Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-12-16


Thus provided, he went on cuttin,
deeper and deeper into the floor. until h,
had almost reached the under surface
At this period of his labors, and abou
eleven months after the date of his con
signment to the Leads, Casanova suffer
ed horrible fright. and Just missed be
ing discovered in the cry act of work
ing at his hole. He was extended Al
full length upon the floor, with his arm
thrust into the opening, when suddenly
4 he heard with mortal terror the noise o.
a bolt drawn back in the door. and he
! had scarcely time to conceal his opera
tions. when Laurent entered, bringing
with him another prisoner, who was to
share CasanoVa's s cell. The newcomer
came very near betraying his efforts at
once, by declaring that there was a
strong smell of partially extinguished
lamp-wick in the cell, as, indeed, there
was, Casanova not having had time to
put the lamp entirely out as the keeper
entered. But Laurent fortunately sus-
pected nothing, and She only unfoward
result was an eight days interruption of
his proceedings, for in eight days his
cel-mate was removed. Casanova con-
graduated himself upon this early re-
lief, as he had previously been inter
rupted for two months by an inopportune
and baleful Jew, who was temporarily,
IN like manner, joint occupant of the
cell.
Resuming his work with alacrity, he
had the satisfaction of getting so near
the end of it without discovery, that he
was able to fix upon the eve of the fete
of St. Augustine, the z7th of August. as
the time for his flight. But on the 2sth
a sad misfortune befel him. Laurent
came suddenly into his cell. and in
formed him that he was to be immediate
ly transferred to another cell of more
spacious dimensions, where the air was
pure and the light of heaven streamed
in through the window Laurent oues-
toned Casanova S sanity in being reluc-
tant to change his quarters, but reminded
him that resistance was useless, so that
Casanova yielded to the necessity. and
was in measure consoled for the IN
happy conclusion of his plan of escape
IN seeing that his armchair, in the bot
tom of which was concealed his iron
pike, was to be taken to his new pIace
of confinement
From the grated windows there was a
fine view of Venice, reaching as far as
the Lido, and when the window was
open the breeze from the Adriatic tenn
pered the almost insufferab1e heat of the
prison. Two hours after Casanova had
taken possession, Laurent, having dis
covered the opening in the floor of the !
cell just left vacant, broke in upon his
prisoner with the bitterest taunts. de-
to know who it was that had |
supplied him with the tools with which |
he had cut through the planks. After |
for a time to know nothing |
whatever about the matter, Casanova at |
last startled Laurent by the declaration |
that he himself had furnished all the
materials requisite for the work, and |
promised to reveal everything in the
presence of a Secretary, an offer which
he frightened jailer was prompt to de-
cline, since a revelation of this sort
might have caused him to be hanged for
lis carelessness.
Laurent was therefore to some extent
n Casanova's power, and the latter,
orohting by this advantage, and further
more cajoling the iailer by presents of
money to his wife, obtained many little
avors, such asathe loan of books be-
onging to other prisoners. By means
# one of these books he conducted a
correspondence with two gentlemen,
darin Balbi, a Venetian noble and
monk, and the Count Andre Asouin.
Vho were confined in the room inme-
lately over his head. Their notes were
ecreted in the pocket formed between
he parchment of the back and the body
# the volume, and Casanova was even
droit enough to send his iron pike to
Salbi in this way, by inducing Laurent (
0 carry a pie to the monk in a dish, ;
7hich was placed upon the volume
pread open in the middle and used as
waiter. Balbi, armed with the pike, {
egan at once to cut into the floor, by ;
ray of establishing communication (
nth the cell of Casanova, and was {
making excellent progress, when for the /
lrd time fellow-prisoner was intro {
uced into this latter apartment
The newcomer was an ill-looking
rretch, whose wife was the daughter of
ecretary of the Council, and had him
elf served as a spy in the employment q
f the Grand Master, so that it was
ecessary to act towards him with great {
Casanova worked up I
n his fears and his superstition, in T
ucing him to believe that upon a GER
lin night-the time agreed upon be- S
veen Balbi and himself for effecting q
leir escape-a messenger from heaven 5
.ould descend to deliver them from the /
rison. At length the night arrived, the
lonk overhead pierced the ceiling, and \
asanova ascended to the next floor, L
king with him his companion, who was
a condition of abject terror.
At the last moment, when an opening
ad been easily effected from the upper =
I'll, directly under the leads, to the I
,of, the courage of the Count Andre
squin failed him, and Casanova and :
abb. leaving also behind them the =
ex-spy, made their way 20 the i
p of the building, armed with the iron :;
Ike, and carrying long ropes, made of = =
rips of clothing, with which they hoped :
effect a descent to the ground. The .
'of was steep, and rendered slippery by !
dense mist; the moon had gone down 7
r below them lay Venice, and as they I
awled to the ridge-pole, it was at the l.
risk of sliding off and being =.
lshed to pieces against the pavement. =
After vainly endeavoring to find some II
DIT or beam to which he might attach a
eiG cords, Casanova went on a voyage IA
exploration around the roof, peering n
ross the blackness of the intervening ir
ace at the clock-tower of St. Marks,
hich rose darkly above them, but find RI
g no way by which they could get down n
ON their dizzy elevation. When the h
fort seemed almost hopeless, a garret ss
indow was discovered at an apparently =.
accessible point below them. BX -
cans of ladder left upon the roof =
Try Perilously adjusted by them. the .,
onk and the chevalier managed to !"
lin an entrance by the window into the
Lrret, from which they made their way,
tie by little, to the lower apartments.
lssing through the grand audience gal tL
w and at last in The earI.- r,a...s.a. ~