Except myself not one ever survived to regain Imperial favor in a later reign; except myself not one ever recovered his patrimony and enjoyed, to a green old age, the income, position and privileges to which he had been born.

If such a thing ever occurred, certainly there is no record of any other nobleman domiciled in Italy, except myself, having grasped at the slender chance of escape afforded by the device of arranging that he be supposed dead, of disguising himself, of vanishing among the populace, of passing himself off for a man of the people.

I not only was led, by my clever slave, to attempt this histrionic feat, but I succeeded in the face of unimaginable difficulties.

An experience so notably without a parallel seems peculiarly deserving of such a record as follows..