Volume VI Part 80 (1/2)

Such was n, and after his assurances I concluded that no one would molest me

My adventures in Tuscany the years before were in all probability forgotten, or al in corand duke I went to a bookseller's shop and ordered so enquiries about Greek works, accostedat a translation of the ”Iliad,” and in return he inforrams, which he wished to publish in Greek and Italian I told him I should like to see this work, whereupon he asked me where I lived I told him, learnt his name and address, and called on him the next day He returned the visit, and we becaether

This worthy Florentine was named (or is named, if he be still alive) Everard de Medici

I was very coranti; I had the quiet so necessary to literary labours, but nevertheless I dalena, h but a child, that she continually disturbed ood day, asked , and the sight of her grace and beauty and the sound of her voice so ravished ht

A few years later Magdalena becaranti I took rooly, and he had no pretty daughters or seductive nieces There I lived for three weeks like Lafontaine's rat, very discreetly

About the same time, Count Stratico arrived at Florence with his pupil, the Chevalier Morosini, as then eighteen I could not avoid calling on Stratico He had broken his leg soo out with his pupil, who had all the vices and none of the virtues of youth Consequently, Stratico was always afraid of soed me to make myself his coht not go into bad coerous houses alone and undefended

Thus my days of calm study vanished away I had to partake in the debauchery of a young rake, and all out of pure sensibility

The Chevalier Morosini was a thorough-paced profligate He hated literature, good society, and the company of sensible people His daily pleasures were furious riding, hard drinking, and hard dissipation with prostitutes, who noble hi the two months which he passed in Florence I saved his life a score of tiot very tired of my duty, but I felt bound to persevere

He was liberal to the verge of recklessness, and would never allowEven here, however, disputes often arose between us; as he paid, he wanted me to eat, drink, and dissipate in the same measures as hiiving in when it suited me to do so

We went to see the opera at Lucca, and drought two of the dancers home to supper As the chevalier was drunk as usual, he treated the woman he had chosen--a superb creature--very indifferently The other was pretty enough, but I had done nothing serious with her, so I proceeded to avenge the beauty She took ive hione I betook ht with Mada of Prussia's service, and had retired to Florence

She was about , but still she had sufficient remains of her beauty to inspire a tender passion; she did not look irl, had excellent ent Besides all these advantages, she had a coest cafes in Florence In front of her room was a balcony where it was delicious to sit and enjoy the cool of the evening

The reader may remember how I had becoain at Florence our old flames were rekindled

The chief boarder in the house where she lived was Madaonzi, whom I had met at Memel This lady, who pretended that she had been my mistress twenty-five years before, often came into Madame Denis's rooms with an old lover of hers nareeable and well-educatedthat he seemed to enjoyhis card as I was not at home

I returned the visit, and he introduced me to his family and invited me to dinner For the first tiance and wore my jewels

At the Marquis Capponi's I made the acquaintance of Corilla's lover, the Marquis Gennori, who took me to a house where Iho had been spending a few months in Paris This visit had added to her other attractions the charood manner, which always counts for so er which I spent in Florence painful toof October, and about that time Count Medini arrived at Florence without a penny in his pocket, and without being able to pay his vetturino, who had arrested him

The wretched man, who seemed to folloherever I went, had taken up his abode in the house of a poor Irishman

I do not kno Medini found out that I was at Florence, but he wroteed his roo hio bail for him, and protested that I should not run any risk, as he was sure of being able to pay in a few days