Of what the good, and e'en the bad, might say, Should dâre to speak his name on pain of death.— 2. All but the brave Mondeer. He, proud to show On all they owed to the divine Jaffar. 4 3. "Bring me this man!" the caliph cried. The man Was brought-was gazed upon. The mutes began To bind his arms. 66 66 Welcome, brave cord!" cried he; From bonds far worse Jaffar delivered me; From wants, from shames, from lovelèss household fears, Made a man's eyes friends with delicious tears; Restored me-loved me-put me on a par With his great self. How can I pay Jaffar?" 4. Häroun, who felt that on å soul like this The mightiest vengeance could but fall ȧmiss, Go; and since gifts thus move thee, take this gem, And hold the giver as thou deemèst fit.” "Gifts!" cried the friend. He took; and holding it 1 Persia (per'shĭ å). 2 Bagdad (bäg däd', or băg'dad), a large and noted city of Asiatic Turkey, formerly capital of the empire of the caliphs. 3 Cim'e ter, å short, crooked sword, used by the Persians and Turks. 4 Ca'liph. å successor or repre HUNT.5 III. 42. GENEROUS REVENGE. T the period when the Republic of Gen'ōå1 was divided AT between the factions of the nobles and the people, Uberto, å man of low origin, but of an elevated mind and superior talents, and enriched by commerce, having raised himself to be head of the popular party, maintained for å considerable time å democratic form of government. 4 5 2. The nobles at length, uniting all their efforts, succeeded in subverting this state of things, and regained their former supremacy. They used their victory with considerable rigor; . and in particular, having imprisoned Uberto, proceeded against him as å traitor, and thought they displayed sufficient lenity 6 in påssing upon him a sentence of perpetual banishment, and the confiscation of all his property. 3. Adorno, who was then possessed of the first măgʻistracy, -å man haughty in temper, and proud of ancient nobility, though otherwise not void of generous sentiments-in pronouncing the sentence on Uberto, aggravated its severity, by the insolent terms in which he conveyed it. "You," said he, "you, the son of å base mechănie, who have dâred to trample upon the nobles of Gen'å--you, by their clemency, 10 are only doomed to shrink again into the nothing whence you sprung." 4. Uberto received his condemnation with respectful submission to the court; yet, stung by the manner in which it was expressed, he could not forbeâr saying to Adorno, that perhaps he might hereafter find cause to repent the language he had used to a man capable of sentiments as elevated as his own. He then made his obeisance, and retired; and, åfter taking leave 1 Gěn'o a, å famous fortified sea- or power; the state of being supreme. port city of Northern Italy. 6 Len' i ty, gentleness of treatment; mercy. "Con'fis ca'tion, the act of appropriating private property, as a penalty, to the public use. 8 Ag' gra vāt' ed, made worse; heightened. 9 In'so lent, overbearing: rude. 10 Clěm' en cỷ, mildnèss; kindnèss; indulgence. of his friends, embarked in å vessel bound for Naples, and quitted his native country without a tear. 5. He collected some debts due to him in the Näpolitan dominions, and with the wreck of his fortune went to settle on one of the islands in the Archipelago, belonging to the state of Venice. Here his in'dustry and capacity in mer'eantile pursuits raised him in a course of years to greater wealth than he had possessed in his mōst prosperous days at Gĕn'õå; and his reputation for honor and generosity equaled his fortune. 6. Among other places which he frequently visited as a mĕrchant, was the city of Tunis, at that time in friendship with the Venetians, though hostile to most of the other Italian 1 states, and especially to Gen'ōå. As Uberto was on a visit to one of the first men of that place at his country-house, he saw å young Christian 2 slave at work in irons, whose appearance excited his attention. 7. The youth seemed oppressed with labor, to which his delicate frame had not been accustomed; and while he leaned at intervals upon the instrument with which he was working, a sigh bûrst from his full heart, and a tear stole down his cheek. Uberto eyed him with tender compassion, and addressed him in Italian. The youth eagerly caught the sounds of his native tongue, and replying to his inqui'ries," informed him that he was ȧ Gěnōēşe'. 8. "And what is your name, young man?" said Uberto. "You need not be afraid of confessing to me your birth and condition."—" Alas!" he answered, "I fear my captors already suspect enough to demand å large ransom. My father is, indeed, one of the first men in Gěnōå. His name is Adorno, and I am his only son."-"Adorno!" Uberto checked himself from uttering more ȧloud, but to himself he said, "Thank heaven! then I shall be nobly revenged." 9. He took leave of the youth, and immediately went to inquire after the corsair eăptain, who claimed å right in young Adorno, and, having found him, demanded the price of his ransom. He learned that he was considered as a captive 1 Italian (i tǎl'yan). 'Christian (krist'yan), born in a Christian land, or professing the re ligion of Christ; pertaining to Christ. 3 In qui'ry, a question. 4 Corsair (kar'sâir), a pirate. 1 of value, and that less than two thousand crowns 1 would not be accepted. Uberto paid the sum; and causing his servant to follow him with a horse, and a complete suit of handsome apparel, he returned to the youth, who was working as before, and told him that he was free. 10. With his own hands he took off his fetters, and helped him to change his dress, and mount on horseback. The youth was tempted to think it all a dream, and the flutter of emotion almost deprived him of the power of retûrning thanks to his generous benefactor. He was soon, however, convinced of the reälity of his good fortune, by shâring the lodging and table of Uberto. 3 11. After å stay of some days at Tunis, to dispatch the remainder of his business, Uberto departed homeward, accompanied by young Adorno, who, by his pleasing manners, had highly ingratiated himself with him. Uberto kept him some time at his house, treating him with all the respect and affection he could have shown for the son of his dearest friend. At length, having å safe opportunity of sending him to Gěnōå, he gave him a faithful servant for a conductor, fitted him out with ěvèry convenience, slipped a pûrse of gold into one hand, and a letter into the other, and thus addressed him :- 12. "My dear youth, I could with much pleasure detain you longer in my humble mansion, but I feel your impatience to revisit your friends, and I am sensible that it would be cruelty to deprive them, longer than necessary, of the joy they will receive in recovering you. Accept this provision for your voyage, and deliver this letter to your father. He probably may recollect somewhat of me, though you are too young to do so. Farewell! I shall not soon forget you, and I hope you will not forget me." Adorno poured out the effusions of a grateful and affectionate heart, and they parted with mutual tears and embraces. 13. The young man had å prosperous voyage home, and the transport with which he was again beheld by his almost brōken 1 Crown, å piece of money so called because stamped with the image of a crown. The English silver crown is of the value of åbout $1.20. 2 Ap păr'el, clothing; dress. 3 Ingratiated (in gra' shi at ed), introduced or commended to the favor of another; brought into favor. 1 hearted parents may more easily be conceived than described. After learning that he had been ȧ captive in Tunis-for it was supposed that the ship in which he sailed had foundered 1 at sea-" And to whom," said old Adorno, "am I indebted for the inĕstimable 2 benefit of restoring you to my arms!" "This letter," said his son, "will inform you." He opened it and read as follows: 6 14. "That son of a vile mechanic, who told you that one day you might repent the scorn with which you treated him, has the satisfaction of seeing his prediction accomplished. For know, proud noble ! that the deliverer of your only son from slavery is THE BANISHED UBERTO.” Adorno dropped the letter and covered his face with his hands, while his son was displaying, in the warmest language of gratitude, the virtues of Uberto, and the truly parental kindnèss he had experienced from him. 15. As the debt could not be canceled, Adorno resolved, if possible, to repay it. He made so powerful intercession 5 with the other nobles, that the sentence pronounced on Uberto was reversed, and full permission given him to return to Gěnōå. In apprising him of this event, Adorno expressed his sense of the obligations he lay under to him, acknowledged the genuine nobleness of his character, and requested his friendship. Uberto returned to his country, and closed his days in peace, with the universal esteem of his fellow-citizens. IV. 43. SELECTED EXTRACTS. HE philanthropist Howard made the law of kindness his great rule of life. He left his comfortable home to visit and console the outcasts of society shut up in dark, gloomy 6 Phi lăn thro pist, a lover of mankind; one who aims to do good to all men. 1 Found'ered, filled with water and sunk. ? In ĕs'ti ma ble, åbove all measure or price. * Pre dic 'tion, the act of foretelling; that which is foretold. 4 Căn'celed, blotted out; made void. 5 In ter ces' sion, à prâyer or pleading for the cause of another. 'John Howard, the English philanthropist, was born at Hackney, London, in 1726. To improve the condition of prisoners, he visited all the prisons of the United Kingdom and the principal ones of Europe. He died at Kherson, Russia, in 1790. |