Volume V Part 100 (2/2)
The first day of the year 1767 I took an apartment in the house of a certain Mr Schroder, and I took letters of introduction to Mada I then called on the elder Calsabigi, as in the service of Prince Kaunitz
This Calsabigi, whose whole body was one mass of eruption, alorked in bed, and the minister, his master, went to see him almost every day
I went constantly to the theatre, where Mada On January the 7th or 8th, I saw the eer come to the theatre dressed in black; she was received with applause, as this was the first appearance she had made since the death of her husband At Vienna Ito induce the eive him half a million of florins, which Charles VI owed his father
Through him I made the acquaintance of the Spaniard Las Casas, ain a Spaniard, free from prejudices I also met at the count's house the Venetian Uccelli, hoe at Muran; he was, at the time of which I write, secretary to the areat esteem for me, but my affair with the State Inquisitors prevented hi me My friend Campioni arrived at this date froh Cracovia I accoreat pleasure He had an engageht he was able to spend a couple of months with me
Prince Charles of Courland, who had been at Venice and had been well received by M de Bragadin and ht before my arrival to return to Venice Prince Charles wrote to tell me that there was no bounds to the care and kindness of rateful to me for all his days
I lived very quietly at Vienna;but al, which I intended to take place in the spring I saw no coood or ill I often called on Calsabigi, who made a parade of his Atheism, and slandered i knew it and laughed at hiht hand of Prince Kaunitz
One day after dinner, as I was sitting at table with irl, between twelve and thirteen, as I should iled boldness and fear, and made me a lo I asked her what she wanted, and she replied in Latin verse to the effect that her mother was in the next room, and that if I liked she would come in I replied in Latin prose that I did not care about seeing her reat plainness She replied with four Latin lines, but as they were not to the point I could see that she had learnt them by heart, and repeated them like a parrot She went on-still in Latin verse--to tell ht think I was abusing her
This last phrase was uttered with all the directness of the Latin style
It , and I felt inclined to explain to her what she had said in her own language The little slut toldme at my ease I told her that the authorities would never suspect her of doing such a thing as she was too young At this the girl seemed to reflect a moment, and then recited some verses from the Priapeia to the effect that unripe fruit is often h to setthat he was not wanted, went back to his rooently to me and asked her if her father was at Vienna
She said yes, and instead of repulsing my caresses she proceeded to accompany my actions with the recital of erotic verses I sent her aith a fee of two ducats, but before she went she gave me her address written in Ger that her bedfelloould find her either Hebe or Gany the ingenuity of her father, who thus contrived to irl enough, but at Vienna pretty girls are so common that they often have to starve in spite of their charms The Latin verses had been thrown in as an attraction in this case, but I did not think she would find it very reenius iven h I was forty-two years old, in spite of the experience I had had, I was so foolish as to go alone The girl sawfor her, she came down and shewed me in I went in, I went upstairs, and when I found myself in the presence of the wretch Pocchiniof false shaht have looked as if I had been afraid In the sa assassins, and the decoy-duck I saw that this was not a laughing matter, so I dissembled to the best of my ability, and made up my mind to leave the place in five an to reproach land, and said that his time had come, and that my life was in his hands One of the two Sclavs broke in, and said we must make friends, and so ether I tried to put as good a face upon it as I could, but I begged to be excused, on which Pocchini swore that I was afraid of having to pay for the bottle of wine
”You are mistaken,” said I; ”I am quite ready to pay”
I putout my purse, but the Sclav told ain sha my purse, the Sclav kindly did it for me Pocchini immediately snatched it from his hands, and said he should keep it as part compensation for all I had made him endure
I saw that it was a concerted scheme, and said with a smile that he could do as he liked, and so I rose to leave them The Sclav said wethat to be unnecessary, he and his coht myself undone Without more ado, I hastened to eo, and I went ho what else to do went to bed