The Polish and German peasantry have given the authorities at Posen
considerable trouble by their inquiries respecting a 'Rothschild's
Lottery.' They have been led to believe, that the 'great Rothschild'
has been sentenced to be beheaded; but that he has been allowed to
procure a substitute, if he can, by lottery! For this purpose, a sum
of many millions is devoted, all the tickets to be prizes of 3000
thalers each, except one; that fatal number is a blank; and whoever
draws it, is to be decapitated instead of the celebrated banker!
Notwithstanding the risk, the applicants for shares have been
numerous. [There is nothing surprising in the number of applications
for these shares. Every man who enters the army in wartime, takes out
a ticket in a similar lottery. In China, human life is of still less
account; for there it is easy for a condemned criminal, whose escape
the authorities are willing to connive at, to obtain a substitute,
who, for a sum of money, suffers death in his stead.]