A brief history of Casanova

"Casanova toured the cities of Europe and seemed to be able to turn his hand
to anything. He introduced the National Lottery to France, he knew Mozart
and Voltaire and persuaded the Empress of Russia to introduce a new
calendar. He even wrote one of the world's first science fiction novels.

The Latin lover was also a soldier in the Venetian army, a preacher, an
alchemist, a gambler, a violinist, and a spy. He translated Homer's Iliad
into Italian, too."
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/106644.stm

Impressive! He knew Voltaire?? I want to have knew Voltaire!

"It is precisely by virtue of my coarse tastes that I am happier than other
men, since I am convinced that my tastes make me capable of more pleasure,"
he (Casanova) wrote.

"Like an 18th century Jeffrey Archer, but funny. He wasn't born an
aristocrat, he lied his way into jobs and positions of power with charm and
cheek. He's just irresistible."
- Davies, on the real Casanova

--
"One can promise actions, but not feelings, for the latter are involuntary.
He who promises to love forever or hate forever or be forever faithful to
someone is promising something that is not in his power."
- Friedrich Nietzsche, 'On the History of Moral Feelings'