Memories of J. Casanova de Seingalt, written by itself

The Memories of J. Casanova de Seingalt, written by itself , are the Mémoires of the adventurer Giacomo Casanova de Seingalt, published in posthumous title with.

Editions

Written in language French E with the castle Dux where Casanova lived the thirteen last years of its life as librarian of the count Joseph-Karl Emmanuel de Valdštejn, the Mémoires of Casanova were translated into various languages before being published in Paris for the first time in 1825 - 29, of 14 volumes in-12 in a French translation of Aubert of Vitry, extremely inaccurate and neglected, adapted of a German version.

Much more complete, the edition of Paris 1855 - 57, in 10 volumes in-8°, reproduced in 1843, 4 volumes in-12 rather appreciably differs from the edition put at the day with Leipzig by the bookseller F.A. Brockhauss which spent twelve years to publish them 1826 with 1838. These Mémoires was the subject of a setting to the Index.

The bulky manuscript of six hundred folio sheets written of the hand of Casanova carries not the title of Mémoires , devoted by the first editions, and which was preserved, but that of Histoire of my life until the year 1797 . Instead of that, the account suddenly stops at the year 1774.

Establishment of a text faithful to the easy original forever be thing for the Memories of Casanova insofar as the various correctors undertook, not only them “to purge” its grammatical mistakes, Italianisms, Latinisms and others but also to dissimulate the obscenities with the readers of.

A lived novel

The life of Casanova is a lived novel. Its Mémoires reports the adventures through the Europe of the famous adventurer in turn abbot, soldier, historian, antique dealer, publicity agent, poet, violonist, chemist, magician, spy, and even industrialist. There is no doubt that without its unrestrained love of the adventures, its invincible inclination with libertinage, its lightnesies of control and its hablery, often fine, of the remainder, and spiritual, Casanova had not been able immortaliser a name considered in the history of sciences or the diplomacy.

With Venice, where it was born, its pleasing figure, its easy manners, its easy and persuasive word open the aristocratic houses and the palates to him. It will receive from the patriarch the minor orders there before intrigues in love make it expel seminar. It is thrown in prison in the strong Saint-Andrew, from where it leaves at the end of a few days. Pressed by his/her mother, Actrice with Warsaw, which had dreamed for him of great functions in the ecclesiastical State, it goes to Naples, visit several cities and arrives at Rome, where likes it first of all the Acquaviva cardinal with the service of which it enters. Accommodated by Benoit XIV well, it seems intended for brilliant future when it falls suddenly in disgrace.

Taking off the cassock, He puts on the military dress then to put at the service Venice, loses all his money with the play and pawns his jewels. Left on leave for Constantinople, he mislays on the way the passport which he had received from the cardinal, stops with Ancône and binds to it with actresses. Fallen one day in the middle of Spanish soldiers from the army which occupied the country, it is made prisoner. Escaped prisoner, it embarks in 1745, for Constantinople where it meets celebrates it count of Bonneval and is not long in going back to Venice where, after being himself considering preferring the bastard one of a patrician, it takes off the military dress.

Ruined with the play, it occupies an use of violin to the theater of Saint-Samuel when it saves the life of the senator de Bragadino who, struck apoplexy, chokes under a mercury oiling ordered by a doctor by rejettant the apparatus. Cured, the patient receives in his house his saver whom he believes initiated in the occult sciences. Adoptee and treaty like his son, Casanova become rich carries out a life of madness and disorder. Quoted in front of three courts at the same time, he flees and Vérone, Milan, Mantoue, Ferrare, Bologna, Césène becomes the theater of its exploits. Taken refuge to Parma in company of a young French lady to the mysterious and romantic paces, from which it is obliged to separate with Geneva, it goes back to Venice where he seeks the means of living play. At this point in time it comes to Paris, which it leaves soon to go back to Venice, where the inquisiteurs of State make it stop and lock up in the famous Venetian prison of Leads in 1755. The history of its escape was separated publication the object, the Histoire of my escape of the prisons of the republic of Venice, called Leads , Prague, 1788, in-8°.

Arrived at Paris in 1757, its spirit, its spirit, its facility of entregent and its good mood introduce it into the company of the men and the women of distinction. II contacts with the marshal of Richelieu, Crébillon, Voisenon, Fontenelle, Favart, Rousseau, etc Reçu by the superstitious duchess of Chartres, he practices with it the Cabale.

The cardinal of of Bernis, which he had known ambassador in Venice, having spoken about him with the duke of Choiseul like exerted, expert man as regards finances, he persuades with Joseph Paris Duverney which he invented an admirable plan of Loterie. He convinces everyone, including D' Alembert, called as expert mathematician and obtains six offices of receipts and four thousand francs of pension for its part on the product of his lottery. He gains five hundred louis in reward of a secret mission consisting in going to visit ten men-of-war in roads with Dunkirk. He meets, at the marchioness of Urfé of which he exploited credulity, the adventurer known under the name of Count of Saint-Germain and which he suspects of conjuring and imposture.

Casanova receives from Choiseul an important mission near merchants of Amsterdam and, to its return, leads the beautiful life in a villa furnished magnificiently, with horses, cars, stablemen and lackey. Turning, after having lost its guards, to the industry of the impression of the silk fabrics, a spectacular bankruptcy is worth to him to be locked up in Fort-l' Évêque, from where it leaves only thanks to the marchioness Urfé. In December 1759, it leaves Paris for the Holland where it finds the count of Saint-Germain. It passes in Germany, arrives at Cologne where the Voter makes him warm welcome, passes to Stuttgart, from where a bad deal drives out it and stops with Zurich where the idea to him has been just made monk before an adventure in love comes to oppose its resolution.

Remaining some time with Soleure, it binds to it with Mr. de Chavigny, the ambassador of France, crosses Basle, Bern and spends three days at famous the Haller to Roche. It makes a halt with Lausanne and arrives at Geneva in 1760. It is presented to Voltaire and passes in Savoy before intrigues of love do not stop it with Aix. He visits Grenoble, Avignon Nice, then Genoa where one plays the translation which he had made of Scottish the of Voltaire. It arrives at Rome, that it leaves at once for Naples, then Florence from where he is driven out by order of the large-duke. Also driven out Modena, it leaves for Turin before being found in Paris from where a duel obliges it to move away. With Augsburg, the burgomaster questions it about the name of “Seingalt” of which it has good year to lengthen his real name to give an air of gentleman. Of return in France, he tells his trickery with the naive marchioness of Urfé which he committed himself regenerating in the shape of an young man.

With London, it meets the signet ring of Éon and the king Georges III. Arrived at Berlin, he attends Frederic II which was going to appoint it governor of the School of the juniors when he leaves abruptly for to Saint-Pétersbourg where he has several interviews with Catherine II. With Warsaw, the king of Poland makes him warm welcome and gives him two hundred ducats but, insulted by the general great chamberlain of the crown, Branicki, it fights in duel, wounds it dangerously and is wounded itself. It receives the order to leave Warsaw. The king gives thousand ducats to him to pay his debts. He leaves for Dresden which he leaves soon to go to Vienna, where he binds with the abbot Métastase and Lapérouse; but the police force him enjoint to leave the city promptly.

Returned in Paris, it engages in a quarrel which is worth the order to him to leave in the twenty-four hours and moves towards the Spain, provided with letters for the count d' Aranda. After new gallant and tragic intrigues, it is thrown in prison with Madrid, but leaves there soon to go to Barcelona where it is locked up forty-three days in the citadel. It benefits from it to write a refutation of the History of Venice of Amelot of the Holly-plantation. The last day of the year 1768, it leaves for Aix where it makes knowledge with marquis of Argens and with Cagliostro. Gone back to Rome, it finds the cardinal of Bernis before passing to Naples and Bologna. It stops two months with Ancône and is established with Trieste where it receives four hundred ducats of the Venetian Republic for a light rendered service. Being reconciled with the government, it returns in its fatherland for the last time but it does not remain there a long time: twentieth from the letters of Casanova which make following its Mémoires teaches us that it still spent a few months to Paris in 1785, date on which its manuscript is completed.

Comment

Morals, the actions of this Gil Blas of in flesh and bone, as one called, undoubtedly did not agree more with the principles of the century which saw their publication. Everywhere and always, its whim overrides very wise consideration. It would sacrifice happiness eternal for the satisfaction of an imagination or of a momentary pleasure and launches out in all kinds of adventures, seeking the pleasure everywhere, putting up with all the situations, sometimes delivered to the expédients, but without any concern of the following day, sometimes spreading the money as a large lord, not very delicate on the means of getting resources, sometimes asking the play which is often favourable for him to refill its purse suddenly emptied. It is that its manner probably returned in the series of the complex combinations where the address makes it possible to the skilful player to direct or to correct the chance.

In spite of the cynicism of its manners, and too often the crudeness of its language, while telling its mad expedition, its momentary loves, its unhealthy adventures, Casanova opens unexpected prospects on civilization for its time. If he does not say a word of Naples, almost nothing Rome even, he paints the painting with sharp colors of manners of London, of Paris, France, Louis XV, Italy and especially of its Venice native, this town of love where nothing is rarer than the violent ruptures, the blows of head, dishevelled passions, the dramas with large spectacles and where one seeks before all the pleasure, where reign libertinage. Corruption is spread out without shame in the middle of the most refined elegances and passion is shown without veil.

Quotations

“ I start by declaring with my reader that, in all that I made of good or bad during all the course of my life, I am sure to have deserved or demerit, and which consequently I must believe free. ”
“ the reader will see in these Mémoires that, not having never aimed at a fixed point, the only system which I had, if however it is one, was that to let to me go to the liking wind which pushed me. ”
“ In spite of the funds of the excellent morals, fruit necessary of the divine principles enracinés in my heart, I was all my life the victim of my directions; I rained myself to mislay me, I continuously lived in the error, having of another consolation only that of knowing that I was there. Thus I hope, dear reader, that, well far from finding in my history the character of impudent jactance, will find there you only that which is appropriate for a general confession, without in the style of my narrations you finding neither the air of penitent, nor the constraint of somebody who reddens to acknowledge his fredaines. They are youthful pranks; you will see that I laugh at it, and, if you are good, you will laugh at it with me. ”
“ I write neither a novel, nor the history of a famous character. Worthy or makes indignant, my life is my matter, and my matter is my life. Having lived without never to think that the desire could one day to me has just written it, it will have perhaps character interesting that it would not have, undoubtedly, if I had lived in the intention to write it in my old years and, which more is, to publish it. ”

References

Evelyne Harmegnies, Giacomo Casanova, or, Europe of a libertine , Brussels, inter-University Presses European, 1995 ISBN 9789052014111
Corinne Maier, Casanova, or the law of the desire , Paris, Imago, 2002 ISBN 9782911416729
Marie-Francoise Luna, Casanova memorialist , Paris, Honore Champion, 1998 ISBN 9782852039230

Source

Memories of J. Casanova de Seingalt written by him even , Paris, Garnier brothers, 1904

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