y for the press. Towards the end
of October the printer sent in the entire work in three volumes, and in
less than a year the edition was sold out.

My object was not so much to make money as to appease the wrath of the
Venetian Inquisitors; I had gone all over Europe, and experienced a
violent desire to see my native land once more.

Amelot de la Houssaye had written his book from the point of view of an
enemy of Venice. His history was rather a satire, containing learned and
slanderous observations mingled together. It had been published for
seventy years, but hitherto no one had taken the trouble to refute it. If
a Venetian had attempted to do so he would not have obtained permission
from his Government to print it in the States of Venice, for the State
policy is to allow no one to discuss the actions of the authorities,
whether in praise or blame; consequently no writer had attempted to
refute the French history, as it was well known that the refutation would
be visited with punishment and not with reward.

My position was an exceptional one. I had been persecuted by the Venetian
Government, so no one could accuse me of being partial; and by my
exposing the calumnies of Amelot before all Europe I hoped to gain a
reward, which after all would only be an act of justice.

I had been an exile for fourteen years, and I thought the Inquisitors
would be glad to repair their injustice on the pretext of rewarding my
patriotism.

My readers will see that my hopes were fulfilled, but I had to wait for
five more years instead of receiving permission to return at once.

M. de Bragadin was dead, and Dandolo and Barbaro were the only friends I
had left at Venice; and with their aid I contrived to subscribe fifty
copies of my book in my native town.

Throughout my stay at Lugano I only frequented the house of M. de R----,
where I saw the Abbe Riva, a learned and discreet man, to whom I had been
commended by M. Querini, his relation. The abbe enjoyed such a reputation
for wisdom amongst his fellow-countrymen that he was a kind of arbiter in
all disputes, and thus the expenses of the law were saved. It was no
wonder that the gentlemen of the long robe hated him most cordially. His
nephew, Jean Baptiste Riva, was a friend of the Muses, of Bacchus, and of
Venus; he was also a friend of mine, though I could not match him with
the bottles. He lent me all the nymphs he had initiated into the
mysteries, and they liked him all the be