THE

VIAL-GENIE AND MAD FARTHING.

CHAPTER I.

A YOUNG GERMAN ARRIVES AT VENICE.

WHO BID HIM

WELCOME THERE. A SPANISH CAPTAIN

AND HIS VIAL-GENIE.

It was a fine evening of summer, when a young German merchant whose name was Richard, quite a wild and jovial spirit, entered Venice, the far-famed commercial city of Italy. Just at that period, owing to the Thirty Years' War, there werè continual disturbances throughout Germany; and in consequence of this state of things, the young merchant, glad to embrace the opportunity of enjoying himself, esteemed it a most fortunate circumstance, that his affairs called him for some time to Italy, where the tumults of war were little felt, and where, as he had been informed, he would meet with wines of the finest flavour, and many of the most delicious fruits, not to mention crowds of women of exquisite beauty, of whom he was a passionate admirer.

On this evening of his arrival, wishing to enjoy the customary amusement of Venice, he stepped aboard a gondola, and was rowed about on the canals, which there supply the place of our paved streets. He took great pleasure in viewing the beautiful houses, and, what were much more attractive, the forms and features of the females, whom he frequently saw gazing from the balconies. At length, as he came opposite a magnificent edifice, at whose windows appeared ten or twelve girls in the bloom of beauty, the gallant young blade said to one of the gondoliers, who were rowing his boat:

"Would to heaven I were so happy as to know those beautiful creatures up there! that I were allowed to speak only two words to one of them!

"Why," said the gondolier, "what can be more easy? you have only to step ashore, and go boldly up to them. Your two words will keep you there but a few moments." But young Richard replied: "You take pleasure, no doubt, in imposing upon strangers, and think you have found in me a rustic, who is simpleton enough to follow your advice, and then get laughed at above there in the palace, with perhaps a clever drubbing into the bargain."

"Do not think, Sir, to teach me the customs of this country," rejoined the gondolier. "Only do as I have advised you, in case you really wish to enjoy that pleasure, and if they do not open their beautiful white arms and bid you welcome, then I am willing to forfeit my fare."

Supposing the gondolier not to have misrepresented matters, this appeared to our novice well worth the trying. So he landed and went up.

The bevy of girls, that appeared so charming to the stranger, not only received him with the greatest courtesy, but one of the number, she whom he considered the handsomest of them, was still more civil: she conducted him to her own room, where she regaled him with cordials and delicacies, and even gave him the welcome of many a kiss; nay more, he had no single wish remaining, of which she did not grant him at last the complete accomplishment. He could not avoid, every now and then, thinking within himself: "I have assuredly reached the most delightful and extraordinary country in the world: at the same time, however, I cannot be too thankful for my attractions of mind, manners, and person, which render me so acceptable to these foreign ladies of quality."

But when he was on the point of departing, this beauty of his required of him the modest sum of fifty ducats; and as he seemed to be astonished at this demand, she said to him: "Why pray, young gentleman, do you expect to share the favours of the fairest courtesan in all Venice for nothing? Let me advise you to pay with alacrity, for he who makes no agreement beforehand, must rest contented with whatever another may ask him. But,

should you come again, then mind and be more prudent, and for the same sum it has cost you this evening, you can pass a whole week in every kind of enjoyment.

What severe mortification was this! especially for one, who, supposing he had made conquest of a princess, discovered that she was a mere woman of the town, and had tricked him too out of so considerable a sum of money! The young fellow showed, however, less indignation than most men would have done. Personal indulgence seemed to be more his object, than distinguished name or excellence of character; and so, after making the payment demanded, he ordered his boatmen to proceed with him to a wine-tavern, where he might drink away his confusion and chagrin.

Our German spark, having thus entered upon a career of dissipation, failed not to have a large number of merry companions. He went on with his revels and riots for a considerable time, and among none but convivial associates there was one exception, however, to this class of characters, and this was a Spanish captain, who was present indeed at all the jollities of the wild set, to which young Richard had abandoned himself, but almost always without deigning to waste a single word among them, and wearing a strong expression of distress upon every feature of his dark countenance. Still they were willing to endure the gloom of his presence, as he was a person of wealth and respectability, who made nothing of defraying the expenses of the whole band many evenings in succession; and this was an event of no rare occurrence.

Notwithstanding this liberal spirit in the captain, and although young Richard no more suffered himself to be so grossly over-reached, as on the day of his arrival at Venice, still his money began at length to fail, and he could not without deep concern reflect upon the fact, that a life so delightful must for him soon come to an end, should he be so prodigal as to lose all he possessed.

His companions perceived his melancholy, and at the same time detected its cause, as they had frequently witnessed in their circle occurrences of a like nature, and they cracked their jokes upon the spendthrift, who, though drained in purse and depressed in spirit, could not

refrain, with the remnant of his money, from tasting the sweet poison of dissolute living.

At this time it was, that the Spaniard took him aside one evening, and with an air of unusual kindness, led him into a rather solitary quarter of the city. Our exemplary young gentleman became somewhat alarmed at this, but after a moment's reflection he said to himself: "My companion is well aware, that I have but little more with me to lose; and as to any personal violence, if such be his aim, he must first hazard his own safety, which he will perhaps value at a rate too high to seek an encounter of that kind."

But the Spanish captain, seating himself upon the foundation of an old ruined building, pressed the young merchant to sit down beside him, and began addressing him as follows:

"I strongly suspect, my dear young friend, that, owing to your inexperience, you are in want of precisely the same power, which to me is above all measure a burden,the power, I mean, of procuring at any moment a sum of money to whatever amount you may choose, and the ability to continue doing so at will. This power of securing wealth, and many other gifts that the world prizes, I am willing to sell you for a small sum of money.'

دو

"But how can more money be of any importance to you, when you wish to dispose of your means of producing it?" asked Richard.

In

"The thing is embarrassed with the following condition," answered the captain. "I know not whether you are acquainted with certain diminutive creatures, called vialgenies. These manikin imps are little black devils enclosed in vials. He who possesses one of them, can obtain from him whatever gratification he may wish for in life, but more especially countless sums of money. return for these, the imp requires the soul of his possessor for his master Lucifer, should the possessor die without having transferred him to other hands. But this transfer can be effected only by sale, and beside he must receive from him a less sum than he gave. My demon cost me ten ducats; if you are willing to give me nine for him, he is yours."

While young Richard was yet deliberating what to do, the Spaniard went on: "I have the power indeed of imposing upon a person, and of putting the imp into his hands in room of some other vial or play-thing, just as an unprincipled trader put me in possession of him. But I mean to burden my conscience no more, and I offer you the purchase honourably and openly. You are yet young and attached to life, and will doubtless have numerous opportunities of getting rid of the thing, should it ever become oppressive to you as it now is to me."

"My dear Sir," said Richard in return, "you must not take it ill, if I am somewhat slow to believe such wonders, for, since coming to this city of Venice, I have been more than once imposed upon already."

Why, you foolish young fellow," cried the Spaniard in anger, "you have only to remember my entertainment of last evening, to satisfy yourself whether I would deceive you for the paltry pittance of nine ducats."

"He who is lavish in banqueting, must be lavish also in expenditure," modestly observed the young merchant; "and it is not coffers of gold, but the labour of the hands, that secures to us an unfailing mine of wealth. Now supposing you last night spent the only ducats you had remaining, no doubt my nine, the last but one that I possess, would be very welcome to you."

"Excuse my not stabbing you to the heart," cried the Spaniard, withdrawing his hand from the dagger he had grasped. "Perhaps I break the laws of honour by this forbearance, but I am influenced by a powerful motive: I hope you will relieve me of my genie of the vial, and thus aid me in my resolution to do penance, while such an act of violence would only aggravate my crime."

"Will you give me with the vial, then, some proofs of its value?" the young merchant cautiously asked him.

"How is that possible?" answered the captain. "It remains with him alone, and affords assistance to him alone, who has first fairly bought it with cash."

Young Richard now became anxious and alarmed; for the lonely place, where they sat together in the darkness, appeared dismal, although the captain was prompt to assure him, that, owing to the penance he purposed, he