Volume IV Part 37 (2/2)
”True, it often hter, then, to kill her father; and if after enjoyment love still continue in the heart of one, it is worse than murder, for the party in which love still survives ht; and frouments I conjecture that you would have the senses kept in subjection: that is too hard!”
”I would have nothing to do with that Platonic affection devoid of love, but I leave you to guess what my maxim would be”
”To love and enjoy; to enjoy and love Turn and turn about”
”You have hit the , and the duke kissed her hand Her governess, not understanding French, was attending to the opera, but I was in flairl as the heart could desire
The duke repeated a lively epigram of Lafontaine's on ”Enjoyment,” which is only found in the first edition of his works It begins as follows:--
”La jouissance et les desirs Sont ce que l'homme a de plus rare; Mais ce ne sons pas vrais plaisirs Des le rae I was almost able to render Lafontaine line for line; but I had to use twenty lines of Italian to translate the first ten lines of the French Of course this argues nothing as to the superiority of the one language over the other
In the best society at Naples one addresses a newcoular as a peculiar mark of distinction This puts both parties at their ease without di their mutual respect for one another
Leonilda had already turnedmuch warmer, and the opera, which lasted for five hours, seeone the duke said, ”Noe ames of chance”
”I don't object to theood hands”
”Then follow me; ten or twelve of my friends will play faro, and then sit down to a cold collation, but I warn you it is a secret, as ga your own counsel, however”
”You may do so”
He took me to the Duke de Monte Leone's We went up to the third floor, passed through a dozen rooa banker, with a bank of about four hundred sequins, had the cards in his hands The duke introducedto draw out my purse, but I was told that debts were not paid for twenty-four hours after they were due The banker gavea thousand counters I told the company that I should consider each counter as a Naples ducat In less than two hoursand proceeded to enjoy ed in the Neapolitan style, and consisted of an enormous dish of macaroni and ten or twelve different kinds of shellfish which are plentiful on the Neapolitan coasts When we left I took care not to give the duke tian to talk to him about his delicious Leonilda
Early next day he sent a page to my room to tell 's hand I ala dress I put on a suit of rose-coloured velvet, with gold spangles, and I had the great honour of kissing a s to a boy of nine The Prince de St Nicander brought up the young king to the best of his ability, but he was naturally a kindly, just, and generous nity he would have been an ideal king; but he was too unceremonious, and that, I think, is a defect in one destined to rule others
I had the honour of sitting next the duchess at dinner, and she deigned to say that she had never seen a finer dress ”That'sattention froure” She s my stay were almost limited to these feords
When we left the table the duke took me to the apartnized ed hihteen years ago,” said he, ”since I chose M Casanova as the co him a brief account of my adventures in Roedthe duke said,--
”If you go to the Opera Buffa you will please Leonilda”
He gave me the number of her box, and added,--
”I will coether as before”
I had no need to order e ready for ot to the theatre the opera had begun I presented myself to Leonilda, who received me with the pleasant words, ”Caro Don Giacoain”