The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-05-06
mAIsIA.s DOVER.

L.
crossed that celebrated place. and stopped at
the door OF hosiery, over which the en-
| blemaiic hon of Venice was rudey dellnea-
! ted He was tall and powerful man; his
imbrowned features were full of that !nrce
and intelligence so often observed among the
! inhabitants of that favored climate, but his
/ eyes had lost their usual lustre, and the boat
mans broad forehead was bowed down by
painful reflections. Entering the tavern, he
| perceived in the darkest coruer of the hall a
! stranger who appeared plunged in profound
thought. He, too, had those manly and
/ striking features which generally accompany
moral energy. His dress was of severe sim
/ plicity; a doubet and hose of black velvet
covered his powerful limbs; silken cap, cut
out at the temples, and fastened by two bands
under the chin, as was the fashion of the day,
concealed in part his thick and curling hair,
some gray locks of which fell carelessly over
his neck. $ f f..-i.-4 -4.5fs -51 asEsa Is
/" Giannetini,' said the gondolier, address
ring stout, ruddy man, who was walking up
and down the room, do you still persist in
your refusal ?" 81
q do,'' answered the Venetian.
t. am too poor to be your son-in-law.
suppose" replied the boatman. Before
thinking of your daughters happiness, you
think of her fortune and, Giannetini, must
l, to influence you, remind you of the grati-
tude you owe me? Have you forgotten that
l saved your life at Lepanto, when Venice
4 armed even her women to defend the repuh-
lie against the soldiers of Barbarossa DON'T
you know that Maria and l were brought up
together, and have sworn, ever since we We're
children, to live always for each other ? aud
that these pledges were renewed, when age
gave strength and constancy to onr attach
ment? Do you want 10 make her and me
unhappy Are you the doge, that you are
so ambitious or a patrician, that you are so
ungrateful ?'
'No but am rich, Barberigo''
ttAnd l shall be rich, Giannetini. l have
strong arms, bold heart, youth, and faith in
God. Fortune may, some day or other, alight
on my gondola.'
'f Castles in the air !'' said the innkeeper.
"Who knows?'' answered the hoatmaIl.-
Lorenzo de Medicis was a merchant, Fran
cisco Sforza was droyer, why may not be
a general one of these tlsys?''
Because, Barberigo, Fortune disappoints
a million for every three She favors. At any
rae, l VIII not be father-in law of man
, whose whole fortune is sEilf Maria might
better"
BE patrician's mistress than gondoEers
: wife; she had better slumber in ill-gotten
wealth, than live obscure and honest.''
"True, Maria has taken the eye of the
Proveditore's nephew. This young noble
mau has been to see me, and has offered"
To marry her?'' @
'No, demoniol Much as the nobles oi
Venice try to make themselves popular, they
don't sell their titles so cheap"
ITO buy her, then?'
"Just so:''
: "Wretch and for how much do you sell
, your daughters hOnor?''
/ The bargain is not vet closed. | isk lwC
thousand duca:s, and the roblemaii offers me
! fifteen hundred; but as l know the worth and
scarcity of my goods, will not bate Sc
quin.''
The stranger, who had listened attentively
= to the conversation of the two Venitians, rose
and clapping Barberigo on the shoulder, told
him:
"Boatman Maria shall be thy wife,
"Nevers' said the host
"Why, you jew! not if this mansbring;
you two thousand pistoles wedding pres
4 ent?''
"Oh, in that case, Barberigo shall be m!
I n-law, and I would sign the contrac
cheerfullo; out consid yr, Signor, that this poo
lad owns nothing but the four planks of hi;
boat; and unless he should be lucky enough
to find the doge's ring
!, +" Without looking to such chance as that
! you shall finger the money before long"
n " But where am 1 to get it, Signor?' STAN
: mered the astouished boatman.
"NotIout of my pocket, my good fellow
= replied the stranger, "because am just nov
as poor as a lazzaroni There is so mucl
o suffering to relieve from Florence to Venice
: that could not find single paul in it Blu
be of good cheer; my poverty is sister t.
J wealth, and my art fills my purse as often a
: charity empties it' ,.s.,
: So saying, the stranger opened portfolio
took from it a parchment, which he spread Of
II the table, and in a few minutes sketched
IS hand, with such surprising perfection, tina
e the boatman, ignorant as he was in matters o
arr, could not repress cry of astonishment
l. :" Here!" said the unknown artist, handing
l. his hasty sketch to the fisherman, I" take thi
e parchment to Cardinal Pietro Bembo, whom
e you will find at the palace of st. Mark, ant
: tell him that a painter, who wants money
i wishes to sell it at two thousand piStoles."
e. Two thousand pstoles - cried the inn
keeper, wondering This man is fool
+ he must be dumb, or crazy. I would not Civ
is sequin for ;t'
The gondolier went, and returned in a
l. hour with the sum required with which tn
ID Secretary of Leo X. had sent letter, in whic
, he urgently begged the artist to honor hin
a. with visit
'e The next day Maria and Barberigo wer
N married in the church of San Stefano. Th
g stranger wished to enjoy the commencement
of their happiness, by witnessing the ceremo
/. ny; and when the boatman, overwhelme
d with gratitude, begged of him TO tell him hi
name he answered that he was called MI
cHAEL ANGELO.
', Twenty years after this little adventure
IL Antonio Barberigo, by one of those enigmat
'e cal changes, the key of which belongs t
re Providence alone. was general of the Venitia
l. republic But however intoxicating this uu
: looked-for elevation was to the boatman, b
!" never forgot his illustrious benefactor; an
70 when Buonarotti died at Rome, after the mos
glorious old age and most brilliant career ths
artist ever knew, it was the hand of the boa
man that traced, above the Latin epitap
to composed by order of the successor of PAT
y III. for his favorite, those two grateful line
II which time has respected, and which may "
st be read on the monument of this great maj
n As for the sketch mentioned in this stor.
10 it was brought from Italy in the knapsack 4
ty one of Napoleon's corporals. t
ne s--s-e---~--------- e'1f si'
OF SIMILITUDES.