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 I."Venetian Years"by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.CASANOVA AT DUX An Unpublished Chapter of History, By Arthur Symons I The Memoirs of Casanova, though they have enjoyed the popularity of a bad re
- 266 I pleased everybody by asking them all to dinner for the day after the morrow, after dinner the piece to be rehea.r.s.ed for the first time.The banker Belloni asked me to dinner for the following day, including my lady, who excused herself with great poli
- 265 "You have bought me some beautiful things," said she, "but you are too lavish with your money; if you had bargained you might have saved four louis at least.""Very likely, dearest, but I never was any hand at a bargain."I too
- 264 "I am always afraid," said she, "of being asked who I am.""You needn't be afraid, dearest; in France no gentleman or lady would think of asking such a question.""But if they did, what ought I to do?""You s
- 263 "Think no more of your mother, dearest one. You look like a lady of quality, and I shall be quite proud when the people at Genoa ask me if you are my daughter.""At Genoa?""Yes, at Genoa. Why do you blush?""From surprise;
- 262 "Are you contented, dear?" I said."I am quite happy.""Then I hope you will be kind, and find room for me in your bed.""You may come if you like, but I must tell you that you will not find me a maid, as I have had one lov
- 261 "Will you allow me to see for myself?""You may ask her if you like, but I don't think she will consent."The girl came back with the packet, and putting myself in a proper position I told her to try one on. She proceeded to do so w
- 260 With this flattering address she threw off the coverlet with a vigorous gesture, and displayed all her beauties, which I might have gazed on with such different feelings from those which now filled my breast. For a moment I was silent with indignation. Al
- 259 "Yes. My sister would have adored him, as that sort of love is her pa.s.sion.""But your sister has such fine haunches.""So have I! Look here, feel me.""You are right; but wait a bit, it is too soon for that kind of thing
- 258 As I came back to my inn I was accosted by a fine-looking man of middle age, who greeted me by name and asked with great politeness if I had found Vaucluse as fine as I had expected. I was delighted to recognize the Marquis of Grimaldi, a Genoese, a cleve
- 257 "That's fine. I see. I am going on the stage. You would do well to become an actor.""You are a fool.""Not so big a fool as you think.""I am going for a walk; mind you don't leave my room for a moment."I ha
- 256 This decided them and they gave in. The door-keeper sent to order the boat, and promised to let me have a dainty supper by midnight.The hours pa.s.sed by in jests and merriment, and when we sat down to supper I made the champagne corks fly to such an exte
- 255 I left them, feeling amorous and sorry I had obliged myself to go. On entering my room I found the three nymphs together, which vexed me as I only wanted one. I whispered my wishes to Rose as she curled my hair, but she told me it was impossible for her t
- 254 "My aunt Roman might," said the young lady, blus.h.i.+ng up to her eyes at the roar of laughter which none of us could restrain."Well," said Madame Morin, "there is Madame Varnier, of the Rue de Richelieu; she is an aunt of yours.
- 253 "You may rely on me."I was in an ecstasy at having put her off so effectually.At eight o'clock all my guests arrived, and I saw before me all the fairest ladies and the n.o.blest gentlemen of Gren.o.ble. The only thing which vexed me was th
- 252 Madame Morin was very polite to the three girls, whom she knew well, and Le Duc stood behind her chair all the time, looking after her wants, and dressed as richly as the king's chamberlain. When we had nearly finished dinner Mdlle. Roman pa.s.sed a
- 251 She was then seventeen. Her satin skin by its dazzling whiteness displayed to greater advantage her magnificent black hair. Her features were perfectly regular, and her complexion had a slight tinge of red; her fine eyes were at once sweet and sparkling,
- 250 The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.Vol. IV."Adventures In The South".by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt.VOLUME 4 -- ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH EPISODE 16 -- DEPART SWITZERLAND CHAPTER I The Door--Keeper's Daughters--The Horoscopes--Mdlle
- 249 Look! it is too large here, and too small there; it makes you into a regular curve. What a stupid the fellow must be, he can't know his own trade! But what is that?""You make me laugh; it's all your fault. You have been feeling and fon
- 248 "No; it is you who have made me happy. You are an angel from heaven. We loved, we crowned our love; I cannot have done aught to offend G.o.d. I am free from all my fears. We have obeyed nature and our destinies. Do you love me still?""Can y
- 247 "I will not dispute it with you, although I am sorry for what you say.""Why?""Because you think yourself in duty bound to refuse caresses which would not hurt you, and which would give me new life and happiness.""I have
- 246 "I must indeed return and do penance for my sins.""I hope you have the wit to laugh at the abbess's silly excommunications?""I begin not to dread them so much as I used to.""I am delighted to hear it, as I see you w
- 245 "I did much more and much less, for I never gave her a child. If I had been so unfortunate I should have carried her off to Rome, where we should have fallen at the feet of the Holy Father, who would have absolved her from her vows, and my dear M----
- 244 "When you put the child at the hospital door, were you recognized?""n.o.body saw me as I put it into the box, and I wrote a note to say the child had not been baptized.""Who wrote the note?""I did.""You will, o
- 243 "Let us get up, then, and go to dinner.""In company, dearest? Look at your eyes.""All the better. People will guess what has happened, and the two countesses will burst with envy. I want everybody to know that it is for me alone t
- 242 I kept my appointment, and entered her room at nine o'clock exactly. I found her dressed, and on my reproaching her she said that it should be of no consequence to me whether she were dressed or undressed. I was angry, and I took my chocolate without
- 241 "But," said she, laughing, "you have only got to stay.""Give me some hope, and I will stay till to-morrow.""You are in too much of a hurry, take things more quietly."I contented myself with the few favours she grant
- 240 "And to game, sir, for they are all professional gamesters.""Are they French?""They are all from Piedmont or Savoy; I am the only Frenchman here.""What part of France do you come from?""From Lorraine; my father
- 239 After this lively answer, he abruptly asked me what part I came from."From Roche," said I. "I should have been very sorry to leave Switzerland without seeing the famous Haller. In my travels I render homage to my learned contemporaries, and
- 238 "Crebillon! You cite a weighty authority. But how is my friend Crebillon your master, may I ask?""He taught me to speak French in less than two years, and as a mark of my grat.i.tude I translated his Radamiste into Italian Alexandrines. I a
- 237 "Would you mind telling me why?""He knows what he would lose; for he enjoys the idea you seem to have of him, and if he came you would see his nothingness, and good-bye to the illusion. He is a worthy man with six thousand sequins a year, a
- 236 I accompanied M. de Voltaire to his bedroom, where he changed his wig and put on another cap, for he always wore one on account of the rheumatism to which he was subject. I saw on the table the Summa of St.Thomas, and among other Italian poets the 'S
- 235 "The last thirty-six stanzas of the twenty-third canto, where the poet describes in detail how Roland became mad. Since the world has existed no one has discovered the springs of madness, unless Ariosto himself, who became mad in his old age. These s
- 234 "I know him from having spent two months with him at Padua, seven years ago, and what particularly attracted my attention was the admiration he professed for M. de Voltaire.""That is flattering for me, but he has no need of admiring anyone.
- 233 The gay and even happy air of the newly betrothed surprised me, but what astonished me more was the easy way with which she threw herself into my arms as soon as she saw me. It put me quite out of countenance, but she had more wit than I. However, I muste
- 232 "Certainly. He will have real tears. He says that if an actor wants to draw tears he must shed them himself.""I think he is right there; but he should not be so severe with amateurs, above all with charming actresses like you. Such perfecti
- 231 "Yes, please G.o.d."This Socratic reply made me see how misplaced my remark had been, and I felt some confusion. Finding a book to my hand I opened it to restore my composure.It was an octavo volume of his works, and I read in it: "Utrum me
- 230 I gave the letter to my housekeeper, who read it attentively, and gave it back to me quite coolly."What do you think of his advice, dearest?""I think I had better follow it: he says there is no hurry, and delay is all we want. Let us love e
- 229 When the rascal saw that I had taken up my position, he did not keep me waiting, for, getting up, he presented to my dazzled gaze, not only the secret treasures of his sweetheart, but his own also. He was a small man, but where the lady was most concerned
- 228 At ten o'clock the Mayor of Thun was announced. He was dressed in the French fas.h.i.+on, in black, and had a manner at once graceful and polite that pleased me. He was middle-aged, and enjoyed a considerable position in the Government. He insisted o
- 227 "I would go with you to the end of the world, all the more as you are now sick and sad, and when I saw you first you were blithe and well. If I must leave you, I hope at least to see you happy first."The doctor came in just then to tell me that
- 226 "You are right--a burst of Venus! When I think that I only touched two dangling flabby b.r.e.a.s.t.s, I feel as if I did not deserve to live!""And you felt them, and they did not disgust you!""Could I be disgusted, could I even re
- 225 "I only want to have credit in your eyes.""You cannot doubt that I honour you immensely, and I shall certainly not deprive you of the reward that is your due.""The only reward I ask for is for you to be perfectly open with me.&quo
- 224 "That will do; he is just what we want under the circ.u.mstances. I will begin by a.s.suring you, my dear friend, as you will have me style you thus, that Madame's honour is perfectly safe. Follow my advice, and if the detestable widow does not
- 223 "Your sadness," said she, "is not like you; it frightens me. You may console yourself by telling me of your troubles, but do not imagine that my curiosity springs from any unworthy motive, I only want to be of service to you. You may rely o
- 222 "I am delighted," I said, "to have been of service to you.""And I," said he, "am equally pleased to a.s.sure you of my grat.i.tude.Come and breakfast with us, my wife is still at her toilette. Come along."I rose has
- 221 "I am delighted to hear it; but I think she is very pretty."We went in to see her nurse, who called her "my child," and kissed her again and again, and then left us alone to prepare some lemonade for us.As soon as we found ourselves al
- 220 "I can hardly credit her requesting, or your granting, such a thing,"said she, "unless you have some motives of your own."I saw the force of her argument, and not wis.h.i.+ng to make a confidante of her I held my tongue, and went out t
- 219 "But me no buts, my dear; laugh away just as you like, you will find that the best way to get over me. I really think, though, that you put your services at too cheap a rate.""That makes me laugh again, as it is for you to increase my wages
- 218 I then went to see the rest of my people. I found two sharp-looking footmen, and the first of them told me he would see I had what wine I wanted. Then I inspected my bath, which seemed convenient. An apothecary was preparing certain matters for my imagina
- 217 "Perhaps I have gone a little too far; but I told him that by means of your acquaintance with the d.u.c.h.esse de Grammont you could do anything with the minister.""I must make you a true prophet; I will do all I can."The consequence w
- 216 "In what respect do you think me timid?" said I; to which she gave me no answer, but I knew perfectly well what she meant. I was tired of my part, and I had determined to play it no more when we had acted L'Ecossaise.All the best people at
- 215 "I shall always remember," he said, "the kindness with which the Venetians treated me; but tell me, I beg, the names of those gentlemen who still remember me; they must be quite old now."This was what I was waiting for. M. de Malipiero
- 214 When I got back Le Duc told me that I had been wise to slip away, as my masquerade had become generally known, and the whole house, including the landlord, had been eagerly waiting to see me play the part of waiter. "I took your place," he added
- 213 "We have a waiter who knows his work," said the lady of my thoughts."Have you been long at this inn?""Only a few weeks, madam.""You wait very well.""Madam is very good."I had tucked in my superb ruffles of
- 212 My landlord, whose name was Ote, had been a captain, and was thought a great deal of at Zurich. He told me that all the carriages in the neighbourhood were uncovered. I said they would do, as there was nothing better to be had, and he informed me I could
- 211 The church door was open, and I went in and was amazed at the rich marbles and the beauty of the altars; and, after hearing the last ma.s.s, I went to the sacristy and found myself in a crowd of Benedictines.The abbot, whom I recognized by his cross, came
- 210 "I am in bad enough case," I replied, "for you to grant me the favour of seeing you all together; I cannot think you will refuse me.""Well, well, you shall be satisfied, but if you are in a hurry to leave Stuttgart I must warn you
- 209 I did not at all like following them, but my evil genius led me in that wretched town from one blunder to another, and so I went in spite of myself.We turned back into the town, and I let myself be led up to the third floor of an ill-looking house, and in
- 208 CHAPTER XII Gardella Portrait of The Duke of Wurtemburg--My Dinner with Gardella, And its Consequences--Unfortunate Meeting I Play and Lose Four Thousand Louis--Lawsuit--Lucky Flight-- My Arrival at Zurich--Church Consecrated By Jesus Christ Himself At th
- 207 "Then you may reckon upon me."At that moment M. de Castries came in, and I left the box and went to the pit, where I pa.s.sed two anxious hours in reflecting on the possible consequences of the strange step this woman would have me take.Neverthe
- 206 The Elector's little bail was very pleasant. We were all dressed as peasants, and the costumes were taken from a special wardrobe of the prince's. It would have been ridiculous to choose any other dresses, as the Elector wore one of the same kin
- 205 "Is the count right," said she, pleasantly, "in attributing such power to me?""I think so, indeed," I answered, "but he may possibly be wrong in thinking you care to exercise it.""Very good! We must catch him,
- 204 Next day I took Esther to the concert, and while we were there she told me that on the day following she would not leave her room, so that we could talk about getting married without fear of interruption. This was the last day of the year 1759.CHAPTER XI
- 203 "No, no, my dear Esther; pity your friend, and say no more about it.""Then I may read all the letters?""Yes, dearest, if it will amuse you."All the letters of the faithless Manon Baletti to me, with mine to her, were together
- 202 "And now, my children, you see what I owe to the oracle. On the Exchange the whole company can do nothing but express their grat.i.tude to me. I am regarded as the most prudent and most fa.r.s.eeing man in Holland. To you, my dear children, I owe thi
- 201 I told Le Duc to shew him in, and to stay by the door. I saw enter a well-made man of about forty, dressed in the uniform of an officer of I do not know what army, and bearing on his countenance all the marks of an escaped gallows'-bird."What ca
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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,
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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