Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

THE WEST OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE. No. 34. Monday, October 2Q, 1832. Halfpenny. THE DUKE OF TUSCANY. Among the many good qualities of this prince, it has been stated, that he was remarkable for the mildness of his manners* and the assi¬ duity of his attention to the complaints of his people. The doors of his palace in Flo¬ rence were always open to their approach, as the ears of their prince were to their representations. Alexander was one morning seated in the hall of justice, when a peasant hastily entered, and stated to him, that he had had the good fortune to find a purse containing sixty ducats. " This was indeed fortu¬ nate," said the Duke. " But/' continued the peasant, " as I had learned it belonged to Friuli, the merchant, who had offered a.reward of ten ducats to the fipder, I restored it to him." " This was so honest," returned the Duke, " that a man so opulent as Friuli ought to have given one so poor as yourself at least double what he had promis¬ ed." ''Instead of which," added the peasant, "he refuses-to give me any thing.'' " Does he," said the Duke: " I should be . glad to see Signior Friuli.'' The officers flew to obey their prince ; and in a few minutes the merchant was brought into his presence. " If itis not," said the Duke, sternly, " in my power to make a man generous, I can, at least, make him just. Pay the peasant the ten ducats, the reward that you withhold from him.'' " Tha,t,'' returned the mer¬ chant, "I should, O Fiance! most certainly have done, but that I conceive he has already paid himself; for although, when I gave notice of my loss, I said my purse contained sixty, it in fact contained seventy ducats." " A sad mistake indeed," observed the Duke ; " did