ck assaults that
were made upon me put me in a good humour, and Calsabigi said that my
idea had insured me an income of a hundred thousand francs a year, though
it would ruin the other receivers.

"I have played similar strokes myself," said M. du Vernai, "and have
mostly succeeded; and as for the other receivers they are at perfect
liberty to follow M. Casanova's example, and it all tends to increase the
repute of an institution which we owe to him and to you."

At the second drawing a terne of forty thousand francs obliged me to
borrow money. My receipts amounted to sixty thousand, but being obliged
to deliver over my chest on the evening before the drawing, I had to pay
out of my own funds, and was not repaid for a week.

In all the great houses I went to, and at the theatres, as soon as I was
seen, everybody gave me money, asking me to lay it out as I liked and to
send them the tickets, as, so far, the lottery was strange to most
people. I thus got into the way of carrying about me tickets of all
sorts, or rather of all prices, which I gave to people to choose from,
going home in the evening with my pockets full of gold. This was an
immense advantage to me, as kind of privilege which I enjoyed to the
exclusion of the other receivers who were not in society, and did not
drive a carriage like myself--no small point in one's favour, in a large
town where men are judged by the state they keep. I found I was thus able
to go into any society, and to get credit everywhere.

I had hardly been a month in Paris when my brother Francis, with whom I
had parted in 1752, arrived from Dresden with Madame Sylvestre. He had
been at Dresden for four years, taken up with the pursuit of his art,
having copied all the battle pieces in the Elector's Galley. We were both
of us glad to meet once more, but on my offering to see what my great
friends could do for him with the Academicians, he replied with all an
artist's pride that he was much obliged to me, but would rather not have
any other patrons than his talents. "The French," said he, "have rejected
me once, and I am far from bearing them ill-will on that account, for I
would reject myself now if I were what I was then; but with their love of
genius I reckon on a better reception this time."

His confidence pleased me, and I complimented him upon it, for I have
always been of the opinion that true merit begins by doing justice to
itself.

Francis painted a fine picture, which on