Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-19
SOME QUAINT JUDGMENTS.

uellNertu Dy ming Solomon IN the case OF the
two mothers. Extraordinary as it may have
at first appeared to those who heard il. II had.
nevertheless, the effect of bringing out the
truth and making manifest which Of the rival
claimants was the genuine one. Scattered
about in the various histories and records of
men and nations are TO be found many other
decisions of despotic kings aud princes, un-'
restrained by the iron hand Of statute law
and precedent, which seem equally quaint,
and yet we're equally effective in bringing
about the desired result The case in which
Portia appeared rs counsel is no fiction Of
Shakespeares, though she herself may be-
The main facts Of the singular bond and it's
attempted enforcement, and the consequent
trial aud judgment az related in The Mer
chant of Venice, are fairly well authenticated
matters Of history.
There is story related of a judgment Civ
en- by Peter the Cruel OF Spain, imbued with
very much the same spirit as the one deliver
ed in the court at Venice. A slater was en-
gagged in repairing the roof of house, aud
while 80 engaged, through false step or some
other accident lost his balance and rolled
down the slanting side Of the roof, aud fell
over the edge into the street below. Just at
this moment-unfortunately for himself but
fortunately for the slster-a man was passing
along the street in front Of the house whose
or fell, knocking him to the ground with such
force that he eventually died of the injuries
he received while the slater does not seem TO
have been much the worse for his fall, being
saved from any violent concussion with the
hard pavement by the interposition Of the
body Of the unfortunate wayfarer. The dead
mans son brought action against the slat-
er, asking that he might receive punishment
for killing his father, and be made to pay him
(the som damages to compensate him for his
loss. The king, before whom the matter was
laid, inquired into it, and satisfied himself
that the slater was in no way to be blamed
his fall aud its fatal consequence being purely
accidental. In delivering his Judgment, he
said that il was natural that the son should
desire some satisfaction for the death of his
father at the hands Of the man who had kill
ed him, and that this be was ready to order
him. The slater must go aud stand exactly
in the place where the deceased man had been
at the time Of the accident the son might
mount to the top Of the house and throw him.
self thence on to the slater and so mete out
to him the same treatment that had been met.
ed out to his (the plaintif's) father. The
son, however, like Shylock, declined to run
the risks incidental to carrying out the judg-
ment.
The Emperor Claud was appealed to by
young man, Who complained that his mother
bad disowued him, saying that he was no son
OF hers and in no way eutitled to any share
Of the family property. The emperor inves.
tigated the u-atter, and came to the conolu.
sion that though there was no way Of quite
conclusively proving that the young man was
the son Of the woman, there was yet, practi-
cally no doubt about it. He ordered the
woman to be brought before him, and said to
her:
DO you still deny that this man is your
song"
The relationship was persistently denied.
well, then, said Claud, 'since he is not
your son, he shall be your husband. / order
that you be Immediately married to him."
This unexpected command reawakened in
her the maternal feeling, and confessng her
perjury, she fully acknowledged the young
man as her son.
1t is related of the Sultan Soliman H. that,
upon his return 10 Constantinople after the
conquest OF Belgrade, poor woman came to
hun, complaining that her cottage had been
broken into by some of his soldiers, who had
carried away all her goods while she slept.
Solimsn smiled, and told her she must have
been sleeping hard If she had not heard the
noise the men must have made in carrying
away all her property.
at is true, my lord" she boldly replied,
that slept soundly, because believed your
Highness was watching over me-"
The sultan, though he felt the force Of her
rebuke nevertheless admired her replv and
took steps for the restoration OF her property
aud the punishment of her spoilers giving
her as well twenty pieces Of gold.
Scaliger relates that gentleman of high
position, named Macaire, one of the body
guard Of King Charles V. Of France, having
some grudge against one of his comrades, Au-
bry de Montdidier, meeting him one day in
the forest of Bondy, near Paris, accompanied
only by his dog, treacherously murdered him
and buried his body. What the dog was do.
ing while his master was being murdered,
Scaliger does not tell us; but it appears to
have been temporarily absent, probably hunt
ing When it returned, it found out the spot
where it's masters body was buried, and lay
down on the grave, and kept watch over it
till the pangs of hunger drove it in quest OF
food. 1t trotted off into Paris to the kitchen
of one OF Montddier's most intimate friends,
where it was well known and Hospitality re.
ceived. Food was offered to it, and when the
poor animal had satisfied its hunger il set of
again for it's masters grave in the forest of
Bondy, Next day the same conduct was re-
peated, and for several days afterwards. At
last the curiosity Of one Of the servants who
fed the dog was aroused as to the cause of its
daily visits, and he resolved to follow il. He
traced it 10 the forest, and saw it lie down on
a spot where the earth appeared to have been
recently disturbed. The dog seeing the man
approach, began to howl in a melancholy
way, as though it were trying to inspire pity.
The appearance Of the ground and the dogs
singular conduct led to search being made,
when the body of Montdidier was discovered.
The dog subsequently attached itself to the
owner of the kitchen where II had gone daily
for food and it was noticed that every time
| II met Macaire, who moved in the same soci-
ETY. as it's new master, it flew at him, and
would have worried him if ii had not been
pulled away by those who we're at hand. This
behavior of the dog caused suspicion to grow
up against Macaire. Charles ", hearing of
the matter, decided to inquire into the truth
OF it, and gave orders that Maoaire and the
dog should both come before him. As soon
as the dog saw Maoaire, it flew at him with
its accustomed fury. The king severely
| questioned Maoaire as to what he knew of
Montdidier's death, and exhorted him to tell
/ the truth. Macare denied all knowledge OF
| it. Charles then decTeed that MacaiTe and
| the dog should meet in single combat, the
man being furnished with o thick staff, and q
barrel with one end knocked out being pro-
vided as place of shelter for the dog in case
it should be hard pressed. The duel com
menced. The dog began by bounding about
just outside the reach of the staff, till it saw
its opportunity. Then it made a furious
spring, and caught Macare by the throat and
dragged him to the ground. The unfortu'
nate man, finding he could not free himself
cried for mercy and confessed his crime. He
was thereupon delivered from the dog, but
only TO be delivered into the custody of the
law, by whose sentence he was afterwards
| executed.
The Duke OF Ossone is celebrated for The
many quaint judgmt nts and decisions deliv
cred by him while viceroy of Naples. SomI
Of them seem actuated rather by spirit o
pleasantly than by one Of justice. One day
the duke had TO choose q galley-slaye who
should be liberated in honor of some grea
festival. He went on board one of the gal
leys, and, standing in front of the first benol
of rowefs, six in number, he began to ques
ton them all as to what had brought then
there. The first one eOniented himself By
calling God as a witness to his innocence, anC
protesting that he was there for no reason al
all. The second said bis punishment and dis