Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/448

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. vm. NOV. ao, 1901.

CASANOVIANA.

(Continued from p. 40t)

HERE BROCKHAUS now determined to allow Casanova to speak for himself in the lan- guage he had chosen to convey his thoughts. But after a close examination of the original MS. the author's meaning was found to be occasionally obscured by Italianisins. In order to revise the entire work a French scholar was indispensable, and Prof. Jean Laforgue, of the Dresden Academy, was selected for that purpose. The task was conscientiously performed, and the text rarely tampered with. Here and there we find the adapter nodding, but as a rule Casanova's meaning is conveyed in scholarly fashion. As an example of Laforgue's treat- ment I cannot do better than give extracts from the original and from Laforgue : Casanova MS.

"Je 1'ai encouragee (il est question de la come"- dienne Irene) a recevoir 1'offre, et le baron en devint amoureux. Ce fut un bonheur pour Irene, car vers la fin du carnaval elle fut accusee, et le baron 1'aurait abandonnee a la rigueur des lois de la police, si etant devenu son ami, il ne 1'eut avertie de cesser de jouer. On n'a pas pu la mettre a 1'amende, car quand on est alle pour la surprendre, on ne trouva personne.

" Au commencement du careme, elle partit avec toute la troupe, et trois am apres je 1'ai vue a Padoue, ou j'ai fait avec sa fille une connaissance beaucoup plus tendre."

Laforgue.

" A quelques jours de la, Irene vint me voir ; elle etait accompagnee de Pittoni (le baron), qui s'en 6tait epris. Ce fut un bonheur pour elle, car peu de temps apres, un de ses amis intimes 1'accusa d'escroquerie, et Irene eut ete jetee en prison sans 1'intervention tout-puissante de Pittoni, qui etait toujours directeur de la police. Elle quitta Trieste avec toute la troupe vers le milieu du careme. Le lecteur la retrouvera cinq ans plus tard a Padoue,

lors de mes relations intimes avec sa n'lle matre

pulchra filia pulchrior."

The reader will at a glance appreciate the difference between the two versions. The italics are, of course, my own. Laforgue has in this instance altered the text to some purpose. It will be seen that Casanova says that Irene left Trieste at the commencement of the carnival (not towards the middle), and that he saw her again three (not five) years later at Padua. He does not promise his readers that they will see Irene again. He merely states that he met her himself. This point is important. If Casanova had pro- mised his readers that they would see Irene again, it would have been tantamount to saying that his narrative would be continued to that period. This may not have been Casanova s intention; at all events, he did

not say so. I have a strong conviction that the memoirs were not designed to extend beyond 1774, the date when Casanova re- ceived his pardon and returned to Venice. It must be borne in mind that, four years after he left Venice and three years after he had become Waldstein's librarian, he wrote these words :

" Quand il me prendra envie d'ecrire I'histoire de tout ce qui m'est arrive en dix-huit ans (1756-1774) que j'ai passe parcourant toute 1'Europe jusqu'au moment qu'il plut aux inquisiteurs d'Etat de m'accorder la permission de retourner libre dans ma patrie d'une facon qui me fut tres honorable, je la commencerai a cette 6poque, et mes lecteurs la trouveront ecrite avec le meme style," &c.

The quotation will be found in Casanova's ' Histoire de ma Fuite des Prisons de la Republique de Venise,' and there is no reason to suppose that he changed his mind when, three years later, he began to write his 'Histoire de ma Vie.' It is more than probable that Casanova was anxious to avoid any allusion to the role which he was com- pelled to play in order to earn a livelihood. Those circumstances may be briefly summed up thus : On 18 September, 1774 (the precise date when his memoirs end), Casanova, through the personal interest of his three protectors, the State Inquisitors Dandolo, Zaguri, and Morosini, was permitted to re- enter Venetian territory. Prince Morosini, a personage of considerable importance at that time, worked hard in his protege's interests, and eventually persuaded Count Sagredp a member of the Supreme Council -to sign Casanova's pardon. In his ' Histoire de ma Fuite,' &c., written in 1787, and published in the following year at Leipzig, Casanova states that the " august tribunal," by giving him a free pardon, conclusively proved to the citizens of the republic that they acknow- ledged his innocence. This was all that he could have expected. They did not com- pensate him for his sufferings in prison, nor did they stultify their previous proceedings by appointing him to an official post a step which would have borne the appearance of a reward ; they simply left him to his own resources, believing him to be capable of earning an honest livelihood by his talents as a writer. This flattering assumption was not justified. In a short time Casanova was driven to such straits for a livelihood that he was compelled to implore the Government to give him some employment which would not degrade him in his own eyes. His prayer was answered by an appointment which in those days was not viewed with so much abhorrence as it would be regarded now. In the month of September, 1774, ^Casanova