Anonymous (not verified)
8 October 2013
Hello. A note in the Trask edition of Giacomo Casanova's memoirs mentions that he met Boswell in Berlin in 1764, and that Boswell wrote an account of it, refering to Casanova as "Neuhaus" or "Nehaus," a Germman translation of the Italian's surname. Where exactly can I find the account of the meeting in Boswell's work? Thank you.
When Boswell met Casanova
thf1977 Wed, 10/09/2013 - 22:57
The very short account of their meeting is in Boswell's journal, in which he wrote, on September 1, 1764 the following:
"I dined at Rufin's, where Nehaus, an Italian, wanted to shine as a great philosopher, and accordingly doubted of his existence and of everything else. I thought him a blockhead [...]"
The journal covering Boswell's stay in Berlin is available in two editions, the 1953 trade edition, in which Nehaus had not been identified as Casanova, and the 2008 research edition in which he had, and which contains some additional notes by the editors.
Best wishes,
Thomas
Casanova & Boswell
Perri (not verified) Fri, 10/11/2013 - 20:48
In reply to When Boswell met Casanova by thf1977
Thomas, thank you so much for this citation. I found the original text, and yes, it is disappointingly short! I will check out the Boswell 2008 research edition notes, as well. Best regards, Perri