The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-05-18

see him before he dies, and then he can
leave the world with satisfaction. Clan
netto promises to do everything he con-
ceives may give him pleasure. Ansaldo
gives him his blessing, they take their
lefss ND the ships set out. Z. - !
Giannetto, still secretly bent upon the
lady of Belmonte, ,contrives again to give
his companions the slip and find his way
into her port; is recognized and received
as before, and makes himself as popular
but this time by the help Of friendly
hint from sympathetic damsel who
thinks il hard that such devotion should
be so rewarded, he avows the cause ol
his previous failures, accomplishes bis
task triumphantly, marries the lady oi
Belmonte. is proclaimed sovereign of the
country to the great joy both Of herself
and oil the people, land is still absorbed in
the duties and enjoyments of his new
fortune, when one day, seeing process
sion with torches passing the window
and being told that it is a company of ar.
tifcers going to make their offerings a,
the church of St. John, the day being
bis festival, he suddenly remembers with
horror that St. Johns festival was
ANsALDo's PAYDAY,
and he had forgotten all about it His
wife, observing his emotion, draws from
him the confession that "his father was
engaged for ten Thousand ducats, tha,
the term was expired, and if they were
not paid that day he must lose q pound
of his fesh." She at once desired him
to take hundred thousand ducats
mount his horse and not stop until he
arrives al Venice; and, il he arrives in
time to save him, to bring him to Bel.
monte.
The Jew in the meantime had seized
Ansaldo; but, in consequence of his
wish to see Giannetto before he died.
consents to wait some days, provided
that the delay do not invalidate the
bond "But," says he, "if he comes a
hundred times over, / will cut off the
pound Of flesh, according TO the words
Of the obligation" Ansaldo answered
that he was content.
This determination to reject all pro-
posals to oredeem the bond by paying
the money with cost and interest, which
goes for so little with Shylock's modern
apologists, is carefully marked and
brought out by the teller Of the story,
who evidently thought 1t an importans
feature in the case.
hEvery one,s' he adds, Eat Venice
who had heard of the affair wss much
concerned. Several merchants would
have jointly paid the money; the Jew
would not hearken to the proposal. but
insisted that he might commit this hom-
icide (dnsi voleua fare quello honsieidio) J,
to have the satisfaction of saying per
potter dire, that he had put to death the
greatest of the Christian merchants"
Giannetto again, as soon as he ar
rives, offers to pay the whole debt, and
as much more as the jew would de-
mand. The Jew replies he will take no
money, since it was not paid at the time
due; he will have the pound Of fesh.-
EVERY one blamed the jew" says the
narrator; "but, IS Venice was q place
where justice was strictly administered,
and the. jew had his pretensions groun-
ded on public and received forms nobody
dared to oppose him and when the mer-
chants Of Venice applied to him he was
infexible.
GIANNErTo OFFERED HIM !.
twenty thousand; afterward forty, fifty,
and at last one hundred thousand du-
cats. The Jew told him that if he would
give him as much gold as the city Of
Venice was worth he would not accept
it. sAnd,' says he, you know little Of
me if you think / will desist from my
demand.'"
While matters thus stood there alight.
ed at an inn in Venice young man, de-
scribed by his servant as "a lawyer se'
gentir kuomo guidice) who had finished
bis studies at Bologna and was return.
ing to his own country" And what fol.
lowed must give from the old story,
without abridgment."
The landlord upon this shows his
guest great civility; and when be atteu-
ded at dinner, the lawyer inquiring how
iustice was administered in that city, be
answered, "Justlce in this place is too
severe" "How comes that 2" says the
lawyer II will tell how" says the land.
lord. "You must know that some years
ago there came here young man from
Florence, whose name was Giannetto
he was recommended to the care of q
relation. who is called Ansa.do. He be
baved here 40 well as to possess the es.
TEEN and affections OF every living cres
ture, and never was youth so we'll he
loved. Now, this Ansaldo sent him ou
three times; each time with a ship Of
great value. He every time was unfor
lunate and to furnish the last Ansaldt
was forced to borrow 10000 ducats of /
Jew, on condition that il he did not re
pay them in June at the Feast Of st
John, the Jew might take pound o
his flesh. This excellent young man i!
now returned, and offers to pay hun
dred Thousand ducats. The wicked Jew
won't take them, although the best mer
chants in the city have applied to him
but to no purpose" Says the lawyer
"This question may be easily answered.
|"If you can answer it." says the land
Ilord, sand will take the trouble to do it
and save the worthy man from death
you will get the love and esteem of
most deserving young man and Of al
the best men Of the CITY," This lawye
caused proclamation to be made tha
whoever had any Law matters to deter
mine they should have recourse to him
So it was told to Gisnnetto that
i FAMOUS LAWYER
was come from Bologna, who could de
eide all cases in law. Giannetto Pre-
posed to the Jew to apply to this lawyer
"With all my heart" says the Jew: ssbu'
let who will come, / will stick to m
bond" Giannetto and the Jew eac
told the merits Of the case to the judg,
( who, when he had taken the bond an
. read it, said to the Jew, 81 must nav
, you take the hundred thousand ducat
81 and release this honest man, who wi