Volume I Part 21 (1/2)

I found several drivers starting for Cosenza, but when they heard that I had no luggage, they refused to take ht, but their prudence placedon foot Yet I felt I must reach Martorano, and Ilike the very reverend Brother Stephano

First of all Ibeen informed that I had to follow the Salerno road, I went towards Portici where I arrived in an hour and a half I already felt rather fatigued; s, if not my head, took me to an inn, where I ordered a rooood style, ht in a co I told the inn-keeper that I would return for my dinner, and I went out to visit the royal palace As I passed through the gate, I wasappearance, dressed in the eastern fashi+on, who offered to shewthat I would thus save my money I was in a position to accept any offer; I thanked hi the conversation to state that I was a Venetian, he told me that he was ed his polite compliment with a reverence

”I have,” he said, ”sorown in the East, which I could sell you cheap”

”I e”

”So o wine”

”You are right I have soo muscatel, and we can taste it if you have no objection to dine with ive you the wines of Samos and Cephalonia I have also a quantity of minerals, plenty of vitriol, cinnabar, antimony, and one hundred quintals of oods here?”

”No, they are in Naples Here I have only the muscatel wine and the mercury”

It is quite naturally and without any intention to deceive, that a young man accustomed to poverty, and ashaer, boasts of hiswith am of mercury with lead and bisht I said nothing, but I bethought myself that if the ht profit by it I felt that so was necessary, and that he would not care forthe way The best plan was to astonish mentation of the mercury, treat it as a jest, and see what his intentions would be Cheating is a cri may be considered as a species of prudence True, it is a quality which is near akin to roguery; but that cannot be helped, and the man who, in ti nobly is a fool

The Greeks call this sort of wisdoht be translated by foxdolish

After we had visited the palace we returned to the inn, and the Greek took me to his room, in which he ordered the table to be laid for two

In the next rooons ofabout ten pounds

My plans were laid, and I asked hions of mercury at the current price, and took it to my roo me that he expected ht two pounds and a half of lead and an equal quantity of bisist had no e eahted because I pronounced his Cerigo excellent In the course of conversation he inquired laughingly why I had bought one of his flagons of mercury

”You can find out if you come to my room,” I said

After dinner we repaired to my room, and he found his mercury divided in two vessels I asked for a piece of chaon, and the Greek stood astonished at the sight of the fine on, which remained over, with an equal quantity of a powder unknown to hih kept co one of the servants of the inn I sent hiist to sell the mercury that was left He returned in a few minutes and handed me fifteen carlini

The Greek, whose surprise was coon, which was there quite full, and worth sixty carlini I handed it to hi hi fifteen carlini, and took care to add that I should leave for Salerno early the next ,” he said

During the afternoon we took a walk towards Mount Vesuvius Our conversation went from one subject to another, but no allusion was h I could see that the Greek had soly, that I ought to stop in Portici the next day to ons of ravely that I did not want the on only for the sake of procuring hireeable surprise

”But,” said he, ”you must be very wealthy”

”No, I aold, and it is a very expensive study for us”

”How many are there in your company?”