only going out to mass on feast days, to dine with M. de R----, and to
walk with his wife and her child.

At the end of a month my first volume was printed and stitched, and the
manuscript of the second volume was ready 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