of lowering their nobility by accepting some reward for their kindness--a
circumstance which proved to me that the Commissaries were in the habit
of troubling only the girls who did not frequent good houses.

The baroness invited me to introduce, all my friends, so I brought to her
house Vais, Campioni, and Afflisio. The last one played, held the bank,
won; and Tramontini, with whom I had become acquainted, presented him to
his wife, who was called Madame Tasi. It was through her that Afflisio
made the useful acquaintance of the Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This
introduction was the origin of the great fortune made by that contrabrand
count, because Tramontini, who had become his partner in all important
gambling transactions, contrived to obtain for him from the prince the
rank of captain in the service of their imperial and royal majesties, and
in less than three weeks Afflisio wore the uniform and the insignia of
his grade. When I left Vienna he possessed one: hundred thousand florins.
Their majesties were fond of gambling but not of punting. The emperor had
a creature of his own to hold the bank. He was a kind, magnificent, but
not extravagant, prince. I saw him in his grand imperial costume, and I
was surprised to see him dressed in the Spanish fashion. I almost fancied
I had before my eyes Charles V. of Spain, who had established that
etiquette which was still in existence, although after him no emperor had
been a Spaniard, and although Francis I. had nothing in common with that
nation.

In Poland, some years afterwards, I saw the same caprice at the
coronation of Stanislas Augustus Poniatowski, and the old palatine
noblemen almost broke their hearts at the sight of that costume; but they
had to shew as good a countenance as they could, for under Russian
despotism the only privilege they enjoyed was that of resignation.