Title: The adventures of Andolocia, with the purse and cap of his father Fortunatus
a tale for the nursery
Author: Anonymous
Release date: April 23, 2026 [eBook #78536]
Language: English
Original publication: London: Talbert and Co, 1804
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78536
Credits: Bob Taylor, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
WITH THE PURSE AND CAP OF HIS FATHER
FORTUNATUS:
A TALE FOR THE NURSERY.
A NEW EDITION.
With Three Copperplates.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR TABART AND CO. AT THE
JUVENILE AND SCHOOL LIBRARY, NO. 157,
NEW BOND-STREET; AND TO BE HAD
OF ALL DEALERS IN BOOKS.
Price Sixpence.
1804.
PUBLISHED BY
TABART AND CO.
AT THE
JUVENILE AND SCHOOL LIBRARY,
No. 157, New Bond-Street;
Where is constantly kept on Sale the largest
Collection of Books of Amusement and
Instruction in London,
From ONE PENNY to FIVE-GUINEAS in Price.
Entered at Stationers’ Hall.
R. Taylor and Co. Printers, Black-Horse-Court.
[Pg 3]
THE
ADVENTURES
OF
ANDOLOCIA.
Ampedo and Andolocia were the two sons of the celebrated Fortunatus, of Famagosta in the island of Cyprus, who, besides immense treasures, left them at his death his purse and cap, both which, all who have read his wonderful history and entertaining travels (published [Pg 4]by Tabart and Co. at the Juvenile Library, New Bond-street,) must remember. This purse, which was the source of his great riches, had been given him, when a young man and pennyless, by Fortune; who, on presenting him with it, told him that wherever he might be, when he wanted money, he had only to put his hand into the purse as often as he pleased, and he would be sure to find in it ten pieces of gold; that the purse should never fail of producing the like sum, as long as it remained [Pg 5]in the possession of him and his children; but that, when he and they should be dead, the purse should lose this extraordinary quality.
His cap he had got, when on his travels, from the Sultan at Alexandria; and it had the wonderful property of instantly conveying any one who put it on his head, to whatever part of the world he wished.
Fortunatus, on his death-bed, had told his sons the secret of his purse and cap, commanding them on no account to disclose [Pg 6]it to any living creature, and at the same time advising them to live together in harmony, and make use of the purse between them.
Not long after the death of Fortunatus, Andolocia, whose adventures we are going to relate, came to his brother Ampedo, who being the eldest had the purse in his possession, and begged he would let him have it for a certain time, as he wished to set out on his travels for distant countries: this Ampedo would by no [Pg 7]means consent to; and they came to high words concerning it. At length, however, Ampedo consented to let his brother have the purse for six years: and accordingly, after filling all his coffers, he gave it into his hands; with this agreement, however, that he was afterwards to keep it for as long a time himself.
As Andolocia possessed exactly his father’s temper in his love of travelling to distant countries, he was overjoyed to think he had obtained the purse, and immediately began [Pg 8]his preparations for setting out. The first place he visited was Paris.
In this place there was a famous wrestler called Strongfist, who had never yet been thrown by any man. Andolocia sent him a challenge, which Strongfist willingly accepted, and a day was appointed for the combat: in the mean while the news reached all the inhabitants of Paris, who accordingly resolved to be witnesses of the scene.
The combatants met at the time and place appointed, and [Pg 9]fell-to with great spirit; but it was soon seen that Strongfist was not half so skilful as Andolocia, who, after a few blows, made him cry out “he could fight no longer.”
No sooner, however, was Strongfist recovered of the blows he had received, than, enraged to think he had been conquered by a stranger, and lost his reputation, he sent Andolocia another challenge; and they accordingly met as before.
But Strongfist gained nothing by this second attempt, [Pg 10]for Andolocia made him once more cry out “he was satisfied;” so that the air resounded with the acclamations bestowed on Andolocia, while Strongfist was so maimed he could never after engage in wrestling.
After staying some time longer in Paris, where he was loaded with every mark of distinction, the news of his great skill reached England, and he was invited by the king to the court of London; for, being just at that time going to war with the king of Scotland, he [Pg 11]wished to have Andolocia’s advice how to conduct his army.
Andolocia accepted the proposal with joy; for it was the king of Scotland’s father who had deprived his grandfather, the lord Loch Fitty, of all his fortune, and caused him to leave his lady and his home, and live in a mean condition in Paris; as has been related in the History of Fortunatus.
He lost no time in preparing for the journey, and reached London in safety; where he was received with marks of the greatest kindness by the [Pg 12]king and the whole court: and Andolocia informing his majesty of the ill-will he owed the king of Scotland, on the late king’s account, it was immediately agreed on that he should head an army of the choicest troops in the English dominions, and march against him.
They accordingly set out for Scotland; had a furious battle with the king, and defeated him and his whole army; and when they returned to London, Andolocia was loaded with the highest honours at the court of the king of England.
[Pg 13]
Andolocia took a magnificent house in the finest street in London, and frequently entertained the king and all his nobles, whom he treated in so sumptuous a manner, that the king could not help wondering how a private gentleman could possibly have so much wealth.
One day Andolocia being at court, he happened to see the king’s daughter Agrippina, with whom he fell violently in love, and made her such costly presents as surprised the king more than before; so that he could not help telling the queen [Pg 14]that he could not imagine how he came by such a fortune.
The queen immediately set herself to work to find out the secret; and accordingly she told her daughter Agrippina, when she should be alone with him, to find it out if possible.
Soon after Andolocia, being seated by the princess, told her how very beautiful he thought her, and how much he wished for the honour of having her for his wife.
The princess thought this a very good opportunity for finding out the secret: so she answered, [Pg 15]That she liked him very well, but supposed that he could not possibly have sufficient fortune to maintain the daughter of a king.
Upon this Andolocia pulled out his purse, and threw ten pieces of gold at a time into her lap; and at length told her how it came into his father’s possession, and every particular concerning it.
The princess Agrippina hastened to relate all that she had heard to the queen; who, pretending the greatest fondness for Andolocia, took him [Pg 16]into her closet, and presented him with a glass of the richest cordial, into which she had put a drug that soon threw him into a sound sleep; when, putting her hand into his pocket, she took his purse, and had him immediately conveyed to his own house fast asleep.
The queen then gave the purse to the young princess, saying, that as she had taken it for her sake, it was but right that it should be in her possession.
When Andolocia waked and missed his purse, he was almost [Pg 17]frantic. When he had run about the house for a long time, not knowing what to do, he at last thought of what had happened to him at the palace; whither he immediately went, and asked to speak with the queen, and was told that she could not be seen. He then inquired for the princess, and obtained the same answer.
All this convinced Andolocia that the queen had taken his purse, and did not intend to return it. The first thing he did was to borrow a hundred crowns of his steward; by [Pg 18]means of which he got to Famagosta as fast as he could, and, with great difficulty, prevailed on his brother to spare him the cap, for a short time, that he might transport himself, in a moment, wherever he pleased.
Having obtained it, he put it on, and instantly wished himself in the chamber of princess Agrippina, whom he intended to consult about getting back his purse from the queen.
But no astonishment could be greater than his, when, looking at the princess, he saw his purse [Pg 19]fastened to her girdle. Andolocia perceiving this desired of the princess to restore it; which she refusing, he clasped her in his arms, and wished himself in an orchard full of fruit-trees in the neighbourhood of Constantinople.
His wish was instantly accomplished, and they found themselves sitting under a large fig-tree; when the princess, seeing what fine figs were on it, entreated him to get her one to eat. Andolocia, who loved Agrippina very much, notwithstanding that she had used him [Pg 20]so unkindly, immediately threw his cap upon the ground, and began to climb the tree.
The princess, quite ignorant of the virtue in the cap, being greatly fatigued with the scorching of the sun, put it on her head; and happening at the same moment to be wishing that she was in her cold bath at the palace of her father, she was immediately taken up into the air, and was out of sight in a minute.
When Andolocia looked round and saw that both the princess and his cap were gone, [Pg 21]he knew not, so great was his vexation, what step to take; but after walking about for some time, finding himself thirsty, he began to eat some apples, —when two large horns sprang directly out of his forehead.
He now ran like a madman about the orchard, and his cries were heard by an aged hermit, who came up to him and inquired what was the matter? When Andolocia had related the manner in which the accident had happened, the hermit assured him, that if he would [Pg 22]eat some apples from another tree he would soon find his horns disappear.
Andolocia lost no time in doing as he was desired; and the horns accordingly disappeared. Having first filled his pockets with some of both sorts of these extraordinary apples, he set out on foot for the palace of princess Agrippina’s father, where he stood at the gate disguised as a poor man, who had the finest apples to sell that ever were seen in England.
The princess as she passed [Pg 23]out observed the apples, and, seeing that they were as fine as those she had seen in the orchard near Constantinople, began to buy them with great eagerness, and turned back again to the palace to eat them.
Immediately two great horns sprang from her forehead; upon which the princess screamed so loud as to alarm every one in the palace; and the king, among the rest, came in to her assistance.
Seeing what had happened, [Pg 24]he called in all the physicians, to obtain a cure if possible; but not one was found who understood her case.
At length Andolocia, disguising himself as a physician with a great false nose, went to the palace and offered his services; which were willingly accepted.
Upon being shown into her room, he perceived his cap lying disregarded on a chair: so, pretending he must speak with his patient in private, he sent the nurse out of the room, [Pg 25]and in the mean while found an opportunity to put the cap into his pocket.
Andolocia then produced some of the apples that were a cure for the horns occasioned by those he had sold her; and having cut them very small, he desired her to eat them immediately; when the horns from that moment began to grow less.
The princess was excessively delighted at this; and, thinking that she could not too handsomely reward her physician, took out the purse. Andolocia [Pg 26]snatched it from her, clapped on his cap, and wished himself at Famagosta; whither he was immediately conveyed. But as he was in love with the princess, he took care not to give her enough of the apples to remove the horns entirely, that no other gentleman might fall in love with her.
Having related his adventures to his brother Ampedo, the latter said he had no inclination to have either the cap or purse, since they brought their possessor into so much danger, and would give them [Pg 27]wholly to Andolocia, provided he consented to pay him a handsome allowance as long as he lived.
Thus Andolocia kept his purse and cap to himself; but though he had such immense treasures, and, besides, the power of conveying himself where-ever he pleased in a moment, he was not quite happy.
Being however convinced that nothing was wanting to make him so but Agrippina, he first set about building a magnificent palace, taking care every now and then to put on [Pg 28]his cap and wish himself at the court of London, where he sometimes had the good fortune to see the princess as she took an airing in her carriage, and found means to know if the horns still remained on her head as before.
When the palace was finished, Andolocia equipped himself with all the splendour possible; and, taking with him some of the handsomest gentlemen of Famagosta, who looked like great lords, and in addition the most costly jewels that were to be got as presents [Pg 29]for the princess, he set out for England to demand her formally in marriage.
The king of England received him very courteously: the queen, supposing it impossible that any prince would offer to marry a princess with horns on her head, and perceiving there was no other way of getting the purse, gave her consent also; and the princess Agrippina, who had always wished to bestow on him her hand, said, she really loved the prince, but that she would never bring so [Pg 30]great a misfortune on him as to be his wife while she had horns on her head.
“Dear princess Agrippina,” replied Andolocia, “then all our wishes will be gratified, for I have the power to make them disappear immediately.”
Saying this he left the room, and returned in a few minutes with some of the apples which he had given her once before, and with which he had taken care to be provided; when, presenting them to the princess, he asked her if she did not remember [Pg 31]the physician with the great nose, who some time before had made her horns grow less.
The princess fell to eating the apples presented her by Andolocia, and the horns immediately disappeared. She embraced Andolocia with tenderness; they were married that very day, and shortly after were conducted in the greatest pomp to the palace built for her reception at Famagosta, where they lived a long and happy life.
[Pg 32]
Andolocia kept his cap and purse in a cabinet set apart for that purpose; and for fear of further accidents he never suffered the key of it to be touched by any one but himself.
THE END.
R. Taylor and Co. Black-Horse-Court.
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