Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-10-23

Z powerful As enlce or GenOa, nor as
famous for its Literary and artistic cul-
ture as Florence; Pisa was noted for
the wealth of its merchants and for The
: surprising beauty of its women.
In fact, Pisan commerce extended all
over the Old World, and some of its
mercantile firms counted their riches
by millions.
As for the women of Pisa, their
beauty was of a peculiar style. Their
hair, as rule, was auburn; their COM
plexion very white, delicate, and trans
parent. and their forms tall, slender
and graceful. in short it was then a
common saying throughout Italy, "As
pretty as Pisan girl.
For years considerable mercan-
tile rivalry existed between Flor
ence and Pisa, and when the merchants
of the latter city, in the heabove-mention-
ed year, learned that the Florentines
were negotiating treaty of commerce
with the Dey of Tunis, they Immediate
ly resolved TO enter into an active
competition with them. So they dis
patched, on the lst of June, l479, a
small galleon to Tunis. The vessel
WAS freighted with a great many valu-
able presents for the Dey, and the pas
sengers were six prominent citizens of
Pisa, who were if possible to persuade
the Dey TO cut loose from the Floren-
tines and to conclude commercial
treaty with their own city. The galleon
reached Tunis a few days later, and the
the six Pisan ENJOYS landed, soliciting
an early interview with the Dey. The
Dey was Laman Ben Harueddin, still
young but very bad man. He was a
pirate, remorselessly treacherous, cruel
and greedy in the extreme. When he
heard of the arrival of the Pisans he or
dered them to be brought before him
! without delay. They were ushered
by two Moorish attendants into small
apartment, furnished after the gorgeous
but semi-barbarous Saracen fashion,
On a low throne sat Harueddin, who |
fixed his eyes with curious expression |
upon the Pisan ENJOYS. They knelt |
before him, for he was as proud as the |
Sultan himself.
"What do you want?' he asked at
last.
Most gracious Dey, powerful ruler |
of Tunis," replied the spokesman of
the ENJOYS, 1--WE come with presents |
for you from the city of Pisa TO solicit
from you the conclusion of CONNER
cial treaty with us"
"What is the value of the presents
you bring to me?" demanded the dey.
''Thsy are worth at least $4,000 gold
ducats."
Fifty thousand gold ducats :" echoed |
the Dey. scornfully. "Why, the pres
ents | received from the Florentines,
amounted to more than double that
sum-"
''Gracious Dey-"
''Silence, infidel dog" thundered |
the irate Cey. "You have come to i'll
suit me, You shall be punished for
your idsolenee, | shall take your
presents, but you, too. One of you
may go back TO Pisa and INFORM your
citizens that unless they send me at
once l09, 900 gold ducats and. the seven
most beautiful girls in your city for my
harem, shall cause you to be impaled.
So saying, he ordered them from his
presence. They selected Andre MenOr
to go back to Pisa. The rest of them
were loaded with chains and thrown
in loathsome dungeons. Menori was
sent on board the galleon, the valuable
cargo of which was confiscated by the
greedy dey. When Menori reached
Pisa, and told his dolcful story, the
people were filled with the utmost con-
sternation. One hundred thousand
gold ducats was at that time an almost
fabulous sum. And what girls could
be induced to surrender themselves to
the foul embraces of the TunisiGn
tyrant? Yet it was out of the question
to leave the captive ENJOYS in the
clutches of the dey. A popular meet
ing was called. There, under the
presidency Of the pOdesta, the whole
painful subject was taken into consid-
Grafton, but the meeting adjourned
without coming TO any definite under
standing. In the evening the pOdesta
was pacing the room IN state of ex-
treme depression, when suddenly a
beautiful maiden was ushered into his
presence.
''Margherita Pezzi ~ he exclaimed
''what brings you here?"
81 am ready to go to Tunis," she re-
piled, with flushed cheeks.
''To Tunisr" cried the podesta, IN
surprise. "To become an inmate of
the Dey's harem?"
sit may turn out otherwise" she
said with a mysterious smile. (:
''But you, alone are not enough"
"Six of my fair young friends are ;
ready to accompany me-"
''1'his is very strange"
"Freight a small vessel with 100, 900
gold ducats, conceal in the hold twenty !
well-armed, courageous men, put us on ;
board and send us to Tunis."
The podesta shook his head.
''We shall all return, slay Harueddin
and bring back the captive envoys." {
Next day the counsel of Pisa accept
ed the proposition, and twenty-four
hours later small gaileOn, freighted ,
in accordance with Margheritha Pezzi's ,
sailed for Tunis, where they -,
arrived after a stormy passage. When
the Dey heard that the gold ducats and 8
the seven fair maidens had arrived
from Pisa he was overjoyed. He caused
the girls to be taken to his room. Only :
a black eunucb was present. He feast
ed his eyes upon the virgin charms of :
the beautiful maidens and finally put
his arm around the slender waist of
Margherita Pezzi.
When he tried to Kiss her she drew his
hre from its scahbard and struck him [