Chapter2-Too Dear
Chapter-2
TOO DEAR
Monaco
Tiny little kingdom/Toy kingdom
Near the border of France and Italy
Shore of Mediterranean sea
Small country can boast more inhabitants than this kingdom
There are only seven thousand men
All land kingdom is divided there would not be an acre for each inhabitant
This kingdom has a real kinglet,and he has a palace
Courtiers, ministers, bishop, generals and an army are also present
Army has sixty men
King levies taxes on tobacco, wine and spirits, poll tax
Gambling House
Special revenue comes from a gambling house
People play roulette
People play, whether they win or lose the keeper always get a percentage on turnover
Out of his profit he pays a large sum to the Prince
Because it is the only gambling establishment left in Europe
German Sovereigns used to keep gambling house of same kind
Later they were stopped because they did so much harm
A man would come and try his luck
He would risk all he had and lose it
Then he would even risk money that did not belong to him and lose that too
Then in despair he would drown or shoot himself
So Germans forbade their rulers to make money this way
But there was no one to stop the Prince of Monaco
He remained with monopoly of business
Everyone who wants to gamble goes to Monaco
Proverb
Everyone who wants to gamble goes to Monaco
Whether they win or lose, the Prince gains by it
As the proverb says ‘You can’t earn stone palaces by honest labour’
The king of Moaco knows it is a dirty business
But he can’t to anything
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He has to live
Draw a revenue from drink and is also not a nice thing
So he lives, reigns and rakes in money
Holds his court with all ceremony of a real king
He has his coronation, levees, sentences, rewards and pardons
He also has council, laws, courts, justice, reviews
Murder in Monaco/Murderers punishment
Murder was commited in toys kingdom
People of that kingdom are peaceable
Such thing never happened before
The judges assembled with much ceremony
The judges, prosecutors, jurymen and barristers tried the case in most judicial manner
They condemned the criminal to have his cut off as law directs
They submitted the sentence to the Prince
The Prince read the sentence and confirmed it
He said ‘If the fellow must be executed, execute him’
Problems in murderers punishment/Alter the punishment
There was one hinch in the death sentence of murderer
They had neither a guillotine for cutting head off, nor an executioner
Ministers decided to address an enquiry to French Government
A letter was sent to French Government
A week later reply came that both could be supplied and
It would cost 16,000 francs
The king said that ‘The wretch is not worth the money’
16,000 francs means more than 2 francs a head on whole population
The people wont stand it and it would cause a riot
Council was called to consider what could be done
They decided to send a similar enquiry to King of Italy
The French government is republican and has no respect for king of Monaco
But King of Italy was a brother monarch and might induce things cheaper
A letter was written and a prompt reply was received
They wrote both could be supplied and
It would cost 12,000 francs including travel expenses
The king thought it was still too much
Another council was called
They decided to do it in rough and homely fashion
The General was called to look for solider who would cut mans head off
General talked it over with solder to see someone who would undertake the job
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None of the soliders would do it
They said ‘we don’t know how to do it, it is not a thing we have been taught’
Again ministers considered and reconsidered
They finally decided to alter the death sentence to life imprisonment
This would enable the Prince to show mercy and it would become cheaper
Life imprisonment
There was one hinch in the life imprisonment of murderer
There was no suitable prison for him
There was a small lock up where people were sometimes kept temporarily
But there was no strong prison fit for permanent use
However they managed to find a place
They put the young fellow there and placed a guard over him
The guard had to watch the criminal and fetch his food from palace kitchen
Result of Life imprisonment
A year had passed after the imprisonment of murderer
The kinglet was looking over the account of his income and expenditure
He noticed a new item of expenditure
This was for the keep of the criminal
It was not a small item
There was special guard and there was also the mans food
It came more than 600 francs a year
The worst of it was the criminal was still young and healthy
He might live for fifty year
Prince summoned his ministers
He said to them to deal with the criminal in a cheaper way
One of them said to dismiss the guard
Another Minister said to let the criminal run away and be hanged to him
They reported this to the kinglet and he agreed with them
The guard was dismissed and they waited to see what would happen
At dinner time the criminal came out
He was not finding his guard instead he went to Princes kitchen to fetch is food
He took what was given to him and returned to the prison
Next day same thing happened
He did not show any sign of running away
Criminals reason for not running away
Minister asked criminal why he did not run away
The criminal said he have nowhere to go and further said
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The king and his council have ruined his character by their sentence and
People would turn their back on him
Besides he have got out of the way of working
The king and his council treated him badly and it was not fair
He said when once you sentenced me to death you ought to have executed me
Then you have sentenced me to imprisonment for life and put a guard to fetch him food
After some time they took him away
And now he had to fetch his own food which he did not complain
So the criminal did not run away
Criminals release
When criminal refused to run away another council was summoned
They decided to offer him a pension
They reported this to the Prince
The Prince agreed and the sum was fixed for 600 francs
This was announced to the prisoner
He said he would go way as long as they undertake to pay it regularly
The matter was settled
He received one-third of his annuity in advance
He left the Kings domain
Criminals life after release
The criminal left Kings domain after he received one-third of his annuity in advance
He travelled through train and emigrated and settled just across the frontier
He brought a bit of land, started market-gardening
He now lives comfortably
He always goes to proper time to draw his pension
After receiving the money he goes to gambling house
Stakes two or three francs, sometimes wins and sometimes loses
Then he returns home
He lives peaceably and well
2 MARKS
1. Mention any two things which make Monaco a toy kingdom
There are only about seven thousand people
There would be not acre for each inhabitant if all the land in kingdom were divided
2. Name the two countries that bordered Monaco?
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France
Italy
3. Mention any two-supporting staff / officials of the King of Monaco
Courtiers
Ministers
Bishop
Generals
4. Name any two commodities that were taxed in Monaco
Tobacco
Wine and spirits
5. Which commodities did the king of Monaco draw the revenue from?
Tobacco
Wine and spirits
6. Who were the main beneficiaries of Gaming House in Monaco whether one loses or wins?
Keeper
King
7. Name any two reasons that made German Sovereigns to forbid gaming houses
8. Name any two things that the prince of Monaco did on a smaller scale as a king
Reviews
Councils
Laws
Courts of justice
Rewards
Leeves
Coronation
Sentences
9. Mention any two professionals who tried the murder case in the most judicial manner
Judges
Prosecutors
Jurymen
Barristers
10. What were the works assigned to the guard when the criminal was kept in the prison?
To watch the criminal
To fetch him food
11. How much pension was fixed for the criminal? How much money was received in advance?
600 francs
One-third
12. What did the criminal do for his living after receiving his annuity in advance?
Bought a bit of land
Started Market gardening
13. Why there was hitch in execution of murderer?
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They had neither a guillotine
Nor an executioner
14. Why council decided to send a similar enquiry to King to Italy?
King of Italy was brother monarch
He might induce things cheaper
15. Why was death sentence altered to life imprisonment?
It would enable the prince to show mercy
It would become cheaper
16. Mention the reaons for soliders refusal to execute the criminal
They don’t know how to do it
It is not a thing they have been taught
17. What plans did the minister suggest the Prince to make the criminals expense cheaper?
18. Mention any two reasons provided by criminal for not running away
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