The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 19: Back Again to Paris

In Short

This volume captures a vibrant, restless chapter in the life of a legendary adventurer. Moving between Paris, Augsburg, Metz, and Turin, the narrator orchestrates complex social schemes, from elaborate cabalistic hoaxes designed to swindle the credulous to the casual seduction of those he meets along the way. It is a chronicle of 18th-century European mobility, defined by the narrator’s unshakeable self-assurance, his penchant for renaming himself, and a restless curiosity that demands constant stimulation. Its endurance lies in its unvarnished portrait of a man who views his entire existence as a grand, improvised performance.

The Story

The narrative begins in Paris, where the protagonist reunites with his patroness, the eccentric Madame d’Urfe. He manages her occult delusions with practiced ease, positioning himself as the necessary intermediary for her spiritual transformation. While he keeps his social circles spinning with gossip about rival adventurers like Saint-Germain, his true focus remains on the next opportunity for movement and profit. He soon departs for Augsburg, forming a temporary, pragmatic alliance with a dancer known as "the Renaud" to facilitate their journey.

In Augsburg, the protagonist settles into a life of social maneuvering, befriending intellectuals and local aristocrats while simultaneously using his influence to support a troupe of Italian actors—a gesture that leads to an encounter with an old, down-on-his-luck schoolmate. Here, he also engages in a defiant, multi-day battle of wills against a rival in a high-stakes card game, proving his commitment to his "point of honour" over mere financial gain. He later travels to Metz, where he reunites with a young woman named the Corticelli, whom he attempts to reshape into a high-society figure, before moving on to Geneva and eventually Turin.

The latter portion of the narrative focuses heavily on the protagonist’s ability to manipulate the social constraints of his time. In Geneva, he orchestrates a series of clandestine meetings with two young cousins, Helen and Hedvig, successfully navigating their sheltered lives to secure their favors while keeping the local authorities in the dark. In Turin, he encounters a more restrictive environment where police surveillance and vigilant "duennas" attempt to monitor his romantic life. He revels in these restrictions, finding ways to outmaneuver the authorities and the jealous guardians of the women he encounters. The narrative culminates in a complex, almost transactional arrangement involving the swapping of mistresses with an English nobleman, illustrating the protagonist’s view of human connections as fluid, temporary, and entirely subject to his own mercurial desires. Throughout, he remains detached from the consequences of his actions, whether he is orchestrating the death of a rival in a duel or laughing off the public exposure of his former mistress’s infidelity. He is a man who never looks back, driven only by the immediate thrill of the next game, the next city, and the next conquest.

How It Unfolds

The Parisian maneuver The protagonist secures his future by feeding the mystical whims of an aging, wealthy patroness, Madame d’Urfe, while simultaneously plotting his departure. He frames his travel as a vital mission for the Rosy Cross, ensuring he remains well-funded and socially protected.

The journey to Augsburg He pairs with a dancer, the Renaud, to share the expenses and company of the road. Their relationship is characterized by mutual utility and the exchange of secrets, highlighting his pragmatic approach to human connection.

The battle of wits In Augsburg, he engages in a grueling, multi-day card game that tests his physical and mental endurance. He prioritizes his reputation as an unbreakable gambler over the potential for profit, treating the table as a theater of personal pride.

The Genevan seduction He meticulously engineers a series of encounters with two young cousins, exploiting their curiosity and his own reputation to circumvent social barriers. The success of these meetings reinforces his belief in his own power to influence the vulnerable.

The Turin intrigues Facing strict moral oversight from local police, he plays a game of cat and mouse with the guardians of his mistresses. He finds amusement in scandal, ultimately discarding his current companion when she is caught in an indiscretion and moving quickly toward the next arrangement.

The People

The protagonist serves as the prism through which all other figures are viewed. He is a man of "Seingalt," a name he invented to suit his own sense of self-creation, and he views others as either useful tools, amusing playthings, or obstacles to be outwitted. Madame d’Urfe represents his most significant "project"—a woman of immense wealth and profound irrationality whose delusions he sustains for his own material gain. In contrast, the Corticelli, a young woman he attempts to fashion into a countess, serves as a test of his influence, though she is ultimately discarded when she fails to maintain the image he has crafted for her. Figures like the young cousins Helen and Hedvig demonstrate his reach; they are initially sheltered and innocent, but through his persistence, they are brought into his web of intrigue. The rival gamblers and the suspicious police authorities in Turin function as foils to his ego, providing the necessary friction that allows him to prove his own superiority and agility.

In Its Own Voice

"I have taken eight letters and combined them in such a way as to produce the word Seingalt."

The narrator explains the arbitrary, creative process behind his own chosen surname during an interrogation in Augsburg.

"The alphabet belongs equally to the whole human race; no one can deny that."

This serves as the central justification for his belief that he has the right to invent his own identity and social standing.

"I made her feel the effect which her mere presence had produced on me, while at the same time I assured myself of her docility."

The narrator describes a clandestine encounter in Geneva, illustrating his clinical, transactional view of intimacy.

What It's Really About

This narrative is an exploration of the performative self. The protagonist argues, through both his words and his life, that identity is a fluid construct rather than a birthright. By constantly renaming himself and playing various roles—magician, agent, lover, and gentleman—he challenges the rigid social hierarchies of 18th-century Europe. The book raises uncomfortable questions about the nature of truth, the exploitation of human vulnerability, and the ethics of a life lived entirely for one's own amusement. It suggests that in a world governed by appearances, the person who best controls the narrative of their own life holds the ultimate power, regardless of the moral cost to those left in their wake.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate an unvarnished, first-person perspective on 18th-century society will find this a fascinating, if sometimes troubling, document. It is not a tale of moral redemption; the narrator’s self-centeredness is constant and often jarring, and his treatment of the women he encounters is frequently predatory by any standard. However, as a portrait of a man who refuses to be confined by the expectations of his class or his era, it is remarkably vivid. The prose is precise and witty, carrying the reader through cities and salons with an energy that rarely flags. It is best suited for those who can maintain a critical distance from the protagonist, viewing him as a specimen of a specific, decadent European moment. The length and the frequent shifts in scenery provide a sense of the sheer scale of the narrator's wanderings, leaving the reader with a distinct impression of a life defined by movement. If you can stomach the narrator’s callousness, you will find a compelling, detailed, and utterly singular account of a man who believed the world existed solely to facilitate his next, grandest act.