A gentleman, being at Marseilles, hired a boat with an intention of
sailing for pleasure; he entered into conversation with the two young
men who owned the vessel, and learned, that they were not watermen by
trade, but silversmiths; and that when they could be spared from their
usual business, they employed themselves in that way to increase their
earnings. On expressing his surprise at their conduct, and imputing it
to an avaricious disposition; “Oh! sir,” said the young men, “if you
knew our reasons, you would ascribe it to a better motive. Our father,
anxious to assist his family, scraped together all he was worth;
purchased a vessel for the purpose of trading to the coast of Barbary,
but was unfortunately taken by a pirate, carried to Tripoli, and sold
for a slave. He writes word, that he is luckily fallen into the hands of
a master who treats him with great humanity; but that the sum which is
demanded for his ransom is so exorbitant, that it will be impossible for
him ever to raise it; he adds, that we must therefore relinquish all
hope of ever seeing him, and be contented, that he has as many comforts
as his situation will admit. With the hopes of restoring to his family a
beloved father, we are striving by every honest means in our power, to
collect the sum necessary for his ransom, and we are not ashamed to
employ ourselves in the occupation of watermen.” The gentleman was
struck with this account, and on his departure, made them a handsome
present.
Some months afterwards the young men being at work in their shop, were
greatly surprised at the sudden arrival of their father, who threw
himself into their arms; exclaiming, at the same time that he was
fearful they had taken some unjust method to raise the money for his
ransom, for it was too great a sum for them to have gained by their
ordinary occupation. They professed their ignorance of the whole affair,
and could only suspect they owed their father’s release to that
stranger, to whose generosity they had been before so much obliged.
After Montesquieu’s death, an account of this affair was found among his
papers, and the sum actually remitted to Tripoli for the old man’s
ransom. It is a pleasure to hear of such an act of benevolence performed
even by a person totally unknown to us; but the pleasure is infinitely
increased, when it proves the union of virtue and talents in an author
so renowned as Montesquieu.
* * * * *