Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-17

Ministries. She proposed to them to
enter-they, frightened out Of their
wits with melancholy visions OF swords
and poniards, yielded to every thing,
and squeezed themselves into the jars,
upon which she, with more haste than
care, fastened the covers. Messer Gil
ovanni-she had just finished the con-
cealment-arrives states the cause of
his return to be his having forgotten to
search the particular apartment. where
these jars were placed. He ha2ens to
it, and is upon the point of examining
the forbidden repositories, when his
wife timely faints, and in the confusion
of recovering her senses, he forgets
that he has any thing further to search.
She is hardly restored, ere he again de-
parts, and she runs to relieve her cap
tives from their confinement, but oh!
unforeseen misfortune-.behold in her
haste, she had pressed down the COW
ers of the jars so tight, that the three
ill-starred hump-backs had been smoth-
ered.-Then she was indeed miserable,
she wrung her hands, her husband
would soon return, and what had she
not to apprehend from his resentment.
Fear gives wings to her invention, and
perceiving at a short distance, an igno-
rant clown, she determines to make him
the instrument of her escape. "Nar-
dello' softly exclaimed the lady, cal
ling him to her, "Nardello"-"What
does my lady wish!" answered the
clown, opening his grea, eyes in Won
der at being called by the lady, and the
same time entering the door. "Nar-
dello," replied the lady, "you have a
strong arm and a sturdy form, and pos
sess, | doubt not, a corresponding cou-
rage. Would you dare ifI gave you
three ducats, TO take a dead magician
on your shoulders and throw him into
the ~river?" 81 fcar," said Nardelio,
"neither dead nor living magician, and
for three ducats, | will do any thing"
"IIcre are the ducats. and in that jar
is the magician, but warn you 20 keep
your courage, Tor these cunning ones
play tricks as well after their death as
before-,hey do not sell their souls to
Satan for nothing" "Iwould for those
little Beauties" replied Nardello, wink
ing his eyes at the pieces OF money,
"drown the devil himself, though he
and | are great friends "Do then
YOUR errand, NardeIlo, and do it spec
Oily, and then You may kiss the .duch-
ess herself" Whose head was stamped
on the coin Speaking this, the lady
uncovered one Of the jars, the contents
of which the clown deposited ina sack,
and hurried off to the river, where the
BODY soon disappeared among the rap
ids. In the meanwhile, Francesca
changed the jars, so that a full one
stood in the place of that which had
been emptied. The clown returned,
singing with joy and shaking his empty
sac, "Give me the ducats-The gentle
man walked down the rapids like a duck
and | saw three fishes shake hands
with him as he went""Not so fast,
good Nardello," cried Francesca, look
heren!'-And indeed in what seemed
the same Jar, appeared a hamp-back-
ed minstrel. "Aha! you villain" ex-
claimed the thunder-struck peasant,
"do you mean TO cheat a poor fellow OF
his gains-a plague upon YOU, from
yoar master the devil for this, tor he
Shall have You this time" With these
words, Nardello placed the body OF the
second minstrel in his sack, and depar-
ted for the river, into which he threw
it as before, and returned forhis reward
The Jar containing the other, had been
| changed in like manner by the lady, SO
that when he came to claim the ducats,
the'same sight blasted his eyes.
1t would be impossible to portray the
rage of Nardello at this unexpected VI
sion: he seized the poor hump-back by
the hair, kicked it and cursed 1t. W
you vile servaa, of Satan, are you here
again? | swear you shall not escape this
time" and placing it upon his shout
ders, when he had come TO the river $
edge he tied a great stone around JUS
neck, and cast it into the stream. ne
weight of the stone Immediately SUNK
it. and while Nardello sat on the bank
observing it, and finging curse upon
curse upon the body and the soul which
any;ed him his ducatS.
Messer Giovanni, after leaving the
castle, had not proceeded far upon ms
Journey ere the thought of the three o.,
lars, which he had left unexamined
cam: into his mind, and his lady's sus'
~picious swoon as ne was on the point
of looking into them. He painted te
himself melancholy wretch!) the des'
truction of his honor, and returned a
fast as possible to ascertain the truth
But a misfortune more terrible to hin
even than the loss of honor overtoot
him, for he was the first object whici
struck the sight of Nardello as ne LOOK
ed round from the river. The back o
Messer Giovanni he only saw, but b
hump on it was enough to convince
=. an whom he had 81