Fragment of Casanova's memoirs that reflects his character: One day when her maid cut Mrs. F. the ends of her long hair in my presence, she distracted me by picking up the small and beautiful strands and placing them on the dressing table, Except for a wisp that I put in my pocket, thinking she wouldn't notice.

But, as soon as we were alone, she told me sweetly but a little serious to give her back that curl I had collected. It seemed to me that she treated me with a rigor as cruel as unfair, but I obeyed and with a disdainful air I threw the curl on the dressing table. "Gentleman, you are missing me." It cost you nothing to pretend that you did not notice this innocent robbery. "I don't like to pretend." Does such a childish robbery bother you so much? " But this robbery shows feelings for me that you, who are my husband's trusted man, are not allowed to feed.

I locked myself in my room, undressed, and lay down on the bed. I pretended sick. In the afternoon she came to visit me and left me a little package when she shook my hand. When I opened it, alone, I discovered that she had wanted to repair her greed by giving me very long locks. With them I made a very fine cord, at one end of which I put a black bow, so that I could strangle myself if love ever drove me to despair. I cut the rest with scissors, reduced it to a very fine powder and commissioned a confectioner to mix it with a paste of amber, sugar, vanilla, angel hair, alquermes and storax in my presence.

I waited for the pills to be ready before I left. I kept them in a beautiful rock crystal bucket, and when Mrs. F. asked me their composition I told her that they had something that made me love her.