gla.s.s of Chambertin, and the blackguard drank his health. Murray seeing he had on a fine ring set with brilliants, praised it, and shewing some curiosity to see it
- 141 "My dear Barberine, what do you think I can see?""What you have often seen with my sister.""That's true! but you are prettier than she is."The girl made no reply, but, as if she could not reach the fruit, she put her foo
- 142 Leaving them at an early hour, I went to my lodging and was greatly surprised to find my bedroom balcony occupied. A young lady of an exquisite figure rose as soon as she saw me, and gracefully asked me pardon for the liberty she had taken."I am,&quo
- 143 Enjoying foolishly enough, his look of astonishment, I shewed him the books which teach one how to summon the elementary spirits. My readers will, I hope, do me the favour to believe that I put no faith in these conjuring books, but I had them by me and u
- 144 I have noticed at other times that surprise at a deed of oppression acts on me as a powerful narcotic, but I found out at the time I speak of that great surprise is also a diuretic. I make this discovery over to the doctors, it is possible that some learn
- 145 "Where can I get some?""Nowhere."What displeased this ignorant and gossiping fellow about me was my silence and my laconic manner of talking.Next day he told me that the Tribunal had a.s.signed me fifty sous per diem of which he would
- 146 "Who are you?" said I."I am Maggiorin, of Vicenza. My father, who was a coachman, kept me at school till I was eleven, by which time I had learnt to read and write; I was afterwards apprenticed to a barber, where I learnt my business thorou
- 147 The long nights of winter distressed me, for I had to pa.s.s nineteen mortal hours in darkness; and on the cloudy days, which are common enough at Venice, the light I had was not sufficient for me to be able to read. Without any distractions I fell back o
- 148 "Truly, sir, I pity you, for the air here is as hot as a furnace. Get up, and thank G.o.d for giving you such good company.""Come in, my lord, come in," said he to the poor wretch who followed him. Then, without heeding my nakedness, t
- 149 "From you.""Well, for the moment, sir, I'm dashed, for I did not think that wit meant impudence.""I am not telling you any lies. You it was who with your own hands gave me all the requisites--oil, flint, and matches; the rest
- 150 Overwhelmed by this disaster, I glanced at the fellow, whom his every feature proclaimed rogue. I was about to speak to him when he began by thanking me for having got him a bed. Wis.h.i.+ng to gain him over, I invited him to take his meals with me. He ki
- 151 "You can put off taking it," I said, "till the angel enters to set me free; but if you do not then renounce by an oath the infamous trade which has brought you here, and which will end by bringing you to the gallows, I shall leave you in th
- 152 The fool never thought how he had responded to my prayers."You are right," I said, "you may stop here on the condition that you will pray to St. Francis; and that you go forthwith and fetch my books, which I wish to leave to the count."
- 153 In half an hour the hole was large enough--a fortunate circ.u.mstance, for I should have had much trouble in making it any larger without the aid of a saw. I was afraid when I looked at the edges of the hole, for they bristled with jagged pieces of wood w
- 154 I Find a Lodging in the House of the Chief of the Sbirri--I Pa.s.s a Good Night There and Recover My Strength--I Go to Ma.s.s--A Disagreeable Meeting I Am Obliged to Take Six Sequins by Force--Out of Danger--Arrived at Munich--Balbi I Set Out for Paris--M
- 155 Balbi was under forty, but he was decidedly ugly, having one of those faces in which baseness, cowardice, impudence, and malice are plainly expressed, joining to this advantage a tone of voice and manners admirably calculated to repulse anyone inclined to
- 156 Thus furnished with ample funds, my first care was for my dress; and this done I went to work, and in a week sent my generous protector the result, giving him permission to have as many copies printed as he liked, and to make any use he pleased of it to i
- 157 I took the book and read, Lottery consisting of ninety tickets, to be drawn every month, only one in eighteen to be a winning number. I gave him back the book and said, with the utmost calmness, "I confess, sir, that is exactly my idea.""Yo
- 158 "Are you, then, not the inventor of the scheme which has been shewn me?""No, it is the work of my brother.""Shall I have the pleasure or seeing him?""Certainly. His body is feeble, but his mind is in all its vigour. We s
- 159 The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.Vol. III."The Eternal Quest"by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.VOLUME 3 -- THE ETERNAL QUEST EPISODE 11 -- PARIS AND HOLLAND CHAPTER I Count Tiretta of Trevisa Abbe Coste--Lambertini, the Pope's Niec
- 160 "How spoiled?""I daren't tell you as, perhaps, your aunt would not like it.""I don't think I should tell her, but, perhaps, I should not have asked.""Oh, yes! you should; and as you wish to know I will make no
- 161 "Am I to take that speech as a declaration of love?""Yes, it is bold, sweetheart, but it is sincere. If it were not, I should be unworthy both of you and of myself.""Can I believe you?""Yes, with all your heart. But tell
- 162 "M. le Noir told me that your niece was the daughter of a councillor, and I did not imagine that you would sanction her marrying beneath her.""There will be no question of such a thing in this instance, sir; and, after all, what is marrying
- 163 "Quite so, but there's a distinction between what lovers may do when they are together, and what is proper in the presence of a mixed company.""Yes, but I s.n.a.t.c.hed four distinct favours from her, without the least opposition; had
- 164 "I will put the guilty party in your power without his knowing what is to happen, and I will leave you alone, so that you can wreak all your wrath upon him, provided you will allow me to be, unknown to him, in the next room, as I shall regard myself
- 165 "Oh, not at all! I am very comfortable"; and so saying she laid down at full length."What a beautiful wife I shall have! Nay, don't move, let me look at you so." My hand began to press the bosom of her dress, where were imprisoned
- 166 Silvia's daughter loved me, and she knew I loved her, although I had never said so, but women's wit is keen. At the same time she endeavoured not to let me know her feelings, as she was afraid of encouraging me to ask favours of her, and she did
- 167 "Yes, aunt, I shall be very glad to see the gentleman again."If she had not answered thus, the merchant would have gone away without hearing his future bride speak."Well," said the aunt, "what do you think of your husband?"&q
- 168 "Have I the necessary talents?""I think so.""I have an inclination for all honest means of earning a livelihood, and as for my talents I will take your excellency's opinion for granted."This last observation made him smi
- 169 We started for the governor's apartments. The officer was the first to enter, and in two minutes came out again and brought me in. I gave up my pa.s.sport in proud silence. The governor read it through, examining me all the while to see if I was the
- 170 "Ample."We spent in vain four hours in looking for the superintendent in ten or twelve houses. I spoke to the masters of all of them, exaggerating considerably the injury that had been done to me. I was listened to, condoled with, and comforted
- 171 Camille, an actress and dancer at the Italian play, with whom I had fallen in love at Fontainebleu seven years ago, was one of those of whom I was most fond, liking the society at her pretty little house, where she lived with the Count d'Eigreville,
- 172 "You were sure of success, then," said he, "as you did not come to see me the day after your astounding operation.""Of course I was sure, but if I had not been too busy you would have seen me, for all that.""May I take a
- 173 "They are indispensable, madam, for without them one cannot work with any certainty. I drew Solomon's pentacle on the thigh of Count de la Tour d'Auvergne in the hour of Venus, and if I had not begun with Arael, the spirit of Venus, the ope
- 174 "Shall I tell you the key?""Pray do so."I gave her the word, which belonged to no language that I know of, and the marchioness was quite thunderstruck."This is too amazing," said she; "I thought myself the sole possessor
- 175 "For my part," said he, "I will credit our amba.s.sador with twenty millions, and if, contrary to my hopes, you do not succeed, the paper can be sent back to France."I answered that there would be no question of the paper being returne
- 176 "I should be delighted, and if you were to ask my father I am sure he would not refuse his permission.""Are you sure of that?""Quite sure, for otherwise he would be guilty of impoliteness, and my father would not do such a thing.
- 177 "Just so," said Esther, with a wicked smile, "but you admit a likeness, don't you?""I confess I was struck with it, though of course I cannot judge so well as you."After the concert M. d'O---- arrived, and giving ba
- 178 d'O---- left us to our own devices. Mdlle. Casanova's intended put on my skates, and the ladies put on their short petticoats with black velvet drawers to guard against certain accidents. We reached the river, and as I was a perfect neophyte in
- 179 I said, "that you give me a plain meal, and one bottle of chambertin only, for you are not too well off.""I know that, but mamma says that you pay for everything."This reply made me go off into a roar of laughter; and in spite of her v
- 180 Next morning a handsome and gentlemanly man came with a letter of introduction from Therese, who told me that he would be useful in case I wanted any a.s.sistance in business. His name was Rigerboos. She informed me that the burgomaster's son was onl
- 181 "And you don't know where you lost it?""It must have been in the street, but I can't imagine how it can have happened. It contained bills of exchange for large amounts, and of course they don't matter, as I can stop payment o
- 182 d'Afri, begging from them an immediate reply. At the end of a week I received an answer in the writing of M. de Courteil, acting for M. de Boulogne, instructing me to refuse absolutely any such proposal, and to report myself at Paris if I saw no chan
- 183 It was now the beginning of the year 1758, and five years before, when I was at Padua, I fell in love with the eldest daughter, but a few months after, when we were at Venice, Madame X. C. V. thought good to exclude me from her family circle. The insult w
- 184 A few days later, the magician set out for Chambord, where the king had given him a suite of rooms and a hundred thousand francs, that he might be at liberty to work on the dyes which were to a.s.sure the superiority of French materials over those of any
- 185 The day after my long conversation with Mdlle. X. C. V., my servant told me that there was a young man waiting who wanted to give me a letter with his own hands. I had him in, and on my asking him from whom the letter came, he replied that I should find a
- 186 "Quick!" said I, "light us a fire, and bring some gla.s.ses and a bottle of champagne.""Would you like an omelette?""Very well.""Oh, I should like an omelette so much!" said Mdlle. X. C. V. She was ravis.h
- 187 "I fancy I know it better than anyone," answered Fa.r.s.etti, in a self-satisfied manner."What is it good for?""That is too vague a question.""What does the word mean?""It is an Arabic word, of which I do not k
- 188 "Yes, but I only went in and came out again.""Then I will wait till the coast is clear.""For goodness' sake, sir, do not wait!""Ah, you rascal! I see what is going on. Well I will say nothing about it, but I must se
- 189 It may be imagined that I did not wait to be asked twice, and as soon as we got to her house I went to work on the questions, and solved them all in less than half an hour.When I had finished, "M. Casanova;" said she, in the kindest manner possi
- 190 "Do not deny it, sir; here is the evidence--a small piece of your letter to her."She gave me a sc.r.a.p of the letter I had sent the daughter, with the fifty louis for her brother. It contained the following lines, "I hope that these wretch
- 191 Cardinal de Bernis pa.s.sed ten years in exile, 'procul negotiis', but he was not happy, as he told me himself when I knew him in Rome fifteen years afterwards. It is said that it is better to be a minister than a king--an opinion which seems ri
- 192 To set up the business I spent in the course of a month about sixty thousand francs, and my weekly expenses amounted to twelve hundred francs.As for Madame d'Urfe she laughed every time she saw me, for she was quite certain that this business was onl
- 193 "But the midwife wants a hundred louis badly.""You mean that the worthy woman rates her perjury at that price. Well, never mind, I will pay the money, and you may trust to my word; but I can't do so before she has taken oath to her mis
- 194 "Very good; but I shall stay here all the same."Before long Baret came down and scolded the poor girl for not having told him of my presence. "Go and tell my wife to come," said he, as he began opening packets of stockings for me to ch
- 195 "She is Mdlle. de Boulainvilier, my niece.""How can you be so hard-hearted," said I to the aunt, "as to refuse your charming niece a toy which would make her happy? Allow me to make her a present of them."So saying I put the
- 196 In the beginning of November I sold shares for fifty thousand francs to a man named Gamier, living in the Rue du Mail, giving up to him a third part of the materials in my warehouse, and accepting a manager chosen by him and paid by the company. Three day
- 197 On my father's death I succeeded to the property, and at Rome I married the lady you have seen.""You had good taste, for she's a pretty woman.""She is generally thought so, and it was a love match on my side."He ended by
- 198 I had no sooner said this than a burst of laughter from the whole table set me right again. The young blockhead seemed taken aback and in his turn bit his lips, but his evil genius made him, strike in again at dessert. As usual the conversation went from
- 199 "My revenge must be with crossed swords," said he. "However, I will let you finish your business.""You will do wisely."Piccolomini, who had been casting a hungry eye upon my hundred louis, proposed immediately afterwards a ba
- 200 "I shall be convinced when I have verified the truth of the reply.""Are you persuaded, dearest Esther, that I have had nothing to do with framing this answer?""I shall be quite sure of it if it has spoken the truth, and if so the