Volume II Part 63 (2/2)

De la Haye dined with us, but all through the meal, which was a melancholy one, he spoke not a word His silence should have told me all, if I had not been under the influence of soenii ould not allow me to exercise my common sense: as to the sorrow of my three friends, I put that down to their friendshi+p for me My connection with these worthy reed that it could not be explained on natural grounds, it was deemed to be the effect of sohly religious and virtuous citizens; I was nothing if not irreligious, and Venice did not contain a greater libertine Virtue, it was said, may have compassion on vice, but cannot becoadin took me into his closet with his two friends, from whom he had no secrets He told eance on Messer-Grande I should be thinking of putting myself in a place of safety ”The portmanteau,” said he, ”was a ht to find

Since your good genius has made them miss you, look out for yourself; perhaps by to-morrow it ht months, and I know the way in which the arrests ordered by the court are carried out They would not break open a door to look for a box of salt Indeed, it is possible that they knew you were out, and sought to warn you to escape in this manner Take my advice, my dear son, and set out directly for Fusina, and thence as quickly as you can make your way to Florence, where you can remain till I write to you that you ive you a hundred sequins for present expenses Believe o”

Blinded byI had nothing to fear, and that consequently, although I knew his advice was good, I could not follow it

”The high court,” said he, ”inary; but in any case it will give you no account of the accusations against you Ask your oracle if you shall follow my advice or not” I refused because I knew the folly of such a proceeding, but by way of excuse I said that I only consulted it when I was in doubt

Finally, I reasoned that if I fled I should be shewing fear, and thus confessingno re

”If secrecy,” said I, ”is of the essence of the Court, you cannot possibly judge, after ly The sao, would forbid ood-bye for ever to my country, and all that is dear to me?” As a last resource he tried to persuade ht, at least, at the palace I a refused the worthy old man to whom I owed so much this favour; for the palace of a noble is sacred to the police who dare not cross its threshold without a special order fro to his request I should have avoided a grievous rief

I was ht have granted to his tears that which I had obstinately refused to his arguments and entreaties ”For Heaven's sake!” said I, ”spare ht of your tears” In an instant he suth to his assistance, made soood nature, he e, ”Perhaps I ain, but 'Fata viam invenient'”

I embraced him affectionately, and went away, but his prediction was verified, for I never saw hiain; he died eleven years afterwards I found htest fear, but I was in a good deal of trouble about o to Muran to take away from M M her last five hundred sequins, which suht; I preferred asking hi this unpleasant piece of business I returned ho consoled hter, and lay down to sleep The date was July 25th, 1755

Nextat day-break who should enter my room but the awful Messer-Grande To awake, to see hi if I were Jacques Casanova, was the work of a moment At my ”yes, I am Casanova,”

he told ive him all the papers and manuscripts in my possession, and to follow him

”On whose authority do you order me to do this?”

”By the authority of the Tribunal”

EPISODE 10 -- UNDER THE LEADS

CHAPTER XXVI

Under The Leads--The Earthquake

What a strange and unexplained power certain words exercise upon the soul! I, who the evening before so bravely fortified e, by the word tribunal was turned to a stone, with merely the faculty of passive obedience left to me

My desk was open, and all my papers were on a table where I was accustoent of the dreadful Tribunal, pointing to the papers which covered the table He filled a bag with theave it to one of the sbirri, and then told ive up the bound manuscripts which I had in my possession I shewed him where they were, and this incident opened h, that I had been betrayed by the wretch Manuzzi The books were, ”The Key of Solo,” ”The Zecorben,” a ”Picatrix,” a book of ”Instructions on the Planetary Hours,” and the necessary incantations for conversing with demons of all sorts Those ere aware that I possessed these books took ician, and I was not sorry to have such a reputation

Messer-Grande took also the books on the table by my bed, such as Petrarch, Ariosto, Horace ”The Military' Philosopher” (a iven me), ”The Porter of Chartreux,” and ”The Aretin,” which Manuzzi had also denounced, for Messer-Grande asked me for it by name This spy, Manuzzi, had all the appearance of an honest man--a very necessary qualification for his profession His sona lady nah I have never had any positive proof on theto stretch Christian charity to the extent of believing he was innocent, although he was quite capable of such a crimyself nor the reverse Ion mechanically a laced shi+rt anda word, and without Messer-Grande--who did not letthat I was dressing

As I went out I was surprised to see a band of forty men-at-ar all theseto the axioh It is curious that in London, where everyone is brave, only one man is needed to arrest another, whereas in my dear native land, where cowardice prevails, thirty are required The reason is, perhaps, that the coward on the offensive is more afraid than the coward on the defensive, and thus a man usually cowardly is transfore It is certain that at Venice one often sees a ainst twenty sbirri, and finally escaping after beating the a friend of mine at Paris to escape from the hands of forty buht

Messer-Grande ondola, and sat down near me with an escort of four men When we came to our destination he offered me coffee, which I refused; and he then shutup every quarter of an hour to pass water--an extraordinary occurrence, as I was not at all subject to stranguary; the heat was great, and I had not supped the evening before