As soon as we reached Venice she became attached to M. F——­ R——­, whom she loved until death took him from her.  She was unhappy enough to lose her sight twenty years after.  I believe she is still alive.

During the last two months of my stay in Corfu, I learned the most bitter and important lessons.  In after years I often derived useful hints from the experience I acquired at that time.

Before my adventure with the worthless Melulla, I enjoyed good health, I was rich, lucky at play, liked by everybody, beloved by the most lovely woman of Corfu.  When I spoke, everybody would listen and admire my wit; my words were taken for oracles, and everyone coincided with me in everything.  After my fatal meeting with the courtezan I rapidly lost my health, my money, my credit; cheerfulness, consideration, wit, everything, even the faculty of eloquence vanished with fortune.  I would talk, but people knew that I was unfortunate, and I no longer interested or convinced my hearers.  The influence I had over Madame F——­ faded away little by little, and, almost without her knowing it, the lovely woman became completely indifferent to me.

I left Corfu without money, although I had sold or pledged everything I had of any value.  Twice I had reached Corfu rich and happy, twice I left it poor and miserable.  But this time I had contracted debts which I have never paid, not through want of will but through carelessness.

Rich and in good health, everyone received me with open arms; poor and looking sick, no one shewed me any consideration.  With a full purse and the tone of a conqueror, I was thought witty, amusing; with an empty purse and a modest air, all I said appeared dull and insipid.  If I had become rich again, how soon I would have been again accounted the eighth wonder of the world!  Oh, men! oh, fortune!  Everyone avoided me as if the ill luck which crushed me down was infectious.

We left Corfu towards the end of September, with five galleys, two galeasses, and several smaller vessels, under the command of M. Renier.  We sailed along the shores of the Adriatic, towards the north of the gulf, where there are a great many harbours, and we put in one of them every night.  I saw Madame F——­ every evening; she always came with her husband to take supper on board our galeass.  We had a fortunate voyage, and cast anchor in the harbour of Venice on the 14th of October, 1745, and after having performed quarantine on board our ships, we landed on the 25th of November.  Two months afterwards, the galeasses were set aside altogether.  The use of these vessels could be traced very far back in ancient times; their maintenance was very expensive, and they were useless.  A galeass had the frame of a frigate with the rowing apparatus of the galley, and when there was no wind, five hundred slaves had to row.