Note 191 — Chapter X · THE GAOL FEVER.

There is a brief account of Newgate about this period in the ‘Memoirs of Casanova,’ who saw the interior of the prison while awaiting bail for an assault. Casanova was committed in ball dress, and received with hisses, which increased to furious abuse when they found he did not answer their questions, being ignorant of English. He felt as if he was in one of the most horrible circles of Dante’s hell. He saw, “Des figures fauves, des regards de vipères, des sinistres sourires tous les caractères de l’envie de la rage, du désespoir; c’était un spectacle épouvantable.”—‘Mémoires,’ vi. 48.