Volume VI Part 1 (2/2)
As I went away I took it into h I had not the honour of knowing him I called at his house, and a man I met told me to stay in the ante-chao to dinner
It was five o'clock The prince appeared, followed by his guests, ast as M Polo Renieri, the Venetian ambassador The prince asked me what he could do for me, and I told my story in a loud voice before theo, but I shall not obey I iivemy plea to the foot of the throne”
”Write out your petition,” he replied, ”and I will see that the eets it But I advise you to ask her majesty for a respite, for if you say that you won't obey, she will be predisposed against you”
”But if the royal grace does not place me in security, I shall be driven away by violence”
”Then take refuge with the ambassador of your native country”
”Alas, h unconstitutional violence has deprived hts as a citizen My name is Casanova, and my country is Venice”
The prince looked astonished and turned to the Venetian ambassador, who smiled, and whispered to him for ten minutes
”It's a pity,” said the prince, kindly, ”that you cannot claim the protection of any ambassador”
At these words a nobleman of colossal stature stepped forward and said I could claim his protection, as my whole family, myself included, had served the prince his master He spoke the truth, for he was the ambassador of Saxony
”That is Count Vitzthum,” said the prince ”Write to the empress, and I will forward your petition io to the count; you will be safe with him, until you like to leave Vienna”
In the ht -hall
I give here a copy of the petition, which I composed in less than ten minutes I made a fair copy for the Venetian ambassador to send home to the Senate:
”MADAM,--I ahness alking in your garden, an insect appealed plaintively to you not to crush it, you would turn aside, and so avoid doing the poor creature any hurt
”I,of you that you will order M
Statthalter Schrote me with your majesty's slipper for a week Possibly, after that time has elapsed, yourme, but will deprive him of that slipper, which was only ues, and not of an huh he escaped from The Leads
”In profound submission to your majesty's will, ”I remain, ”CASANOVA
”Given at Vienna, January 21st, 1769”
When I had finished the petition, I made a fair draft of it, and sent it in to the prince, who sent it back tome that he would place it in the eed by ave both copies to the valet de chambre, and went my way
I treetmyself, I wrote out in the style of a iven to the vile Schroteistrate had refused to return to me
At seven o'clock Count Vitzthureeted ed one to see, on the pro disposition I gave him the address and copied out the verses, and he said that was enough to convince an enlightened judge that I had been slandered; but he, nevertheless, was very doubtful whether justice would be done ed to leave Vienna to-morrow?”