the money given--the worthy merchant adding as
much good advice as the brief space would permit. The Briton was profuse
in his expressions of gratitude, promised amendment, and returned the
warm grasp of Von Kapell, unable to speak for his tears. Yansen
accompanied him on board, gave the owner's most particular charge to the
skipper, to pay his passenger every attention on the voyage. The vessel
cleared the harbour--was in a few hours out of sight--and the next
morning, Mynheer Von Kapell wrote to London a full account of the
transaction, returning the bills he had so fortunately recovered.
* * * * *
In less than a fortnight, the following letter reached the good old
German:--
"Sir,--We have to inform you, that we never lost the bills sent in your
last favour, every one of which is fabricated, and our acceptance
forged. Our cashier has no son, nor has he lost a wife. We are sincerely
grieved that your friendly feeling towards our house should have led you
to listen to so palpable a cheat.
"We remain, with great respect, yours,
"BENNETT, FORD, AND CO.
"P.S. If you should ever hear again of the person you have, at your own
expense, sent to Batavia, we shall be glad to know."
* * * * *
What can be said of the good old German's feelings, but that they may
"be more easily conceived than described?"--_Monthly Magazine._
* * * * *
NEW BOOKS.
* * * * *
OTWAY'S "VENICE PRESERVED."
(Hundreds of our readers who have again and again heard
Belvidera pour her soul in love--
may not be aware of the precise historical connexion of the incidents of
Otway's play with the events of history. They are taken, in the main,
from an atrocious conspiracy formed at Venice in 1618. Sir Henry Wotton,
then English ambassador at Venice, writes as follows on the 25th of May,
in the above year:--"The whole town is here at present in horror and
confusion upon the discovering of a foul and fearful conspiracy of the
French against this state; whereof no less than thirty have already
suffered very condign punishment, between men strangled in prison,
drowned in the silence of the night, and hanged in public view; and yet
the bottom is invisible." Beyond this quaint, meagre, chronological
notice, little is actually established of the details, although the
event is perhaps as familiarly known
|