Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1875 — The Painter’s Mantle. [ARTICLE]

The Painter’s Mantle.

On the 15th day of January, 1526, a gentleman arrived at Florence and went to lodge at the Sun Inn. Having with him only one trunk, the innkeeper thought he could not be very rich, and gave him for this reason a room in the top of the house, No. 40. At that time it was not necessary to give one’s name at an inn, and those who wished to preserve their incognito gave tq their friends the number of their room and the name of the inn where they lodged. This gentleman did so. At the end of the first week the landlord presented his bill; but great was his astonishment when the unknown told him that he had no money, that he expected some every day from home, beg ging him to rest easy, and assuring him that as soon as the money arrived he should be paid. The innkeeper went away not very well satisfied, because this stranger ordered the most exquisite dinners, the most recherche viands, the most expensive wines of France and Germany —and the landlord, being very miserly and suspicious, feared for his money. At the end of the second week he made his guest another visit, and, presenting his bill, met with the same response ; then he looked around the room and saw a magnificent mantle hanging on the wall, all lined with rich fur—a mantle which might be worth 500 silver florins. The innkeeper, delighted with his discovery, saluted the gentleman, and descended the stairs, saying to himself : “If he does not pav me at the end of another week I will make him leave me this mantle in pledge for what he owes me.” Some days passed, when there arrived an express with a letter for the gentleman in No. 40. The landlord, sure that it contained a remittance, ran to give it himself to the stranger, who took the letter and, seeing the seal, exclaimed: “ Oh! the imperitd arms!” then opened the letter and, having read it, said: “Itis an order to go at once to Bologna, where the Emperor of Germany is staying at present, who wishes to see me. A carriage will come for me in a little while, because the journey will be at the Emperor’s expense.” “ But, sir, before you go pay me my bill, which amounts to 150 florins.”

“You know very well, caro mio, that since I came to your inn I have received no letter but this one; therefore I have not yet received my money, and not hav ing received it I cannot pay you. I am an honest man; I do not wish to defraud you, and I will send you the money from Bologna.” “ Sir, if you have no money, as you say, to pay me it does not matter; leave me in pledge this mantle (pointing to the one hanging on the wall) and as soon as you have paid your bill I will take care to have it sent to Bologna, or to whatever other city your lordship may happen to be in.” * • “ How! have you the heart to let me go away in this cold weather without my cloak?” “Ah! sir, I do not know you—and I give credit to no one.” “ Inhuman wretch, without pity ” Here he was interrupted-by the porter of the inn, who entered, telling the gentleman that a carriage had come for him. “ Very well,” he replied, “ take my trunk, and I will go.” The landlord accompanied him to the gate, saying: “A pleasant journey, sir; we understand each other, and I will remember my promise.” Eager to examine more closely the rich cloak, he mounted at once to the chamber of the unknown, and went up to the wall to take down the cloak, when, oh! horror! he discovered that it was painted! . “Ah, the thief! the villain! a man who deserves hanging!” he began to shout, and made such an uproar that all the strangers in the inn came out of their rooms to see what had caused such a noise, >, “ Ah. gentlemen, see—a painted mantle! The man who had this room, and who has just gone, not having money enough to.pay his bill, was to leave me in pledge his magnificent cloak, worth more than 500 florins. Instead the villain has put it in his trunk, and left me this; and more than this, he had the effrontery to mock me, reproaching me with being without human feeling, without a heart.”

One of the strangers, who was an amateur painter, said to the landlord: “ You are an ingrate, an 'ignorant fool. You possess a treasure in this most beautiful picture. You were born lucky. This mantle will make your fortune. Charge a price of admission for each person who wishes to see it, and in a short time you will have in your strong box many times the value of your reckoning.” The innkeeper, surprised at this praise of the picture from his guest, and reflecting that it was possible that he might in that way gain some profit, followed the advice. Thenext day the report of this strange adventure had spread through all Florence, and the curiosity was so great not only in the city, but in all the country around, that our landlord in a very little time had pocketed 800 silver florins. But when, a few days after, it became known that this wonderful painted mantle was a pleasantry of Titian, who had painted it as a trick on his innkeeper, not only the Florentines came to see it, but people came from all parts to admire a work of this distinguished painter, whom Charles V. haff that year summoned to Bologna to paint his portrait and undertake other important works. Our fortunate innkeeper found himself in a short time possessor of a considerable sum, and wrote a letter of apology to the great artist. Titian replied that he was muph sur prised that any painting of his had produced so fabulous a sum, but knowing that his landlord had not deserved it by his cupidity and avarice, he left it to him only on one condition, that if some poor artist should come to his inn he would not present Ifijs bill at the end of everv week.— From the Italian, by Alice D. Wilde. r Clover has sprung up all along the famous lines of march to the seS. The introduction of foreign grasses was similarly commented on after the Prussian invasion of, France. Whether the clover will supplant the Bermuda or common grass or the South remains to be seen.