CASANOVA DE SEINGALT, neiva de san-gal, Giovanni Giacomo, Italian adventurer: b. Venice, 2 March 1725; d. Dux, Bohemia, 4 June 1798. The year of his death is uncertain, some maintaining that he lived until 1803. He was the son of an actor and actress; he studied law at Padua, but gave this up to study for the priesthood. He was ex pelled from the Seminary of Saint Cyprian for a scandalous intrigue, and was also imprisoned for a short time. The influence of his mother procured him a place in the establishment of Cardinal Acquaviva, but he did not retain it long; and after visiting Rome, Naples, Corfu and Constantinople, in the characters of diplo matist, preacher, abbot, lawyer and charlatan, he was imprisoned at Venice in 1755, but es caped owing to his wonderful keenness and skill. In his travels throughout Europe he formed associations with many distinguished characters, Louis XV, Rousseau, Voltaire, Suv aroff, Frederick the Great and Catherine II. His most celebrated work is his 'Memoirs' (1828-38), in which he relates with a cynical freedom the whole of his extraordinary adven tures, and presents a oicture of society without conventional disguise. Among his dupes were
Mme. de Pompadour, Frederick the Great, and even that other prince of charlatans, Cagliostro.
Besides his 'Memoirs,' Casanova was the author of several works of history or imagina tion in French and Italian, which show the ver satility of his genius. The most remarkable are 'Reed de sa Captivite> (1788). and a trans lation in verse of the Iliad. His 'Memoirs' are now recognized as of important historical value as a portrayal of private life in the 18th century. A complete critical edition is in preparation by Brockhaus of Leipzig from the original text. The general reliability of the 'Memoirs' is attested by 'Lettre di donne a G. Casanova,' edited by Rave. (Milan 1912). Consult Rave., 'Contributo ally bibliograplua di G. Casanova' (Turin 1910); Maynial, 'Casanova et son temps' (Paris 1911); Sy monds, 'Casanova at Diisc' (in North American Review, 1902).