The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-05-08
ANTONIO AND BASSAN1O.
The story of the two Friend. and the de"
N, told In an Italian Book OF Tales
The Lady and the Ring.


the C0,y,kW Kdgasiae, and is stated 10y him Il
be feuad IN an old collection of tales calIe(
I'll Pecorone," written by Ser Giovanni, no
tary of Florence, about 1878 Its interest lice
in the probability that on it Shakespeare found
ed his play
Giannetto the youngest son OF "A rlch nleF
chant Of Florence, receives from MS dylhs
father 4 letter addressed to his dearest trend
Ansaldo, the greatest of the Christian mcr
chants in Venice, who, being a childless man
and Glannetto's godfather, had long been anX
Gus to adopt him This letter, he tells him.
is to be instead OF any other provision. he
have we'll" he says, land you will certainly
be a rich man" AnSaldo welcomes his god
son with delight, orders his servants To attend
to him as to himself, gives HIM the Keys OF ms
money boxes, and desires him 10 spend all
freely in distinguishing himself and entertain
ing his friends and TO remember that TIE
more he gains the good will of everybody the
more dear he will be to him" Giannetto tot
lows his direction, quickly distinguishes MN
self IN all the qualities OF gentleman, he
comes universal tavorlte and the most
accomplished youth in Venice, and behaves IN
all ways to his gOdalhers entire satisfaction
Such man, it Is thought by his friends, should
have something more to do-should see more
and be more scen-and two ol the most init
mate intending a voyage To Alexandra, urge
him to 90 with them in "A ship of his own. lie
would like to 90 il Ansaldo will give him
leave; Ansado is willing to furnish him II he
would like to go. He is provided with iine
shin richly freightcd, and the three friends sci
sail together. The ships keep each other com
pany until GiannC,tO, early one morning, see
ing a fine port, and hearing that 1t Is the port
of the
LADY or BElMoNTE
"a beautiful widow but dangerous to visit,
every visitor being obliged To undertake a
certain task on condition that II he accom-
plished 1t he shall take her for his wife and be
lord of the port and all the country, but ii he
fails he shall give up 10 her all thnt he brings
with him, and many lad gone IN uch and
came out with nothing-rcsovco 10 lHhr has
chance; sails in. unpcrCelvcd by his conlpin-
ions; is received with festive welcome, after
due warning Of the conditions goes "a his
trial; fails loses all and returns 10 Venice,
much ashamed and obliged Ia say that IN, ship
had been wrecked and all on board lost except
himself Ansaldo 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
tell him if he will 90 with them again the next
spring he may easily gain rs much as he has
lost, AnsaldO, seeing tina, he could not be
happy without making the trlal, provides han
with another ship, more richly freighlcd than
the first; and the three set out again in com
panv ~ before But GiannCtO, whose rcu!
ann was to get without their knowledge into
the port of BclmOntc, COntrivcs To clude 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 swing he had suffered another shipwrcck.
These repeated losses had nearly exhausted
AnSaldo's means, hut not his affection or his
patience; and when the two friends return
again very rich from their second voyage, he
finds that GannCtlO cannot bc happy without
one more effort 10 recover his loSsrs, he sells
all that he has in order 10 provide a third ship
for him. and because all that he has is not
enough TODD itas handsomely rs he would, and
he "wauts still ten thousand duC"ts he applies
himself 10
Anew Al MEsTEI,
Aud hUrrONs them on condition that il they
are no, paid on the Feast of 81. John, in the
next month of June, The jew may take II
pound Of the merchants flesh from any part
of his body he pcascs. Ansaldo agrees, and
the Jew has an obligation drawn and witnessed
with all the form and ceremony necessary and
then counts him the ten thousand duCats o.
gold, with which saldo buys what was still
wanting for the sci. When it is time to
depart, An,aldo = Giannetto that since he
well knows OF obligation 10 the jew, he
entrcats him, IN ,asc any misfortune happens
that he will return to Venice, that he may see
him before he die, aud then he can leave the
world with satisfaction. GianncttO promises
to de everything that may give him pleasure
ApsEllO gives him IN, blessing, they take their
leave, and the ships set OUT
GiunGullo still secretly bent upon the lady
Of Belmont. cunriycs again to give his com
panIOnS the slip aud mud hl, way Into her
port j., recognized aud received IL before and
makes himself Il, popular; but tins time, by
the help Of a t'riauiIy hint lrOma sympathetic
damscl who thinks it hard that such devotion
should bo 40 rewarded, he avoids the cause of
his previous failures, uCCpmpii>hcv his task
trumphantly, Marie, the lady Of BclmDntc
Is proclaimed sovereign of the country II the
great Joy Of herself and all the people, and is
still absorbed IN the duties aud rujovmcnls of
his new fortune, when one day, seeing pro-
cessiou with torches passing the window, and
being told that it i, 4 company of arthccrs 90
ing TO make their offering, at the church of
81. john, the day being his festival, lac sudden.
~ remembers with horror that ST Johns lc,
tiyal was
NNoNlpD's PAY DAY,
And he had forgotten all about it, Ills wife,
observing his cmOiisn, draws from him the
confession that "hI> father WAS engaged for ten
thousand ducats, that the term was expired,
and il obey were not paid that day he must
lose "a pound of his flesh" She at once de.
sires him 10 take a hundred thousand ducats,
noun, has horse, and not stop until he arrives
at Venice; and # he arrives in time to save
him, ~ bring him 10 Belmonic
The jew ia the meantime hul seized An
Saldo bet ia consideration of his only wish
10 sec Giauuelto before he died. consents to
wait some days, provided that the delay do not
inyAlida,e the bOnd But" says he, IF lac
come, q hundred times over, | will cut the
pound Of flesh according to the words of the
obligation" AnsaldO answered that he was