American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-29
ANTONIO AND BASSANIO.

ANTONIO AND BASSANIO.
The following is the story of '.Th'
Merchant of Venice" as told by Mr.
James SPEEDING in the CornhiU Maya
zine, and is stated by him to be founC
in an old collection of tales called -
Pecorone," written by Ser Giovanni, ,
notary of Florence, about 1873. Its in
terest lies in the probability that on il
Shakespeare founded his play:
Giannetto, the youngest son of ricf
merchant in Florence, receives from his
dying father letter addressed to his
dearest friend, Ansaldo, the greatest Of
the Christian merchants in Venice, who
being a childless man and Giannetto's
godfather, had long been anxious tc
adopt him This letter, he tells him, is
to be instead of any other provision.
:" Behave WELL" he says, 'and you will
certainly be q rich man. Ansalde
welcomes his godson with delight,
orders his servants to attend to him Is
to himself, gives him the keys of his
money boxes, and desires him to spend
all freely in distinguishing himself and
entertaining his friends; and to remem-
Der that 1.-The more he gains the good
will of everybody the more dear he will
be to him." Giannetto follows his di-
rection, quickly distinguishes himself
in all the qualities of q gentleman, be-
comes q universal favorite and the most
accomplished youth in Venice, and be-
haves in all ways to his godfather's en-
tire satisfaction.
Such q man, it is thought by his
friends, should have something more to
do-should see more, and be more seen;
fxrx<> <,f< int 20 int
q mercantile voyage to Alexandria,
his own. He would like to go if Ansal-
ing to furnish him if he would like to
go. He is provided with a fine ship
richly freighfed, and the three friends
set sail together. The ships keep each
other company until Giannetto, early
one morning, seeing a fine port, and
hearing that it is the port of the Lady
of Belmonte, a beautiful widow, but
dangerous to visit, every visitor being
obliged to undertake certain task on
condition that if he accomplishes it he
shall take her for his wife and be lord
of the port and all the country, but if he
fails he shall give up to her all that he
brings with him, and many had gone in
rich and come out with nothing-re-
solves to take his chance; sails in, un-
perceived by his companions; is re-
ceived with festive welcome; after due
warning of the conditions, goes to his
trial; fails; loses all; and returns to
Venice, much ashamed and obliged to
say that his ship had been wrecked and
all ON board lost except himself. Ansal-
do makes light of the accident. Since
his son has come back safe, all is well;
he may be cheerful and easy; they have
enough left.
But when the two friends with whom
he had set out return rich from their
voyage, and tell him il he will go with
them again the next spring he may
easily gain as much as he has lost,
Ansaldo, seeing that he could not be
happy without making the trial, pro-
vides him with another ship, more
richly freighted than the first; and the
three set out again in company, as be-
fore. But Giannetto, whose real aim
was to get, without their knowledge,
into the port of Belmonte, contrives to
elude them; sails in; is recognized and
received as before; undertakes the same
task again; again fails; and returns
again to Venice, having lost all, and
saying that he had suffered another
shipwreck- These repeated losses had
nearly exhausted Ansaldo's means, but
not his affection or his patience; and
when the two friends returned again
very rich from their second voyage, and
he finds that Giannetto cannot be happy
without one more effort to recover his
losses, he sells all that he has in order
to provide third ship for him; and be-
cause all that he has is not enough to
do kon1c.vxxn1xr hn nd
he " wants still ten thousand ducats, he
applies himself to jew, at Mestri, and
borrows them on condition that if they
are not paid on the Feast of st. John,
in the next month of June, the Jew
may take q pound Of the merchant
flesh from any part of his body he
pleases. Ansaldo agrees, and the Jew
has an obligation drawn and witnessed
with all the form and ceremony neces-
sary, and then counts him the ten thou
sand ducats of gold. with which Ansaldo
buys what was still wanting for the YES
sell When it is time to depart, Ansaldo
tells Giaunetto that. since he well knows
of the obligation to the jew, he entreats
him, in case any misfortune happens,
that he will return to Venice, that he
may see him before he dies, and then
he can leave the world with satisfac-
ton. Giannetto promises to do every
thing he conceives may give him pleas
ure. Ansaldo gives him his blessing,
they take their leave, and the ships SET
out.
Giannetto, still secretly bent upon
the lady of Belmonte, contrives again
to give his companions the slip and find
his way into her port; isrecognized and
received as before, and makes himself
as popular; but this time, by the help
of friendly hint from q sympathetic
damsel who thinks it hard that such de-
votion should be so rewarded, he avoids
the cause of his previous failures, &C
complishes his task triumphantly, mar
ries the Lady of Belmonte, is pro-
claimed sovereign of the country, to
the great Joy both Of herself and all the
people, and is still absorbed in the du-
ties and enjoyments Of his new fortune,
when one day. seeing procession with
torches passing the window, and being
told that it is a company of artificers
going to make their offerings at the
Church of st. John, the day being his
festival, he suddenly remembers with
horror that st. Johns festival was
Ansaldo's payday. and he had forgot
ten all about i'll His wife, observing
his emotion, drew from him the con-
fession that Ibis father was engaged
for ten thousand ducats, that the tern
was expired, and if they were not paid
that day "a must lose pound OF his