Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-12-21
FABIO'S NOTE.

ing MS engagements. Liz Was liuCI ol
and magnificent Oh every occasion, and
especially with ladies and people Of the
church. The elegant polity of his man
ners was celebrated throughout the re-
public, and people admired at San Fan
ipolo an altar of gold which he had Of
fered to st. Catherine for love Of the
beautiful Catherine Manini, wife of the
senator, Alesso Conaro. As he was very
wealthy, he had many friends, to whom
he gave festivals and his purse But he
suffered severe losses i'll the war against
the Genoese and i'll the troubles OF Ma
pies. It happened that so Of his vessels
were captured. So the magnificent Fa.
bio was despoiled i'll shore time Of all
his riches. Having sold his palace and
his plate to pay his debts, he found him
self destitute Of everything. But as he
was slillful, courageous, well learned in
commerce and in the yigor Of age, he
thought only of restoring his business.
He made many calculations and figured
that 500 ducats were necessary for him
to attempt new enterprises, from which
be expected happy, prompt and certain
successes He asked Of Alesso Bontura,
who was the richest citizen of the re-
public, to lend to him these 500 ducats.
But the good signor esteemed that it
audacity procures great goods prudence
alone preserves them, and he refused
to expose so large sum to the peril of
sea and fortune. Fabio addressed him
self to Andrea Morosini, whom he had
formerly favored in different ways.
''Beloved Fabio, - replied Andrea, "to
others than you I would willingly lend
this sum. [ have no attachment for gold
pieces, and I conform, on this point, to
the maxinns Of Horace, the satirist.
But your friendship is dear to me, Fa-
bio Mutinolli, and 7 would risk its loss
if I loaned you money. Most often COM
MERGE of the heart goes i'll between debt
OF and creditor. have seen too many
examples of this. "
With these words Signor Andrea pre-
tended to embrace the merchant tender
~ and shut the door in his face.
At night, as she was returning sadly
to his house, the courtesan Zanetta, who
was taking a bath in the. canal, grasped
his gondola and said to Fabio:
81 know your misfortunes. They are
not rich, but I have some jewels in a
small casket. Il you accept them, gen
tie Fabio, I will believe that God and
the Virgin love me. T"
And it was true that, in the newness
of her age and in the fine flower OF her
beauty, zanetta was poor. Fabio re-
piled:
Graceful Zanetta, there is more no.
bility in the house where you live than
in all the palaces of Venice. -
For three days more Fabio visited the
banks and the shops without finding
anybody who would lend money to him.
Everywhere he received a wicked an
swer and heard speeches the tone of
which was as follows: "You were
wrong to sell your plate to pay your
debts. One may loan money to a man
in debt; one never loans to a man who
has neither furniture nor plate"
The fifth day he went in his despair
called the Ghetto, and which is the
Jewish quarter. "Who knows, " be said
10 himself, ''if I may not obtain from "a
Jew the favor that Christians have re-
fuseil?" He Went through streets the
entrance Of which, by order of the SEN
ate, was barred every night with chains.
He remembered having heard of all
1sraelite named Eleaze1, son of Eleazer
Maimonides. who was said to be grand
" rich and Of mind marvelously sub
tie. The door Of his house was decorated
with an image of the seven branched
golden candlestick, which the Jew had
caused to be made as sign Of hope, i'll
view of the promised day when the tenn
pie would rise from its ashes.
The merchant entered hall lighted
by a lamp of brass the ~ wiclzs Of
which were ablaze. The jew Eleazer
was seated before his scales. The win
dows of his house were walled, because
he was an illfdel. Fabio Mutinelli talk
ed to him il the following manner:
''Eleazer, I have often called you q
dog and a pagan. It happened, when L
was younger. that I threw stones and
m1,d az az people VINO passed near the ca.
nal wearing a yellow wheel on their
shoulders. I tell you this not to insult
you. but to be loyal at q time when I
come to ask you to do nie a great serv-
ice. :"
The Jew lifted his ann, which was
dry and knOtty like a vine.
''Fabio Mutinelli," he said, ''tie Fa
ther who is in heaven will Judge you
and me- What service do you ask?:''
''Lend NE 500 ducats for year,
Gone does not lend without security.
What is your security"
"You must know, Eleazer, that have
not even golden cup, hot even silver
goblet. I have nothing Everybody has
refused to do me the service that ask
of you. l have nothing i'll the world,
except my honor as q merchant and my
faith as a Christian. I offer to you as
security the Holy Virgin Mary and her
Divine Son. -
At this reply the Jew inclined his
head like enc meditating and thinking,
carossed for an instant his long white
beard and said:
S'Fabio Mutinolli, lead me to your se-
curity, for it is necessary that the lend
er should be placed i'll presence of the
security that is offered to him"
"It is your right, answered the mer-
chant Gomez
He led Eleazer to the Church de
Porto, near the field which is named aft
er the Moors. There. showing the Ma
donna, who, standing Oh the altar, her
forehead ornameIlted with a crown of
precious stones, her shoulders covered
with a gold embroidered cloak, held i'll
he1: arms the infant Jesus, decled like
his mother, the merchant said to the
jew. This is my security"
Eleazer looked with a subtle eye at
the Christian merchant, the Madonna
and the child, bent his head and said
that he accepted the security. He
brought Fabio back to his house and
gave to him 500 d5lcats, saying:
''Ihis is yours for q year. tt in a year
from now, day fer day, you have not re-
turned to me this sum. with the inter
est fixed by the law Of Venice and the.
custom Of the Lonbards,- imagine, Fa-