Casanova and Bradomin

IN the Sonata de primavera Bradomin explicitly mentions Casanova, the Marquis de Seingalt, on occasions (P, 10, 60),' on the latter of which he calls him his spiritual father. Furthermore, the episode of the Capuchin priest is taken directly from Chapter XVIII of Casanova's Memoirs. Since the erotic life of Bradomin roughly resembles that of the man he calls his spiritual father, and since he borrows from him an important episode of his book, it would appear that Bradomin, like Casanova, is superficial. But as I see it, this conclusion is based on post hoc argument and on taking at his word man who deliberately affects the bagatela; I will even venture to say that there are few characters in literature who have less in common with Casanova than Bradomin: Casanova is generally superficial and in some ways not bad chap, whereas Bradomin is profoundly evil. The first point of difference between Casanova and Bradomin is which the former almost worships and the latter eitheT contemns or ignores. Casanova delights in mentioning three francs and half,' seven paoli,' ten sous, large sums of money, forty sequins, every sol, a guide's fee, fifteen carlins, two thousand ounces, sixty ducats, all our money, clothes, jewels, and ready money, four or five hundred piastres, copper money, empty purse, pocket money, fifty thousand crowns, two hundred guineas, a thousand louis d'or, a hundred louis each, short of money, ten thousand florins, and many other expressions of like kind (Modern Library). Money to him is even more important than sex, because without it the carnal life he loves to lead is made impossible. Bradomin, on the other hand, has so little regard for money

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