examine it, but not to touch me at their peril.
They inspected my mattress, emptied my
paliasse, felt the cushions of my arm-chair, but
found nothing. "You will not tell me, then,"
cried Lorenzo, "where the instruments are with
which you made the opening? But we shall find
the means of making you."

"If it is true," I answered, "that I have
made a hole anywhere, I shall say, when I am
interrogated, that it was you who procured the
instruments for me, and that I gave them back
to you."

At this threat, which made the archers smile,
he stamped and tore his hair, and rushed out
like one possessed. His people then brought
me all my effects, except the piece of marble
and my lamp, and before quitting the corridor,
Lorenzo shut me in, and closed the windows
which admitted the breeze to that part of the
building, leaving me without a breath of air.
This, however, was a slight punishment, and I
thanked my stars at having got off so well.
Notwithstanding his jail-taught experience,it had
never entered into my keeper's head to examine
the under part of my arm-chair, and still the
possessor of my spontoon, I returned fervent
thanks to Providence, believing that it was yet
permitted me to consider it the fortunate means
by which, sooner or later, I should achieve my
deliverance.

I passed the night without a wink of sleep,
owing to the excessive heat and the singular
change in my situation. At day break Lorenzo
brought me some wine, and water impossible
to drink. Everything else corresponded—
a withered salad, tainted meat, and bread
as hard as an English biscuit. He would
clean up nothing; and, when I begged him to
open the windows, he affected not to hear me,
while the archer who attended with a bar of
iron in his hand, sounded the walls and floor of
the cell, striking particularly under the bed;
but I observed that he did not touch the ceiling.
"I must get out that way," I said to myself.
But to do so, external assistance was
necessary, for I could touch nothing that was
exposed to view. The cell being a new one,
the slightest scratch would have been visible.
That day was a cruel one to get through, the
heat was so overpowering, and I was, besides,
utterly unable to touch my disgusting food.
Next day my dinner was the same. The smell
of the putrid veal which the scoundrel brought
made me draw back from it in horror. "Have
you received orders," I cried, "to make me
die of heat and hunger?" He shut the door
without a word in reply. The third day did not
differ from the two first. I asked for a pencil
and paper to write to the secretary; no answer.
In a state of desperation I swallowed my soup,
and then soaking some bread in a little Cyprus
wine of the worst quality, I tried to recruit my
strength, that I might revenge myself on
Lorenzo, by seizing and stabbing him with my
spontoon. It seemed to me, in my fury, that I
could do nothing else; but the night calmed me,
and when my jailer next appeared, I contented
myself by telling him I would kill him the
instant I regained my liberty. He merely grinned.

After a time Casanova and the jailer came
to a better understanding, the prisoner giving
his keeper, as before, the surplus of his allowance.
Books being Casanova's great want,
Lorenzo told him that he could borrow some
from another prisoner in the cell next to his, if
he would lend his own in exchange. Casanova
caught at this offer, and sending a volume by
the jailer, he received another, on a blank leaf
of which he found some translated verses,
evidently written by the owner of the book. The
hope of establishing a correspondence arose out
of this circumstance.

I immediately sat down and made six more
verses, having recourse to the following
expedient to write them down. I had allowed the
nail of my little finger to grow, that I might use
it as an ear-pick. It was very long, and I cut
it to a point, and converted it into a pen. I had
no ink, and thought at first of pricking my
finger and writing with my blood; but I
recollected having some mulberries, and their juice
would equally answer the purpose. Besides the
six verses I also wrote a catalogue of the works
I had and placed it in the back of the book. It
is necessary to state that in Italy the books are
generally bound in parchment, in such a manner
that the book, when opened, forms a pocket.
Under the title of the work I wrote, " Latet"
(concealed). I was most impatient to receive
an answer, and the moment I saw Lorenzo
again I told him I had read the book, and
wanted the owner to lend me another. The
second volume was immediately obtained, and
the instant I was alone I opened the book, and
found a loose sheet of paper, on which was
written in Latin the following words: "We are
two in the same cell, and feel the greatest pleasure
at finding that the ignorance of an avaricious
jailer procures us a privilege unexampled
in this place. I who write to you am Marino
Balbi, a noble Venetian, and a regular Somasco"
(a monkish order); "my companion is Count
Andrea Asquin of Udino. He desires me to tell
you that all the books he possesses, of which you
will find a list in the back of this volume, are at
your service; but we must warn you that every
possible precaution is necessary to conceal our
correspondence from Lorenzo."

Having received proper materials for writing
from the monk, who was not under the same
restrictions as Casanova, a correspondence was
now regularly established by means of the
constant interchange of books, and Casanova
communicated to Balbi his intention of attempting
his escape. The other was equally desirous of
regaining his freedom, but knew not how to set
about it. Casanova, having exacted from Balbi
a promise to execute to the letter all he
prescribed, informed him of his plan.

I then told him that I had in my possession
a spontoon twenty inches in length, by
means of which he could pierce the roof of his
prison, then break through the wall that was
between, by this aperture reach the roof of my