closed the trap which covered the hole in the
door, lest they should enter my cell that way,
and then returned to my old position, where,
with folded arms, I remained silent and motionless
for eight mortal hours. The clock, at last,
sounding twenty-one,* roused me from my painful
reverie, and I began to feel uneasy that no
one brought me a bed or anything to eat. I
thought, however, that by the close of day, some
one would appear; but, when twenty-four struck,
and I was still unvisited, I became furious, and
howled and stamped with rage. After more
than an hour of this frantic exercise, there not
being the slightest indication that any one heard
my cries, and the place being utterly dark, I
closed my grating to keep out the rats, and
threw myself at full length on the floor of my
cell. To be abandoned in this manner seemed to
me perfectly unnatural, and I came to the
conclusion that the inquisitors had resolved on my
death. I called to mind all I had done, to see
if anything could justify such treatment, but I
found no act of my bad life sufficiently criminal.
I had been a libertine, a gambler, free of speech,
and caring only for personal gratification, but in
all this I could discover no crime against the
State. At length, exhausted by vain conjectures,
nature claimed her rights, and I fell asleep.
The clock striking midnight awoke me. Prone
on my left side, without moving, and hardly
knowing where I was, I stretched out my right
hand to reach my handkerchief, and feeling about,
to my horror I grasped another hand cold as ice.
The touch electrified me from head to foot, and
every hair on my head stood on end. In the
whole course of my life I had never experienced
so much fear, and I did not think I was susceptible
of it. For three or four minutes I remained
in a kind of stupor, not only immovable,
but incapable of thinking. At length, slightly
recovering, I tried to persuade myself that the
hand I thought I had touched was only the effect
of a disturbed imagination, and in this hope I
felt again, but with the same terrible result.
Shuddering with dread, I uttered a piercing cry,
and recoiled from the fearful contact. As soon
as I was once more capable of reflection, I came
to the conclusion that a corpse had been placed
beside me while I slept, for I was sure it was
not there when I lay down. "It is," I said,
"the body of some miserable prisoner whom
they have strangled and placed here to prepare
me for the fate that awaits me."
* Roman time, which is reckoned from half an
hour after sunset.

Exasperated at this thought, my fear gave
way to rage, and, extending my hand a third time,
I seized the dead one, to be convinced of the
atrocious fact, when, trying to raise myself on
my left elbow, I found it was my own hand I
had got hold of. My weight, and the hard
couch on which I rested, had deprived it
altogether of sense and motion. The incident was
comic, but did not enliven me, so bitter was
rny despair at being a prisoner. My emotion
after this would not suffer me to go to sleep
again, and I remained in a sitting posture till
day began to break, revolving schemes of
vengeance against the government and the authors
of my imprisonment. At length I became calm;
and, just as the sun rose, I heard the noise
of bolts withdrawn and steps approaching my
cell.

"Have you had time enough to consider
what you wish to eat?" said the hoarse voice of
my jailer through the wicket.

Taking no notice of his insolent manner, I
answered in a tone of indifference: "I should
like some rice soup and bouilli, roast meat,
bread, wine, and water."

He was surprised that I made no complaints,
and went away; but in about a quarter of an
hour he came back, and asked me why I had
not ordered a bed and other furniture, adding:

"If you think you are only here for a night,
you are greatly mistaken!"

"Bring me everything," I replied, " that you
think necessary."

"Where must I go for it? Here are pencil
and paper. Write down what you want."

I accordingly named in writing the place he
was to send to, to get me shirts, stockings,
clothing of all kinds, a bed, a table, a chair, the
books that Messer Grande had taken from me,
paper, pens, &c.

"Give me the money to buy your dinner," he
said.

I had three sequins in my purse, and giving
him one, he went away. About mid-day he
returned, accompanied by five archers, whose duty
it was to wait on the prisoners of state. He
brought the furniture I had asked for, and my
dinner. My bed was placed in the alcove, and
my food on a small table, together with an ivory
spoon which he had bought with my money,
knives, forks, and all sharp instruments, as well
as pen, ink, and paper, being prohibited.

"Order what you want to eat for to-morrow,"
he said; "I only come here once a day, at sunrise.
The illustrious secretary has commanded
me to tell you that he will send you some proper
books; those you asked for, are forbidden."

After his departure, I placed my table near
the hole in the door to obtain a little light, and
sat down to dinner, but I was too ill to swallow
more than a spoonful or two of soup. I passed
the whole day in my chair, endeavouring to
accommodate myself to my position. Night came,
but I could not sleep on account of the horrible
noise made by the rats, and by the great bell of
St. Mark's, which seemed close to my ears.
This double torment was not, however, the
worst I had to support, for all night long I was
the victim of thousands of creeping insects that
fed on my blood and almost drove me to
distraction. At last, at daybreak, Lorenzo—that
was the name of my jailer—came to make my
bed and sweep out my cell, while some of the
sbirri brought me some water, but I was not
allowed to go into the ante-chamber. Lorenzo
had brought with him two large books which he
left behind, together with my food. As soon as
he was gone I fell to on my soup, to have it as