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to bed, and began to fnore as if he flept foundly. The lady perceiving this, laid herself down by his fide. Giannetto lofes no time, but turning to the lady, embraces her, faying, Now am I in poffeffion of my utmost wishes. When Giannetto came out of his chamber, he was knighted, and placed in the chair of itate; had the fcepter put into his hand, and was proclaimed fovereign of the country, with great pomp and fplendour; and when the lords and ladies were come to the cattle, he married the lady in great ceremony.

Giannetto governed excellent ly, and caufed juftice to be adminiftred impartially. He continued fome time in this happy ftate, and never entertained a thought of poor Anfaldo, who had given this bond to the Jew for ten thousand ducats. But one day, as he stood at the window of the palace with his bride, he faw a number of people pafs along the piazza, with lighted torches in their hands. What is the meaning of this? fays he. The lady anfwered, they are artificers going to make their of ferings at the church of St. John, this day being his fettival. Giannetto instantly recollected Anfaldo, gave a great figh, and turned pale. His lady enquired

the caufe of his fudden change. He faid, he felt nothing. She continued to prefs with great earnestnefs, till he was obliged to confefs the caufe of his uneafinefs, that Anfaldo was engaged for the money, that the term was expired and the grief he was in was left his father fhould lofe his life for him: that if the ten thousand ducats were not paid that day, he muft lofe a pound of his flesh. The lady told him to mount on horfeback, and go by land the nearest way, to take fome attendants, and an hundred thousand ducats; and not to flop, till he arrived at Venice: and if he was not dead, to endeavour to bring Anfaldo to her. Giannetto takes horfe with twenty attendant, and makes the best of his way to Venice.

The time being expired, the Jew had feized Anfaldo, and infitted on having a pound of his flesh. He entreated him only to wait fome days, that if his dear Giannetto arrived, he might have the pleasure of embracing him.: the Jew replied he was willing to wait, but, fays he, I will cut off the pound of fleth, according to the words of the obligation: Anfaldo anfwered, that he was con

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came to Venice, goes to the Jew, and (after embracing Anfaldo) tells him, he is ready to pay the money, and as much more as he fhould demand. The Jew faid, he would take no money, fince it was not paid at the time due ;. but that he would have the pound of flesh. Every one blamed, the Jew: but as Venice was a place where juftice was ftrictly adminiftered, and the Jew had his pretenfions grounded on publick and received forms, their only refource was entreaty; and when the merchants of Venice applied to him, he was inflexible. Giannetto offered him twenty thoufand, then thirty thoufand, afterwards forty, fifty, and at last an hundred thousand ducats. The Jew told him, if he would give him as much gold as Venice was worth, he would not accept it; and, fays he, you know little of me, if you think I will defit from my demand.

lawyer caufed a proclamation to be made, that whoever had any law matters to determine, they fhould have recourfe to him: fo it was told to Giannetto, that a famous lawyer was come from Bologna, who could decide all cafes in law. Giannetto propofed to the Jew to apply to this lawyer.

The lady now arrives at Venice, in her lawyer's drefs;, and alighting at an inn, the landlord alks of one of the fervants who his mafter was? The fervant aniwered, that he was a young law. yer who had finished his ftudies at Bologna. The landlord upon this the vs his gueft great civility: and when he attended at dinner, the lawyer inquiring how juftice was administered in that city; he answered, juflice in this place is too fevere, and related the case of Anfaldo. Say the lawyer, this question may be cably anfwered. if you can answer it, fays the landlord, and fave this worthy man from death, you will get the love and efleem of all the beft men of this city. The

With all my heart, fays the Jew; but let who will come, I will ftick to my bond. They came to this judge, and faluted him. Giannetto did not remember him: for he had disguised his face with the juice of certain herbs. Giannetto and the Jew, each told the merits of the cause to the judge; who, when he had taken the bond and read it, said to the Jew, I must have you take the hundred thousand ducats, and release this honest man, who will always have a grateful fense of the favour done to him. The Jew replied, I will do no fuch thing. The judge answered, it will be better for you. The Jew. was pofitive to yield nothing. Upon this they go to the tribunal appointed for fuch judgments: and our judge fays to the Jew, Do you cut a pound of this man's flesh where you chufe. Jew ordered him to be ftripped naked; and takes in his hand a razor, which had been made on purpose.. Giannetto feeing this, turning to the judge, this, fays he, is not the favour I asked of you. Be quiet, fays he, the pound of flesh is not yet cut off. As foon as the Jew was going to begin, Take care what you do, fays the judge, if you take more or lefs than a pound, I will order your head to be ftruck off: and befide, if you shed one

The

drop

drop of blood you fhall be put to
death. Your paper makes no
mention of the shedding of blood;
but fays exprefly, that you may
take a pound of flesh, neither
more nor lefs. He immediately
fent for the executioner to bring
the block and ax; and now,
fays he, if I fee one drop of
blood, off goes your head. At
length the Jew, after much
wrangling, told him, Give me
the hundred thousand ducats, and
I am content. No, fays the
judge, cut off your pound of
flesh according to your bond:
why did not you take the money
when it was offered? The Jew
came down to ninety, and then
to eighty thoufand; but the
judge was ftill refolute. Gian-
netto told the judge to give what
he required, that Anfaldo might
have his liberty; but he replied,
let me manage him. Then the
Jew would have taken fifty thou-
fand he faid, I will not give
you a penny. Give me at leaft,
fays the Jew, my own ten thou-
fand ducats, and a curfe con-
found you all. The judge re-
plies, I will give you nothing:
if you will have the pound of
flesh, take it; if not, I will or-
der your bond to be protefted and
annulled. The Jew feeing he
could gain nothing, tore in
pieces the bond in a great rage.
Anfaldo was released, and con-
ducted home with great joy by
Giannetto, who carried the hun-
dred thousand ducats to the inn
to the lawyer. The lawyer faid,
I do not want money; carry it
back to your lady, that the may
not fay, that you have fquan-
dered it away idly. Says Gian
netto, my lady is fo kiud, that

:

Imight fpend four times as much,
without incurring her displeasure.
How are you pleased with the
lady? fays the lawyer. I love
her better than any earthly thing,
aníwers Giannetto: Nature feems
to have done her utmost in form-
ing her. If you will come and
fee her, you will be surprised at
the honours fhe will fhew you.
I cannot go with you, fays the
lawyer; but fince you speak fo
much good of her, I must defire
you to prefent my refpects to her.
I will not fail, Giannetto an-
fwered; and how, let me entreat
you to accept of fome of the mo-
ney. While he was fpeaking,
the lawyer obferved a ring on his
finger, and faid, if you will give
me this ring, I fhall feek no
other reward. Wilingly, fays
Giannetto; but as it is a ring
given me by my lady, to wear
for her fake, I have fome reluc-
tance to part with it, and the
not feeing it on my finger, will
believe, that I have given it to
a woman. Says the lawyer, the
efteems you fufficiently to credit
what you tell her, and you may
fay you made a prefent of it to
me; but I rather think you want
to give it to fome former mistress
here in Venice. So great, fays
Giannetto, is the love and reve-
rence I bear to her, that I would
not change her for any woman
in the world. After this he takes
the ring from hi. finger, and pre-
fents it to him. I have ftill à fa-
vour to afk, fays the lawyer. It
fhall be granted, fays Giannetto.
It is, replied he, that you do not
ftay any time here, but go as
foon as poffible to your lady. It
appears to me a thousand years
till I fee her, anfwered Giannette;

and

and immediately they take leave of each other. The lawyer embarked and left Venice. Giannetto took leave of his Venetian friends, and carried Anfaldo with him, and fome of his old acquaintance accompanied them.

The lady arrived fome days before; and having refumed her female habit, pretended to have fpent the time at the baths; and now gave orders to have the freets lined with tapeftry: and when Giannetto and Anfaldo were landed, all the court went out to meet them. When they arrived at the palace, the lady ran to embrace Anfaldo, but feigned anger against Giannetto, tho' fhe loved him exceffively yet the feaftings, tilts and diverfions went on as ufual, at which all the lords and ladies were prefent. Giannetto feeing that his wife did not receive him with her accustomed good countenance, called her, and would have faluted her. She told him, fhe wanted not his careffes: I am fare, fays fhe. you have been lavish of them to fome of your foriner miftreffes. Giannetto began to make excufes. She asked him where was the ring fhe had given him? It is no more than what I exrested, cries Giannetto, and I was in the right to fay you would be angry with me; but, I fwear by all that is facred, and by your dear felf, that I gave the ring to the lawyer who gained our caufe. And I can fwear, fays the lady, with as much folemnity, that you gave the ring to a woman: therefore fwear no more. Gannetto protefled that what he had told her was true, and that

2

he faid all this to the lawyer, when he asked for the ring. The lady replied, you would have done much better to stay at Venice with your mistresses, for I fear they all wept when you came away. Giannetto's tears began to fall, and in great forrow he affured her, that what she fup. pofed could not be true. The lady feeing his tears, which were daggers in her bofom, ran to embrace him, and in a fit of laughter fhewed the ring, and told him, that fhe was herself the lawyer, and how the obtained the ring. Giannetto was greatly aftonifhed, finding it all true, and told the ftory to the nobles and to his companions; and this heightened greatly the love between him and his lady. He then called the damfel who had given him the good advice in the evening not to drink the liquor, and gave her to Anfaldo for a wife and they spent the rest of their lives in great felicity and

contentment.

UGGIERI de Figiovanni

RUGGIERI

took a refolution of going, for feme time, to the court of Alfonfo king of Spain. He was gracioully received, and living there fometime in great magnificence, and giving remarkable proofs of his courage, was great ly esteemed. Having frequent opportunities of examining minutely the behaviour of the king, he obferved, that he gave, as he thought, with little difcernment, caftles, and baronies, to fuch who were unworthy of his favours ; and to himself, who might pretend to be of fome eflimation, he gave nothing: he therefore

thought

thought the fittest thing to be done, was to demand leave of the king to return home.

His request was granted, and the king prefented him with one of the most beautiful and excellent mules, that had ever been mounted. One of the king's trufty fervants was commanded to accompany Ruggieri, and riding along with him, to pick up, and recollect every word he faid of the king, and then mention that it was the order of his Sovereign, that he should go back to him, The man watching the opportunity, joined Ruggieri when he fet out, faid he was going towards Italy, and would be glad to ride in company with him, Ruggieri jogging on with his mule, and talking of one thing or other, it being near nine o' clock, told his companion, that they would do well to put up their mules a little, and as foon as they entered the slable, every beaft, except his, began to ftale. Riding on further they came to a river, and watring the beafts, his mule ftaled in the river: You untoward beast, fays he, you are like your master, who gave you to me. The fervant remembered this expreffion, and many others as they rode on all day together; but he heard not a fingle word drop from him, but what was in praife of the king, The next morning Ruggieri was told the order of the king, and inflantly turned back. When the king had heard what he had faid of the mule, he commanded him into his prefence, and with a fmile, afked him, for what reafon he had compared

the mule to him. Ruggieri an-
fwered, My reason is plain, you
give where you ought not to
give, and where you ought to
give, you give nothing; in the
fame manner the mule would not
ftale where he ought, and where
the ought not, there she ftaled.
The King faid upon this, If I
have not rewarded you as I have
many, do not entertain a thought
that I was infenfible to your great
merit; it is Fortune who hinder-
ed me'; fhe is to blame, and not
I; and I will fhew you manifeft-
ly that I fpeak truth. My dif
content, Sir, proceeds not, an-
fwered Ruggieri, from a defire
of being enriched, but from your
not having given the smallest
teftimony to my deferts in your
fervice: nevertheless your excufe
is valid, and I am ready to fee
the proof you mention, though
I can eafily believe you without
it. The king conducted him to
a hall, where he had already
commanded two large cafkets,
fhut clofe, to be placed; and be-
fore a large company told Rug-
gieri, that in one of them was
contained his crown, scepter, and
all his jewels, and that the other
was full of earth: choose which
of them you like beft, and then
you will fee that it is not I, but
your fortune that has been un-
grateful. Ruggieri chofe one.
It was found to be the casket full
of earth. The king faid to him
with a fimile, Now you may fee,
Ruggieri, that what I told you
of fortune is true; but for your
fake I will oppose her with all
my ftrength. You have no in-
tention, I am certain, to live in
Spain; therefore I will offer you

no

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