but to let himself go.  When he reached the floor of the loft he untied himself, and on drawing the rope back I found the fall was one of fifty feet-too dangerous a jump to be risked.  The monk who for two hours had been a prey to terror; seated in a position which I confess was not a very reassuring one, was not quite cool, and called out to me to throw him the ropes for him to take care of—­a piece of advice you may be sure I took care not to follow.

Not knowing what to do next, and waiting for some fortunate idea, I made my way back to the ridge of the roof, and from there spied out a corner near a cupola; which I had not visited.  I went towards it and found a flat roof, with a large window closed with two shutters.  At hand was a tubful of plaster, a trowel, and ladder which I thought long enough for my purpose.  This was enough, and tying my rope to the first round I dragged this troublesome burden after me to the window.  My next task was to get the end of the ladder (which was twelve fathoms long) into the opening, and the difficulties I encountered made me sorry that I had deprived myself of the aid of the monk. [The unit of measure:’fathoms’ describing the ladder and earlier the 100 fathoms of rope, is likely a translation error:  Casanova might have manufactured 100 feet of rope and might have dragged a 12 foot ladder up the steep roof, but not a longer.  D.W.]

I had set the ladder in such a way that one end touched the window, and the other went below the gutter.  I next slid down to the roof of the window, and drawing the ladder towards me I fastened the end of my rope to the eighth round, and then let it go again till it was parallel with the window.  I then strove to get it in, but I could not insert it farther than the fifth round, for the end of the ladder being stopped by the inside roof of the window no force on earth could have pushed it any further without breaking either the ladder or the ceiling.  There was nothing to be done but to lift it by the other end; it would then slip down by its own weight.  I might, it is true, have placed the ladder across the window, and have fastened the rope to it, in which manner I might have let myself down into the loft without any risk; but the ladder would have been left outside to shew Lawrence and the guards where to look for us and possibly to find us in the morning.

I did not care to risk by a piece of imprudence the fruit of so much toil and danger, and to destroy all traces of our whereabouts the ladder must be drawn in.  Having no one to give me a helping hand, I resolved to go myself to the parapet to lift the ladder and attain the end I had in view.  I did so, but at such a hazard as had almost cost me my life.  I could let go the ladder while I slackened the rope without any fear of its falling over, as it had caught to the parapet by the third rung.  Then, my pike in my hand, I slid down beside the ladder to the parapet, which held up the points of my feet, as I was lying