The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 25: Russia and Poland

In this lively slice of the famed adventurer’s later years, the narrator finds himself drifting from the Baltic port of Riga to the glittering courts of St. Petersburg. A courteous prince of Courland opens his doors—if not his house—offering a network of friends, horses, and a generous purse, while inviting the traveler to partake in the city’s vibrant social scene. The evening unfolds over a convivial dinner with a witty dancer, a gourmand baron, and the prince’s melancholy young mistress, painting a portrait of aristocratic excess and fragile fortunes.

Soon after, the narrator accompanies the dancer‑friend Campioni to his home, where an intelligent English wife and her precocious daughter reveal a quieter, domestic side of the expatriate community. Their conversation drifts to mounting debts, risky gambling, and a looming escape to Poland, hinting at the precarious balance between pleasure and peril that defines the era. Listeners are invited to step into a world of elegant salons, whispered schemes, and the restless yearning for freedom that drives even the most seasoned libertines.