This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 Excerpt: ...lose the sum that I might have paid him, which would not have been an irretrievable disaster. But if I bought them right out, by a formal purchase, and accepted the responsibility for their debts, believing them, in my ignorance, to be inconsiderable, then he meant presently to bring all the creditors and depositors ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 Excerpt: ...lose the sum that I might have paid him, which would not have been an irretrievable disaster. But if I bought them right out, by a formal purchase, and accepted the responsibility for their debts, believing them, in my ignorance, to be inconsiderable, then he meant presently to bring all the creditors and depositors down upon me, and catch me in the net of my agreement. This is precisely what happened. The moment that I assented to his proposition, he produced a tablet from his lap, which he had there, all ready and written out, and read aloud its contents, which Were the contract to be made with me. I admit that I did indeed hear its terms as he read them, but I was in a hurry to accomplish the business for which I had come; and so he seals the contract then and there in the house, in order that no friend of mine might hear its contents. The name conjoined with mine as surety was that of Nicon of Cephisia. Then we came to the shop and deposited the tablet with Xysicles of Leuconoe; I paid over the forty minas, and the purchase was complete. No sooner was the transaction accomplished than the creditors to whom Midas owed money and the depositors who had contributed the share capital, came and entered into communication with me, and in the course of three months the sum total of my indebtedness was revealed to me. It amounted in all, including the sums due to the depositors, to five talents, as I said just now. When I knew the extent of my calamity I did what I should have done earlier; I summoned my friends and relations, and we read aloud the copy of the contract. In it the names of Pancalus and Polycles were expressly mentioned, with the statement that the price of certain unguents was due to them, --small amounts, which it might legitimately be said were ..
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