taking his leave of Denisa or any way acquainting her therewith and now when it is too late this wretched wench exceedingly grieves thereat when knowing his returne uncertain his affection to her doubtfull her self poore and her Lady Mistris Dominica as then not able to maintaine her or her child shee assumes another bloody resolution which is that as shee was formerly accessary to the poysoning of her Master so shee now will bee a principall Actor in murthering and making away of her owne child as soone as it shall be borne and neither conscience nor her feare are able to divert her from this her bloody and damnable purpose For being provoked thereunto first by her shame then by her necessity but chiefly and especially by her fâ—…all Counsellor and instigatour the Devill shee being delivered almost a moneth before her time of a faire young Sonne as soone as it had cried once to bewaile his owne misery and his inhumane Mothers cruelty she as an execrable fury of hell strangles it giving him his mournefull and untimely death in that very same houre and instant which God and her selfe gave it life and the very same evening wrappes it in a cleane white liâ—…in cloth and with a Packthred tyes a great stone thereunto and the devill giving her strength the very same night caries it halfe a mile off to a pondwithout the east gate of the Citty where seeing no body present to see her shee not as a mother no not as a woman but rather as a fury of hell there throwes it in which before her departure thence presently sunck to the bottome And here let us behold and contemplate on the wonderfull mercy and Iudgment of God in so speedily revealing this deplorable and cruell murther of this harmelesse and innocent little new borne babe whom being so newly brought from the adulterate wombe of his pittilesse mother she malitiously cast into that Pond giving it death for life the Pond for its Cradle a banck of mud and Oze for its bed and pillow For upon the instant of Denisas delivery and her murthering and throwing of this her infant babe into the Pond God to revenge this soule and bloody fact of hers deprived her of discretion and judgement to returne for that night to her Masters house for shee thinking to make sure and sound work for her owne reputation and safety shee that very night takes up her lodging in the next poore Inne which was at the signe of Saint Ioâ—… head where to the Host and Hostesse shee pretends â—…amenesse by the receit of a fall But God will give her but small time to rest and repose her selfe in the guiltinesse of this her cruell sinne of murthering her own innocent new borne babe for with in one houre after a Groome riding to water his horse in the same pond his Horse â—…eth and starts exceedingly pawing in the water with his farther fore foote and many times thrusts downe his head therein The Groome gives him the 〈◊〉 and switch to bring him off but in vaine for the horse the more paâ—…th with his foote 〈◊〉 â—…eth with his nose yea so long till at last it seemes the packthred being broken the white cloth appeares and flotes upon the water which the groome upon the strange behaviour of his horse but indeed by the immediate providence and pleasure of God who then and there was well pleased to make this reasonlesse Beast an instrument of his glory in the detection of this cruell murther causeth to bee fetched a shore where opening the cloth in presence of some others who flocke thither to the pond side to see what this may be They find a sweet young Infant boy whose body was as white as the snow with a flaxen coloured haire a cheerefull looke a cherrie lip and some blacknesse about his throate and necke wherby they guessed it to be newly borne and strangled of some Strumpet his mother whom to detect and finde out they search all the adjacent houses and at last finde out Denisa in her Inne when the Officers of Iustice setting a Midwife and some three or foure elderly women to search her they dispight of her resistance or prayers to the contrary give in evidence against her that shee was that day delivered of a child so shee is imprisoned and the next day brought to her arraignement where threatned with the racke shee confesseth the strangling of her child and the throwing of it into this pond for the which soule and in humane fact of hers shee is the next day condemned to bee hanged When desirous to save her soule though through the instigation of Satan she hath miserably cast away her body she entreateth that father Eustace a Priest of her acquaintance may be sent to her in Prison to prepare her soule for her spiritual journy to heaven who is accordingly sent her Who after a long and a religious exhortation to her falling on this point that she should do well to disburthen her conscience of any other capitall crime which she in all the whole course of her life might have committed as affirming that the revealing thereof exceedingly tended to Gods glory and the felicity of her owne foule she with teares and sighes deepely thinkes thereof that night in prison Now the next morning shee is brought to the place of execution where a great number of people flocke together to see her end and there on the Ladder after shee had againe confessed the strangling of her infant and her throwing of it into the Pond shee likewise then and there confessed That she was accessary and consented with her Lady Dominica to poyson her Master Roderigo which shee affirmed they both effected in the same manner as wee have formerly understood The confession of this her otherfoule murther as also of her Lady Dominica doth much amaze her Auditors and astonish her Judges who to cleere and vindicate the truth hereof they cause her to descend the Ladder and to be confronted with her said Lady Dominica who by this time in the middest of her security is likewise apprehended and brought before the Criminall Judges where contrary to her expectation being enforced to understand the effect and tenour of her Chamber maid Denisa's confession and accusation against her for the poysoning of her Husband Roderigo shee with much passion and choller tearmes her witch and devill and curseth the houre that ever shee fostered up so pestilent a Viper in her house to eate out her own heart and life when with more confidence and boldnes than contrition and repentance being first by her judges threatned with the torments of the racke she confesseth her selfe likewise to be guilty of murthering her first Husband Roderigo So Denisa's sentence is altered for shee is condemned to be hanged for her first murther and her dead body after to be burnt to ashes for her second and the Lady Dominica to bee hanged for poysoning her husband which newes so resounds and rattles through
hee seemed to have the art of perswasion in his speeches yet by the way using his best oratory and charity to draw Alibius from denyall to confession and from that to contrition and repentance his heart was still so perverse and obdurate as hee notwithstanding persevered in his willfull obstinacy and peremptorily continued and stood upon the points of his innocency and justification So strong was the Divell yet with him But whiles an infinite number of spectators gaze on Alibius as hee is in the Castle and hee cheerefully and carelesly conversed with some of his acquaintance as if the innocency of his conscience were such as his heart felt no griefe nor preturbation Lo he is called to his arraignement whereunto that World of people who were then in the Castle flocke and concurre His thoughts are so vaine and his vanity so ambitious as hee comes to the barre in a blacke beaten Satin sute with a faire Gowne and a spruce set Ruffe having both the haire of his head and his long gray beard neately kombed and cut yea with so pleasant a look and so confident a demeanour as if he were to receive not the sentence of his guiltinesse and death but that of his innocency and inlargement These honourable Iudges cause his Inditement to bee read wherein his poysoning and Murthering of his wife is branched and depainted out in all its circumstances whereat his courage and confidence is yet notwithstanding so great as by his lookes hee seemes no way moved much lesse astonished or afflicted the witnesses are produced first his owne daughter Emelia who with teares in her eyes stands firme to her former disposition that hee had often beaten her Mother almost to death and now had killed and poysoned her agreeing in every point with her disposition given to the Podestate and Prefect of Brescia which to refell her father Alibius with many plausible and sugred speeches tells his Iudges that his daughter is incensed or lunatike or else that shee purposely seekes his life to enjoy that small meanes hee hath after his death and so runnes on in a most extravagant and impertinent apologie for himselfe with many invective and scandalous speeches against her and concludes that hee was never owner of any poyson His Iudges out of their honourable inclination and zeale to sacred justice permit him to speake without interruption when having ended they beginne to shew him the foulenesse of his fact yea like heavenly Orators they paint him out the devillish nature monstrous crime of Murther the which they say he redoubleth by denying it not withstanding that they have evidence as cleere as the Sun to convince him thereof and so they call for two Apothecaries boyes who severally affirme they sold him Rattes-bane at two severall times But the divell is still so strong with Alibius as though his conscience doth hereat afflict and torment him yet there is no change nor signe thereof either seene in his countenance or discerned in his speeches but still hee persevers in his obstinacy and in a bravery pretends to wipe off the Apothecaries boyes evidence with this poore evasion that hee bought and used it onely to poyson Rattes And so againe with many smooth words humble crouches and hypocriticall complements hee useth the prime of his subtilty and invention to make it appeare to his Iudges that he had no way imbrued his hands in the bloud of his wife But this will not availe him for hee is before Lynce-eyed Iudges whose integrity and wisedome can pierce thorow the foggy mists of excuses and the obscure Clouds of his far-fetched shifts and cunninglycompacted evasions And now to close and winde up this History after the Iury impannelled had amply heard aswell the witnesses against Alibius as his defence for himselfe and that all the world could testifie that his Iudges gave him a faire triall they return and report him guilty of Murthering his wife Merilla whereat hee is put off the barre and so for that time sent backe to his prison and yet the heate of his obstinacy being hereat no way cooled the edge of his deny all any way rebated nor the obduratenesse of his heart the least thing mollified hee by the way as hee passeth beating his brest and sometimes out-spreading his armes saith it is not his crime but the malice of his Devillish daughter that hath cast him away yea although many of his compassionate and Christian friends doe now now againe in prison worke and perswade him to confession by aleadging him that God is as mercifull to the repentant as severe to the impenitent and obstinate yet all this will not prevaile The second morne after his conviction hee is brought againe from his prison to the Castle and so to the barre to receive his Iudgement where one of the two most honourable Iudges shew him That it is his hearkning to the Devill and his forsaking of God that hath brought him to this misery paints and points him out his dissolute life his frequenting of bad company his prodigality and adultery but above all his masked hypocrisie which hee saith in thinking to deceive God hath now deceived himselfe yea in heavenly and religious speeches informes him how mercifull and indulgent God is to repentant sinners that hee must now cast off his thoughts from earth and ascend and mount them to heaven and no longer to think of his body but of his soule and so after a learned and Christian-like speech as well for the instruction of the living as the consolation of Alibius who was now to prepare himselfe to dye hee pronounceth that for his execrable Murther committed on his owne wife Merilla hee should hang till hee were dead and so besought the Lord to bee mercifull to his soule And now is Alibius againe returned to his prison but still remaineth obstinate and perverse affirming to all the World that as hee hath lived so hee will dye innocently But God will not suffer him to dye without confessing and repenting this his bloudy and unnaturall Murther These his grave and religious Iudges out of an honourable and Christian charity send him Divines to prepare his body to the death of this world and his soule to the life of that to come they deale most effectually powerfully and religiously with him in prison and although they found that the devill had strongly insnared and charmed him yea and as it were hardned his heart to his perdition yet God out of his infinit and ineffable mercies addeth both power and grace to their speeches and exhortations so as his eyes being opened and his heart pierced and mollified they at last so prevaile with him that being terrified with Gods justice and incouraged and comforted with his mercies he with teares sighs and groanes confesseth this murther of his wife and not onely bitterly repents it but also doth thank these Godly Divines for their charity care and zeale for the preservation and saving of his soule and doth upon his
aboue his right pap and hee him cleane thorow the body of a large and dangerous wound whence issued foorth abundance of blood so they divide themselves and take breath They againe fall to it and at this third close Sebastiano repayes Antonio with a mournfull and fatall interest for hee runnes him thorow the body on the left side a little below the heart whereof staggering he falls and so Sebastiano dispatcheth him and nailes him to the ground starke dead Villandras congratulates with him for his victory which Sebastiano with much modestie ascribes to the power and providence of God and not to the weaknesse of his owne arme Bellasco is no way daunted with the misfortune and death of his Principall but rather like a generous Gentleman and valiant Second resolves to sell it dearely to Villandras They are not long unsheathing of their Rapiers for as soone as Bellasco hath covered up Antonio with his cloake they approach at their very first meeting Bellasco slightly hurts Villandras in the right shoulder and Villandras him thorow the bodie and reynes with a fatall wound wherewith his sword fell from him and hee to the ground when fearing and presaging his death he with a faint language begs his life of Villandras who at the sight and hearing hereof throwes away his owne Rapier and stoupes to assist him But in vaine for it is not in his power to give him his life for by this time hee is dead and his soule departed to another world This tragicall newes is soone knowne and bruited in Elvas whereof the Criminall Iudges of that Citie remit Sebastiano with as much ease as Villandras with difficultie in favour of money and friends and obtaine their pardons And now the newes hereof likewise flies to Antonio's Castle where his dead body and that of Bellasco are speedily conveyed and brought to the griefe and sorrow of all those of the Castle who bitterly weepe for the disaster of their Lord and Master But all these teares are nothing to those of Antonio's two sisters nor theirs any thing in comparison of these of our sweet Berinthia who is no sooner advertised hereof but shee falls to the ground with sorrow and there wrings her hands beats her breast and teares off her haire in such mournfull and pitifull sort that Crueltie her selfe could not refraine from teares to see the numberlesse infinitie of hers Counsell advice perswasion cannot perswade her to give a moderation to her mourning or limits to her sorrowes for they are so violent as their extremitie exceeds all excesse Shee will see the dead body of her deare Antonio all those of the Castle are not capable to divert her eyes from this wofull and pitifull object at the sight whereof shee falles to the ground on her knees and gives his breathlesse body a thousand kisses yea shee washeth his sweet cheekes with a whole deluge and inundation of her salt teares shee cannot speake for sighing nor utter a word for weeping onely wringing her hands shee at last breathed foorth these mournfull and passionate speeches O my deare Antonio my sweet and deare Antonio Antonio would God my death had ransomed and preventhine O my Antonio my Antonio Leave we Berinthia to her passionate sorrowes and sorrowfull passions from which her brother Sebastiano will soone awake her who by this time as Victor and Conqueror is come to the Castle gate and demaunds her where he sees himselfe refused and the draw-bridges and approaches drawne up and rampired with Barricadoes he craves ayd of the Criminall Iudges who send the Provost with an armed company of Souldiers so they force the Castle gate with a Petard where sorrowfull Berinthia is delivered into the handes of her joyfull and rejoycing brother Sebastiano who with sweet perswasions and advice seeks to exhale and dry up her teares but her affection is so great as she is not capable of consolation In a word shee cannot looke on her Brother with the eye of affection but of revenge and indignation yea shee wisheth her selfe metamorphosed from a Virgine to a man that shee might bee revenged of her Brother for the death of her deare Lover Antonio Sebastiano leaving the dead bodies of Antonio and Belasco to their Graves takes Coach with his incensed and sorrowfull Sister Berinthia and so leaves Elvs and returnes towards Avero where his Father Vilarezo and his Mother Alphanta welcome him home with prayse and their Daughter Berinthia with checkes and frownes who the best she may smothers her discontents but yet vowes to be revenged of her Brother for killing the life of her joy and joy of her life Antonio But all vowes of this bloudy nature and quality are better broken then kept which if Berinthia had had the grace to have considered and made good use of doubtlesse her hand had proved more joyfull and not so fatall and miserable Come we now to Catalina who seeing the object of her affection Antonio dead and her Sister Berinthia returned who for his sake was that of her living malice she secretly confesseth her fault to her sister in seeking formerly twice to have poysoned her by Ansilva craves pardon of her vowing henceforth to convert her malice to affection and so reconciles her selfe to her whereunto her Sister Berinthia willingly condescendeth Catalina hath made her peace with her Sister but shee hath not contracted and concluded it with God for Ansilva's death Earth may forget this Murther but Heaven will not Gods judgements are as just as secret and as true as wonderfull for hee hath a thousand meanes to punish us when wee thinke our selves safe and furthest from punishment which our wretched Catalina and her execrable Empericke Sarmiata shall see verifyed in themselves For the smoke of this their bloudy Crime of Murther hath pierced the Vaultes and Windowes of Heaven and is ascended to the Nostrells of the Lord who hath now bent his Bowe and made ready his Arrowes to revenge and punish them The manner is thus A Sister of Ansilva's named Isabella is to be marryed in Avero who invites the Ladies Catalina and Berinthia to her Wedding Berinthia is too sorrowfull to bee so merry as desirous rather to goe to her owne Grave then to any others Nuptialls so shee stayes at home onely her Sister Catalina takes Coach with an intent to accompany the Bride-woman to Church but see the Providence and Iustice of God how it surpriseth and overtakes this wtetched Gentlewoman Catalina for as shee was in her way the Sunne is instantly eclipsed and the Skyes overcast and so a terrible and fearefull Thunder-bolt pierceth her thorow the brest and layes her neere dead in her Coach her Wayting-mayds and Coach-man having no hurt are yet amazed at this strange and dismall accident so they thinke it fit to returne Catalina is for a time speechlesse he Parents are as it were dead with griefe and sorrow hereat shee is committed to her bed and searched and all her body above her wast is found
lesse doth his father Castelnovo for that of his sonne onely their griefes comformable to their passions are diametrically different and opposite for hers were fervent and true as proceeding from the sinceritie of her affection and his hypocriticall and faigned as derived from the profundity of his malice and revenge towards him And not to transgresse from the Decorum and truth of our History old Castelnovo could not so artificially beare and over-vaile his sorrowes for his Sonnes death but the premises considered our young afflicted widdow and Lady vehemently suspecteth hee hath a hand therein and likewise partly beleeves that Ierantha is likewise accessary and ingaged therein in respect she lookes more aloft and is growne more familiar with her Lord and Master then before And indeed as her sorrows increase her jealousie so her jealousie throws her into a passionate and violent resolution of Revenge both against him and her if shee can bee futurely assured that they had Murthered and poysoned the Knight her husband Now to bee assured heereof shee thus reasoneth with her selfe that if her Father in law were the Murtherer of his Sonne her husband his malice and hatred to him proceeded from his beastly lust to her selfe and that hee now dispatched hee would againe shortly revive and renew his old lascivious suit to her which if hee did shee vowes to take a sharpe and cruell Revenge of him which shee will limit with no lesse then his death And indeed wee shall not goe farre to see the event and truth answer her suspicion For within a moneth or two after her husband was laid in his untimely grave his old lustfull and lascivious father doth againe burst and vomit forth his beastly sollicitations against her chastity and honour which observing shee somewhat disdainefully and coyly puts him off but yet not so passionately nor chollerickely as before onely of purpose to make him the more eager in his pursuit thereby the better to draw him to her lure that shee might perpetrate her malice and act her Revenge on him and so make his death the object of her rage and indignation as his lust and malice were the cause of the sorrowes of her life But unfortunate and miserable Lady what a bloudy and hellish enterprize dost thou ingage thy selfe in and why hath thy affection so blinded thy conscience and soule to make thy selfe the authour and actour of so mournefull and bloudy a Tragedy For alas alas sweet Perina I know not whether more to commend thy affection to thy husband or condemne thy cruell malice intended to his father For O griefe O pitty where are thy vertues where is thy Religion where thy conscience thy soule thy God thus to give thy selfe over to the hellish tentations of Satan Thou which heretofore fled'st from adultery wilt thou now follow Murther or because thy heart would not bee accessary to that shall thy soule bee now so irreligious and impious to bee guilty of this But as her father in law is resolute in his lust towards her so is shee likewise in her revenge towards him and farre the more in that shee perceives Ierantha's great belly sufficiently proclaimes that shee hath plaid the strumpet and which is worse shee feares with her execrable and wretched Father in Law so as now no longer able to stop the furious and impetuous current of her revenge shee is so gracelesse and bloudy as shee vowes first to dispatch the Lord and Master then the Wayting-Gentlewoman as her thoughts and soule suggest her they had done first the Mother then the Sonne so impious are her thoughts so inhumane and bloudy her resolutions Now in the interim of this time the old Lecher her father is againe become impudent and importunate in his suit so our wretched Lady Perina degenerating from her former vertues and indeed from her selfe she after many requests and sollicitations very feignedly seemes to yeild and strike sayle to his desire but indeed with a bloody intent to dispach him out of this world So having concluded this sinfull fatall Match there wants nothing but the finishing and accomplishing thereof onely they differ in the manner and circumstances the Father is desirous to goe to the Daughter in lawes bed the Daughter to the Father in lawes but both conclude that the night and not the day shall give end to this lascivious and beastly businesse his reason is to avoyd the jealousie and rage of Ierantha whom now although she bee neere her time of deliverance hee refuseth to marry her but the Lady Perina's if that she may pollute and staine his owne bed with his bloud and not hers but especially because shee may have the fitter meanes to stab and murther him and hereon they conclude To which end not only the night but the houre is appoynted betwixt them which being come and Castelnovo in bed burning with impatience and desire for her arrivall hee thinking on nothing but his beastly pleasures nor she but on her cruell malice and revenge she softly enters his chamber but not in her night but her day attire having a Pisa Ponyard close in her fleeve when having bolted his Chamber doore because none should divert her from this her bloudy designe she approaching his bed and hee lifting himselfe up purposely to welcome and kisse her shee seeing his brest open and naked like an incensed fury drawes out her Ponyard and uttering these words Thou wretched Whore-master and Murtherer this life of mine owne honour and the death of my deare Knight and husband thy some And so stabbing him at the heart with many blowes shee kills him starke dead and leaves him reeking in his hot bloud without giving him time to speake a word onely hee fetcht a screeke and groane or two as his soule tooke her last farewell of his body Which being over-heard of the servants of the house they ascend his chamber and finde our inhumane Perina issuing foorth all gored with the effusion of his bloud having the bloudy Ponyard which was the fatall Instrument of this cruell Murther in her hand They are amazed at this bloody and mournefull spectacle so they seize on her and the report hereof flying thorow the City the Criminall Iudges that night cause her to bee imprisoned for the fact which she is resolved no way to denye but to acknowledge as rather glorying then grieving thereat Ierantha at the very first understanding hereof vehemently suspects that her two poysoning Murthers will now come to light and so as great as her belly is she to provide for her safety very secretly steales away to a deare friends house of hers in the City which now from all parts rattleth and resoundeth of this cruell and unnaturall Murther yea it likewise passeth the Alpes and is speedily bruited and knowne in Saint Iohn de Mauriene where although her father Arconeto would never heretofore affect her yet he now exceedingly grieves at this her bloudy attempt and imminent danger but her irregular affection and
bravery are very solemnly married But this marriage of theirs shall not prove so prosperous as they expect and hope For God in his all-seeing Providence hath decreed to disturbe the tranquility and serenity thereof and to make them feele the sharpe and bitter showres of affliction and misery which briefly doth thus surprise and befall them Albemare and Clara have hardly beene married together a yeare and quarter but his hot love begins to wax cold and frozen to her yea albeit she affected him truly and tenderly yet hee continually neglecting her and no longer delighting in the sweetnesse of her youth and the freshnesse of her beauty his lustfull eyes and thoughts carry his lascivious selfe abroad among Curtezans when they should be fixed on her and resident at home with his chaste and faire Lady so as his infidelity proving her griefe and torments and his vanity and ingratitude her unspeakable affliction and vexation she with infinite sighs and teares repents her matching him and a thousand times wisheth shee had beene so happy and blessed to have died Baretano's Martyr and not so unfortunate and accursed to live to see her selfe Albemares wife and yet were there any hope of his reformation she could then prefixbounds to her calamities and sorrowes But seeing that his vices grew with his age and that every day he became more vicious and unkinde to her than other her hopes are now wholly turned into despaire her mirth into mourning yea her inward discontents so apparantly bewray themselves in her outward sorrowfull complexion and countenance that the Roses of her cheekes are metamorphosed into Lillies and her heart so wholly taken up with anguish and surprised with sorrow as shee wisheth that her bed were her grave and her selfe in Heaven with God because shee could finde no comfort here on Earth with her husband But beyond her expectation God is providing to redresse her griefe and to remedy her afflictions by a very strange and unlooked for accident The Providence and Iustice of God doth now againe refetch bloudy Pedro to act another part upon the Stage and Theater of this History For having spent that money lewdly which he before got damnably of Albemare his wants are so great and his necessity so urgent as having played the murtherer before hee makes no conscience nor scruple now to play the theefe and so by night breaks into a Jewellers shops named Seignior Fiamata dwelling in the great place before the Domo and there carries away from him a small Trunke or Casket wherein were some uncut Saphyrs Emralds with some Venice Chrystall pendants for Ladies to weare in their eares and other rich commodities but Fiamata lying over his shop and hearing it and locking his doore to him for feare of having his throat cut gives the out-cry and alarum forth the window which ringing in the streets makes some of the neighbours and also the watch approach and assemble where finding Pedro running with a Casket under his arme he is presently hemb'd in apprehended and imprisoned and the Casket tooke from him and againe restored to Fiamata when knowing that he shall die for this robbery as a just punishment and judgement of God now sent him for formerly murthering of Baretano he having no other hope to escape death but by the meanes of Albemare he sends early the next morning for his man Valerio to come to the prison to him whom he bids to tell his Master Albemare from him that being sure to be condemned for this robbery of his if he procure him not his pardon he will not charge his soule any longer with the murther of Baretano but will on the ladder reveale how it was he who hired himselfe Leonardo to performe it Valerio reporting this to his Master it affrights his thoughts and terrifies his conscience and courage to see himselfe reduced to this misery that no lesse than his life must now stand to the mercy of this wretched Varlet Pedro's tongue But knowing it impossible to obtaine a pardon for him and therfore high time to provide for his owne safety by stopping of Pedro's mouth he resolves to heave Ossa upon Pelon or to adde murther to murther and now to poyson him in prison whom he had formerly caused to murther Baretano in the street to the end he might tell no tales on the ladder thinking it no ingratitude or sinne but rather a just reward and recompence for his former bloudy service so to feed Pedro with false hopes thereby to charme his tongue to silence and to lull his malice asleepe he speedily returnes Valerio to prison to him who bids him feare nothing for that his master had vowed to get him his pardon as he shall more effectually heare from him that night whereat Pedro rejoyceth and triumpheth telling Valerio that his Master Albemare is the most generous and bravest Cavalier of Lombardy But to nip his joyes in their untimely blossomes and to disturbe the harmony of his false content that very day as soone as hee hath dined he is tryed and arraigned before his Judges and being apparantly convicted and found guilty of this robbery hee is by them adjudged to be hanged the next morne at a Gibbet purposely to be erected before Fiamata's house where he committed his delict and crime which just sentence not only makes his joy strike saile to sorrow but also his pride and hopes let fall their Peacocks plumes to humility and feare But his onely trust and comfort yea his last hopes and refuge is in Albemare who hearing him to be condemned to be executed the next morning he is enforced to play his bloudy prize that night and so in the evening sends Valerio to prison to him with a Capon and two Fiascoes or bottles of Wine for him to make merry informing him that he hath obtained his pardon and that it is written and wants nothing but the Viceroyes signe to it which he shall have to morrow at breake of day But the wine of the one of the bottles was intermixed with strong and deadly poyson which was so cunningly tempered as it carried no distastefull but a pleasing relish to the pallate Valerio like an execrable villaine proving as true a servant to his Master as a rebellious and false one to his God he punctially performes this fearefull and mournfull businesse and having made Pedro twice drunke first with his good newes and then with his poysoned wine he takes leave of him that night and committing him to his rest promiseth to be with him very early in the morning with his pardon When this miserable and beastly prophane wretch never thinking of his danger or death of God or his soule of Heaven or Hell betakes himselfe to his bed where the poyson spreading ore his vitals parts soone bereave him of his breath sending his soule from this life and world to another Now the next morning very early as the Gaoler came to his chamber to bid him prepare to his
consummared far within the tearm of six moneths after For the curious wits of these Citties and Countryes considering what a preposterous course and resolution thiâ—… was for her to marry her husbands man and withall so soone as also that there was none other present but himselfe when his Master De Merson was murthered it is umbragious and leaves a spice of feare and sting of suspition in their heads that there was more in the wind then was yet knowne and therefore knowing no more they deferre the detection thereof to the providence and pleasure of God who best yea who only knowes in Heaven how to conduct and mannage the actions here below on Earth and now indeed the very time is come that the Lord will no longer permit these their cruell and bloody murthers to bee concealed but will bring them foorth to receiue condigne punishment and for want of other evidence and witnesses they themselves shall be witnesses against themselves And although La Vaâ—…elay's poysoning of Gratiana and La Villette pistolling of his master De Merson were cunningly contrived and secretly perpetrated yet we shall see the last of these bloody murthers occasion the discovery and detection of the first and both of them most severely and sharpely punished for these their bloody crimes and horrible offences The manner is thus These two execrable wretches La Villette and La Vasselay have not lived married above some seaven or eight monthes but he being deepely in Law with Mounsieur De Manfrelle his Predecessors father for the detention of some lands and writings hee takes an occasion to ride home to his house of Manfrelle to him to conferre of the differences and by the way falls into the company of some Merchants of Lavall and Vittry who were returning from the faire of Chartres when riding together for the space of almost a whole dayes journey the secret providence and sacred pleasure of God had so ordained that La Viâ—…ettes horse who bore him quietly and safely before on a Sunday first goes back-wards in despight of his spur or swich and then â—…anding an end on his two hind legges falls quite backe with him and almost breakes the bulke and trunke of his body when having hardly the power to speake his breath fayling him and hec seeing no way but death for him and the hideous image thereof apparantly before his eyes the Spirit of God doth so operate with his sinnefell soule as hee there confesseth how his wicked wife La Vasselay had caused him to murther his master De Merson whom he shot to death with his Pistoll that shee first seduced him with a thousand Crownes to performe it which he refused but then her consent to marry him made him not onely attempt but finish that bloody businesse whereof now from his very heart and soule he repented himselfe and beseeched the Lord to forgive it him But here before the Readers curiosity carry him further let me in the name and feare of God both request and conjure him to stand amazed and wonder with me at his sacred providence and inscrutable wisdome and judgement which most miraculously concurres and shines in this accident and especially in three essentiall and most apparant circumstances thereof For it was on the very same horse the same day twelve moneth and in the very same wood and place where this execrable wretch La Villette formerly murthered his master De Merson Famous and notorious circumstances which deserve to be observed and remarked of all the children of God yea and to be imprinted and ingraven in their hearts and memories thereby to deter vs from the like crimes of murther Now these honest Merchants of Lavall and Vittry as much in charity to La Villettes life as in execration of that confessed murther of his Master De Merson convey him to an Inne in Sâ—…int Gorges when expecting every minute that he would dye in their hands they send away post to advertise the Presidiall Court of Mans hereof within whose Iurisdiction Saint Gorges was who speedily command La Villette to 〈◊〉 â—…ght thither to them alive or dead But God reserved him from that natural to 〈◊〉 more infamous death and made him live till he came thither where againe he confesseth this his foule murther of his master De Merson and likewise accuseth La Vasselay to bee the sole instigator thereof as we have formerly heard and understood Whereupon he is no sooner examined but this bloody old Hagge is likewise imprisoned who with many asseverations and teares denies and retorts this foule crime from her selfe to him But her Iudges are too wise to beleeve the weakenesse and invalidity of this her foolish justification So whiles they are consulting on her De Breâ—… having notice of all these accidents but especially of La Vasselay's imprisonment he still apprehending and fearing that she undoubtedly was the death of his daughter Gratioâ—…a takes Poste from Nogent to Mans where hee accuseth her thereof to the Cryminell Iudges of the Presidiall Court who upon these her double accusation adjudge her to the Racke when at the very first torment thereof shee at last preferring the life of her soule before that of her body confesseth her selfe to be the Actor of her first crime of Murther and the Author of the second when and whereupon the Iudges resembling themselves in detestation and for expiation of these her foule crimes condemne him to be hangd and she to be burnt alive which the next day at the common place of execution neere the Halles in Mans is accordingly executed in the presence and to the content of a world of people of that City who as much abhorre the enormity of these their bloody crimes as they rejoyce â—…nd glorifie God for this their not so severe as deserved punishments As for La Villette he like an impious Christian said little else but that which he had formerly spoken and delivered in the wood at the receiving of his fall onely hee said That he had well hoped that his great wealth which hee had with La Vasselay would have sheltred and preserved him from this infamous death for murthering her Husband and his master De Merson But as for this bloody Beldam and wretched old Fury La Vasselay she was content to grieve at Gratiana's death though not to lament or pity that of her Husband De Mersons yea and although she seemed to blame her jealousie towards her yet her age was so wretchedly instructed in piety as she could not find in her heart either to make an Apologie or any way to seeme repentant for her inhumane cruelty towards him For as she demanded pardon of De Bremay for poysoning his daughterso she spake not a word tending that way to Manfrelle for causing his sonne 〈◊〉 pistoll'd only in particular tearmes she re quested God to forgive the vanity of her youth and in generall ones the world to forget the offences and crimes of her age And so conjuring all old
Coach which hee had purposely caused to bee brought thither and so accompanied with all the Gentlemen returnes with it to Otranto where all the whole City lament and bewaile his tragicall disaster and because these dead corps of theirs have received wrong in being so long above ground Alcasero that night gives them their due burials interring Fiamento decently and his father honourably according as the necessity and strictnesse of the time would permit him It is now Alcasero's curiosity and care to seeke out the murtherers of his Father and for his sisters they are so irreligious and wretched as they thinke to mocke God and delude the world with their immoderate yet counterfeit mourning but it proceeds not from their hearts much lesse from their soules The morrow after their Fathers buriall they are all three informed that Monte-leone and his Laquay Anselmo are drown'd as they past the River Blanquettelle whereat he wonders and his two sisters rejoyce and triumph especially Caelestina who now sees herselfe freed not onely of the Captaine her father whom shee hated but also of the Knight Monte-leone her Sutor whom she could not love Shee is so impious and gracelesse as shee doth rejoyce but will neither repent nor pity at these accidents yea shee so sleightly and trivially passeth over the remembrance of her fathers untimely and bloudy death as if murther were no sinne 〈◊〉 that God had ordained no punishment for it Shee weares her mourning attire and weeds more for shew than sorrow for her father was no sooner laid in hiâ—… grave but she builds many Castles of pleasure in the aire of her extravagant anâ—… ambitious thoughts vowing that ere long she will have a Gallant of her own chusing to her husband but she may come too short of her hopes and perchance finâ—… a halter for her necke before a wedding Ring for her finger As for her brotheâ—… Alcasero his thoughts are roaving and roaming another way for he finds it strangâ—… that the Baron of Carpi comes not to condole with him for his father and 〈◊〉 continue his sute and affection to his sister Fidelia whereat hee both admires and wonders and not onely takes it in ill part but also beginnes to suspect and to cast many doubts and jealousies thereon and what the issue thereof will bee or what effects it will produce wee shall shortly see But a moneth or two being blowne away Carpi hearing no suspition or talke of him and thinking all things in a readinesse for him to be assured and contracted to his Lady and Mistris Fidelia hee takes a new Laquay and apparelling him in a contrary Livery sends him secretly to Otranto with this Letter to her CARPI to FIDELIA THere are some reasons that stay me for not comming to Otranto to condole with thee for the death of thy Father which what they are none can better imagine thâ—…n thy selfe when thy sorrowes are overblowne I will come to thee in hope to be as joyfull in thy presence as thy absence makes me miserable I have given thee so true and so reall a proofe of my affection as thou shouldest offer mepalpable injustice and to thy selfe extreme injurie to doubt thereof For what greater testimony canst thou futurely expect than to beleeve I will ever preferre thy love before mine owne life if thy constancy answer mine Heaven may but Earth cannot crosse our desires I pray signifie me how thy brother stands affected to our affections thy answers shall have many kisses and I will ever both honour and blesse that hand that writ it CARPI The Laquay comes to Otranto and findes out Fidelia to whom with much care and secrecie hee delivers his Masters Letter and commends and requesteth an answer Fidelia receives the one and promiseth the other but shee is perplexed and troubled in minde Here her thoughts make a stand and consult whether shee shall open this Letter or no. Her Conscience hath heretofore yeelded to the death of her Father and now Religion beginnes to worke upon the life of her Conscience which indeed is that of her Soule Had shee persevered in this course of pietie her repentance might have pleaded for her disobedience and her contrition redeemed her crime but shee forsakes the Helme that might have steered her to the Port of happinesse and safety and so fills the sayles of her resolutions with the wind of despaire which threaten no lesse than to split the Barke of her life on the rockes of her destruction and death Shee now beginnes to hate company which before shee loved and to love solitarinesse which before shee hated yea the living picture of her dead Father doth so haunt her thoughts and frequent her imaginations that wheresoever shee is it is present with her Remorse as a Vulture gnawes at her heart and conscience yea though nothing doe feare her yet shee feares all things Shee sees no man running behinde her but she thinks he purposely followes her to dragge her to prison shee is afraid of her owne shadow and thinks that not onely every tower but every house will fall upon her she will not come into any Boat nor passe any River Brooke or Well for feare of drowning This despaire of hers causeth her to be cold in her Religion and frozen in her Prayers which should be both the preservative and Antidote of the soule her speeches for the most part are confused and distracted and her looks sullen fearefull and ghastly the proper signes symptomes of despaire Carpi's Laquay having stayed two daies in Otranto for his answer holds it his duty to importune Fidelia to be dispatched the which that night she promiseth him and now in a sad melancholly humour she breaks off Carpi's Letter and peruseth it which not onely renewes but revives the remembrance of her fathers death whereat she enters into so strange and so implacable a passion as she once had thought to haue throwne his Letter into the fire and her selfe after Now shee is resolued to write backe to Carpi and then presently shee changeth her resolution and vowes she will answer him with sâ—…lence But the Devill is as subtill as malicious and so shee cals for Pen and Inke and out of the dregs of discontent and the gall of despaire writes and returnes him this answer FIDELIA to CARPI MY Fathers death hath altered my disposition for I am now wholly addicted to mourning and not to marriage I pray trouble not thy selfe to leaue Naples to câ—…me to condole with me in Otranto for the best comfort that I can receive is that it is impossible for me to receive any I never doubted of thy affection nor will give thee any just cause to suspect much lesse to feare mine If this will not suffice rest assured I have resolved that either my grave or thy selfe shall bee my Husband How my brother stands affected to thee is a thing difficult for me to understand or know sith I am only his Sister not his Secretary but
anger So he conjures him to perpetuall secrecie and silence of this proposition and businesse which Noell promiseth but sweares not Hereupon Harcourt to approach neerer to Sens He and Masserina leave Nevers and very secretly by litle Iournies and the greatest part by night come to Mascon and there his heart strikes a bargaine with the Divell and the Divell with his soule and resolutions to ride over himselfe to Sens and there with his owne hands to pistoll his Brother Vimory to death in the fields or if his Bullets misse him then to finish and perpetrate it with his owne Sword O wretched Gentleman O execrable Brother thus to make thy Hope and Charitie prove bankrupt to thy Soule and thy Faith unto God But nothing wil prevaile with Harcourt to diswade him from this bloody busines Whereunto the damnable treacherie and malice of Masserina impetuouslie precipitates and hastens him onwards although it be against her owne Husband So he leaves Mascon and in a disguised beard and poore sute of apparell comes to Saint Symplician purposely leaving Sens a litle on his left hand Where waiting for his Brother Vimory at the end of a pleasant wood of his a litle halfe mile from his house where he knew he was accustomed to walk alone by himselfe solitarily He personating and acting the part of a poore begging Souldier and counterfeiting his tongue aswel as his beard and apparel with his hat in his hand espying his Brother he goes towards him with an humble resolution and requesteth an Almes of him Which Vimory seeing and hearing hee in meere charitie and compassion of him because he saw him to be though a poore yet a proper man which is more a Souldier drawes forth his purse and whiles he lookes therein for some small peece of silver Harcourt as a Disciple of the Devill very softly drawes out his litle pistoll out of his left sleeve which he covered with his hat and having charged it with two bullets hee lets flie at him and so shooâ—… him in the truncke of his body a little under the heart of which two wounds he presently fell dead to the ground being as unfortunate in his death as his brother was miserable diabolicall in giving it him for he only fetched two groanes but had neither the power or happinesse to speake one word And the Divell in the catastrophie of this mournefull Tragedie was so strong with Harcourt as his malice towards his Brother Vimory exceeded not onely malice but rage and fury it selfe for fearing he was not yet dead he twice ran him thorow the body with his sword When leaving his breathlesse body all goring in his hot reeking blood he with all possible celeritie takes his horse which he had tied out of sight to a tree not farre off and so with all possible speed gallops away to his now intended wife Masserina at Mascon who triumphs with ioy at his relation of this good newes the which to her yea to them both is equally pleasing and delectable But God will not permit that these wretched joyes and triumphes of theirs shall lâ—…st long This cruell murther of Monseiur Vimory is some two houres after knowne at his house and Parish of Saint Symplician as also in the City of Sens and so dispersed 〈◊〉 all Burgundy and the murtherers narrowly sought after but in vaine Harcourt and Masserina meet with these reports at Mascon but yet they hold it discretion and safetie a small time longer to conceale themselves secretly in that Towne and so to suffer the heate of this newes to passe over and bee blowne away But at the end of two moneths Harâ—…t setting a milke white face upon his bloody fact arrives at Sons and from thence to his maâ—…or house of Saint Symplician which now by the death of his Brother Vimorye who died without issue wholly devolved and fell to him Who having formerly plaid the Devill in murthering his said Brother he now as infernally plaies the Hypocrite in mourning for his death making so wonderfull an outward shew and demonstration of sorrow for the same as he and all his servants being dighted in blackes A moneth after hee sends for his good Sister in Law Masserina who comes home to him and they seeme so absolutely strange each to other as if they had never seene one another during all the long time of their absence and shee likewise seemes to drowne her selfe in her teares and is likewise all in blackes for the death of her Husband But God in his due time will pull off this their false maske and detect and revenge both their horrible Sinnes of Adulterie and Murther Now as close as they conceale this their dishonourable fleight and departure yet it discovered and found out and held so odious so foule to all the Gentlemen and Ladies their neighbours who yet know nothing of their murthers as they disdaine to welcome them home or which is lesse to see them which they both are inforced with griefe to observe as holding it to be the reflection of their owne disgrace and scandall the which henceforth to prevent they within two moneths after sends for their Ghostly fathers as also for two Iesuites and the Vicar of their parish and acquaint them with their desires and resolutions to marry But these Ecclesiastiques affirme it to be directly opposite to the Rules and Canons of the holy Catholique Roman Church for one Brother to marry the widdow of another as also against the written law of God and therefore they utterly seeke both to perswade and diswade them from it as being wholly unlawfull and ungodly and so refuse to Consent thereto much lesse to performe it without a dispensation from the Pope or his Nuntio now resident at Paris They cause the Nuntio to be dealt with about it but hee peremptorily refuseth it But in favour of money and strong friends within three monethes they procure it from Rome and so they are speedily marryed now thinking and withall beleeving and triumphing that this their nuptiall knot hath power to deface and redeeme all their former Adulteries and now wholly wiped off their disgrace and scandall with the world And therefore in their owne vaine and impious conceits are secure and abound in wealth delight and pleasure But as yet they have not made their peace with God Come we therefore first to the detection and discovery of these their bloudy crimes of murther and then to the condigne punishments which they received for the same Whereof the manner briefly is thus It is many times the pleasure and providence of God to punish one sinne in and by another yea and sometimes one sinne for another the which wee shall now see apparant in this bloudy and hellish Itallian Mountebancke Tivoly who repayring to the great Faire of Sens and there beginning to professe his Emperie to a rich Goldsmithes wife of that City named Monseiur de Boys hee the third day stole a small casket of Jewels and
it presently invited the people of the house below to see what had befallen above to this Gentleman where finding him groveling and gasping for life they by Gods immediate direction doe thinke that hee hath there shot and murthered himselfe when devesting him of his apparell and laying him in bed to search for his wounds they find none but yet it is an houre before they perceive any motion or action of life in him And then opening his eyes he with a distracted looke and amazed countenance deeming himselfe upon the very point of death and that for his murthering of Cassino the Lord in his judgement had infallibly strucken him with suddaine death he finding this foule and bloody act of his to lie heavie upon his soule and conscience in this last Scene as he then thought of his life he rather raving then speaking in the heate of his madnesse and distraction cryes out againe and againe that he had murthered Cassino The which the people of the house are exceedingly astonished to understand And now by this time Cassino is found dead in his Garden and shot thorow with a brace of bullets So his Neece â—…leanora is all in teares hereat and all Vercelie resounds of this his lamentable murther When Cassino's friends and servants make speedy search for the Murtherer and finding a horse tyed to this little Taverne doore they find the Man Wife and Servants thereof in out-cryes and amazement So they ascend the staires find Alphonso in bed with his Carabine by him on the bench and his clothes on the Table and examining the people of the house they report to them this suddaine accident of his swooning and therein of his confession of the murthering of Cassino so they all praise and glorifie God in that they have so soone and so readily found out the inhumane Authour and Actor of this bloody Murther But here before I proceed farther I in the name and feare of God doe request and invite the Reader to take notice of another remarkeable I may say miraculous circumstance of Gods mercy and glory which likewise appeares in this detection and confession of Alphonso to be the cruell Murtherer of this innocent harmelesse Gentleman Cassino for he being no better then distracted of his wits before God had caused and brought him to confesse it which else hee had never done but that in the agonie and anxiety of his stupified spirits hee as I have formerly said thought himselfe on the point and brinke of death and no shaddow of hope left him either of this life or this world Then I say as soone as hee had confessed it God in his good pleasure and providence presently restored him againe to his perfect health strength and memory so that being put in mind and againe remembring his confession and seeing the eminencie of his danger by the presence of Cassino's friends and servants who were there present about his bed to apprehend and carry him away to prison for the same he now with teares and bitter oaths and curses declines and recants what he hath formerly spoken thereof and rather as a Devill then a Christian in lofty and proud speeches stands upon the termes of his Iustification alleadging and affirming to them farther that what he had formerly confessed or said to them concerning the Murther of Cassino proceeded from the destemperature of his heart and braines in that of his distraction or else from the delusions and temptations of the Devill and no otherwise But his owne confession the testimony of those of the house who heard it and the rest of the presumptions and circumstances are so pregnant and apparant that he is the undoubted Murtherer of Cassino as they beleeve not what he now sayes in his owne behalfe and Apologie or that it is any way the delusions of the Devill but the good pleasure of God which brought him to this detection and conviction of himselfe for the same So they being deafe to his requests and oathes they enforce him to draw on his apparell and then by order of the criminall Iudges they that night commit him to prison where the Devill having brought him he now leaves him to himselfe and to his owne misery and confusion which it is to be beleeved that the Lord hath ordained shall speedily befall him The next morning this Monster of nature Alphonso is called to his araignment where being by his Iudges charged with this foule Murther the Devill hath as yet so obdurated his heart as hee not onely denies it but contests against it with vehemencie and execrations So the Vintner and his wife and servants are produced against him as witnesses who acknowledge and confesse his owne confession thereof as also the report of his Carabine and the vicinitie of their house and prospect from the Chamber wherein hee was to Cassino's Garden wherein as he was walking he was shot to death When the mournefull and sorrowfull young Lady Eleanora is likewise brought forth as a witnesse against him who informes his Iudges that Alphonso was a most importunate Suter to her both in his Mothers house at Cassall as also at her deceased Vncles house here in Vercelie adding withall that in her heart and soule shee verely beleeves him to bee the Murtherer of her said Vncle. But still he denies it with choler and indignation whereupon the presumptions and circumstances hereof being more apparant to his Iudges then the knowledge of this truth they adjudge him to the Racke where at his very first torments thereof he with teares confesseth it and God is now so mercifull to his soule as hee seemes to be very sorrowfull and repentant thereof so they seeing him guilty pronounce sentence against him the next day to have his head cut off for the same and that night the Iudges out of their honourable zeale to charitie and pietie send him some Friers to Prison to him to direct his soule to Heaven who willing him to disburthen his conscience and soule of any other capitall crime which hee mought have committed in all the course of his life to the end that it mought not hinder her passage and transmigration from Earth to Heaven Hee then and there reveales them how hee had also formerly poysoned his owne Mother the Lady Sophia at Cassall for the which he likewise craved absolution both of them and of God Whereat his Iudges are exceedingly amaz'd and astonished to see a Gentleman so degenerate inhumane and bloody as to be the death of his owne Mother of whom formerly hee had received his life The day following according to his sentence Alphonso is brought to the place of execution clad in a blacke sute of silke Grograine and a falling band where ascending the scaffold and drawne to much humility and contrition by his secular Priests and Friers hee in presenee of a great concourse of people there made this short speech That these two murthers of his and especially that of his owne Mother the Lady Sophia were so
and number lamented and pittied that so proper and noble a Gentleman should first deserve and then receive so untimely a death When after the Priests and Friers have here prepared and directed his soule hee aseending the Scaffold with some what a low voice and dejected and sorrowfull countenance he delivered this short speech That in regard hee knowes that now when he is to take his last leave of this life to charge his conscience with the concealing of any capitall crime is the direct and true way to send his soule to hell in stead of heaven hee will now therefore reveale that hee is yet more execrable and bloudy then his Iudges thinke or know or his spectatours imagine for that he not only hired Pierot his Fathers Miller to murther Marieta but also the Apothecary Moncallier to poyson his owne brother Valfontaine of both which foule and bloudy crimes of his he now freely confesseth himselfe guilty and now from his heart and soule sorrowfully lamenteth and repenteth them that his filthy lust and inordinate affection to women was the first cause and his neglect of prayer to God the second which hath justly brought him to this shamefull end and confusion that therefore he beseecheth all who are present to bee seriously forewarned of the like by his wofull Example and that in Christian charity they will now joyne their devout prayers with his to God for his soule When on the Scaffold praying a little whiles silently to himselfe kneeling and then putting off his Doublet hee commits himselfe to the Executioner who at one blow severed his head from his shoulders But this punishment and death of Quatbrisson suffiseth not now to give full content and satisfaction to his Iudges who by his owne confession considering his inhumane and deplorable poysoning of his owne brother Valfontaine they as soone as hee is dead and before he be cold adjudge his body to bee taken downe and there burnt to Ashes at the foot of the Gibbet which accordingly is performed And here our thoughts and curiosity must now returne poast from Rennes to Vannes and from wretched Quatbrisson to the base and bloudy Miller Pierot whom God and his Iudges have now ordayned shall likewise smart for this his lamentable murther on poore and harmelesse Marieta Hee is brought to the Gallowes in his old dusty mealy Suite of Canvas where a Priest preparing him to dye hee either out of impiety or ignorance or both delivereth this idle speech to the people That because Marieta was young and faire hee is now heartily sorry that he had not married her and that if he had beene as wise as covetous the two hundred Crownes or the Lease of his Mill which his yong master Monsieur Quatbrisson profered him might have made him winke at her dishonesty and that although she were not a true Mayd to her selfe yet that she might have proved a true and honest wife to him with many other frivolous words and lewd speeches tending that way which I purposely omit and resolve to passe over in silence as holding them unworthy either of my relation or the Readers knowledge when not having the grace once to name God to speake of his soule to desire heaven or to seeme to bee any way repentant and sorrowfull for this his bloody offence hee is stripped naked having onely his shirt fastned about his waste and with an Iron barre hath his legs thighes armes and brest broken alive and there his miserable body is left naked and bloudy on the Wheele for the space of two dayes thereby to terrifie and deterre the beholders from attempting the like wretched crime And the Iudges of Vannes being certifyed from the Court of Parliament at Rennes that Quatbrisson at his death charged the Apothecary Moncallier to have at his hiring and instigation poysoned his brother Valfontaine they hold the Church to be too holy a place for the body and buriall of so prophane and bloudy a Villaine When after well neere a whole yeares time that he was buried in Saint Francis Church in that Towne they cause his Coffin to be taken up and both his body and it to bee burnt by the common Hang-man and his Ashes to bee throwne into the aire Which to the Ioy of all the Spectators is accordingly performed GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRAble Sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXV Vasti first murthereth his Sonne George and next poysoneth his owne Wife Hester and being afterwards almost killed by a mad Bull in the Fields hee revealeth these his two murthers for the which he is first hanged and then burnt TO religious hearts there can nothing be so distastfull as Sinne nor any Sinne so odious and execrable as Murther for it being contrary to Nature and Grace the very thought much more the act thereof strikes horrour to their hearts and consciences Wherefore if this foule and bloudy Sinne bee so displeasing to godly men how infinitely more detestable is it then to God himselfe who made all living creatures to serve Man and onely created Man purposely to serve Himselfe But as Choller and Malice proceede from the passions of men so doth Murther from the Deuill for else wee should not so often and frequently see it perpetrated in most Countryes and Cities of the World as we doe A mournefull Example whereof I here produce to your view and serious consideration THe place of this History is Fribourg an antient city of Switzerland which gives name to one of the Divisions or Cantons of that famous and warlike country Wherein of fresh memory dwelt a rich Burger named Peter Vasti who had to his wife a modest discreet and vertuous woman named Hester by whom he had one only child a Sonne called George Vasti whom God sent them the latter end of the first yeare of their marriage and for the tearme of some ten yeares following this marryed couple lived in most kinde and loving sort each with other yea their hearts and inclinations so sympathized in mutuall and interchangeable affection as they held and reputed none of their Neighbours so rich in content as themselves for she was carefull of her Family and he very diligent and industrious to maintaine it both of them being chaste and continent in themselves very religious towards God and exceeding charitable affable and courteous to all their Neighbours and Acquaintance onely they are so temperate in their drinking as â—…ee would not and shee could not bee tainted with that beastly Vice of Drunkenâ—…esse whereunto that Countrey and the greatest part of that People are but too excessively addicted and subject So that had Vasti still imbraced and followed those Vertues in the course and conduction of his life hee had not then defiled this History with the profusion of so many sinnes nor besprinckled it with the effusion of so much innocent bloud nor consequently have administred so much sorrow to the Reader in perusing and knowing it but as contrary Causes produce contrary Effects so
contrary The next day all Granado rings and resounds of this murther and of the suspition and imprisonment of Don Hippolito for the same when the Lady Cervantella goes to the Criminall Iudges of the City and accuseth him for the same and with griefe sorrow and passion followes it close against him and although Hippolito at his first examination denies it yet being by his cleeresighted Iudges adjudged to the racke for the same hee at the very first sight thereof confesseth it for the which bloody and lamentable crime of his hee is sentenced the next day to be hanged although hee proffered all his estate and meanes to save his life But the zeale and integrity of his judges was such to the sacred name of Iustice as they disdained to bee corrupted herewith So the next Morning this old bloody wretch Hippolito is brought to the common place of execution where a very great concourse of people repaire from all parts of the Citty to see him take his last farewell of the world most oâ—… them pittying his age but all condemning the enormity of this his foule and bloody crime He was dealt with by some Priests and Fryers in prison whose Charity and Piety endevoured to fortifie his heart against the feare of death and to prepare his soule for the life and joyes of that to come But the Devill was yet so strong with him that hee could not bee drawne to contrition nor would not bee either perswaded or enforced to repentance or to aske God or the world forgivenesse of this his bloody fact but as hee lived prophanely so hee would dye wretchedly and desperately for on the Ladder hee made a foolish speech the which because it savoured more of beastly concupiscence and lust than of Piety or Religion I will therefore burie it in oblivion and silence and so hee was turnedover Come we now to speake of Don Emanuell de Cortez the Father who understanding of his Sonne Roderigo his continuall frequenting of Dona Cervantella's house and her daughter Dominica's company and now hearing of this murther of her Sonne to her doore his owne Sonne being then therein present he is much discontented therewith and because he will sequester him from her sight and provide him another Wife hee sends him to Asnalos a mannor house of his some tenne leagues off in the Country with a strong injunction and charge there to reside till his farther order to returne Roderigo is wonderfull sorrowfull thus to leave the sight of his faire and deere Mistris Dominica and to the view of the world no lesse is shee so hee transporteth only his body to Asnallos but his heart he leaves with her in Granado But a moneth is scarce expired after his departure But the Lady Cervantella by the death of her Sonne Don Garcia wanting a man to conduct and governe her affaires especially her law sutes wherewith as wee have formerly heard she is much incumbred shee thereupon as also at the instant request of her Daughter writes Roderigo this letter for his returne CERVANTELLA to RODERIGO AS thou tenderest the prosperity of my affaires and the content and ioy of my Doughter I request thee speedily to leave Asnallos and to returne to reside heere in Granado for I wanting my Sonne Garcia who was the ioy of my life and shee her Roderigo who art the life of her joy thou must not finde it strange if my age and her youth and if my Law sutes and her love affections and desires assume this resolution Thy Father is a Noble man of Reason and his Sonne shall finde this to bee a request both 〈◊〉 and reasonable except thou wilt so farre publish thy weakenesse to the world thaâ—… thou doest more feare thy Father than love my Daughter for if thou shouldest once â—…mit thy obedience to him so farre to give a Law to thy affection to her thou wilt then make thy selfe as unworthy to bee her Husband as I desire it with zeale and shee with passion Shee is resolved to second this my letter with one of her owne to thee to which I referre thee God blesse thy stay and hasten thy returne CERVANTELLA Dominica resolving to make good her promise to her mother and that of her mother to Roderigo she withdrawes her selfe to her chamber to write and knowing her mothers messenger ready to depart chargeth him with the delivery of her letter to her lover Roderigo and to cast the better lustre and varnish over her affection she takes a Diamond Ring from her finger and likewise sends it him for a token of her love DOMINICA to RODERIGO AS the death of my Brother Don Garcia made 〈◊〉 extreame sorrowfull so thiâ—… of thy absence made mee infinitely miserable for as that nipt my joyes and hopes in their blossomes so this kills them in their riper age and 〈◊〉 When I 〈◊〉 received thy love and gave and returned thee mine in exchange I had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hadst affected me too dearly so soone to leave my sight and to â—…sh thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my company but now I see with griefe and feelewith sorrow that thâ—… lovest thy Fâ—…er farre bettter than â—…ee and delightest to preferre his content befâ—… 〈◊〉 for else thou hadst not made me thus wretched by thy absence who am as it were but entering into the happinesse of thy presence If thou canst finde in thy heart to obey his commands before thou grant my requests then come not to Granado but stay still in Asnallos but if the contrary then leave Asnallos and come to mee in Granado wâ—…ere I will chide thee for thy long stay and yet give thee a world of thankes and kisses for thy so soone returne and as my heart and soule doth desire it so the prosperity of my Mothers affaires doth likewise want and therefore crave it Iudge of the fervency of my affection to thee by thine to my selfe and then thou wilt speâ—…dily resolve to see thy Dominica who desires nothing so much under Heaven as to have the happinesse of thy sight and the felicity and Honour of thy Company DOMINICA Roderigo receives these their two Letters reputes that of the mother to much respect and this of her Daughter to infinite affection so as the very knowledg and consideration thereof makes him rejoyce in the first and triumph in the second and therefore knowing himselfe to be a man and past a child and that as he is bound by nature and reason to obey his farther so he is not tyed to bee commanded by him beyond it wherefore he resolves to give content to the mother for the daughters sake and to the daughter for his own saâ—…e and so by their own messenger returnes them these answers That to the Lady Cervantella spake thus RODERIGO to CERVANTELLA I So much tender the prosperity of thy affaires and thy daughters content and joy that my resolutions shall so dispose of my selfe towards my Father as verie shortly I will see thee with respect and observance and
Sfondrato thinkes it high time to beginne and being no way daunted with the misfortune and death of his friend Pisani but rather encouraged and resolved to sell it dearely on the life of Sebastiano hee drawes and with his Rapier in his hand comes towards him Sebastiano meetes him halfe way with a very fresh and cheerefull countenance and so they approach one to the other at their first incounter Sebastiano gives Sfrondrato a large and wide wound on his right side but receives another from him thorow the left arme a little above the elbow but that of Sfondrato powred forth more bloud and to be briefe they both give and take divers wounds and performe the parts of valorous Gentlemen But in the end God who would not give all the victory to one side but will make both parties losers to shew that he is displeased with these their bloudy actions and uncharitable resolutions which though Honour seeme to excuse yet religion cannot after they had three severall times taken breath Sebastiano advancing a faire thrust to Sfondrato's brest which onely pierced his shirt and ravelled his skinne Sfondrato requited him with a mournefull interest for hee ranne him thorow at the small of the belly and so nayled him to the ground bearing away his life on the point of his Rapier Thus our foure Combatants being now reduced to the number of two Sfondrato expected that Gasparino would have exchanged a thrust or two with him the which certainely hee had performed But Gasparino finding that the losse of so much bloud made him then weak and that it was now more then time for him to have his wounds bound up they having taken order for the decent transporting of their dead friends that night to Pavia they without speaking word one to the other committ themselves to their Chirurgions and so their wounds being bound up they take them with them and to save themselves from the danger of the Law they take horse and poast away Gasparino to Parma and Sfondrato to Florence from whence they resolve not to stirre before their friends have procured and sent them their pardons Leave we them there and to follow the streame of this History come we to Cremona and Pavia which rings with the newes of the issues of these lamentable and tragicall combates Pisani and Sebastiano are infinitely bewailed of their parents and lamented of their friends yea of their very enemies themselves and generally of all the world who either knew them or heard of their untimely and unfortunate ends But all these teares are nothing in comparison of those which our faire Christeneta sheds for the death of her sweet Pisani For her griefes are so infinitely bitter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teares her haire disfigureth her face weepes mournes howles and cries so extreâ—… that sorrow her selfe would grieve to see her sorrow yea she forsakes and abandoneth all company throwes off all her rich and glittering garments and takes on mournfull and sad apparell so as all the perswasions of the world are not capable to give her the least shaddow of consolation for as shee affirmes shee neither will nor can be comforted onely amidst her teares if shee admit or permit any passion to take place in her heart or thoughts it is choller and revenge against Gasparino who had bereaved her of her onely joy of her deare and sweet Pisani whom she loved a thousand times more deare and tenderly then her selfe and of him she vowes to be reveng'd in the highest degree Whereby wee may here in Christeneta see the old phrase made good and verifyed That there is no affection nor hatred to that of a Woman for where they love they love dearely and where they hate hate deadly But leave we her to her sorrowes and come we againe to Gasparino who in short time having obtained his pardon returnes from Parma to Cremona where hee is joyfully received of his parents and friends He is no sooner arrived but the remembrance of Christeneta's beauty doth flourish and revive in his heart for although she had loved another yet he could affect none but her selfe when letting passe some sixe or eight moneths and hoping that time which is subject to nothing and all things to it might wipe off her teares and blow away her sighes for the death of Pisani hee resolves to renew his old sute to her to which end he visits her first by friends next by letters and then in person Christeneta like a counterfeit Fury dissembles her love to Pisani and her hatred to him and withall triumpheth and takes a pride to see how discreetly and closely she beares her malice But our wisedome in sinne proves meere folly in the eyes of God which though she will not now acknowledge yet she shall hereafter bee inforced to doe it with repentance and peradventure when it is too late So being resolute in her inveterate indignation her malice doth so out-brave her charity and her revenge her religion as shee cannot finde any rest in her thoughts or tranquillity in her minde before she see the death of Gasparino make amends and satisfaction for that of Pisani Gasparino having the eyes of his judgement hood-winked and not foreseeing how dangerous it is to repose and relye on the favour of an incensed enemy as our judgements are never clearest when we approach our ruine is very importunate with Christeneta that he may meet and conferre privately with her which indeed is the onely opportunity that in heart she hath so long desired and now it is that she conspires his ruine and plots his destruction wherein perchance seeking his death she may procure her owne Dissembling Wretch as she is she seemes to be vanquished with his importunity and therefore to shew her selfe courteous and kinde to him she appoynts him to meet her in the Nunnes Garden at sixe of the clocke in the morning But what courtesy what kindnesse is this to have honey in the tongue and poyson in the heart For she presently agrees with two wretched Ruffians Bianco and Brindoli for twice fifty Duckets to murther him See here the implacable and damnable malice of this young Gentlewoman who forgetting her soule and her God becomes the Author of so execrable and lamentable a Murther Gasparino drowning his sences and understanding in the contemplation of the content he should receive in injoying his Mistresse Christeneta's company thinkes the night long ere the day appeare and although the evening were faire and cleare yet in the morne Aurora had no sooner lept from the watry bed of Neptune but the Skies were over-cast and vayled with obscure clouds which imprison the Sunne and his golden beames purposely not to behold so bloudy a Tragedie as was then to bee acted Christeneta who could not sleepe for revenge is stirring in the morne betimes and so is Bianco and Brindoli They all meet in the Nunnes Garden she walking in the Alleyes and they hiding themselves out of sight At last the Clocke strikes sixe and
purposes and intents that way as so many lines that runne to their Center yea so strongly hath the devill possessed him with these hellish designes and bloody resolutions as his love to Philatea defacing his respect to Merilla hee sees her a blocke in his way and a stop to his preferment and so concludes that shee must hee remooved and dispatched to which effect to draw his sinfull contemplation into bloudy action hee rides over to Spreare to her and under colour of tender love and affection hee in Milke Wine and rosted Apples gives her poyson when seeing it would not worke his desired effect hee after takes an occasion purposely to quarrell with her and so very lamentably in presence of their daughter Emelia reviles and beates her and returnes to Brescia still hoping that the poyson yet might operate and disperse it selfe in her veines and that shortly hee should heare newes of her death Loe here Alibius his first attempt in seeking to murther his Wife In this meane time hee layes close siedge to Philatea's Chastity who not so honest as faire is soone drawne to sinne and prostitutes her selfe to his beastly pleasure and having no regard to her reputation conscience or soule consents to this bitter-sweet sinne of Adultery the which lascivious familiarity is so long continued betwixt them till at last Philatea's straight Bodies become too small and her Apron too short for her when seeing it high time to provide for her fame shee acquaints Alibius herewith and askes his advice whether shee shall marry with one of her servants Alibius meaning to keepe the Farme for himselfe whereof hee had already taken possession bids her not to take care for a husband but to bee of good comfort and that farre within her time hee would provide a place for her to lay downe her great belly yea so secret as her owne heart could either wish or desire But if our miserable Alibius were before resolved to murther his poore harmelesse Wife Merilla this newes and these speeches of Philatea sets him all on fire and so having consulted with the Devill hee vowes she shall not live to which end he provides himselfe of stronger poyson and in a darke night when as he flatters himselfe with hope that the Heavens were so unjust and inhumane to conspire with him in the Murther of his Wife he takes horse in the East Suburbe of Brescia and so rides toward Spreare But see the justice and withall the providence and mercie of our indulgent God! who vouchsafed and yet resolved to restraine and divert him from this his bloudy enterprise by an accident as strange as true for a mile out of Brescia as Alibius rides by the common place of execution his Horse stumbles and falls under him right against it with which fall his shoulder is out of joynt Oh what a caveat was this for Alibius if hee had had the least sparke of grace to have made good use hereof But the Devill had bewitched his understanding and judgement for hee could see by no other eyes but by those of revenge and bloud Arriving at his house at Spreare hee contrary to his hopes findes his daughter Emelia with her mother who by this time was marryed likewise to a poore Countrey man of Spreare whose sight and presence was for that time a stop to the execution of her fathers poysoning designe on her mother for hee feared that she had formerly discovered and suspected this his purpose and resolution as indeed shee had wherefore hee forbore to administer it onely because hee would not lose all his labour hee againe quarrells with his Wife and after hee had reviled her with many scandalous and contumelious speeches hee in the presence of his mournefull daughter doth exceedingly beate her who weeping to see her mother weepe infinitely grieved to be an eye-witnesse of this inhumane and barbarous cruelty of her father And so for that time Alibius againe permitted his Wife to live But this will prove no pardon but onely a short reprivall for her Returning againe to Brescia it is not long before Philatea doth againe importune him to provide for the concealing and salving of her shame alleadging that her time drew on and that it was more then time to provide her a husband Alibius at these her second assummons beginnes to looke about and resolves at what rate or in what manner soever now to send his Wife into another world yet as I thinke or ever understood conceales his purpose from Philatea Miserable wretch had he not participated more of the nature of a Tyger then a man or of a Devill then a Tyger hee would never have layd violent hands on his owne Wife whom earth and heaven had made flesh of his flesh and of two bodies one yea or had hee had so much grace to have considered that the silver wand he bore before the Podestate was for the scourging and punishing of sinne Me thinks it should have made him more charitable and not so bloudy to attempt it But what will not lust enterprise and Revenge execute if wee neither feare God with our heartes nor love him with our soules Preseverance in Grace and vertue is excellent but in sinne lamentable Alibius hath had yeares and time enough to wipe away his cruelty towards his wife but the longer hee lives the deeper roote it takes in him yea hee will neither give the flower of his youth nor the branne of his age to God but that to pleasure this to Revenge and Murther and both to the devill for now hee is resolute to finish this mournefull and bloudy Tragedy that hee hath so long desired and so often attempted and now indeed the fatall time approacheth wherein innocent Merilla by the Murtherous hand of her husband must be sent out of this World to see a better Alibius having waited on the Podestate to supper takes horse a little before the gates of the City were shut and having his former poyson in his pocket away hee rides to Spreare but to act his villany with the greater secrecy he masketh and disguiseth himselfe approaching his house he in the next Meddow ties up his horse to a tree and so knockes at doore Poore Merilla his wife was in bed and a sleepe with a little Girle her Grandchild named Pomerea the daughter of her daughter Emelia whom without a Candle shee sends downe to open the doore assuring her selfe as indeed it proved too true for her that it was her husband Alibius Pomereâ—… opening the doore lets one in but whom shee knows not and then for feare retires to the kitchin which shee shuts fast on her So Alibius mounts to his wives Chamber and after some words gives her a potion some say of milke bitterly sugred with poyson and forceth it downe her who poore soule is amazed hereat and with her weake strength cryes out for helpe but in vaine Hee being divellishly resolved now to make sure worke takes a billet out of the
in all the Spectators as wondring at the cause and reason therof when in constant and discreet termes Augustino informes the Iudges that hee thinks 〈◊〉 innocent and her Lady Victoryna guiltie of this murther and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…m â—…er time and place where Victorina her selfe seduced him to poyson her 〈◊〉 Fâ—…no how she proffered him three hundred Zeckynes to performe it which hee refused and to the utmost of his power sought to disswade her from thiâ—… bloody and execrable businesse The Iudges are astonished at the strangenes of this newes which they begin confidently to beleeve and so blesse the houre of Augustino's arrivall that hath withheld them from spilling the innocent bloud of Felicia when commanding her from the place of execution to her prison they instantly give order for the Lady Victoryna's apprehension who already had built trophees and triumphs of joy in her heart to see that all her bloudy designes so well succeeded But now is the Lords appoynted time come wherein al her cruell Murthers whoredome treachery and hypocrisie shall be brought to light and punished yea now it shall no longer be in her power or in that of the devill her Schoolmaster Seducer either to diminish the least part of her punishment or to adde the least moment or poynt of time to her life Shee is all in teares at her apprehension but they rather ingender envie then pittie in her Iudges And so from the delights and pleasures of her house she is hastily conveyed to prison Her Iudges in honour to the sacred dignity of Iustice the Queene of Earth and the daughter of Heaven confront her with Augustino who averres his former deposition as constantly in her face as shee denies it impudently in his But this will not prevaile her for now God hath made the probabilities or rather the sight of her crime too apparant So without any regard to her prayers teares or exclamations they adjâ—…dge her to the Racke where the tendernesse of her limbs the sharpnesse of her torments but especially the griefes and pinches of her conscience make her acquit Felicia acknowledge Augustino his evidence and condemne her selfe to be the author both of her first husbands stabbing as also her seconds poysoning her Iudges as much praise God for her confession as they detest and are astonished at the falsenesse of these her horrible crimes So with much joy they first free innocent Felicia of her unjust imprisonment and then knowing it pitty that so wretched a Lady as Victoryna should live any longer they for her abominable cruelties and inhumanities condemne her the next morne to be hang'd and burnt on Saint Markes Place At the knowledge and divulging of which newes as her father mother and kinsfolkes extreamely grieve so all Venice blesse and glorifie God first that innocent Felicia is saved and guilty Victoryna detected and condemned to the shame and punishment of a deserved death The same night the Priests and Friers deale with her about the state of her soule and its pilgrimage and transmigration to heaven they find that her youth lust and revenge hath taken a strange possession of the devill and hee in them for she still loves the memory of Sypontus and envies and detests that of her two husbands Souranza and Fassino but they deale effectually with her and in their speeches depainting her forth the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell they at last happily prevaile and so make her forsake the vanity and impiety of these her passions by rellishing the sweet shown of Gods mercies so the next morne shee is brought to her execution where the world expecting to heare much matter from her she is very pensive and contemplative and sayes little onely she prayes Felicia to forgive her as also all the Parents of her two Husbands Souranza and Fassino and likewise of Sypontus but chiefly shee invokes God her Saviour and Redeemer to pardon these her horrible sinnes of adultery and murther and beseecheth all that are present to pray for her soule and so according to her sentence she is first hang'd then burnt whereat all that great affluence and concourse of people praise the providence and justice of God in cutting off this female monster and shame of her sexe Victoryna whose tragicall and mournefull History may we all reade and remember with detestation that the example hereof bee our forewarning and caveat not to trust in the deceiveable lusts of the flesh and the treacherous tentations of the devill but to rely on the mercies and promises of God which will never faile his elect but will assuredly make them happy in their lives blessed in their deathes and constantly glorious in their resurrections GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE VII Catalina causeth her Wayting Mayd Ansilva two severall times attempt to poyson her â—wne Sister Berinthia wherein fayling shee afterwards makes an Empericke termed Sarmiata poyson her said Mayd Ansilva Catalina is killed with a Thunder-bolt and Sarmiata hang'd for poysoning Ansilva Antonio steales Berinthia away by her owne consent whereupon her Brother Sebastiano fights with Antonio and kills him in a Duell Berinthia in revenge hereof afterwards murthereth her Brother Sebastiano she is adjudged to be immured betwixt two Walls and there languisheth and dyes HOw foolishly and impiously doth our malice betray our selves or the devill our soules when we maliciously betray others for wee are as farre from Grace as Wisedome when wee permit either irregular affection or unlawfull passion to hale us on to choller choller to revenge and revenge to Murther Nay how exempt are we of Religion and devoyd of all Christian piety and charity when our thoughts are so eclipsed and our judgements darkened when our consciences are so defiled and our soules so polluted with revenge that the eldest sister seekes to poyson her younger and this younger afterwards murthereth her owne and only brother because in a Duell he had formerly slaine her Lover Alasse alasse these are bloudy accidents which not only fight against Grace but Nature not only against earth but Heaven and not only against our soules but against God neither are these the only Tragedies that our insuing History reporteth and relateth for wee shall therein farther see a wretched Wayting-gentlewoman poysoned by her more wretched Lady and Mistresse together with her execrable Agent a bloudy and gracelesse Empericke and all justly revenged and severely punished by the sword of Gods wrath and indignation Wherein the Christian Reader may observe as well to Gods glory as his owne consolation that never pretended or actuall Murthers were either contrived more secretly perpetrated more closely detected more miraculously or punished more strangely and severely so as if the devill have not fully possest our hearts and soules or if our thoughts and resolutions doe yet retaine the least sparke of Grace and Christianity we shall flie their crimes by the sight and feare of their punishments refetch our wandring and erronious senses from
as I grieve at that so I sorrow at this for although â—…ee dyed mine enemy yet in despight of his malice and death I will live his friend and if thou lovedst him as I thinke thou didst I wish I might fight with his Murtherer for his owne sake and kill him for thine I may say thy affection and beauty deserved his better though dare not affirme I am reserved to bee made happy in injoying of either much lesse of both and least of all of thy selfe and yet I must confesse that if our births and qualities were knowne I should goe as neere to bee thy equall as hee infinitely came short of being mine What or what not I have performed for thy sake is best knowne to myselfe sith thou disdaynest to know it but if thou wilt please to abandon thy disdaine then my affection and the truth will informe thee that I have ever constantly resolved to dy thy Servant though thou have sworne never to live my Mistresse So that could I but as happily regaine thy affection and favour as I have unjustly and unfortunately lost it Belluile would quâ—…ckely forsake Paris to see Avignion and abandon all the beauties of the world to continue his homage and service to that of his onely faire and sweet Laurieta BELLVILE With this his Letter hee sends a Diamond Ring from his finger and so dispatcheth his Lackey who is not long before hee arrive at Avignion where very secretly he delivers Laurieta his Masters Token and Letter and treacherous fury as shee is shee kisseth both and breaking off the Seales reades the contents whereat she infinitly seemes to rejoyce and so questioneth with the Lackey about his Masters returne who being taught his Lesson told her that that depended on her pleasure sith hers was his and withall prayes her for an answer for that two dayes hence hee was againe to returne to his Master for Paris the which shee promiseth The Lackey gone she cannot refraine from laughing yea she leaps for joy to see how Belluile is againe so besotted to throw himselfe into her favour and mercy and to observe how willing and forward he was to runne hoodwink'd to his untimely death and destruction for the Devill hath fortifyed her in her former bloudy resolution so that hap what will shee vowes she will not faile to kill Belluile because hee had slaine her Poligny and already she wisheth him in Avignion that she might see an end to this her wished and desired Tragedy In the meane time she prepares her hypocriticall and treacherous Letter and a rich Watchet Scarfe imbroydered with flames of silver So his Lackey repayreth to her to whom she delivereth both with remembrance of her best love to his Master and that shee hoped shortly to see him in Avignion The Lackey being provided of his Masters Gold and this Scarfe and Letter trips away speedily for Lyons where hee findes his Master privatly husht up in a friends house expecting his returne he is glad of his owne gold but more of Laurieta's Letter when thinking every minute a yeare before he had read it he hastily breaking off the seales findes these lines therein contayned LAVRIETA to BELLVILE AS I acknowledge I loved Poligny so I confesse I never hated thee and if his treacherous insinuation were too prevalent with my credulity I beseech thee attribute it to my indiscretion as being a woman and not to my inconstancie as being thy friend for if he dyed thine enemy let it suffice that I live thine hand-mayd and that as he was not reserved for me so I hope I am wholly for thy selfe How farre he was my inferiour I will not inquire onely it is both my content and honour that thou please vouchsafe to repute mee thy equall I am so farre from disdayning as I infinitely desire to know what thou hast done for my sake that I may requite thy love with kisses and make my thankes wipe off the conceipt of my ingratitude As for my affection it was never lost to thee nor shall ever bee found but of thee To conclude I wish that our little Avignion were thy great Paris and if â—…y love be as unfeigned as mine is firme let my Belluile make hast to see his Laurieta who hath vowed to rejoyce a thousand times more at his returne then ever shee grieved at Poligny's death LAVRIETA At the reading of this her Letter hee is beyond himselfe yea beyond the Moone for joy so as hee wisheth nothing so much as himselfe in her armes or shee in his So hee fits himselfe with a couple of good horses puts his Lackeyes into new Sutes and knowing that time and his absence had washed away the remembrance of Poligny's murther he speeds away for Avignion where the first night of his arrivall he privately visiteth Laurieta 'twixt whom there is nothing but kisses and imbracings yea shee so treacherously and sweetly lulles him â—…leepe with the Syren melody of her deceiptfull speeches as she prayes him to visit her often and that a little time shall crowne him with the fruits of his desire so for that night they part The nâ—…xt day he repaires to her againe when amidst the confluence of many millions of kisses shee prayes and conjures him to discover her what hee hath done for her sake when he tying her by oath to secrecie and she swearing it he relates her that it was himsâ—…fe that in affection to her had slaine Poligny as he issued forth her lodging when having wrested and extorted this mystery from him it confirmes her malice and hastneth on her resolution of his death which his lascivious thoughts have neither â—…he grace to foresee nor the reason to prevent shee espyes hee hath still a Pistoll with him and desires to know why hee beares it who answereth her it is to defend himselfe from his enemies and that hee will never goe without it So againe they fall to their kisses and hee to his requests of a further and sweeter favour of her which shee for that time againe denyes him adding withall that if hee will come to her after dinner to morrow shee will so dispose of matters as his pleasure shall be hers and she will not be her owne but his So being surprised and ravishâ—…d with the extasie of a thousand sweete approaching pleasures hee returnes to his Chamber and shee to her malice where whiles he gluts himselfe with his hope of delight shee doth no lesse with her desire of revenge And now ruminating on the manner of his death she thinkes nothing so fit or easie to dispatch him as his owne Pistoll and so thinking shee should need her Wayting-mayd Lucilla's assistance of whom this our History hath formerly made mention shee acquaints her with her purpose the next day to murther Belluile in her Chamber and so with the lure of gold and many faire promises drawes her to consent hereunto and injoines her to be provided of a good Ponyard under her gowne for the same
with many fearefull imprecations and asseverations stands peremptorily in her innocencie and out of the heat of her malice and choller termes them devills or witches that are her accusers But her Iudges who can no longer be deluded with her vowes nor will no more give eare to her perfidious oaths command to have her Paps seared off with hot burning Pincers thereby to vindicate the truth of her cruell murther from the falsehood of her impious and impudent denyall thereof Whereat amazed and astonished and seeing this cruell torment ready to bee inflicted and presented her God was so indulgent to her sinnes and so mercifull to her soule as the devill flying from her and she from his temptations shee rayning downe many rivolets and showres of teares from her eyes and evaporating many volleyes of sighes from her heart throwing her selfe downe on her knees to the earth and lifting up her eyes and handes unto Heaven with much bewayling and bitternesse shee at last confesseth to her Iudges that shee and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla were the murtherers of Belluile and for the which shee sayd that through her humble contrition and hearty repentance shee hoped that God would pardon her soule in the life to come though shee knew they would not her body in this Whereupon the Iudges in horrour and execration of her inhumane and bloudy crime pronounce sentence of death upon her and condemne her the next day after dinner first to be hanged then burnt in the same street right against her lodging Monsieur de Richcourts house and likewise sith Lucilla was both an accessary and actour in this bloudy Tragedy that her body should be taken up out of her Grave and likewise burnt with hers in the same fire which accordingly was executed in the presence of an infinite number of people both of the Citizens and adjacent neighbours of Avignion Laurieta uttering upon the Ladder a short but a most Christian and penitent speech to the people tending first to disswade them all by her example from those foule and crying sinnes of whoredome revenge and murther and then to request and perswade them that they would assist her with their religious and devout prayers in her soules passage and flight towards Heaven yet adding withall that as her crime so her griefe was redoubled because as she had killed Belluile for Poligny's sake so she was sure that Belluile had killed Poligny for hers And thus Christian Reader were the dissolute lives and mournefull deaths of these two unfortunate Gentlemen Poligny and Belluile and of this lascivious and bloudy Curâ—…izan Laurieta and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla A tragicall History worthy both of our observation and detestation and indeed these are the bitter fruits of Lust Whoreâ—…ome and Revenge and the inseparable companions which infallibly awayt and attend them the very sight and consideration whereof are capable not onely to administer consolation to the righteous but to strike terror to the ungodly O therefore that wee may all beware by these their fatall and dangerous sinnes for this is the onely perfect and true way to prevent and avoyde their punishments GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE IX Iacomo de Castelnovo Iustfully falls in love with his daughter in law Perina his owne sonne Francisco de Castelnovo's Wife whom to injoy he causeth Ierantha first to poyson his owne Lady Fidelia and then his said son Francisco de Castelnovo in revenge whereof Perina treacherously murthereth him in his bed Ierantha ready to dye in travell of child confesseth her two Murthers for the which she is bang'd and burnt Perina hath her right hand cut off and is condemned to perpetuall imprisonment where she sorrowfully languisheth and dyes WEe need not send our curiosity or our curiosity us to seek Tygers and Monsters in Africa for Europe hath but too many who are so cruell and inhumane not only to imbrue but to imbath themselves in the innocent bloud of their Christian brethren And as Religion prohibites us to kill and commands us to love our enemies with what audacious and prophane impiety dare wee then murther our friends nay those of our owne bloud and who are the greatest part of our selves And although Italy have lately afforded many tragicall presidents and fearefull Examples of this nature wheâ—…of I have given some to my former and reserved others to my future bookes yet in my conceipt it hath produced none more bloudy and inhumane then this whether we respect the Murthers or the persons For here wee shall see a wretched and execrable old man so besotted in lust and flaming in malice and revenge as being both a husband and a father hee by a hellish young Gentlewoman his strumpet poysonâ—…th both his owne wife and his owne sonne It was his vanity which first inkindled the fire of his lust it is then his Impiety which gives way to the Devill to blow the coales thereto and so to convert it into Murther O that Sinne should so triumph o're Grace and not Grace o're Sinne O that Age and Nature should not teach us to bee lesse bloudy and more compassionate and charitable And alas alas by Poyson that drug of the Devill who first brought the damnable invention thereof from hell to be practised here on earth onely by his agents and members Wee shall likewise see him killed by his daughter in law for formerly poysoning of her husband Lust seduced him to perpetraâ—…e those Affection or rather bloudy Revenge drew her on to performe this and consequently to her punishment due for the same Had they had more Grace and Religion they would not have beene so inhumane but falling from that no marvell if they fell to be so wretched and miserable for if we die well we seldome live ill if live ill we usually never die well for it is the end that crowns the beginning not the beginning the end Therfore if we will be happy in our lives and blessed in our deaths we must follow Vertue and flie from Vice love Chastity and Charity and hate Lust and Envie preferre Heaven before Earth our Soules before our Bodies and defie Satan with a holy resolution both to feare and love God SAvoy is the Countrey and Nice the City seated upon the Mediterraneâ—…m Sea being the strongest Bulwarke against France and the best Forâ—…resse and Key of Italy where the Scene of this insuing Tragicall History is layd the which to refetch from the Head-spring and Fountaine of its originall it must carry our curiosity and understanding over those famous Mountaines the Alpes and from thence to the City of Saint Iohn de Mauriena where of late and fresh memory dwelt an aged Gentleman of rich revenues and great wealth named Seignior Antonio de Arconeto who had newly by his deceased Wife the Lady Eleanora de Bibanti two Children to wit a Son and a Daughter that named Seignior Alexandro and this the Lady Perina a little different in yeares for he was eighteen and
inhumane revenge will not as yet permit her conscience to informe and shew her the haynousnesse of her cruell and bloody fact But God will be more mercifull to her and her soule Some two dayes after shee is arraigned for the same where she freely confesseth-it having nothing to alledge for her excuse but that shee perfectly knew that her Father in law Castenovo and his Strumpet Ierantha had at least poysoned the Knight her husband if not likewise the Lady Fidelia his mother the which although they had some reason and ground to suspect because of Ierantha's sudden slight yet sith this could no way diminish or extenuate her Murther of her Father in law they condemne our unfortunate Lady Perina to bee hanged and so re-send her to prison to prepare her selfe to dye But the advice of some and the friendship and compassion of others as pittying her youth and beauty and commending her chastity and affection to her Knight and Husband counsell and perswade her to appeale from the Sentence of the Court of Nice to the Senate of Chambery which is the Soveraigne and Capitall of Savoy whither wee shall shortly see her conducted and brought In which meane time let us observe the wonderfull justice and providence of God shewed likewise upon this execrable Wayting-gentlewoman Ierantha for so cruelly poysoning the Lady Fidelia and the Knight Castelnovo her Sonne who although search were every where made for her yet she having husht her selfe up privately albeit her bloudy thoughts and guilty conscience for the same continually torture and torment her yet shee is so impious and gracelesse as shee no way feares the danger of the law and much lesse the severe tempest of Gods indignation and revenge which now notwithstanding in the middest of her security will according to her bloudy deserts and crimes suddenly surprise and overtake her for now this accident of her Lord Castelnovo's Murther and of the Lady Perina's imprisonment or to speake more properly and truly of Gods sacred decree and divine Iudgement throwes her into the sharp and bitter paines of travell for child with whose heart-killing gripes and convulsions she is so miserably tortured and tormented as shee her selfe her Mid. wife and all the women neere her judge and thinke it impossible for her to escape death when seeing no hope of life and that already her pangs and torments had made her but as it were the very image and anatomy of death shee beginnes to looke from Sinne to repentance from Earth to Heaven and from Satan to God and so taking on and assuming Christian resolution shee will not charge her soule with the concealing of this single Adultery much lesse of her double Murthers but very penitently confesseth all aâ—… well it as them and so commits her selfe to the unparalleld and mercilesse mercies of her paynes and torments hoping they will speedily send her from this world to a better But her Adultery and Murthers are such odious and execrable crimes in God sight as he will free her from these dangers of child-birth and because worthy will reserve her for a shamefull and infamous death So she is fafely delivered of a young son who is more faire then happy as being the off-spring of lascivious parents and the issue of an adulterous bed and by Gods providence and her owne confession shee for these her beastly and bloudy crimes is the second day committed to prison and the third hang'd and burnt in Nice and her ashes throwne into the aire A just reward and punishment for so hellish and inhumane a Gentlewoman who though otherwise shee shewed many testimonies and signes of Repentance at her end yet her crime were so foule and odious to the World as at her death shee was so miserable as shee found not one spectatour either to weepe for her or to lament or condolâ—… with her And now to shut up this History let us carry our curiosities and expectations froâ—… Nice to Chambery and from dead Ierantha to our living Perina where that grave and illustrious Senate in consideration of her famous chastity and singular affection to thâ—… Knight her husband as also her noble parentage and tender yeares they moderatâ—… the Sentence of Nice for murthering her Father in law Castelnovo and so in stead of hanging adjudge her there to have her right hand cut off and her selfe to perpetuall imprisonment in Nice where Gods sacred Iustice for this her bloudy Murther and the remembrance of her dead husband and living sorrowes so sharpely torment and afflict her as shee lived not long in Prison but exceedingly pined away of a languishing Consumption and so very sorrowfully and repentantly ended her dayes being exceedingly lamented of her kinsfolkes and pittyed of all her acquaintance and had not her affection beene blinded and her rage and Revenge too much triumphed o're her thoughts and resolutions shee had lived as happy as shee dyed miserable and have served for as great a grace and Ornament to her Countrey as Ierantha and old Castelnovo her father in law were a scandall and shame Thus we see how Gods revenging justice still meetes with Murther O that wee may reade this History with feare and profit thereby in reformation that dying to sinne and living to righteousnesse wee may peaceably dye in this World and gloriously live and raigne in that to come GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE X. Bertolini seekes Paulina in marriage but she loves Sturio and not himselfe hee prayes her Brother Brellati his deare friend to sollicite her for him which he doth but cannot prevaile whereupon Bertolini lets fall some disgracefull speeches both against her honour and his reputation for which Brellati challengeth the Field of him where Bertolini kills him and hee flies for the same Sturio seekes to marry her but his father will not consent thereunto and so conveyes him away secretly for which two disasters Paulina dyes for sorrow Sturio findes out Bertolini and sends him a Challenge and having him at his mer cie gives him his life at his request hee afterwards very treacherously kills Sturio with a Petronell in the Street from a Window he is taken for this second Murther his two hands cut off then beheaded and his body throwne into the River ALbeit that Valour bee requisite in a Gentleman and one of his most essentiall vertues and proper ornaments yet sith Charity is the true marke and character of a Christian wee should not rashly resolve to hazzard the losse of our lives for the preservation of the meere title and vaine point of our honour but rather religiously endeavour to save our soules in that of our owne lives as also of those of our Christian brethren for in Duells and single Combats which though the heate of youth and revenge seeme to allow yet reason will not and Religion cannot did wee onely hazzard our bodies and not our soules then our warrant to fight were in earth as just as now the
both cry and groane which he did very mournfully and which indeed was soone over-heard by a man and a maid-servant of his who only remained in the house who hearing their masters voyce and hastily running up at these his pittifull and lamentable out cryes steping to his assistance they heare him with his best power utter these fearefull speeches That Strumpet my wife hath kill'd me O that shee-Devill my wife hath murthered mee Whereat they cry out at the windowes to the neighbours for helpe alledging that their master is murthered The neighbours assemble and heare him report so much so they send away for his Confessor and the Lieutenant Criminall to both whom he againe confesseth That it is the Strumpet his wife who hath murthered him And then raising himselfe up in his bed with as much strength as his dying wound would permit him he taking them both by the hands with infinite signes and teares reveales to them that he it was who at the seducing of the Devill had stifled his father Argentier to death in Paris that he did it onely to marry this whoore his murtherous wife La Hay that the killing of his father yea the very remembrance thereof infinitely grieves his heart and soule and for the which he infinitely repenteth himselfe and beseecheth the Lord of mercy in mercy to forgive it him and likewise prayed all that were present to pray unto God for him and these were his last words for now his fleeting and fading breath would permit him to say no more All that were present are amazed at this lamentable confession of his to see that hee should murther his father and his execrable wife well neere himselfe so they all glorified God for the detection and discovery hereof But the Lievtenant Criminell and the Counsellors his Associates step to the window and consult to have him hanged whiles he is yet living for the murthering of his father But De Salez saves them that labour for there and then he sinkes into his bed and dyes away before them so they instantly search the house and City for this wretched Murtheresse La Hay whom impious and bloody strumpet they at last find in the Dominican Friers Church at a Sermon from whence with much obloquy and indignity they dragge her to prison where they charge her with the murther of her husband De Salez which the Devill as yet will not permit her to confesse but being adjudged by them to the Racke she at the very first torment confesseth it Upon which severall murthers the Criminell Iudges of the Tournells proceed to sentence so first they adjudge the dead body of De Salez for so inhumanly murdring his father Argentier to be halfe a day hang'd by the heeles to the common gallows and then to bee burnt to ashes which is accordingly executed then they adjudge his wife La Hay for murthering him the next day to bee strangled then burnt so that night some Divines deale with her in prison about the state of her soule whom they finde infinitely obdurated through the vanity of her youth and the temptations of the Devill but they worke effectually with her and so at last by the mercies of God draw her to contrition and repentance when willing her not to charge her soule with the concealing of any other crime and shewing her the dangers thereof she very freely yet sorrowfully confesseth how she it was that for three hundred crownes had caused the Empericke Michaele to poyson La Frange for the which she told them she was now exceedinglie repentant and sorrowfull Whereof the Divines sith it was not delivered them under the seale of Confession advertising the Judges they all wonder at Gods providence to see how all these murthers are discovered and burst forth one in the necke of the other so they alter her sentence and for these her double murthers they condemne her to have her right hand cut off and then to be burnt alive and so they make curious inquiry and research to apprehend this old bloody varlet Michaele In the meane time that very afternoone this miserable and murtherous Curtesan La Hay though to the griefe of her sorrowfull father and sisters yet to the joy of all Tholouse is brought and fastned to her stake where her hand being first strucke off she with many sighes and teares delivereth these few words That her crimes were so foule and odious as she was ashamed to looke either God or man in the face That she was very sorrowfull for causing La Frange to be poysoned as also for murthering of her husband De Salez whose wealth she onely affirmed she loved but not himselfe the which she wholly attributed to the lust and vanitie of her youth to her neglect of prayer and forsaking of God which made the Deuill so strong with her and she with the Deuill and which was the sole cause and ground of this her miserable ruine and destruction she with teares and prayers besought the Lord to be good unto her soule and lifting up her eyes and hands to Heaven likewise beseech the whole assembly to pray heartily unto God for her when recommending her soule into the hands of her Redeemer the fire being alighted her body was soone consumed to ashes whose lamentable yet just end and punishment caused a number of spectators to weepe as yet pitying her youth and beautie as much as they detested the enormitie of her crimes And now for this devillish and murtherous Empericke Michaele although as soone as he heard of La Hayes imprisonment he to save him selfe left Tholouse and fled towards Castres disguised in a Friers habit with his beard shaven yet by the care of the Court of Parliament or rather by the immediate finger and providence of God he is found out and brought backe to Tholouse where for poysoning of La Frange the which he now without the Racke confesseth he is adjudged to be broken on the Wheele there to remaine till he be dead and then his body to be throwne into the River of Garrone the which the same day is accordingly executed and performed to the infinite joy of all the spectators but as hee lived an Atheist so he desperately died a Devill without any shew at all either of contrition or repentance onely hee vomited forth this wretched speech That because the world had so much to say to him he would say nothing to the world but bade the Executioner dispatch him Now by the sight of this mournefull and bloody History the Christian Reader may observe and see how Gods revenge doth still triumph against murther and how he in his due time and providence doth assuredly still detect and punish it It is a History which may serve to deterre and forwarne all yong Gentlemen not to frequent the companies of whores and strumpets and all sonnes not to transgresse the will of their parents much lesse not dare to lay violent hands on them It is a glasse wherein yong Gentlewomen and Wives may
her giftes and promises so farre prevaile with them as she is now returned to her from Nogent to Mans But I feare she had done farre better to have still remained with her father for she might consider and he know what little safety and apparant danger there is to rely upon the favour of an incensed jealousie La Vasselay in all outward shew receives and welcomes Gratiana with many expressions of love and demonstrations of joy thereby to please her husband who indeed likes so well of her returne as he likes his wife the better for procuring it And now to the eye of the world and according to humane conceit and sense all three parties ate reconciled and satisfied as if La Vasselay's jealousie had never heretofore offended her husband nor her cruelty wronged Gratiana or as if hee had never knowne the one nor she felt the other But wee shall not goe farre to see this calme oretaken with a tempest and this Sunne-shine surprised with a dismall and disasterous showre For three moneths were not fully expired since Gratiana's returne to Mans but La Vasselayes old jealousie of her and her husband De Merson which seemed to be suppressed and extinguished doth now flash and flame forth anew with more violence and impetuosity yea he cannot looke on Gratiana much lesse to speake to her but presently this old jealous Beldame in her heart and thoughts proclaimes them guilty of Adultery whereat she indiscreetly suffers her selfe to be so farre transported with Indignation and Envy as she vowes she will no longer tolerate or digest it And now it is that like a fury of hell she first assumes damnable and execrable resolutions not onely against the Innocency but against the life of innocent and harmelesse Gratiana who poore soule is the neerer her danger in respect shee holds her selfe farthest from it yea this jealous old Hagg this Fury nay this she-Devill La Vasselay hath not only consulted but determined and concluded with her bloody thoughts that she will speedily send Gratiana into another world because her youth shall no longer abuse and wrong her age in this When forgetting herselfe her soule and her God thereby purposely to please her senses her Ielousie and her Tutor the Devill shee vowes that no respect of reason nor Religion no consideration of Heaven or Hell shall bee capable to divert her from dispatching her yea and as if shee not onely rejoyced but glorified in this her pernitious and bloody designe shee thinkes every houre a yeare before she hath performed it To which end providing her selfe of strong poyson and watching and catching at the very first opportunity as soone as ever Gratiana found her selfe not wel she under a colour of much affection and care to her makes her some white broath wherein infusing and intermixing the aforesaid poyson she gracelesly and cruelly gives it her the which within six daies fainting and languishing makes a perpetuall divorce and separation betwixt her soule and her body leaving this to descend to earth and that to ascend to heaven to draw downe vengeance to this hellish and execrable La Vasselay for so inhumanly and cruelly murthering this her harmelesse and innocent waiting Gentlewoman Gratiana De Merson understanding of Gratiana's death almost as soone as of her sickenesse he very sorrowfully bites the lip thereat for considering this accident in its true nature his thoughts suggest him and his heart and soule prompts him that his wife La Vasselay had undoubtedly occasioned her death and so metamorphosed her jealousie into murther yea and notwithstanding the faire and sorrowfull shew which she puts thereon to the contrary yet the premises considered he is very confident in this his beleife and feare when grieving at the cruelty of this disaster and abhorring the author of so monstrous and bloody a fact the very sight of this his old wretched wife is odious and the remembrance of this her cruell crime detestable and execrable unto him Againe when he considereth Gratiana's beauty and chastity and that she was sent to her untimely grave for his sake this doth not only redouble his sorrowes but infinitely augment and increase his afflictions so that beginning to feare his wives envy as much as he hated her jealousie in that it was not onely possible but likely that it might also futurely extend and reflect on him as well as it already had on harmelesse and innocent Gratiana he assumes a resolution to leave and forsake her the which we shall shortly see him put in execution when the better to curbe and vex her hee secretly packes up all her Bills Bonds Leafes and Conveyances as also all her Money Plate Iewels and richest Housholdstuffe and so giving out a prohibition to all the Tenants not to dare to pay her any rent he allowing her only a bare maintenance very suddenly when she least expected or dreamt thereof takes horse and rides home to his fathers where he resolves to make the greatest part of his residence and all the reares and prayers of his wife are not of power to reclaime or retaine him La Vasselay seeing the unkindnesse of her Husband De Merson in making her a widdow almost as soone as a wife as also his ingratitude in depriving her of the use and fruition of her owne estate and meanes and leaving her so poore an allowance as could scarce warrant her a competent maintenance shee is almost ready to die for meere griefe and sorrow thereof but how to remedy it she knowes not And now she repents her folly and indiscretion in matching her aged selfe to so young a man as De Merson now shee doth not only accuse but condemne her owne jealousie which drew herto this foule fact of murthering her harmelesse and as shee now beleeves her innocent Wayting-maid Gratiana for which this ingratefull departure and hard usage of her husband is but the least and as she tearmes it but the fore-runner of greater punishments which God hath ordained and reserved for her yea it is not onely a griefe to her thoughts but a vexation to her heart and soule to see her selfe made the mockingstocke and laughter of all Mans and Maine who rather excuse her husbands youth then any way pitty or commiserate herage and to see that the friends of her prosperity turne their backes and faces to her in her affliction and poverty and if she have any hope yet left to assist and comfort her in these her calamities it is by endeavouring to reconcile and reclaime her husband to her by Letters when taking pen and paper she within a moneth of his departure sends him these few lines LA VASSELAY to DE MERSON SInce at thy request I both recanted my Iealousie to thy selfe and repented my cruelty to my maid Gratiana what have I committed or done that should deserve this thy ingratefull and as I may truely say Heart killing departure for having made a most exact Scruteny in my thoughts and soule either of
hee will die his faithfull servant But wee shall see him have more grace than to keepe so gracelesse a promise Carpi flattering himselfe with the fidelity and affection of his Laquay resolves to stay in the City but hee shall shortly repent his confidence Hee was formerly betrayed by Fiesco which mee thinks should have made him more cautious and wise and not so simple to entrust and repose his life on the incertaine mercy of Lorenzo's tongue but Gods Revenge drawes neare him and consequently he neare his end for he neither can nor shall avoid the judgement of Heaven Lorenzo on the gallowes will not charge his soule with this foule and execrable sinne of murther but Grace now operating with his soule as much as formerly Satan did with his heart hee confesseth that hee and the Baron of Carpi his Master together with the Knight Monte-leone and his Laquay Anselmo murthered the Captaine Benevente and his man Fiamento and threw them into the Quarrie the which hee takes to his death is true and so using some Christian-like speeches of repentance and sorrow he is hanged Lorenzo is no sooner turned over but the Criminall Iudges advertised of his speeches delivered at his death they command the Baron of Carpi his lodging to be beleagred where he is found in his study and so apprehended and committed prisoner where feare makes him looke pale so as the Peacocks plumes both of his pride and courage strike saile He is againe put to the Racke and now the second time hee reveales his foule and bloudy murther and in every point acknowledgeth Lorenzoes accusation of him to be true So he is condemned first to have his right hand cut off and then his head notwithstanding that many great friends of his sue to the Viceroy for his pardon The night before he was to die the next morne one of his Judges was sent to him to prison to perswade him to discover all his complices in that murther besides Monte-leone and his Laquay Anselmo yea there are likewise some Divines present who with many religious exhortations perswade him to it So Grace prevailes with Nature and Righteousnesse with Impiety and sinne in him that he is now no longer himselfe for contrition and repentance hath reformed him hee will rather disrespect Caelestina than displease God whereupon he affirmes that she and her deceased sister Fidelia drew him and Monte-leone to murther their father and his man Fiamento and that if it had not beene for their allurements and requests they had never attempted either the beginning or end of so bloudy a businesse and thus making himselfe ready for Heaven and grieving at nothing on Earth but at the remembrance of his foule fact he in the sight of many thousand people doth now lose his head This Tragedy is no sooner acted and finished in Naples but the Judges of this City send away poast to those of Otranto to seize on the Lady Caelestina who in the absence of her husband for the most part lived there A Lady whom I could pitie for her youth and beauty did not the foulenesse of her fact so foulely disparage and blemish it She is at that instant at a Noblemans house at the solemnitie of his daughters marriage where she is apprehended imprisoned and accused to bee the authour and plotter of the Captaine her fathers death neither can her teares or prayers exempt her from this affliction and misery She was once of opinion to deny it but understanding that the Baron of Carpi and his Laquay Lorenzo were already executed for the same in Naples shee with a world of teares freely confesseth it and confirmes as much as Carpi affirmed whereupon in expiation of this her inhumane Paracide she is condemned to have her head cut off her body burnt and her ashes throwne into the ayre for a milder death and a lesse punishment the Lord will not out of his Justice inflict vpon her for this her horrible crime and barbarous cruelty committed on the person of her owne father or at least seducing and occasioning it to be committed on him and it is not in her husbands possible power to exempt or free her hereof Being sent backe that night to prison she passeth it over or in very truth the greatest part thereof in prayer still grieving for her sinnes and mourning for this her bloudy offence and crime and the next morne being brought to her execution when she ascended the scaffold she was very humble sorrowfull and repentant and with many showres of teares requested her brother Alcasero and all her kinsfolkes to forgive her for occasioning and consenting to her fathers death and generally all the world to pray for her when her sighs and teares so sorrowfully interrupted and silenced her tongue as she recommending her soule into the hands of her Redeâ—…mer whom she had so heynously offended shee with great humility and contrition kneeling on her knees and lifting up her eyes and hands towards heaven the Executioner with his sword made a double divorce betwixt her head and her body her body and her soule and then the fire as if incensed at so fiery a spirit consumed her to ashes and her ashes were throwne into the ayre to teach her and all the world by her example that so inhumane and bloudy a daughter deserved not either to tread on the face of this Earth or to breathe this ayre of life She was lamented of all who either knew or saw her not that she should die but that she should first deserve then suffer so shamefull and wretched a death and yet shee was farre happier than her sister Fidelia for shee despaired and this confidently hoped for remission and salvation Thus albeit this wretched and execrable young Gentlewoman lived impiously yet she died Christianly wherefore let vs thinke on that with detestation and on this with charity And here wee see how severely the murther of Captaine Benevente was by Gods just revenge punished not onely in his two daughters who plotted it but also in the two Noblemen and their two Laquayes who acted it Such attempts and crimes deserve such ends and punishments and infallibly finde them The onely way therefore for Christians to avoid the one and contemne the other is with sanctified hearts and unpolluted hands still to pray to God for his Grace continually to affect prayer and incessantly to practise piety in our thoughts and godlinesse in our resolutions and actions the which if wee be carefull and conscionable to performe God will then shrowd us under the wings of his favour and so preserve and protect us with his mercy and providence as we shall have no cause to feare either Hell or Satan GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XV. Maurice like a bloudy villaine and damnable sonne throwes his Mother Christina into a Well and drownes her the same hand and arme of his wherewith he did it rots away from his body aad being discrased of
his wits in Prison he there confesseth his foule and inhumane murther for the which he is hanged IF we did not wilfully make ourselves miserable God is so indulgent and mercifull to us as hee would make us more happy but when with high and presumptuous hands wee violate the Lawes of Nature and Grace of Earth and Heaven in murthering through Envie those whom through Duty and affection wee are bound to obey honour cherish and preserve then it is no marvell because we first forsooke God that he after abandoneth us to our selves and sins and to the fruits thereof Calamity Misery Infamy and Perdition and that we may see humane cruelty to be justly met with and punished by Gods upright and divine Justice Loe here in this ensuing History we shall see a wretched sonne kill his harmlesse and deare mother A very fearefull and lamentable Parracide a most cruell and execrable fact for the which we shall see him rewarded with condigne punishment and with a sharpe and infamous death although not halfe so deplorable as deserved It is a bitter and bloudy History the relation and remembrance whereof in the most barbarous and flinty hearts is capable not only to ingender compassion but compunction yea not onely contrition but teares at least if we have any place left in us for Pitty or roome for Piety the which if we have doubtlesse the end of our reading will not onely blesse but crowne the beginning and the beginning the end thereof VPon the North-east side of the Lake Leman vulgarly knowne and called the Lake of Geneva because it payes its full tribute and makes its chiefest Rendezvous before that City whereof it invironeth at least one third part There stands a pretty small and strong towne distant a little dayes journey from it termed Morges which properly belongs to the jurisdiction of Berne one of the chiefest Cantons of that warlike people and Country of Swisserland wherein of very late yeares and recent memory there dwelt a rich and honest Burger or Burgemaster for of Gentry those parts and people are not because they will not bee capable named Martin Halsenorfe who by his wife Christina Snuytsaren had one only childe a sonne named Maurice Halsenorfe now of some fourteene yeare old whose father although hee were by profession a souldier and enrolled a Lieutenant to one of those Auxiliary Bands of that Countrey which are in pay to the French King yet neverthelesse his chiefest ambition and care was to make this sonne of his a scholler because the Ignorance and illiterature of his owne age made him to repent it in himselfe and therefore to provide a remedy thereof in his sonnes youth sith hee now knew and saw that a man without learning was either as a body without a soule or a soule without knowledge and reason which are her chiefest vertues and most sacred Ornaments and Excellencies So hee brings him up to their owne Grammar Schoole in Morges where in some three or foure yeares his affection and care to study makes him so good a Proficient as hee becomes not onely skilfull but perfect therein and almost as capable to teach his Schoole-master as hee was to instruct him yea and to adde the better Grace to the Grace of that Art hee was of so milde and so modest a carriage and the blossomes of his youth were so sweetly watred with the Heavenly dew of Vertue and Piety as if his manners and himselfe were wholly composed thereof so that for Learning and Goodnesse hee was and was justly reputed not onely the Mirrour but the Phoenix of all the youth of Morges and as he esteemed himselfe happy in his Parents so they reciprocally hold themselves not onely happy but blessed in this their sonne but because the inherent corruption of our Nature and the perversenesse and multiplicity of our sinnes are such as they cannot promise us any true joy much lesse assured and permanent felicity so the Sunne-shine of this their Temporary content equally divided in thirds betwixt the Father Mother and Sonne will shortly receive a great Eclipse and a fatall disaster which will bee to them so much the more bitter and mournfull sith both the cause and effects thereof were of each of them unthought of of them all unexpected For God in his saâ—…red decree and providence seeing Martin Halsenorfe the father his strength arrived at his full Meridian and height and his dayes to their full number and period He as he sate at dinner jocund and merry with his wife and sonne is suddenly taken with a deadly swoone which presently deprives his body of this life and sends his soule to enjoy the sweet felicity and sacred joy and immortality of the life to come A Document which may teach us not to relie upon the rotten privileges and strength of youth but so to prepare our lives that death at all places and in all times maystill finde us armed and ready to encounter it A Document which may teach us with the erected eyes as well of our faith as body so to looke from Earth to Heaven that our soules be not onely ready but willing to forsake this stinking Tabernacle and prison of our mortality to flie and be admitted into Heaven that Heavenly Ierusalem and Celestiall City where they may enjoy the blessed Communion of the Saints and the greatest blessings of all joyes and the most soueraigne joy of all blessings then to see our Creator and Saviour God the Father and Christ Iesus his Sonne face to face wherein indeed all the joyes and blessings of our soules are comprised and included The death of Halsenorfe the father is not onely the Argument but the cause of his widdow Christinâ—…'s griefe of his sonne Maurice his sorrow of her teares and groanes of his sighs and afflictions yea and not to derrogate from the Truth I may step a degree farther and say that this his death is a fatall herauld and mournfull harâ—…inger which pâ—…rtends and prepares both of them many disasterous calamities and wofull miseries the which in a manner are almost ready to surprise and befall them This sorrowfull widdow being thus deprived of her deare Husband who was both her comfort and her joy her stay and her Protector her Head and her glory although hee left her a good Estate sufficient enough to warrant her against the feare of poverty and to secure herselfe against the apprehension of worldly Indigence and wherewithall to maintaine both her and her sonne with somewhat more than an indifferent competency yet she saw her friends forsake her and her Husbands familiar acquaintance abandon her as if their friendship died with him and that their remembrance of him was wholly raked up and buried in the dust of his grave A most ingratefull disease and iniquity of our time rather to be pitied than cured and reproved than reformed so fading inconstant are the unfriendly friendships of the world who for the most part are grounded on profit not on
both accuseth 〈◊〉 condemneth himselâ—… for the same For the very Image of that conceit 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 â—…s his feaâ—… did his phrensie and madnesse hee in thâ—… 〈◊〉 of those fiâ—…s aâ—… the height of that Agony and Anxietie driâ—… out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Mâ—…ther in the Well I have drowned 〈…〉 he suffer you to hang me I speake it on Earth and by my part of Heaven what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is true Which words 〈◊〉 sooner esâ—…aped his 〈◊〉 â—…ut he â—…nstantly â—…nes againe to his out-cries of phreâ—… and madnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…d the rest 〈◊〉 â—…ed at these fearefull 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 that they attribute to madnesse yet they lead him to the Hospitall he still raving and crying as hee passeth the streets But oh Let us here farther admire with wonder and wonder with admiration at the providence and mercy of God here againe miraculously made apparent and manifested in this execrable wretch Maurice for he who outragiously cryed in his prison and licentiously raved in the street is no sooner entred into the Hospitall but the pleasure of God had so ordained it as his Madnesse fully fals from him and he absolutely recovereth againe his wits and senses in such firme and setled manner as if he had never formerly beene touched or afflicted therewith His Gaolers make report to the Magistrates first of his confession of drowning his Mother and then of his sudden and miraculous recovering of his perfect memory judgement and senses as soone as hee set foot within the Hospitall Whereupon they as much astonished at the one as wondring at the other doe instantly repaire thither to him and there arraigne and accuse him for that inhumane and bloudy fact of his whereof his owne Evidence and Confession hath now made him guilty But they take him for another or at least hee will not be the same man He denies this horrible and bloudy crime of his with many oaths and asseverations which they maintaine and affirme he hath confessed sayes that they either heard a dreame or saw a Vision whereof hee neither dreamt not thought of and that hee was ready to lose all the bloud and life of his body to finde out and to be revenged of the murtherers of his mother But the Magistrates are deafe to his Apologie and considering the violence of his madnesse by its sudden abandoning him as also his free and uninforced confession of drowning his Mother they conceive that Gods providence and Justice doth strongly operate in the detection of this foule and inhumane murther and therfore contemning his requests and oaths in the vindication of his innocency they cause him to bee refetched from the Hospitall to the Prison and there adjudge him to the Racke when although his heart and soule bee terrified and affrighted with his apprehension and accusation Yet the devill is so strong with him as he cannot yet finde in his heart to relent much lesse to repent this foule and inhumane crime of his but considering that he acted it so secretly as all the world could not produce a witnesse against himselfe except himselfe hee vowes he will bee so impious and prophane in his fortitude and courage as to disdaine these his torments and to looke on them and his Tormentor with an eye rather of contempt than feare But God will be as propitious and indulgent to him as he is rebellious and refractory to God for here we shall see both his Conscience and resolutions taught another rule and prescribed a contrary Law yea here we shall behold and observe in him that now Righteousnesse shall triumph over Siâ—…e Grace over Nature his Soule over his Body Heaven over Hell and GOD over Satan for at the very first sight of the Racke the sight and remembrance of his bloudy crime makes him shake and tremble extremely when his soule being illuminated by the resplendant Sun beames of Gods mercy and the foggie mists of Hell and Satan expelled and banished thence he fals to the ground on his knees first beats his brest and then erecting his eyes and hands towards Heaven he with a whole deluge of teares againe confesseth that hee had drowned his mother in the Well from and for the which he humbly craveth remission both from Earth and Heaven And although there bee no doubt but God will forgive his Soule for this his soule murther yet the Magistrates of Morges who have Gravity in their lookes Religion in their hearts and speecheâ—… and Justice in their actions will not pardon his body so in detestation of this his fearefull crime and inhumane parracide they in the morning condemne him that very after-noone to be hanged At the pronouncing of which sentence as he hath reason to approve the equity of their Iustice in condemning him to die so he cannot refraine from grieving at the strictnesse of the time which they allot him fot his preparation to death But as soone as wee forsake the devill we make our peace with God All Morges and Losanna rings of this mournefull and Tragicall newes and in detestation of this mournefull inhumane and bloody crime of our execrable Maurice they flocke from all parts and streets to the place of execution to see him expiate it by his dearh and so to take his last farewell of his life The Divines who are given him for fortifying and assisting his soule in this her flight and transmigration from Earth to Heaven have religiously prevailed with him so as they make him see the foulenesse of his crime in the sharpenesse of his contrition and repentance for the same yea hee is become so humble and withall so sorrowfull for this his bloody and degenerate offence as I know not whether hee thinke thereof with more griefe or remember it wirh detestation and repentance At his ascending the Ladder most of his Spectators cannot refraine from weeping and the very sight of their teares prooves the Argument of his as his remembrance of murthering his Mother was the cause Hee tells them hee grieves at his very soule for the foulenesse of his fact in giving his Mother her death of whom he had received his life He affirmes that Drunkennesse was not onely the roote but the cause of this his beggery and misery of his crime and punishment and of his deboshed life and deserved death from which with a world of sighes and teares hee seekes and endevours to divert all those who affect and practise that beastly Vice He declares that his Mother was too vertuous so soone to goe out of the world and himselfe too vitious and wirhall too cruell any longer to live in it that the sinnes of his life had deserved this his shamefull death and although he could not prevent the last yet that he heartily and sorrowfully repented the first Hee prayed God to be mercifull to his soule and then besought the world to pray unto God for that mercy when speaking a few words to himselfe and sealing them with
husband make great suit to the Iudges that they may for a short time see and speake one with the other but it will not be graunted them When Harcourt being as confident of his owne life as hee was of his wifes death makes secret proffer by some friends of his to the Iudges of all his lands and demaynes to save his wife but they resembling themselves doe so much feare God and reverence and honour the sacred Name of Iustice as they are deafe to his requests The next morning according to her sentence she is brought to the place of her execution but at her earnest and importunate request so early that very few people were present at her death where being ascended the Ladder she there againe cursed the name and execrated the memory of that wretched Villaine Tivoly and wished much prosperity and happinesse to her Husband Harcourt when turning her eye about and seeing a Cosen Germaine of his there present named Monseiur de Pierpont shee cals him to her and is so vaine at this last period as it were of her life as she takes off her glove and bracelet from her right hand and arme and prayes him to deliver it to his Cosin and her Husband Harcourt and to assure him from her that shee dyed his most loving and constant wife which Monseiur Pierponte faithfully promised her to performe then a Subordinate officer of justice being there to see her dye tells her that hee was now commanded by the Iudges his Superiours to tell her that shee being now to leave earth and so ready to ascend into heaven they prayed her in the name and feare of God to declare to all those who were present if her Husband Harcourt yea or no had any hand or were knowing or accessary with her in the poysoning of his first wife La Precoverte and that shee should doe piously and christianly to discover the truth thereof which would undoubtedly tend to Gods glory and the salvation of her owne soule When she solemnely vowed to him and to all the people that her Husband Harcourt never knew nor in thought word or deed was any way accessary knowing or consenting with her or Tivoly in poysoning of his wife and this which shee now spake was the pure truth as she hoped for Heaven And now after a few teares shee most vainely and idely fell praysing and commending of him especially how tenderly and deerely hee loved her with other ridiculous and impertinent speeches tending that way which I hold every way unworthy of my mention and repetition but had not the grace either to looke up to heaven or to God with repentance or the goodnesse to looke downe into her owne heart conscience or soule with contrition and sorrow for all those her foule Adulteries and Murthers Neither to pray to God for her selfe or to request those who were present to pray to God for her And so shee was turned over all wondring and grieving at her bloody crime and therefore some few lamenting or sorrowing for this her infamous death But shee there speakes not a word or the shadow of a word either of her Husband Harcourts pistolling to death of his Brother her first husband Vimory or of her knowledge thereof or consent thereunto Now though Harcourt seemed outwardly very sorrowfull for this shamefull death of his wife Masserina yet hee is inwardly exceeding Ioyfull that her silence at her death of murthering his Brother Vimory hath preserved his life with his reputation and his reputation with his life Whereupon being the same day freed and acquitted by the Iudges of Sens both of his pretended cryme as also of his imprisonment Hee composing his countenance equally betwixt joy and sorrow returnes to his house of Saint Symplician where now thinking himselfe absolutely discharged and cleered of all these his former Adulteries as also of his late cruell murthering of his Brother Hee within two or at most within three moneths after his wife Masserinaes Execution casts of his mourning apparell which he wore for her death and neither thinking of his soule or his conscience or of heaven or hell he â—…antes and froliques it out in brave apparell and because hee is now fortunately arrived to bee chiefe Lord and master of a great Estate both in Lands and money therefore hee thinkes it not his pride but his glory and not his vanity but his generosity to dight and put himselfe now into farre richer apparell then ever formerly hee had done whereof all the Gentlemen his neighbours yea all the Citty of Sens with no little wonder tooke especiall notice therof Yea hee is so farre from once dreaming or thinking either of his murthering of his Brother Vimorye or of the deplorable and untimely ends of his two wives as with much vanity and with farre more haste then discretion or consideration he now speedilyresolves to take and marry a third But his hopes will deceive them because God in his sacred Iustice and Iudgements will deceive his hopes For when he thinkes himselfe secure and safe not onely from the danger but likewise from the suspition of any fatall or disasterous accident which can possibly befall him then the triumphant power of Gods revenge will both suddenly and soundly surprise him His honest man Noell with an observant eye and a Conscionable and sorrowfull heart hath heard of La Precovertes poysoning and of Vimories pistolling to death and hath likewise seene the hanging both of Tivoly and of his last Mistris Masserina In all which severall accidents as one way hee wondereth at the malice of Sathan So another way hee cannot but infinitely admire and applaud the just judgements of the Lords Hee likewise knowes what his Master Harcourt is to him and hee to his master and in the time of his service and attendance under him what different and severall passages of businesse and secrets have past betweene them Hee hath remarked farre more vices then vertues in his Master whereat hee much grieveth but hee was infinitely more enforced then desirous either to see or know them and this againe doth exceedingly rejoyce him Hee well knowes that fidelity is the glory of a servant and yet it is a continuall sensible griefe to his heart and vexation to his soule to see that his Master serves God no better Hee doth not desire to know things which concerne his said Master whereof hee is ignorant but doth wish and pray to God that he were ignorant of many things which hee knowes and of more which he feares and being very often perplexed in his minde with the reluctation of these different causes and their as different effects Hee cannot but in the end satisfie himselfe with this resolution That as Harcourt is his Earthly Master so God is his Heavenly Master But here betides an unexpected and unwished Accident to this Noell which will speedily try of what temper and mettall both himselfe his heart his conscience and his soule is made and what infinite
disparity there is betwixt Earth and Heaven By the pleasure and visitation of God Hee is suddenly taken extreame sicke of a pestilent Feaver but not in his Master Harcourts house but in his owne Fathers house who dweltsome foure leagues thence at a parish called Saint Lazare and his Phisition yeelding him a dead man hee as a religious Roman Catholicke takes the extreame Vnction and then prepares himselfe to dye But hee is so morall and so good a Christian as the premises considered he resolves to carry his conscience pure and his Soule white and unspotted to Heaven Hee prayes his Father therefore that hee will speedily ride to Sens in whose Iurisdiction Saint Lazare was and to pray two of the three Iudges to come over to him for that hee hath a great Secret to reveale them now on his death bed which conduceth to the glory of God the service of the King and the good of his owne soule His Father accordingly rides to Sens and brings two of those Iudges speedily with him to his Sonnes bed side to whom in presence of three or foure more of his Fathers neighbours â—…hee very sicke in body but perfectly sound in minde tells him that his Master Harcourt would heretofore have had him pistoll his Brother Vimorye to death and proferred him two hundred Crownes in mony and forty Crownes Annuity during his life to performe it but hee refused it and knowing the said Mounseiur De Vimorye to bee since murthered by a pistoll hee therefore verily beleeves that it is either his said Master or some other for him which is guilty of that lamentable murther the true detection whereof he saies he leaves to God and to them and within halfe an houre after yea before they were departed his Fathers house this Noell dies Hereupon these Iudges wondring at the providence of God in the evidence of this dying man for the discovery of this lamentable murther They speedily send away their officers who apprehend Harcourt in his owne house of Saint Simplitian carowsing and froliking it in his best wine in Company of three or foure of his deboshed consorts and Companions and so they bring him to Sens Where lying in prison that night the next morning the Iudges of that City cause him to bee arraigned before them and Charge him with pistolling of his Brother Mounseiur De Vimorie to death which fortified and armed by the Devill hee strongly and stoutly denies they reade his man Noells dying Evidence against him to prove it So they adjudge him to the fiery torment of the Scarpines for the vindication of this truth the which hee endureth with a wonderfull fortitude and constancy and still denies it When their hearts being prompted from Heaven and their soules from God That hee was yet the undoubted murtherer of his Brother they the second time adjudged him to the racke whereon permitting himselfe to bee fastened and the tormenters giving a good touch at him God is more mercifull to his soule then his Tortures are to his body and so with teares in his eies hee confesseth that it was hee which pistolled his Brother Vimorye to death and which afterwards ranne him twice thorow the body with his Rapier Whereupon for this bloody and unnaturall fact of his His Iudges without any regard to his extraction or quality condemne him the next afternoone betweene foure and five of the clocke to bee broken a live on the wheele at the publike place of execution Some few Gentlemen his kinsfolke solicite his reprivall because as yet they dispaire of his pardon but their labours proves vaine and they purchase no reputation in seeking it for now all Sens and the adjacent Country cry fie on him and on his foule and enormous Crymes of Adultery and Fratricide So the next day at the houre and place appointed hee is brought to his execution where a mighty concourse of people both of Sens and the adjacent Country flocke to see this monster of nature take his last farwell of this world Being mounted on the Scaffold in a Tawny Sattin sute with a gold edge Hee confesseth himselfe guilty of murthering his Brother Vimorye and yet hee grieves farre more for the death of his last wife Masserina then hee doth for that of his first La Precoverte Hee demands forgivenesse of God and the world for this his foule crime of Fratricide and praies all who are there present to pray to Almighty God for the salvation of his soule and that they become more charitable and religious and lesse bloudy and prophane by his example So commending his soule unto God his body to the Earth from whence it came and marking himselfe three or foure times with the signe of the Crosse hee willingly suffers the Executioner to fasten his Legges and Armes upon the wheele the wheele the which as soone as he breakes with his iron barre untill hee have seized upon death and death on him And thus was the wretched lives and miserable and yet deserved deaths of these our cruell and inhumane gracelesse Murtherers and in this manner did the Triumphs of Gods Revenge justly surprize them to their shame and cut them off to their Confusion May we read this History to Gods glory and as often meditate thereon to our owne particular reformation and instruction GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther Romeo the Laquey of Borlary kils Radegonda the Chamber maid of the Lady Felisanna in the Street and is hanged for the same Borlari afterwards hireth Castruchio an Apothecary to poyson her Husband Seignior Planeze for the which Castruchio is hanged and his body throwne into the River and Borlari beheaded and burnt IT is a thousand griefes and pities to see Christians who are honoured with that glorious title and appellation should so willfully and wretchedly lose it by imbrewing their guilty hands in the innocent bloud of their Christian Brethren and thereby to bereave our selves of that rich ornament and inestimable Iewell which God in his Sonne Christ Iesus hath lent us for the planting of our Faith and given us for the extirpation of our prophanesse and the rooting out of our Impiety But this is the subtle malice and malitious subtilty of Sathan the professed enemy and Arch-Traytor of our soules as also of his infernall Agents and Factors who thereby prove and make themselves to bee the firebrands and incendiaries of their owne felicity and safety And because the examples of the wicked doe strike apprehension and feare to the godly and that the punishment and death of murtherers doth fortifie the Charity and foment and confirme the Innocency of the living Therefore for that Reason and to this end I have purposly given this next History a place in my Booke wherein wee shall see Choller Malice and Revenge to act many deplorable and bloudy parts Let us reade it with a zealous feare and a Christian fortitude and so wee shall assuredly hate this foule and crying Sinne iâ—…â—…thers and religiously
Dorilla receiving this Letter from Castruchio she puts it into her purse and promiseth him her best care and fidelity for the delivery thereof to Seignior Borlari although she confesseth that she neither knew him nor his house But see here the providence and mercy of God which cleerely resplends and shines in the deportment and action of this beastly old bawd for she meeting with some of her gamesters and gossips in the street though contrary to the custome of Italy away they goe to a taverne where they all swill their head and braines with wine especially Dorilla So the day being farre spent her businesse for Castruchio is ended ere begun for shee forgetting her selfe cannot remember his letter but as fast as her reeling legges will permit her away shee speedes towards her owne house which was some halfe a mile off in the Citty But when she was in the streets and had a little taken the aire then she cals Castruchios letter to minde and her promise to him to deliver it but to whom through her cups she hath quite forgotten for she cannot once hiâ—… on the name Borlari But at last remembring the letter to be in her purse and she by this time in the midst of the Citty she takes it out in her hand seeing a faire yet sorrowfull young Lady to stand at the street doore of her house all in mourning attire and no body neere her after she had done her duty to her she reacheth her the letter and humbly requesteth her to tell her the Gentlemans name to whom it was directed when God out of the profundity of his power and immensity of his pleasure having so ordained and ordered it that this faire young Lady was our sweet Felisanna who for the death of her deere husband Planeze had dighted her selfe al in mourning attire and apparel thereby the better to make it correspond with her heart who reading the superscription therof and finding it directed to Seignior Borlari by some motion or inspiration from heaven her heart could not refrain from sending all the bloudof her body into her face when demanding of this woman from whom this letter came Dorilla as drunke in her fidelity and innocency as shee was guilty of her drunkennesse tels her that the letter came from an Apothecary who lay in prison named Castruchio At the very repetition of which name our Felisanna againe blusheth and then palleth as if God had some newes to reveale her by this Letter because shee remembreth that this Castruchio as we have formerly understood was the very same Apothecary who gave her husband Planeze physicke a little before his death Whereupon she praying Dorilla to come with her into her house because she purposly and politikely affirmed she could not read written hand herselfe but would pray her father to doe it she leaves her in the utter hall and herselfe goes into the next roome where breaking up the seales of this letter she at the very first sight and knowledge that her husband was poysoned and by whom and that God had now miraculously revealed it to her through the ignorance and drunkennesse of this old woman she for meere griefe and sorrow is ready to fall to the ground in a swoone had not her father and some of his servants who over hearing her passionate outcries come speedily to her assistance which yet could not awake Dorilla who had no sooner sate her selfe downe in a chaire in the hall but being top heavy with wine she presently fell a sleepe Miniata rousing up his fainting and sorrowfull daughter brought her againe to herselfe and seeing her in a bitter agonie and passion of sorrow demands of her the cause thereof when the brinish teares trickling downe her virmilion cheekes she crossing her armes and fixing her eyes towards heaven had the will but not the power to speake a word to him but reacheth him the Letter to read Miniata perusing it is as much astonished with griefe as his daughter is afflicted with sorrow at this poysoning of her Husband and his sonne in Law Planeze so enquiring of her who brought her this letter she after many sighes and pauses tels him that it was the mercy and providence of the Lord who sent it her by a drunken woman who was forth in the Hall They both goe to her and finding her fast sleeping and snoring Miniata puls her by the sleeve and wakes her and then demands of her before his daughter and servants where and from whom she had this letter who as drunke as this Baud is she is constant in her first speech and confession to Felisanna that she had it from Castruchio an Apothecary who lay in prison but she had forgotten to whom she was to deliver it and then prayes them both to deliver and give her backe her letter againe But Miniata seeing and knowing that it was the immediate finger of God which thus strangely had revealed this murther of his sonne in Law Planeze he calls in two Gentlewomen his next neighbours to comfort his daughter Felisanna and so leaving Dorilla to the guard of two of his servants he with two other Gentlemen his neighbours takes his Coach and having Castruchio's Letter in his hand he drives away to the State-house where he findes out the Podestate and Prefect of the Citie and shewing them the Letter which revealed the poysoning and poysoners of Planeze his sonne in Law they in honour to justice and out of their respect to the sorrowfull Lady his daughter take their Coaches and returne with Miniata home to his house Where they first examine Felisanna and then Dorilla who is constant in her first deposition Whereat these grave and honourable Personages wondring and admiring that a Gentleman of Barlari his ranke and quality should make himselfe the guilty and bloudy Authour of so foule a Murther they likwise admiring and blessing Gods providence in the detection thereof doe presently send away their Isbieres or Serjeants to apprehend Borlari and so they goe to their Forum or seat of Iustice and speedily send away for Castruchio to be brought from the prison before them Who at the very first newes of their accusation of him and the producing of his Letter to Borlari he curseth the person and name of this old Bawd Dorilla who is the prime Authour of his overthrow and death and then confesseth himselfe to be the Actor and Seignior Borlari to be the Authour cause and Instigator of this his poysoning of Planeze but never puts his hand on his conscience and soule that the strange detection of this lamentable murther came directly from Heaven and from God The Serjeants by order from the Podestate and Prefect finde Borlari in his owne house ruffling in a new rich suit of apparrell of blacke Sattin trimmed with gold buttons which he that day put on and the next was determined to ride to the City of Bergamo to seeke in marriage a very rich young widdow whose Husband lately died
and place appointed meet thee and thine on horsebacke where wee doubt not but to acquit our selves as our selves and to make thee and thine acknowledge that our swords are composed of agood temper and our hearts of a better and consequently that you may perchance meet with your superiours aswell in valour as in bloud and extraction BEAVMARAYS He hath no sooner ended this his letter but he presently beginnes to thinke of his second when calling to minde his owne younger brother Le Montagne a young Gentleman of some twenty yeares of age is brave and valiant and that he hath already fought two Duels and in both of them came off with his honour he sends for him to his closet and there shewes him Champigny his challenge and his answer thereuâ—…to and demands of him if he have any stomacke to second him at this feast his brother Montagne highly applauds his generous resolution for accepting this challenge thankes him for the honour and favour he now doth him in making him his second vowes that if he had many lives as he hath but one hee is ready to sacrifice them all at his feet and service and couragiously tels him hee should have taken it for a sensible affront disgrace and injury if hee had made choice of any other then himselfe So they both prepare their horses swords and courages against the approching time and no lesse doth Champigny and Marin Beaumarays and his brother Montagne conceale this businesse from all the world and Champigny beares it so close and secret as he makes not his ambitious and malitious wife acquainted therewith but in favour of his love to her beauty and reputation to himselfe smothers it up in silence Tuesday morning being come our foure impatient champions are in the fields at their Rendez-vous first arrive Champigny and Marin and presently after them Beaumarays and his brother Montagne all of them being bravely mounted upon neighing and trampling coursers At their entrance Marin comes with a soft trot towards Beaumarays thinking to apologize himselfe to him But Beaumarays is so brave and generous as he is deafe to his speeches and will not heare him but tels him that it is swords not tongues which must now decide their difference and prove him innocent or guilty So Marin missing of his aime he returnes againe upon the same trot to Champigny and now according to the order and nature of Duels it is ordered between those foure desperate Gentlemen that their principals shall search the seconds and the seconds the principals to see whether their doublets were any more then sword proofe but they mighâ—… well have saved themselves that labour for they are all of them too noble and valiant any way to taint their reputations and honours with the least shadow or tincture of cowardize so they cast of their doublets devide themselves and then draw and the first which must and will try their fortunes are Champigny and Beaumarays who being some fourescore paces off they give the Spurres and reines to their horses and part as swift as the winde or rather so furiously and suddenly as two claps of thunder or flashes of lightning At their first encounter Beaumarays runnes Champigny through his shirt band into the right side of his necke and Champigny him into his left shoulder whereat reciprocally inflamed as Lyons they make short turnes with their horses and so fall to it amaine with their swords when againe Beaumarays gives Champigny two other wounds and he returnes him one in counterexchange whereof neither of them being mortall they againe devide themselves to breath which having done and both of them as yet unsatisfied they part the second time at which cloze Champigny misseth Beaumarays and hurts his horse in the necke but BBeaumarays gives Champigny a licke with his sword ore his forehead which bled exceedingly but yet they are too couragious to desist as scorning rather then caring for the number of their wounds They to it againe the third time which proves as fortunate for Beaumarays as fatall for Champigny for as his horse stumbleth on his fore-feet Beaumarays in his bending runnes him thorow the body a little above his left pappe where his sword meeting and cutting the strings of his heart hee presently in a fainting and faltering language spake these his last words Beaumarays I forgive thee my death and God be mercifull unto my Soule And with the same fell starke dead from his horse to the ground When Beaumarays as a noble Gentleman leapt presently from his horse to his assistance and so did his owne second Marin but their charity and care to him was in vaine for already life had forsaken his body and consequently his soule was fled to his place So he lies there gored in his bloud and whiles Marin was covering of his breathlesse body with his cloake Beaumarays sheathes up his sword and with hands and eyes elevated to heaven rendreth thanks to God for this his victory No soonerhath Montagne congratulated with his brother Beaumarays for this his good fortune but with a heart and courage worthy of himselfe hee calles out to his Rivall Marin and bids him prepare to fight When his brother Beaumarays notwithstanding his losse of much bloud doth in finitely desire to spare his Brâ—…ther Montagne from fighting with Marin and so to performe it himselfe But Montagne is too couragious and generous either to understand this motion or to relish this language from his brother and so in hot words and high tearmes he peremptorily tels him That he came to fight with Marin and fight hee would whereupon his brother Beaumarays gives him his prayers commits him to his good fortune and so with his cloake muffled about him sits downe a Spectator to their combat When Montagne remounting his steed hee calles out againe to Marin and bids him prepare to fight Marin no way appalled or daunted with the unfortunate disaster of his principall but rather the more exasperated and incouraged thereat he as a valiant Gentleman vowes to sell and requite his death deerly on the life of his adversary Montagne to which end they devide themselves and draw and so part each towards other I know not whether with more swiftnesse or courage At their first encounter Narin runnes Montagne into the small of the belly of a sleight wound and in exchange he cuts Marin a great slash on his left cheeke which hangs downe and bleeds exceedingly When presently closing againe Montagne runs Marin into the right thigh he him in requital into the right arme and then they devide themselves to take breath and all these their wounds being as yet incapable to appease or satisfie their courages they presently determine againe to fall to it with bravery and resolution When behold the Marquis of Bellary the Titular King of Ivetot with two Lords his Sonnes and their traine passeth that way from Chartres to goe to Paris and seeing two Gentlemen on Horsebacke in their shirts with
his Master was gone to bed hee trips away to Blanchevilles house informes her at large what had past betwixt his master and himselfe and therefore assures her that he is fully and constantly resolved to murther him within three or foure dayes if she would performe her promise to him to give him the three hundred Crownes and that also within a moneth after hâ—…e shall marrie Martha whereat Blancheville being beyond measure joyfull she faithfully and solemnly sweares him the performance thereof when as a pledge of the rest she presently payes him downe the first hundred and fifty in gold the which Le Valley joyfully purseth up But the receit thereof shall cost him deare From the intended matter of the murther of Beaumarays these two agents of Satan and Hell Blancheville and Le Valley proceed to the manner thereof she proposeth that infernall drugge poyson but he rejecteth it as dangerous to be bought and difficult to be applied And because she dislikes to have him ponâ—…arded therefore they both conclude and agree that he shall pistoll him to death and this is their difinitive cruell and hellish resolution Le Valley having thus dispatcht his businesse with Blancheville and taken leave with kisses of his sweet Martha who poore soule is as innocent as they two are wholly and solely guilty of this deplorable conspiration he puts a cheerfull countenance on his revengfull heart so returnes home and the very next day gets his Masters pocket pistoll which he loads with a brace of bulletts and watcheth every day and houre for a desired opportunity to send him to heaven So the third day after Monsieur Montagne going abroad a hawking with his brothers Hawks and Spannels and taking almost all his men servants with him and leaving Le Valley to wait and attend on his Master then and there this fatall occasion answered his prodigious expectation For that very Fore-noone his Master Beaumarays comming from the house of office hee cals up Le Valley to him in his chamber to trusse his points which wretched Villaine he is busie in performing but alas in most barbarous and bloudy manner For as that good and Noble Gentleman thought of nothing lesse than of his danger or death then this monster of nature fingering his hinde points with his left hand very softly drew his Pistoll out his pocket with his right and then and there with an infernall courage and audacity shot him into the reynes of his backe nearly opposite to his heart whereof he presently fell downe dead to the ground without having either the power or happinesse to utter on prayer or word whatsoever but onely two or three small fainting or indeed dying groanes This bloudy and execrable wretch Le Valley seeing his Master dead he triumphs in his good fortune to see what a brave Butcher he had proved himselfe in so speedily and neatly dispatching him When to put the better varnish on his villany and so to make it appeare to the world that his Master was his owne murtherer hee taketh the pistoll and placeth it in his dead right hand layes the key of the Chamber upon the Table and the doore having a strong Spring-locke puls and shuts it fast after him When againe to make his innocencie the more cleare and conspicuous to the world he speedily and secretly taking a horse out of the stable a Hawke on his fist and a Spanniell at his heels and so very joyfully and cheerfully gallops away to the fields where after some houre at least or houre and halfe at most hee finds out Monsieur Montagne and tels him his Master dispatcht him to him with a fresh Hawke which was his best and chiefest Gashawke They Hawke all day together and Le Valley as accustomed is very officious and diligent to Monsieur Montagne who towards night returnes home to Chartres having betweene them all taken eight Partridges and one Phesant Hee arrives at his brothers house where missing him he gives the Phesant and foure of the Partridges to the Cooke to dresse for their Supper when afterwards againe missing his brother Beaumarays and enquiring for him the meniall servants of the out-houses tell him they saw him not to day Supper being preparing and the Table covered he sends up Le Valley to looke him in his chamber who returnes him this answer that his Master is not there but the doore is shut Montagne marvelleth at his brothers long and unaccustomed absence and so doe all his Servants They finde his Cloake Rapier and Belt hanging up at a pinne in the Hall and therefore deeming him not farre but at some neighbours house he sends Le Valley one way and the rest of the servants to other places to finde him out but whiles they seeke after him Le Valle favoured by the night trips away speedily to the Lady Blanchevilles house and there most briefly and secretly acquaints her how bravely hee hath dispatched his Master that forenoone shee cannot Containe herselfe for Ioy of this sweet newes nor expresse it to him in lesse then a Kisse he saies he will tell her the rest to morrow night and then come and receive the remainder of her promise to him the which she againe and againe sweares to him shee will performe it with a surplusage and advantage so hee kisseth his sweet heart Martha and againe dispeeds himselfe home Where he and the rest of the servants who were sent into the streetes returne Montagne no newes of their master his brother Supper being more then fully ready his long missing of him doth at last bring him much doubt and some suspition and feare of his wellfare It runnes still in his mind that he may be yet a sleepe in his Chamber wherfore he ascends thither with Le Valley and others of his Servants who call a loud and bounce amaine at the doore but they heare no answer nor speech of him the which doth the more augment his doubt and redouble his feare of his Brother At last he commands them to force and breake open the doore but it being exceeding thick and strong they cannot Montagnes tender care of his brother doth by this time infinitely encrease his feare of him which at last so powerfully surpriseth him that he presently commands a Ladder to be erected to his brothers chamber window towards the garden and sends up one of his Laqueyes with a torch to looke into the chamber the laquey forceth open the casement and then thrusts in his torch first and his head after which he speedily withdrawing very passionately cryeth out That his master hath murthered himselfe with his pistoll and lies there dead all gored in his bloud Montagne at this lamentable newes teares his haires weepes and cryes out a maine for sorrow thereof and so doe all his Servants Among whom Le Valley is obserued to be one of the most who weepes and cries mightly thereat Montagne being almost as dead with griefe and sorrow hereat as his Brother Beaumarays was with his wound
and affirmed they now in expiation of this her cruell murther adjudge her likewise to bee hanged the next day at the common place of execution in company of Pierya although her aged sorrowfull Father Seignior Strent being well nigh weighed down to his grave with the extreme grief and sorrow of these his misfortunes and calamities profered the Iudges and the great Duke the greatest part of his estate and lands to save this his youngest and now his only Daughter Amarantha But his labor proved lost and his care and affection vaine in this his sute and solicitation because those learned Iudges and this prudent and noble Duke grounded their resolutions and pleasures upon this wholsom and true Maxime That Iustice is one of the greatest Colossus and strongest columns of kingdoms and common-weales and the truest way and means to preserve them in florishing prosperity and glory and consequently that all wilfull and premeditated murtherers cannot bee either too soone exterminated or too severely punished and cut off from the world So Amar antha with more choller then sorrow and Pierya with more feare then choller are now both sent backe to their prisons and that night Streni sends his Daughter and the Iudges send Pierya some Fryers and Nunnes to prepare their soules for heaven but in honour of the truth I must affirme with equall griefe and pitty that both these two female monsters had their hearts so sealed and their soules so seared up with impiety that neither of them could there be perswaded or drawne either to thinke of repentance or of God Whiles thus Florence resounds of these their foule and inhumane crimes as also of their just condemnations the next morning about ten of the clocke they are brought to the destin'd place of execution there to receive their condigne punishments for the same Pierya first mounts the Ladder who made a short speech at her death to this effect That her desire to obtaine Bernardo for her husband had chiefely drawne her to commit this murther on her Lady Babtistyna and that it was farre more her Sister Amarantha's malice to her then her owne which seduced her to this bloudy resolution and that this her owne shamefull death was not halfe so grievous to her as the unfortunate end of her lover Bernardo whom shee there affirmed to the world and tooke it to her death that shee loved a thousand times dearer then her owne life with many other vaine and ridiculous speeches tending that way and which savoured more of her fond affection to him then of any zeale or devotion to God and therefore I hold them every way more worthy of my silence then of my relation and so shee was turned over To second whose unfortunate and shamefull end now our bloudy and execrable Amarantha with farre more beauty then contrition and bravery then repentance ascends the Ladder who to make her infamy the more famous had purposly dighted and apparelled her selfe in a plaine blacke Sattin gowne with silver lace and a deepe-laced Cambricke Ruffe of a very large Set with her hayre unvailed and decked with many roses of filver Ribband At her ascent her extraction beauty and youth begate as much pitty as her bloudy and unnaturall crime did detestation in the eyes and hearts of all her spectatours When after a pause or two shee vainely composing her countenance more with contempt then feare of death there to a world of people who flocked from all parts of the City and Countrey to see her dye with a wondrous boldnesse confessed That shee had not onely caused her Sister Babtistyna to bee stifled in her bed by Bernardo and Pierya but that her sayd Sister Babtistyna and her selfe had formerly poysoned their elder Sister Iaquinta and that it was onely their imperiousnesse and pride towards her which drew her to this resolution and revenge against them both the which shee affirmed shee could now as little repent as heretofore remedy and â—…hat shee more sensibly lamented and grieved for the sorrowes of her Fathers â—…fe then for the shame and infamy of her owne death when without any shew â—…f repentance without any speech of God or which is lesse without so much as once looking up towards heaven or inviting or praying her spectatours to pray to God for her soule shee with a gracelesse resolution and prophane boldnesse conjured her Executioner speedily to performe his office and duety which by the command of the Magistrate he-forthwith did So this wretched Amarantha was hanged for her second murther and then by a second decree and sentence of the Criminall Iudges her body is after dinner burnt to ashes for her first who likewise in honour to Iustice and to the glory of God doe also cause the dead body of Bernardo for two whole dayes to bee hanged by his feet in his shirt to the same Gallowes and then to bee cast into the River of Arno. And here the Iudges also to shew themselves themselves were once of opinion to have unburyed Babtistyna and likewise to have given her dead body some opprobrious punishment for being accessary with her Sister Amarantha to poyson their elder Sister Iaquinta but having no other evidence or proofe hereof but onely the tessimony of her condemned dying Sister Amarantha whom it was more probable then impossible shee might speake it more out of malice then truth as also that God had already afflicted a deplorable end and punishment to her they therefore omitted it And thus was the deserved ends and condigne punishments of these wretched and execrable murtherers and in this manner did the just revenge and sacred justice of God meete and triumph over them and their bloudy crimes And now here fully to conclude and shut up this History in all its circumstances The griefes and sorrowes of this unfortunate old Father was so great and infinite for the untimely and deplorable deaths of all these his three onely Daughters and Children that although piety and religion had formerly taught him that the afflictions of this life are the joyes of that to come yet being wholly vanquished and depressed with all these his different bitter crosses and calamities hee left Florence and retired himselfe to a solitary life in Cardura where hee not long survived them but dyed very pensively and mournfully GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRAble Sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXII Martino poysoneth his Brother Pedro and murthereth Monfredo in the streete He afterwards growes mad and in confession reveales both these his murthers to Father Thomas his Ghostly Father who afterwards dying reveales it by his Letter to Cecilliana who was Widdow to Monfredo and Sister to Pedro and Martino Martino hath first his right hand cut off and then is hanged for the same AS it is a dangerous wickednesse to contrive and plot murther So much more it is a wretched and execrable one to finish and perpetrate it for to kill our Christian Brother who figuratively beares the image of God is an act
and loved don Martino farre better then him so his death did not much afflict or grieve her and farre lesse his brother don Martino But for his sister Cecilliana as soone as shee understood and heard hereof shee is so appalled with griefe and daunted with sorrow and despayre that shee sends a world of sighes to heaven and a deluge of teares to earth for the death of this her best and dearest brother Her husband don Monfredo for henceforth so wee must call him likewise infinitely laments don Pedro's death as having lost a constant friend and a deare and incomparable brother in law in him and yet all the meanes which hee can use to comfort this his sorrowfull wife hath will but not power enough to effect it for still shee weepes and sobs and still her heart and soule doe prompt and tell her that it is one brother who hath killd another and that her brother don Martino is infallibly the murtherer of his and her brother don Pedro but she hath onely presumption no proofes for this her suspicion and therefore shee leaves the detection and issue hereof to time and to God Now by this time wee must understand that dona Catherina hath perfect newes that it is Monfredo who hath stolne away her daughter Cecilliana and keepes her at his house of Valdebelle in the Countrey but as yet shee knowes not that hee hath marryed her wherefore being desirous of her returne not for any great affection which shee now bore her but onely to accomplish her former desires in frustrating her marriage with Monfredo and in marrying her to a Nunnery shee againe still provok'd and egg'd on by the advice of her sonne don Martino sends him to Valdebelle to crave her of Monfredo and so to perswade and hasten her returne to her to Burgos but writes to neither of them Don Martino arrives thither and having delivered don Monfredo and his sister Cecilliana his mothers message for her returne to Burgos hee then vainely presumes to speake thus to them from himselfe Hee first sharpely rebukes her of folly and disobedience in flying away from his and her mother and then with more passion then iudgement checkes him of dishonour to harbour and shelter her that this was not the true and right way to make her his wife but his strumpet or at least to give the world just cause to thinke so and if he intended to preserve her prosperity and honor and not to râ—…ine it that hee should restore his mother her daughter and himselfe his sister and no longer retayne her but speakes not a word of his brother don Pedro's death much lesse makes any shadow to mourne or shew to grieve or sorrow for it His sister Cecilliana at his first sight is all in teares for the death of her brother don Pedro and yet extreamly incens'd with him for these his base speeches towards her and her Monfredo she once thought to have given him a hot and chollericke reply but at last considering better with her selfe as also to prevent Monfredo whom she saw had an itching desire to fit him with his answer she then in generall termes returnes him this short reply That shee is now accomptable to none but to God for her actions who best knowes her heart and resolutions and therefore for her returne to her mother at Burgos or her stay here at Valdebelle shee wholly referres it to don Monfredo whose will and pleasure therein shall assuredly bee hers because shee hath and still findes him to bee a worthy and honourable Gentleman when before shee conclude her speech to him shee tells him that shee thought his comming had beene to condole with her for the death of their brother Don Pedro but that with griefe shee is now enforced to see the contrary in regard his speeches and actions tend to afflict not to comfort her and rather to bee the argument of her mourning than the cause of her consolation But Monfredo being touched to the quicke with these ignoble and base speeches of Don Martino both to himselfe and Cecilliana he is too generous long to digest them with silence and therefore preferring his affection to her before any other earthly respect and her reputation and honour dearer than his life hee composing his countenance to discontent and anger returnes him this answere That if any other man but himselfe had given him the least part of those unworthy speeches both against his honour as also against that of his sister Cecilliana his Rapier not his tongue should have answered him That his affection and respects to her are every way vertuous and honourable and that shee is and shall be more safer here in Valdebelle than the life of his noble brother Don Pedro was in his mothers house at Burgos That as the young Ladie his sister is pleased to referre her stay or returne to him so reciprocally to requite her courtesie doth hee to her and for his part hee is fully resolved not to perswade much lesse to advise her to put her selfe either into her Mothers protection or his courtesie for that hee is fearefull iâ—… not confident in this beliefe that the one may proove pernitious and the other fatall and ruinous to her And so with cold entertainment and short ceremonies Don Martino is enforced to returne to Burgos to his Mother without his Sister where assoone as hee is arrived hee tells his Mother of his Sister Cecilliana's constant resolution from whence hee thinkes it impossible to draw or divert her because he finds Monfredo of the same opinion but whether hee have married her or no hee knowes not neither could he informe himselfe thereof And here yet Don Martino is so cautious to his Mother as he speakes not a word or syllable of any speech or mention they had of the death of his brother Don Pedro. But as soone as hee had left his Mother and retyred himselfe to his chamber then hee thinkes the more thereof yea then hee againe and againe remembers what dangerous speeches he publikely received from his Sister Cecilliana and Monfredo concerning that his sudden death whereby they silently meant and tacitely implied no lesse than murther Wherefore hee is so helliâ—…h and bloudy minded that hee resolves shortly to provide a playster for this sore and hee knowes that to make their tongues eternally silent hee cannot better or safer performe it than by murthering them whereof hee sayes the reason is apparantly and pregnantly true for as long as that suspition lives in them hee therefore can never live in safetie but in extreame danger himselfe But because of the two Monfredo seemed to intend and portend him the greatest choller and the most inveterate rage therefore as a limbe of the Devill or rather as a Devill incarnate himselfe hee resolves to begin with Monfredo first and as occasions and accidents shall present then with his sister Cecilliana after without ever having the grace to thinke of his Conscience or Soule or of
cautious in his malice and subtill in his revenge that hee imployed no other Minister nor used no other agent or assistant herein but himselfe so being deprived of any witnesse either to accuse or make him guiltie heereof God I say out of the immensitie of his power and profundity of his providence will make himselfe to become a witnesse against himselfe and wanting all other meanes will make himselfe the onely meanes both to detect and destroy himselfe The manner thus As there is no felicitie to peace so there is no felicitie or peace comparable to that of a quiet and innocent conscience It is a precious Iewell of an inestimable â—…alue and unparalelld price yea a continuall Feast than which Heaven may but Earth cannot afford us either a more rich or delitious and the contrary it is where the heart and conscience have made themselves guiltie of some foule enormous crimes and especially of Murther wherein we can never kill Man the creature but we assuredly wound God the Creator for then as those so this with lesse doubt and more assurance gives in a heavy and bloody evidence against us and which commonly produceth us these three woefull and lamentable effects Dispaire Horrour Terrour the which wee shall now see verified and instanced in this bloody and miserable wretch Don Martino who as I have formerly sayd hath not fully past over the tearme of three moneths in externall mirth jollitie and braverie thereby to cast a cheerefull countenance and varnish on those his bloody villanies but God so distracted his wits senses struck such astonishment to his thoughts and amazement to his heart and Conscience as it seemed to him that both by night and day the ghosts of his harmelesse brother Don Pedro and of innocent Don Monfredo still pursue him for revenge and justice of these their murthers And now his lookes are extravagant fearefull and ghastly which are still the signes and symptomes either of a distempered braine a polluted conscience and soule or of both Hee knowes not to whom or where or where not to goe for remedy herein but still his heart is in a mutinie and rebellion with his Conscience and both of them against God He is afraid of every creature he sees and likewise of those who see him not If he looke backe and perceive any one to runne behinde him he thinkes 't is a Sergeant come to arrest him and if he chance to be hold any Gentleman in a scarlet cloake comming towards him he verily beleeves feares 't is a Iudge in his scarlet Robes to arraigne and condemne him He hath not the grace to go into a Church nor the boldnesse to looke up to the Tower therof for feare lest the one swallow him up alive and the other fall on him and crush him to death If hee walke in any woods fields or gardens and see but a leafe wagge or a bird stirre hee is of opinion there some furies or executioners come to torment him or doth he heare any Dog howle Cat crie or Owle whoot or screech he is thereat so suddenly appalled and amazed as hee thinkes it to bee the voyce of the Devill who is come to fetch him away Hee will not passe over any bridge brooke or River for feare of drowning nor over any planke gate or style lest hee should breake his necke The sight of his shadow is a corosive to his heart and a Panique terrour to his thoughts because he both thinkes and beleeves that it is not his owne but the hang-mans and when any one out of charitie or pitie come to see and visite him hee flyes from them as if Hell were at his backe and the Devill at his heeles The very sight of a Rapier stabs him at his heart and the bare thought or name of Poyson seemes to infect and kill his soule and yet miserable wretch and miscreant that he is all this while he hath not the goodnesse to looke downe into his heart and Conscience with contrition nor the grace to lookeup to Heaven and to God with repentance The Lady Catherina his Mother is wonderfully perplexed and grieved hereat and so are all his kinsfolkes and friends in and about Burgos who cause some excellent Physicians and Divines to deale with him about administring him the meanes to cure him of this his lunacie and distraction But God will not permit that either the skilfull Art of those or the powerfull perswasions of these doe as yet prevaile with him or performe it Two Moones have fully finished their Celestiall course whiles thus his phrensie and madnesse possesseth him and in one of the greatest and most outragious fits therof hee without wit or guide runnes to Saint Sebastiano's Church finds out Father Thomas his Confessor and in private and serious confession reveales him how he hath poysoned his brother Don Pedro and also murthered Don Monfredo adding withall that God out of his indulgent mercie would no longer permit him to charge his soule with the concealing thereof and then beggs his absolution and remission for the same His Confessor being a religious Church-man much lamenting and wondring at the foulnesse of these his Penitents two bloody facts although hee finde more difficultie than reason to grant his desire yet enquiring of him if there were any other accessary with him in these murthers and Don Martino freely and firmely acknowledging to him there was none but the Devill and himselfe hee after a serious checke and religious repremendo in hope of his future contrition and repentance gives him a sharpe and severe penance though no way answerable to his crimes and so absolves him and yet for the space of at least a whole moneth after his lunacie by the permission of God still followes him when for a further triall of his comportment and hope of his repentance God is againe pleased to slacke the hand of his judgement and so frees him from his madnesse and distraction to see whether he will prove Gold or Drosse a Christian or a Devill Not long after this his Confessor Father Thomas being Curate of one of the neighbouring parishes falls extreame sicke of a Piurisie and so dangerously sicke that his Physician despairing of his life bids him prepare his body for death and his soule for Heaven and God Who then revoking to minde what hee hath heard and seene how grievously and sorrowfully the Lady Cecilliana takes the Deaths of her Brother and Husband and the more in that she is ignorant who are their Murtherers he is no longer resolved to burthen his conscience and soule with concealing thereof but to write it to her in a Letter the which he chargeth and conjureth his owne Sister Cyrilla to deliver into her owne hands some three dayes after his buriall the which we shall see her shortly performe for the Priest Father Thomas her brother lived not three weekes after In the meane time come we to the Lady Dona Catherina the Mother who having outwardly wept
going to he Lady Mother's shee goes directly to the Corrigador's or Criminall Iudges of that Citie and with much griefe and sorrow her teares interrupting her sighes and her sighes her teares before them accuseth her brother Don Martino to bee the bloudy murtherer of her brother Don Pedro and her husband Don Monfredo and for proofe of this truth produceth the Letter of Father Thomas his Confessor The Iudges reade it and are astonished with this report of hers and farre the more in regard they here see a Sister call the life of her owne Brother in question but they see that shee hath as much right and reason for her Accusation as her inhumane brother Don Martino wanted for his Malice in making himselfe guilty of these foule and bloudy Crimes Wherefore attributing it wholly to the pleasure and providence of God they highly extoll her piety and integrity towards his sacred Majestie in preferring his Glorie before the Scandall and Misery of her so wretched and execrable brother and then out of their zeale and honour to Iustice they to evince and vindicate the truth of this lamentable businesse send away for Cyrilla and as soone as she came upon her Oath propose her these three Questions First whether she had this very Letter from her deceased brother Father Thomas his owne hand and that hee gave her order and charge to deliver it to the Lady Cecilliana three dayes after his decease Secondly if it were of his 〈◊〉 writing and sealing And thirdly if shee with her owne hands delivered this Letter to the Lady Cecilliana To all which three Questions Cyrilla with a stayd looke and countenance answereth affirmatively and thereupon with haste and secrecie grant out a Warrant to apprehend Don Martino when hee was as it were drowned in voluptuousnesse security and impenitencie as making it his vain-glory to build Castles of content in the aire and to erect Mountains of wealth and preferment in the Vâ—…opia of his ambitious desires and wishes without ever having the grace either to thinke of his former horrible Crimes or future punishment for the same Hee is amazed at his Apprehension by the Sergeants but farre more at the sight and presence of the Criminall Iudges before whom hee is now brought They sharpely accuse him of these two aforesayd foule Murthers and for evidence and witnesses produce him his Confessor Father Thomas his Letter his sister Cyrilla and his owne sister the Lady Cecilliana at the sight and knowledge whereof hee at first seemed to bee much appalled and daunted but at last recollecting his spirits taking coâ—… of the Devill and not of God assumes a bold countenance puts himselfe and his tongue on the poynts of denyall and justification and so to his Iudges tearmes his Confessor a devill and no man and Cyrilla and his Sister Cecilliana witches and no women so unjustly and falsely to accuse him of these foule Murthers whereof he affirmes not onely the act but the very name and thought is odious and execrable to him But God will not be mocked nor his Iudges deluded with this his Apologie So they adjudge him to the Racke the first tortures whereof hee indureth with an admirable fortitude and patience but the second hee cannot but then and there confesseth himselfe to be guilty and the sole Authour and Actour of both these deplorable Murthers but yet his heart and soule is still so obdurated by the Devil as he hath neither the will to be sorrowfull nor the grace to be repentant for the same For Expiation of which his inhumane and bloudy Crimes his Iudges condemne him to be hanged and his Right hand to bee first cut off and burnt the next morning at the Common place of Execution notwithstanding that his afflicted and sorrowfull Mother out of the naturall and tender affection which she bore him imployed all her friends and possible power yea and offered all her owne estate and Landes to save his life but shee could not prevaile or obtaine it So the next morning in obedience to this his Sentence this Monster of Nature Don Martino is brought to the Common place of Execution to take his last farewel of this life and this world Hee was clad in a blacke Silke Grograine Sute wiâ—…l a faire white Ruffe about his necke and a blacke â—…eaver Hat on his head which hee drew downe before his eyes that hee might neither see nor be seene of thaâ—… great concourse of people there present who came to see him conclude the laâ—… Scene and Catastrophe of his life When after his Right hand was cut off and burnt which held the Rapier whereby he murthered Don Monfredo he then ascended the Ladder Where the Spectators expecting some repentant and religious Speech from him before his death he resembling himselfe I meane rather an Atheist than a Christian and rather a Devill than a Man as he lived so hee would dye a prophane and gracelesse Villaine for some speeches he betwixt his teeth mumbled to himselfe but spake not one word that could be heard or understood of any one and so most resolutely hee himselfe putting the Roape about his necke although all the people and especially two Friers neere him cryed to him to the contrary he saved the Hangman his labour and so with more haste and desperation then repentance he cast himselfe off the Ladder and was hanged And thus was the bloudy life and deserved death of this Hell hound and limbe of the Devill Don Martino and in this fort and manner did the just revenge of God triumph ore his foule and bloudy Crimes which may all true Christians reade to Gods glory and to the instruction of their own soules And if the curiosity of the Reader make him farther desirous to know what became of the â—…old Lady Catherina the Mother and of Dona Cecilliana â—…he Daughter after all these their dismall and disastrous Accidents I thought good by the way of a Postscript briefely to adde this for his satisfaction That the Mother lived not long after but her Daughter was first reconciled to her and shee to her Daughter to whom shee having no other child left all her whole Estate And for her who was now become likewise very rich as having a faire yearely Revennue and Ioynture out of her deceased husband Don Monfredo's Lands and Meanes although she were again sought in Marriage by some noble Gallants of Castile and Burâ—… yet shee resolved never to marry more and as I have within these very few yeares understood shee then lived sometimes at Burgos and somtimes at Valdebelle in great Pompe and Felicity GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRAble Sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXIII Alphonso poysoneth his owne Mother Sophia and after shoots and kils Cassino as he was walking in his Garden with a short Musket or Carabyne from a Window Hee is beheaded for these two murthers then burnt and his ashes throwne into the River AS Faith and Prayer are the two pillars of our Soules
him this Letter LA PRATIERE to VALFONTAINE MY promise owes you this Letter whereby I give you to understand that I know not whether you have greater cause to love mee or to hate your brother Quatbrisson in regard he vowes hee affects me dearer then your selfe and hath attempted to rob you of your Wife and consequently me of my Husband and as this is ingratitude in a friend so it must needs be treachery in a Brother I have heard his courting and seene his complements tending that way but for your sake I relish those with distast these with neglest and himselfe with contempt and disdaine He hath won my Father to his will but rest you confident my deare Valfontaine that he neither can nor shall draw me to his desire And because true affection especially in accidents of this nature cannot still bee exempt of feare therefore if any arise or engender in your thoughts let this dissipate and dispell it that although my Father have banished you his house yet his Daughter is till death constantly resolved to retaine and cherish you in her heart and none but you Manage this your Pratieres advice with discretion towards my Father and not with choller towards your Brother and be but a little time a patient Spectator of my affection and constancie to you and you shall assuredly see him act his owne shame and your glory his affliction and your content and desire LA PRATIERE Valfontaine having received and read this Letter the base ingratitude and foule treachery of his brother Quatbrisson doth extremely afflict and torment him yea the knowledge and remembrance thereof throwes him into such passions of choller and fumes of revenge as once he resolved to right himselfe on him by sending him a Challenge and fighting with him vowing that the bonds of nature were not by farre so strong as those of affection and that his brother having given the first cause of offence and breach of amity betwixt them it was no marvell that he tooke that course and preferred that forme of proceeding to any other But then againe considering his deare La Pratieres injunction and prohibition from choller this last reason ore-swaied and prevailed against his former resolution when knowing himselfe infinitly obliged to her for her courtesie and constancie so sweetly expressed to him in this her Letter he can doe no lesse then returne her an answer thereof in requitall the which he doth by her owne Messenger in these termes VALFONTAINE to LA PRATIERE OF all men of the world I least thought that my brother Quatbrisson would have proved my Rivall in attempting to love you because he perfectly knowes I affect you farre dearer then the whole world yea this errour or as you justly terme it this treachery of his is so odious so strange to me as it had farre exceeded my beliefe if your affection and constancie had not so courteously revealed it to me in your Letter the which I both blushed and palled to peruse Neither is it any thankes to him that he missed of his desire in missing of you rather to your vertuous selfe which distasted his courting and complements for his owne sake and disdained him for mine Deare and sweet La Pratiere in that my brother hath won your Father I exceedingly grieve but in that I have not lost his Daughter I farre more triumph and rejoyce But why thinke I of losing you sith to call your constancie in question is no lesse then to prophane your affection and my judgement and so to make my selfe both uncapable and unworthy of you for how can my love to you retaine any spice or sparke of feare for that being banished your Fathers house I am yet so happy to recover so safe a Harbour and Sanctuary yea so precious a Temple as your heart In which regard it is every way fit that your requests should be to me commands for otherwise my Sword had already called me Coward if by this time I had not called my Brother to a strict and severe account for this his treachery I will still observe your Father with respect though he refuse to respect me with observance and for my ingratefull and treacherous Brother he may act his owne shame and affliction but cannot conduce to content or desire because that must soly proceed from your selfe sith in the sweet enjoying of you to my Wife consists the onely content of my life and the chiefest of all my earthly felicity VALFONTAINE Some two dayes after that La Pratiere was made joyfull with this answer of her Valfontaine shee hath againe sorrowfull newes of Quatbrissons arrivall to her Fathers house at Saint-Aignaw who had purposely given it out to his brother Valfontaine at Vannes that he rides to Hennbon He here renewes his late sute to the Father and Daughter but he finds them both in the same humours and resolutions he left them he willing and she coy hee desirous to have him his Sonne in law and she resolute never to make him but his brother Valfontaine her Husband He profereth her many rich gifts and presents and a blancke to write downe what Iointure she pleaseth to demand but she peremptorily refuseth it all and bids him bestow it on some other of whom it may find better acceptance yea I may safely say and truely affirme that their affections are farre more opposite and contrary then their sexes for the more he sees her he loves her and the oftner she beholds him the more she hates him so that when he apparantly perceives that she deeply vowes to her Father and himselfe onely to marry his brother Valfontaine or her Grave he seeing his labour for the time present lost and his affection to her in vaine having nothing left to comfort him against the repulse of this amorous sute but the constant friendship of her Father hee sorrowfully takes his leave of them and rides home to Vannes but as close as hee beares this his Iourney from his brother Valfontaine yet La Pratiere holds her selfe bound to signifie it to him the which the very next day she doth by her second Letter which speakes thus LA PRATIERE to VALFONTAINE I Hold it a part of my duty and affection to advertise you that these two dayes I have beene againe importunately haunted and solicited by your unkind Brother Quatbrisson for marriage but hee hath found my first answer to bee my second and last Yea I have so nipt his vaine hopes in their blossomes by signifying to him and my Father my infallible resolution either to wed you or my grave as I thinke except their hopes betray their judgements the one is assured and the other confident that time will make it apparant to the world that my words will prove deeds and that the last will make the first reall But if your said brother will yet notwithstanding farther exercise his folly in my patience and so make himselfe as ridiculous to mee as to you he is treacherous I out
this infinite in regard it occasioneth the death of our soules But all this notwithstanding it is not in jest but in earnest that Quatbrisson assumes this bloody resolution to murther his brother Valfontaine For seeing that it was neither in his power or fortune to kill him in the Duell he therefore holds it more safe lesse dangerous to have him poysoned and so deales with his brothers Apothecarie named Moncallier to undertake and performe it and in requitall thereof he assureth him of three hundred crownes and gives him the one halfe in hand whereupon this Factor of the Devill this Empericke of Hell confidently promiseth him speedily to effect and performe it the which he doth The manner thus Valfontaine within sixe weekes of his marriage finds his body in an extreme heate some reputing it to an excesse of wine which he had the day before taken at Poâ—…tivie Faire and others for having beene too amorous and uxorious to his sweet young wife La Pratiere But it matters not which excesse of these two gave him his sicknesse onely let it satisfie the Reader that as we have already heard his body was very much inflamed and hot the dangerous symtomes either of a burning Feaver or a Plurifie the which to allay and coole he sends for his 〈◊〉 the carie Moncalier from Vannes to Saint Aignaw and after their consultation he openeth him a veine very timely in the morning and drawes ten ounces of blood from him and towards night gives him a Glister wherein hee infused strong poyson which spreading ore the vitall parts of his body doth so soone worke its operation and extinguish their radicall moisture that being the most part of the night tortured with many sharpe throes and heart-killing convulsions hee before the next morning dyes in his bed His wife La Pratiere being desperately vanquished with sorrow doth as it were dissolve and melt her selfe into teares at this sudden and unexpected death of her Husband Valfontaine and indeed her griefes and sorrowes are farre the more infinite and violent in that she sees her selfe a widdow almost as soone as a wife Her Father is likewise pensive and sorrowfull for the death of his Sonne in Law and so also is his owne Father and Mother at Vannes But for his inhumane brother Quatbrisson although he neither can or shall bleare the eyes of God yet hee intends to doe those of men from the knowledge and detection of this foule and bloody fact for hee puts on a mournefull and disconsolate countenance on his rejoycing and triumphing heart for the death of his brother the which he endeavoreth to publish in his speeches and apparell so hee rides over to Saint Aignan to his sister in law La Pratiere condoles with her for her Husband his brothers death and with his best oratory strives to dissipate and dispell her sorrowes but still her thoughts and conscience doe notwithstanding prompt her that considering his former affection to her and his fighting with his brother her Husband for her sure hee had a hand in his death but in what manner or how she knowes not and so as a most vertuous and sorrowfull Lady leaves the revealing thereof to the good pleasure and Providence of God and the curious heads both of Nantes and Vannes concurre with her in the same conceipt and beliefe But three moneths are scarce past over since Valfontaine was laid in his grave but Quatbrisson is still so deepely besotted with his owne lust and the beauty of La Pratiere as he sels his wit for folly and againe becomes a Sutor to marry her having none but this poore Apologie to colour out his incestuous desires that hee will procure a dispensation from Rome to approve it and that hee hath already spoken to Yvon Bishop of Reimes to that effect who was many yeares Penitentiarie or Almoner to Pope Paulus Quintus And what doth this indiscretion of his worke with La Pratiere but onely to encrease her jealousie to confirme her suspicion and to make her the more confident that her Husband had beene still in this world if he had not beene the meanes so soone send him into another Wherfore she rejecteth both his sute and himselfe tels him that if he can find in his heart and conscience to marry her shee cannot dispence with her soule to espouse him and therefore that he shall doe well to surcease his sute either to the Pope or Bishop sith if it lay in their powers yet it should never in her pleasure to grant or resolution to effect it but this peremptory refusall of hers cannot yet cause Quatbrisson to forsake and leave her For if his lust and concupiscence formerly made him peevish to seeke her for his wife now it makes him meerely sottish and impudent to alter his sute and so to attempt and desire to make her his strumpet But hee hath no sooner delivered her this his base and obscene motion but all the blood of her body flushing in her face shee highly disdaineth both his speeches and himselfe and vowing and scorning henceforth ever more to come into his company so she informes her Father of his dishonourable intent and unchast motion to her who to rid himselfe of so incivill and impudent a guest thereupon in sharpe termes forbids him his house and his Daughters company as having hereby altogether made himselfe unworthy to enjoy the priviledge of the one or the honour of the other when this sweet and chaste young Lady to be no more haunted with so lascivious a Ghost and Spirit being sought in marriage by divers noble and gallant Gentlemen shee among them all after a whole yeares mourning for her first makes choice of Monsieur de Pont Chausey for her second Husband and marries him Quatbrisson seeing himselfe so disdainefully sleighted and rejected of La Pratiere he as a base Gentleman and dishonourable Lover metamorphoseth his affection into hatred towards her and vowes that his revenge shall shortly match her disdaine and meet with her ingratitude and so flies her sight and company as much as hee formerly desired it But as the best Revenge is to make our enemies see that we prosper and doe well so hee quite contrary makes it his practise and ambition to doe evill For from henceforth among many other of his vices he defileth his body with whoredome and gives himselfe over to Fornication and Adultery which hath taken up so deepe a habit in him as it is now growne to a second nature for he wholly abandoneth himselfe to Queanes and Strumpets that be she maid wife or widdow his wanton eye scarce sees any but his lustfull heart desireth and his lascivious tongue seekes Now Quatbrisson among many other hearing that a poore Peasant or countrey man termed Renne Malliot of the parish of Saint-Andrewes three miles from Vannes had a sweet and faire young Daughter hee therefore very lewdly resolves to see her and to tempt her to his obscene desires when provoked and halled on
forth little or no encrease his vines wither and die away all his horses are stolen from him and most of his cattle sheepe and goats dye of a new and a strange disease For being as it were mad they wilfully and outragiously run themselves to death one against the other hee is amazed at all these his unexpected wonderfull losses and crosses and yet this vild Miscreant and inhumane Murtherer hath his conscience still so seared up and his heart and soule so stupified and obdurated by the Devill that he hath neither the will power or grace to looke up to Heaven and God and so to see and acknowledge from whom and for what all these afflictions and calamities befall him He growes into great poverty and againe to raise him and his fortunes hee now knowes no other art or meanes left him then to marry his strumpet Salyna to whom hee hath given great store of gold and on whom as wee have formerly heard he hath spent the greatest part of his lands and estate Hee seekes her in marriage but hearing of his great losses and seeing of his extreme poverty shee will not derogate from her selfe but very ingratefully denies and disdaines him and will not henceforth permit him to enter into her house much lesse to see or speake with him hee is wonderfull bitten and galled with this her unkind repulse and then is driven to such extreme wants and necessity as he is enforced to sell and pawne away all those small trifles and things which are left him thereby to give himselfe a very poore maintenance So as a wretched Vagabond whom God had justly abandoned for the enormity of his delicts and crimes he now roames and straggleth up and downe the streets of Fribourg and the countrey parishes and houses thereabouts without meate money or friends and which is infinitly worse then all without God But all these his calamities and disasters are but the Harbingers and Fore-runners of greater miseries and punishments which are now suddenly and condignly prepared to surprize and befall him whereof the Christian Reader is religiously prayed to take deep notice and full observation because the glory of God and the Triumphs of his Revenge in these his Iudgements doe most divinely appeare and shine forth to the whole world therein Vasti on a time returning from Cleraux towards Fribourg where hee had beene to begge some money or meate of Salyna either whereof she was so hard hearted to deny him the Providence and pleasure of God so ordained it That in the very same Meadow and place and neere the same time and hoâ—…e which formerly he and his Sonne George had their conference there being very faint and weary he lay himselfe downe to sleepe there at the foote of a wild Chesnut-tree yea he there slept so soundly the Sunne being very hot that he could not heare the great noyse and out cry which many people there a farre off made in the Meadow for the taking of a furious mad Bull This Bull I say no doubt but being sent from God ran directly to our sleeping and snoring Vasti tost him twice up in the ayre on his hornes tore his nose and so wonderfully mangled his face that al who came to his assistance held him dead but at last they knowing him to bee Vasti of Fribourg and finding him faintly to pant and breath for life against death they take off his clothes and apparell and then apparantly discover and see that this mad Bul with his hornes hath made too little holes in his belly whereof at one of them a smal peece of his gut hangs out they carry him to the next cottage and laying him downe speechlesse they and himselfe beleeve hee cannot live halfe an houre to an end and as yet he still remaines speechlesse but at last breathing a little more and well remembring himselfe and seeing this his disasterous accident it pleased the Lord in the infinitnesse of his goodnesse to open the eyes of his faith to mollifie the flâ—…ntinesse of his heart to reforme the deformity of his conscience to purge and cleanse the pollution of his soule for now he laies hold of Christ Iesus and his promises forsakes the Devill and his treacheries and God now so ordaineth and disposeth of him that for want of other witnesses seeing himselfe on the brink and in the jawes of death he now becommeth a witnesse against himselfe and confesseth before all the whole company That he it was neere Losanna who murthered his owne Sonne George with a Pistoll and who since poysoned his owne wife Hesâ—… with a muske Mellon for which two foule and inhumane facts of his he said he from his heart and soule begged pardon and remission of God Heâ—… upon this his confession some of the company ride away to Fribourg and acquaint the Criminall Officers of justice thereof who speedily send two Chirurgions to dresse his wounds and foure Sergeants to bring Vasti thither alive if possibly they can They search his wounds and although they find them mortall yet they believe hee may live three or foure dayes longer So they bring him to Fribourg in a Cart and there hee likewise confesseth to the Magistrates his two aforesayd bloudy and cruell Murthers drawne thereunto as he saith by the treacherous alluremements and temptations of the Devill So the same day they for satisfaction of these his unnaturall crimes doe condemne him to be hanged and then his body to be burnt to ashes which is accordingly executed in Fribourg in presence of a great concourse of people who came to see him take his last farewell of the world but they thinking and expecting that he would have made some religious speech at his death he therein deceived their hopes and desires for he only prayed to himselfe privatly and then repeating the Lords prayer and the Creed and recommending his soule to God and his body to Christian buriall without once mentioning or naming his son George his wife Hester or his strumpet Salyna he lifting up his eies to heaven was turned over and although being a tall and corpulent man he there brake the rope and fell yet he was found starke dead on the ground And thus was the wretched life and deserved death of this bloudy Monster of Nature Vasti May we therefore reade this his History to Gods glory and to our owne reformation The End of the Fifth Booke Iunij xiijo. 1634. PErlegi hunc Librum cui titulus The 5 th part of the Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the crying and execrable sinne of Murther unâ cum Epistolâ Dedicatoriâ ad illustriss Comitem de Bedford qui quidem Liber continet Paginas circa 103. in quibus nihil reperio sanae Doctrinae aut bonis Moribus contrarium quò minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur sub eâtamen conditione ut si non intr à annum proximè sequentem Typis mandetur haec licentia sit omninò irrita GVILIELMVS HAYVVOOD Capellan
opinion to seize on their ship which is at anchor in the Roade termed the Realto of Venice a name I thinke derived and taken from the marchants Exchange of that ciâ—…ty tearmed the Realto or else from the Realto Bridge which for one Arche is doubtlesse the rarest fairest and richest Bridge of the world which ship was of some three hundred Tonnes and bore some twenty peeces of Ordinance and then presently after to seize on themselves in their Lodging But upon more mature deliberation they resolve to abandon this their opinion and so to seize on their persons but not to arrest or make stay of their Ship and although their reale to justice and hast for their apprehension be very great yet Mercario out of his respects to Imperia and affection to Marosini tripped on through the by Streetes and neerest way to the Key so swiftly as hee had allready secretly related him and his two consorts the sorrowfull newes which Imperia sent them by him Whereat with feare in their hearts and courages and amazement in their lookes and countenances they all three leape from their beds to their swords discharge their Inne packe up their Truncks and bagage and resolve with all possible speed to flie to their ship and then if not with yet against the windes to put into Sea and for their safetie to leave Ancona and saile for Venice But yet here Morosini's heart is perplexed with a thousand Torments to understand of his Imperia's eminent and apparant danger and with many Hels in stead of one to see that hee must now thus sodainly leave her deere sight and company which hee every way esteemes no lesse then either his earthly felicity or his Heaven upon earth But here againe violently called away by the importunate cries of Astonicus and Donato and yet farre more by the consideration of his owne proper feare and danger Mercario is no sooner stollen away from them but they all three with their swords drawne rush downe the stayres with equall intents and resolution to exchange their Inne for their Ship and thereby to metamorphose their danger into security But they shall see that these weake and reeling hopes of theirs will now deceive them For they finde all doores of their Inne lockt within â—…ide and surrounded and beleagured without with many armed Serjeants Soldiours and Citizens for their apprehension And although Morosini Astonicus and Donato were so inflamed with their youthful bloud and courage as they were once generously resolved to sell their lives deerely and with their Pistolls and Swords to prefer an honourable to an infamous death yet being farre overmastered with numbers and therefore enforced to take a Law of the stronger Whereunto they the sooner hearken and consent in regard the Serjeants and officers doe politickly cry out to them and pray them to yeeld as affirming that to their knowledg their resolution and feare doth far exceed the danger of their offences They make a vertue of necessity and unlocking the doores of their In and chambers do cheerfully yeeld up their persons pistolls and swords to the Popes Officers of Iustice who as soone conveigh them all three to the common prison of that Citty which was the same wherein our not so sorrowfull as unfortunate Imperia was already entred and where to her unexpressible griefe and Morosini's unparalel'd affliction disconsolation such exact charge was given of the Podestate and such curiousheed observed and taken of the Goaler that he could not possibly be permitted either to see or speak with her or she with him the which indeed they conceived to be farre more sharp than their crime and infinitly more bitter than the consideration either of their feare or danger Now the newes of these lamentable Accidents being speedily posted from Ancona to Loretto our Imperia's cruell Father Bondino no sooner is ascertained thereof But seeing his sonne in law Palmerius murthered in his bed and his wife and his own only daughter Imperia with her Ruffian Morosini and his two consorts to be imprisoned as the Authors and actors thereof hee for the love hee bore to her life and the tender pitty and sorrow hee felt of the infamy of her approaching death sodainly falls sicke and dies Wherof his imprisoned Daughter Imperia understanding shee in regard of his former severity towards her is so much passionate and so little compassionate as shee rather rejoyceth than lamenteth at it Onely shee prayes God to forgive his soule of that crueltie of his in enforcing her to marry Palmerius which shee knowes to bee the the originall cause and fatall cloud from whence have proceeded alâ—… these dismall stormes of affliction and tempests of untimely death which shee feares must very shortly befall both her selfe and her second selfe Morosini Whiles thus Astonicus and Donato grieve at their hard fortune and danger and Morosini and Imperia doe reciprocally more lament and sorrow for their separation then for their imprisonment and that the Podestate and other officers of Iustice of Ancona are resolved first to informe the Pope and then to expect his holinesse pleasure for the arraignment and punishment of these foure prisoners it pleased God exceedingly to visit the towne of Loretto and especially the Cittie of Ancona with the Plague wherof many thousands in a few moneths were swept away so by speciall commission and order from Rome they in company of divers other Prisoners are conveyed to the citty of Polegnio two small dayes journey from Ancona and there to be arraigned and tried upon their lives and deaths At which time as they past by the old little Citie of Tolentino where I then in my intended travells towards Rome lay upon my recovery of a burning feaver When I say the nature of their crimes and the quality of their persons made my curiosity so ambitious as to see and obserue them in their severall chambers of the Inne where they that night lay which was at the signe of the Popes armes as for Astonicus and Donato I found them to be rather sad than merry Morosini to be farre more merry then wise and Imperia to bee infinitly more faire than fortunate and all of them to bee lesse sorrowfull for their affliction and danger than for the cause thereof Within three houres of their arrivall to Foligâ—…io they are all foure convented before the two criminall Judges who are purposly sent from Rome thither and are there and then severally charged with this foule murther of stifling to death the old Signior Palmerius in his bed which all and every one of them apart doe stifly deny Notwithstanding that Fundt the hoast and Richardo the Nephew give in evidence of strong presumption against them and also notwithstanding of Morosini's gloves and Bondino's letter written to his Sonne in law Palmerius and delivered by Herbas as we have formerly understood But these two grave and prudent Iudges yet strongly suspecting the contrary they will not be deluded with the airy words and
they doe her to accept and receive her owne They tell her they have not the power to grant her the first and she replies that shee then hath not the will to embrace and entertaine the second They acquaint Morosini herewith who by their order and by their selves doe strongly perswade her hereunto but her first answer and resolution is her last that shee willaccept of no life if he must dye neither will hee refuse any death conditionally that shee may live to survive him The two Friers and two Nunnes use their best Art and Oratory to perswade her hereunto but they meet with impossibility to make her affection to Morosini and her resolution to her selfe flexible hereunto Her life is not halfe so pretious to her as is his for if shee had many as shee hath but one shee is both ready and resolute to lose and sacrifice them all for his sake and would esteeme it her felicity that her death might redeem and ransome his life The Judges out of their goodnesse and charity afford a whole day to invite and perswade her hereunto but shee is still deafe to their requests and still one and the same woman desirous to live with him or constant and resolute to dye for him Therefore when nâ—…thing can prevaile with her because dye he must so dye shee will to the which shee cheerefully prepares her selfe with an equall affection and resolution which I rather admire than commend in her So the next morning theyare all foure brought to the place of common execution to suffer death Where Donato is first liftedup to the Ladder who being fuller of paine than words said little in effect but that he wished he had either died in Constantinople or Aleppo or else sunke in the sea before he came to Ancona and not to have here ended his daies in misery and infamy The next who was ordered to follow him was Astonicus who told the world boldly and plainly that hee cared lesse for his death than for the cause thereof and that hee loved Morosini so perfectly and dearely that he rather reioyced than grieved to dye for him only he repented himselfe for assisting to murther Palmerius and from his heart and soule beseeched God to forgive it him and so he was turned over Then Morosini ascends the Ladder â—…ad in a haire coulour sattin sute and a paire of crimson silke stockings with garters and roses edged with silver lace being so vaine in his carriage action and speeches as before hee once thought of God hee with a world of sighes takes a solemneleave of his sweet heart Imperia and with all the powers of his heart and soule prayes her to accept of his life and so to survive him He makes an exact and godly confession of his sinnes to God and the world and yet neverthelesse hee is so vaine in his affection toward Imperia as hee takes both to witnesse that had hee a thousand lives he would cheerefully lose them all to save and preserve hers As for Imperia such was her deere and tender affection to him as she would faine look on him as long as he lives and yet she equally desires and resolves rather to dy than to see him die and because she hath not the power therefore she turnes her â—…ace and eies from him and will not have the will to see him dye When he having said his prayers and so recommended his soule into the hands of his Redeemer he is also turned over Now although our Imperia bee here againe and againe solicited by the Iudges Friers and Nuns to accept of her life yet she seeing her other selfe Morosini dead shee therefore disdaines to survive him shee hath so much love in her heart as she now hath little life and lesse joy in her lookes and countenance Shee ascends the Ladder in a plaine blacke Taffeta Gowne a plaine thicke set Ruffe a white Lawne Quayfe and a long blacke Cypresse vayle over her head with a white paire of gloves and her prayer booke in her hands When beeing farre more capable to weepe than speake shee casting a wonderfull sad and sorrowfull looke on her dead lover Morosini after many volleyes of farre fetchd sighes shee delivers this short speech to that great concourse of people who from Citty and Country flocked thither to see her and them dye Good People I had lived more happy and not dyed so miserable if my Father Bondino had not so cruelly enforced mee to marry Palmerius whom I could not love and to leave Morosini whom in heart and soule I ever affected a thousand times deerer than mine owne life and may all fathers who now see my death or shall hereafter heare or reade this my History bee more pittifull and lesse cruell to their daughters by his Example I doe here now suffer many deaths in one to see that my deere Morosini is dead for my sake for had hee not loved mee deerly and I him tenderly he had never died for mee nor I for him with such cheerefullnesse and alacrity as now we doe And here to deale truly with God and the world although I could never affect or fancy my old husband Palmerius yet noâ—… from my heart and soule I lament and repent that ever I was guilty of his innocent and untimely death the which God forgive me and I likewise request you all to pray unto God to forgive it me And not to conceale or dissemble the truth of my heart I grieve not to dye but rather because I have no more lives to lose for my Morosini's affection and sake I have and doe devoutly pray unto God for his soule and so I heartily request and conjure you all to doe for mine Thus I commend you all to happy and prosperous lives my selfe to a pious and patient death in earth and a joyfull and glorious resurrection in Heaven when signing her selfe often with the signe of the crosse she pulls her vaile downe over her face and so praying that she might be buried in one and the same grave with Morosini she bad the executioner performe his office who immediatly turnes her over And if reports be true Never three young men and one faire young Gentlewoman died more lamented and pittied then they For Morosini died with more resolution than repentance and Imperia with more repentance than resolution thus was their lives and thus their deaths May wee extract wisdome out of their folly and charity out of their cruelty so shall wee live as happy as they died miserably and finish our daies and lives in as much content and tranquillity as they ended theirs in shame infamy and confusion GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther HISTORY XXVII Father Iustinian a Priest and Adrian an Inne-keeper poyson De Laurier who was lodged in his house and then bury him in his Orchard where a moneth after a Wolfe digges him up and devonres a great part of his body which father Iustinian and Adrian
all the streets and corners of Granado that almost all the people of that Citie flocke the next morning to the place of execution to see this cruell Mistresse and her bloudy Chamber-maid take their last farewell of this world for the Lady Dominica must likewise die notwithstanding her Mother Cervantella's teares and her Husband Andrada's importunate requests and passionate praiers to her Judges to the contrary And first Denisa is caused to ascend the Ladder who was a tall and comely young woman to whom God was so mercifull to her soule that there with many bitter sighs and teares she was wonderfull sorrowfull for these her two foule murthers especially for that of her poore Infant babe whom she had almost as so one dispatched out as she brought into the world She earnestly besought all her auditors and spectators to pray unto God to forgive her and to bee mercifull to her soule shee affirmed that her Lady Dominica's enticements and Gold first drew her to be accessary to the poysoning of her Master Roderigo the which againe and againe from her heart and soule shee prayed God to pardon her when entreating all young people especially all young women to be more wise and religious and lesse prophane and bloudy minded by her example and now recommending her soule into the hands of her Saviour and Redeemer she is turned over When immediately after this our wretched Lady Dominica is likewise brought to her execution whom the vanity of her heart and the impurity and prophanenesse of her soule had purposely dighted in her best dresse and richest apparell which was a purple wrought Velvet Gowne and a curious great laced Ruffe with all things else sutable to it but which is lamentable to see and fearefull to consider she was as carelesse of her soule as curious of her body for the Priests and Friers in her prison could not abate or beat down her impiety but as there so here on the Ladder she enters into many deepe execrations and curses as well against her second Husband Andrada as against her Chamber-maid Denisa who she said was now rather gone to the Devill than to God but no spark of grace no shew of sorrow or signe of repentance could appeare in her looks or bee heard in her speeches for poysoning of her first Husband Roderigo but with much choller and vehemencie shee there uttered many other lewd and lascivious speeches the which grieved her Christian Auditours to heare and therefore I will not defile my pen or offend the Readers religious and chast hearts with the knowledg thereof so this miserable and wretched Lady was turned over the Ladder who made her death answerable to the foulnesse and enormity of her life being not so happy in her death as her bloudy Chamber-maid Denisa and I feare me as exempt of grace and goodnesse as the Devill could wish her But God is the Lord of Justice and father of mercy to whom I leave her They youth and beauty of this cruell and inhumane Lady Dominica was pitied of many but her foule fact abhorred and detested of all who were present at her death may we who reade her History cherish our Vertues by the sight and knowledge of her Vices and fortifie our soules with Religion and Piety as she ruined hers by the neglect and want thereof Amen GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XXIX Sanctifiore upon promise of mariage gets Ursina with child and then afterwards very ingratefully and treacherously rejecteth her and marieth Bertranna Ursina being sensible of this her disgrace disguiseth her selfe in a Fryers habit and with a case of Pistolls kills Sanctifiore as he is walking in the fields for the which shee is hanged IT is a poore profit a wretched pleasure for the satisfaction of choler and revenge to imbrue our hands in the innocent blood of our neere kindred sith in seeking to wound him wee more properly kill our selves in soule and body striking him who is the figurative image of God wee presumptuously stab at the Majesty of God himselfe by whom our soules must without whom they can never bee saved Therefore if wee will not know as wee are men yet wee ought firmly both to know and beleeve as wee are Christians that revenge and murther are the two prodigious twins of Sathan the last being engendered and propagated of the first and both from Hell For revenge is nothalfe so sweet in the beginning as bitter in the end nor murther by many degrees so pleasing as it proves pernitious to her Authors as this ensuing History will verifie and make apparant unto us LEt your thoughts be carried over those high hills of Europe the Alpes and Appenins to the noble and famous citie of Naples the head and capitall of that flourishing kingdome and from whence it receives and derives its denomination a city exceeding rich populous and faire and graced and adorned with more Nobilitie and Gentrie of both sexes than any other of Italy whatsoever Wherein of very late yeares when the Duke of Ossuna was Viceroy thereof there dwelt two rich and beautifull young gentlewomen the one named Dona Vrsina Placedo the onely daughter and child of Seignior Agustino Placedo the other Dona Bertranna de Tores likewise the only child and daughter of Seignior Thomaso de Tores the first native of Ferenzolo in Pulia and the second of Materana in Calabria both of them being exceeding rich and well descended Gentlemen who with their wives and daughters for the most part built up their residence in Naples but especially all the winter time Now because these two young gentlewomen whom henceforth wee will tearme by their Christian and not by their Surnames are two of the chiefest personages which give life to this History therefore I hold it not impertinent for mee superficially to give the Reader their different caracters and delineations Vrsina was past the twentieth yeare of her age and Bertranna entring into her eighteenth Vrsina was tall and slender Bertranna short and somewhat crook-backed Vrsina was the fairer of the two but Bertranna by far the subtiller and wiser Vrsina was of a deepe Amber hayre but Bertranna of a coale blacke to conclude this point Vrsina was affable and courteous but Bertranna coy proud and malitious The truth and order of this History must here informe us that although these two rich young Gentlewomen had divers brave Gallants who were sutors to them for marriage yet none of them so dearely and passionatly loved Vrsina as the Baron of Sanctifiore of Capua a verie rich young Nobleman but far more proper than wise and withall far more lascivious than rich nor did or could Bertranna in her heart and mind affect any other but the said Baron neither was it possible for her father De Tores to perswade or draw her to desire any other Nobleman or Gentleman for her husband than him Thus wee see Sanctifiore deeply to love Vrsina and Bertranna him
hackney coach speedily flying to Putzeole to her aunt Mellefunta for protection and Sanctuary so these fierce and mercilesse sergeants doe presently divert and alter their course yea they furiously and suddainely rush upon them apprehend and constitute them close prisoners in the common goale of thaâ—… cittie placing them in two severall chambers to the end they should not prattle or tell tales each to other where they shall finde more leasure than time both to remember what they have done and likewise to know what hereafter they must doe Whiles thus all Naples generally resound and talke of this mournfull fact and deplorable accident and Seignior Placedo particularly grieves at these his daughters unexpected crosses and calamities as also of those of his coachman Sebastiano the which hee feares hee can far sooner lament than remedy our sorrowfull widdow Bertranna with the assistance of her father De Tores gives her husband the Baron of Sanctifiore a solemne and stately buriall in the Fueillantes Church of Naples correspondant to his noble degree and qualitie And then within two daies after at her earnest and passionate solicitation to the judges Vrsina and her coachman Sebastiano are severally convented before them in their chiefe Forum or tribunall of justice and there strongly accused by her and charged to bee the authors and actors of this cruell murther committed on the person of the Baron of Sanctifiore her husband the which both of them doe stoutly deny with much vehemency and confidence and when the little boy Bartholomeo is face to face called into the court to give in evidence against them hee there maintaines to the judges what hee had formerly deposed to them in the fields but saies hee thinks not that this Lady was that frier nor can hee truly say that this was the coachman who carried him although when his cloake was shewed him hee could not deny but it was verie like it but Bertranna having now secretly intimated and made knowen to the judges all the passages that had formerly past betweene Vrsina and her husband Sanctifiore as his getting of her with child and then contrarie to his promise refusing to marry her they doe therefore more than halfe beleeve that it was her discontent which drew her to this choler her choler to this revenge and her revenge to this murthering of him as also that in favour of some gold shee had likewise seduced and drawen her coachman Sebastiano to bee consenting and accessary herein with her whereupon the next day they will begin with him and so they adjudge him to the racke the torments whereof hee endures with a wonderfull fortitude and patience so that remembring his oath of secrecy to his Lady Vrsina hee cannot thereby bee drawen to confesse any thing but denies all whereof shee having secret notice doth not a little rejoyce and insult thereat now the very next ensueing morning Vrsina her selfe is likewise adjudged and exposed to the racke the wrenches and torments whereof as soone as shee sensibly feeles God proves then so propitious and mercifull to her soule that her dainty body and tender limbes cannot possibly endure or suffer it but then and there shee to her judges and tormentors confesseth herselfe to bee the sole author and actor of pistolling to death the Baron of Sanctifiore in the same manner and forme as wee have already understood in all its circumstances but in her heart and soule shee strongly affirmes to them that her coachman Sebastiano was not accessary with her herein upon which apparent and palpable confession of hers her judges in honour to sacred justice and for expiation of this her foule crime doe pronounce sentence of death against her that shee shall the next morning bee hanged at the place of common execution notwithstanding all the power and teares of her father and kinsfolkes to the contrary So she is returned to her prison where her father not being permitted to see her that night sends her two Nuns and two friers to prepare and direct her soule for heaven whom in a little time through Gods great mercy and their owne pious perswasions they found to bee wounderfull humble repentant and sorrowfull She privately sends word to her coachman Sebastiano that shee is thankfull to him for his respect and fidelity to her on the racke and wills him to bee assured and confident that shee being to die to morow her speech at her death shall no way prejudice but strongly confirme the safety and preservation of his life Thus grieving far more at the foulnes of her crime than at the infamy and severity of her punishment shee spends most part of the night and the first part of the morning in godly praiers and religious meditations and ejaculations when although her sorrowfull old father Seignior Placedo by his noble kinsman the Prince of Salerno made offer to the Viceroy the Duke of ossuna the free gift of all his lands to save this his daughters life yet the strong solicitation of the first and the great proffer of the last proved vaine and fruitlesse for they found it wholly impossible to obtaine it So about ten of the clocke in the morning our sorrowfull Vrsina is betweene two Nuns brought to her execution clad in a blacke wrought velvet gowne a greene sattin petticoate agreat laced ruffe her head dressed up with tuffes and roses of greene ribbon with some artificiall flowers all covered over with a white ciffres vaile and a paire of plaine white gloves on her hands when ascending the ladder shee to the great confluence of people who came thither to see her take her last farwell of this life and this world with a mournfull countenance and low voice delivered them this sorrowfull and religious speech Good people I want words to expresse the griefe of my heart and the anxiety and sorrow of my soule for imbruing my hands in the innocent blood and death of the Baron of Sanctifiore although not to dissemble but to confesse the pure truth hee betraied his promise to mee of marriage and mee of my honour and chastity without it whereof I beseech Almighty God that all men of what degree or qualitie soever may hereafter bee warned by his example and all Ladies and gentlewomen deterred and terrified by mine I doe likewise here confesse to heaven and earth to God and his Angells and to you all who are here present that I alone was both the author and actor of this foule murther and that my coachman Sebastiano is no way consenting or accessary with mee herein and that albeit I once promised and proffered him a hundred double pistolls of Spanish gold to performe it yet hee honestly and religiously refused both me and it and strongly and pathetically disswaded me from it whose good and wholesome councell I now wish to God from the depth and center of my soule I had then followed for then I had lived as happie as now I die miserable And because it is now no
other busines rides over to Stremos and acquaints the Corigidores herewith and taking Roderigo likewise along with him hee also failes not very resolutely to affirme and most constantly to confirme it to them which these wise and grave judges understanding they in honour to Gods service and glory and in true obedience to his sacred justice without any delay or procrastination take Don Gasper de Mora the old Souldiour Roderigo and some three or foure expert Swimmers along with them and with hast and secresie speed away to the pond wherein after those Swimmers had beene a quarter of an houre and curiously busked and dived in most places thereof to find out this cloath at lâ—… by the mercy and providence of God one of them diving far better than the rest sees and finds it and swimming with his left hand brings it a shore in his right hand to the Corigidores who much admiring and rejoycing thereat cause it presently to bee opened where contrary to all their expectations they find no dead child but as wee have formerly understood a cambricke smocke as yet all spotted and stained with blood and tyed fast with a blew silke garter and in it a very sharp and bloody razor with a brasse weight tyed in all this purposely to sinke it in the pond The Corigidores Gaspar De Mora and all the rest are amazed and astonished at the sight of these bloody evidences when Roderigo againe constantly swearing to them that hee saw the Lady Bellinda with her owne hands throw this little linnen fardell into that pond the verie same morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and the malitious curiosity of Gaspar De Mora here finding the very two first and last letters of her name in the cambricke smocke the Corigidores then concurre in one opinion as so many lines which terminate in one Centre that yet infalibly it was shee and no other who had so cruelly murthered her husband Ferallo in his bed Whereupon taking this bloody smocke razor and garter with them they with much zeale and speed poast away to the Lady Bellinda's house to apprehend her for this her foule and lamentable murther where cruell hearted and lascivious Lady shee is so far from the consideration of grace or the thought and apprehension of any feare as shee feares none and which is worst of all not the power and justice of God himselfe for shee is so immodest in her heart so lustfull in her conversation as notwithstanding her blacke mourning attire and apparell that her first husband was but lately dead and now her second not as yet cold in his grave yet with great variety of musicke shee is here now in her house singing dancing and revelling with divers young Cavalliers and Gallants both of the cittie country as if she had no other care thought or busines but how to make choyce of a third husband who might amorously please her lustfull eye and heart and of no lesse than a paire of Paramours and favorites who should lasciviously content her wanton desires and affections But these wanton vanities and vaine and lascivious hopes of the Lady Bellinda will now deceive her for now the Lords appointed due time is come wherein for these her two horrible murthers committed on the persons of her two husbands his divine sacred Majestie is resolved to powre downe his punishments and to thunder forth his judgements upon her to her utter shame and confusion The Corigidores resolutely enter her house then and there cause the Sergeants to apprehend her prisoner whereat being suddainly amazed and infinitely terrified shee weepes sighes and cries extremely But those Cavalliers I meane those her supposed lovers and pretended favorites who were there singing and dancing with her neither can or dare either affist or rescue her Now the plumes of her pride and jollity are suddainly dejected and fallen to the ground yea her musicke is turned to mourning her singing to sighes and her dancing triumphâ—… to teares The enormity of her crime cause these officers of justice to see her conveyed to prison without any respect of her beauty or regard of her sex and quality where shee hath more leisure given her to repent than meanes how to remedy these her misfortunes The next morning shee is sent for before her judges who roundly charge her for cruelly murthering her husband Don Ferallo in his bed the which with many teares and oathes shee stoutly denies then they shew her those bloody evidences â—…er cambricke smocke the razor her blew garter and the brasse weight and also produce and confront Roderigo with her who as before hee had affirmed now hee swears hee saw her throw this bloody linnen fardell into the pond the verie morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and although at the sight and knowledge hereof shee is at first wonderfully appalled and daunted therewith yet her courage is so stout as shee againe denies it with many prophane and fearefull asseverations and delighteth to heare her selfe make a tedious justification and a frivolous apologie to her judges for her innocency But those grave and prudent Magistrates of justice who in zeale to Gods glory have eyes not in vaine in their heads will give no beleife either to the sweetnes of the Lady Bellinda's youth or to the sugar of her speeches and protestations but for the vindication of this crime and of this truth they adjudge her the very next morning to the racke where such is her female fortitude as shee permits suffers her selfe to bee fastned thereunto with infinite constancy and patience as disdaining that the torments thereof should extort any truth from her tongue to the prejudice of her reputation and to the shipwracke of her safety and life but herein she reckons too short of God and beyond her selfe for shee considereth not that these torments are truly sent her from God and this her courage falsly lent and given her from Sathan for at the very first wrench of the racke and touch of the cord finding it impossible that her tender body and dainty limbs can endure the cruelty of those tortures God puts this grace into her heart that with many sighes and teares shee prayes her judges and tormentors to desist and so publikely confesseth that it was shee and only shee who had murthered her husband Ferallo and cut his throat in his bed with that very same razor Upon which confession of hers her judges glorifiing God for the detection of this cruell murther they for expiation thereof doe forthwith adjudge and sentence this wretched and bloody Lady Bellinda to bee the next morning burnt alive without the walles of Stremos at the foot of the castle which is the destined place of death for the like crimes and offendors so she being by them then againe returned to prison that night in Christian charity they send her some Priests and Nunnes to direct and prepare her soule
to heaved for this her bloody and unnaturall crime was so odious to men and so execrable to God that shee could hope for no pardon of her life from her judges although her sorrowfull old father Cursoro with a world of teares threw himselfe to their feet and offered them all his lands and meanes to his very shirt to obtaine it for her All Stremos and the country there abouts resound and talke of this cruell murthering of Ferallo as also of his Lady Bellinda's condigne condemnation to death for the same and the next morning at eight of the clocke they all repaire under the castle wall to see this execrable and unfortunate Lady there in flames of fire to act the last scoene and catastrophy of her life she is conducted thither by a Saint Claires Nun on her right hand and a Saint Francis Frier on her left who jointly charge her upon perill of damnation to disburthen her conscience and soule before shee dye of any other capitall crime whereof shee knowâ—…s 〈◊〉 selâ—… guilty the which shee solemnly and religiously promiseth them about nine of the clocke shee is brought to the stake where she sees her selfe empalled and surrounded first with many fagots and then with a very great concourse and confluence of people here shee is so irreligious in her vanity that shee had cast of her blackes and mourning and purposely dighted her selfe in a rich yellow sattin gowne wrought with flowers of silver a large set ruffe about her necke and her head covered over with a pure white tiffney vaile laced and wroâ—…ht with rich cut-worke as if shee cared more for her body than her soule as if her pride and bravery would carry her sooner to heaven than her prayers and repentance or as if the prodigall cost and lustre thereof were able to diminish either her crime or her punishment in the eyes and opinions of her spectators But contrariwise the very first sight of her sweet youth and pure and fresh beauty and then the consideration of her foule crime for murthering her owne husband doe operate and worke differently upon all their affections and passions some pittying her for the first but all more justly condemning her for the second When as soone as their clamorous sobs and speeches were past and blowen over and that both the Frier and Nun had tane their last leave of her then after she had shed many teares on earth and sent and evaporated many sighes to heaven shee wringing her hands whereon shee had a paire of snow white gloves and casting up her eyes towards God at last with a faltring and fainting voice spake thus It is my crime and your charity good people which hath conducted you hither to see mee a miserable Gentlewoman here to dye miserably And because it is now no longer time for me to dissemble either with God or the world therefore to save my soule in heaven though my body perish here in earth I with much griefe and infinite sorrow doe truly and freely confesse both to God and you that I am not only guilty of one murther but of two for as I now lately cut my second husband Ferallo's throat so I was so vild wretched heretofore as to poyson my first Lord and husband De Mora. At which report and confession of this execrable Lady Bellinda in regard of the greatnes of her Lord De Mora's descent Nobility all this huge concourse of people who are sensibly touched with griefe and sorrow make a wonderfull noise and out-cry thereat and now in regard of this soule and double crime of hers they looke on her with far more contempt and far lesse pittie than before But shee being as patient as they are clamorous hereat and seeing their cries now againe cried downe and welâ—…nigh drowned and hushed up in silence recollecting her thoughts and againe composiing her countenance shee againe very sorrowfully continueth her speech to them thus I well know and indeed I heartily grieve to remember that these two foule and cruell murthers of mine make mee unworthy either to tread on the face of earth or to looke up to that of heaven and yet in the middest of these my miseries I have this consolation left mee that in favour of my true confession and religious repentance thereof to God that God can bee as indulgent and mercifull to mee as I have beene impious and sinfull to him the which that I may obtaine I beseech you all who are here present to joyne your prayers with mee and to God for mee and this is the last charity which I will begge and implore of you Now because example is powerfull no example so strong and prevalent as the words of the dying to the living therefore to Gods glory and mine owne shame give mee leave to tell you that two things especially brought and induced mee to commit these foule â—…ers as they have now justly brought mee â—…er to suffer death for committing them first my neglect of prayer and omission to serve and feare God duly as I ought to have done Secondly the affecting and following of my lascivious and lustfull pleasures which I ought not to have done The neglect of the first proved the bane of my soule and the performance and practice of the last the contagion and poyson of my life and both these two sins conjoined and lincked together enforce mee now here to dye with as much misery and infamie as without them I mâ—…ght have lived and peâ—…chance lived longâ—… in earthly happines and prosperity O therefore good people beware by my woefull example let my crime bee your integrity my fall your rising and my shipwracke your safety As I beare not hypocrisie in my tongue so I will not beare malice in my heart Therefore from my heart I forgive Roderigo for telling Gaspar de Mora hee saw mee cast some bloody linnen in the pond I also forgive Gaspar de Mora for informing the Corigâ—…dores thereof and they for so justly condemning mee to death I also pray my father parents to forgive mee these my foule crimes and both to pardon forget the dishonour and scandall which the infamy of my death may reflect and draw on them And now I recommend you all to Gods best favour and mercy and my soule to receive salvation in his blessed kingdome of glory The Lady Bellinda having finished this her speech the hearing and consideration thereof engendred much pittie and compassion in the hearts and caused a world of teares in the eyes of the beholders and now shee prepares her selfe for death Here she takes off her rings from her fingers her pearle bracelets from her armes and as a token of her love gives them to her waiting Gentlewoman Hellena who is present and not far from her most bitterly sobbing and weeping because shee can weepe no more for the death of this her deare Lady and mistris who now repeates many private prayers Ave Maries to her selfe when