Is De Merson given and addicted to other women why pardon him because hee is a young man and as hee is thy husband and thou his wife beleeve that hee is every way more worthy of thy praiers than of thine envie Thus wee see upon what fatall and ominus tearmes these late married couple now stand De Mersons youth scorning and spurning at his wife La Vasselaye's age and wholly addicting himselfe to others and her age growing infinitly jealous of his youth so that for any thing I see or know to the contrary these different vices have already taken such deepe and dangerous roote in them as they threaten not onely the shipwracke of their content but of their fortunes if not of their lives Now for us to find out the particular object of La Vasselayes jealousie as her foolish curiosity hath already the generall cause we must know that she hath a very proper young Gentlewoman who atends her of some eighteene yeares of age tearmed Gratiana of a middle stature somewhat inclining to fatnesse having a fresh sanguine complexion and bright flaxen haire she being indeed every way exceeding lovely and faire and with this Gratiana she feares her Husband is more familiar than either modesty or chastity can permit and yet she hath onely two poore reasons for this her credulity and jealousie and God knowes they are poore and weake ones indeed The first is that she thinkes her owne withered face serves onely but as a foyle to make Gratiana's fresh beauty seeme the more precious and amiable in his eyes The second is that shee once saw him kisse her in her presence in the garden when she brought him a handkercher which his Page had forgotten to give him Ridiculous grounds and triviall reasons for her to build her feare or erect her jealousie on or to invent and raise so foule a scandall and calumny and yet not to suppresse but to report the whole truth De Merson was laciviously in love with Gratiana had often tempted her deflouration but could never obtaine her consent thereunto for shee was as chaste as faire and impregnable either to bee seduced by his gifts and presents or to bee vanquished and wonne by his treacherous promises protestations and oathes for she told him plainely and peremptorily when she saw him begin to grow importunate and impudent in this his folly That although she were but a poore Gentlemans daughter yet she thanked God that her parents had so vertuously train'd her up in the Schoole of Honour that she would rather dye than live to be a strumpet to any Gentleman or Prince of the world which chaste answer and generous resolution of hers did then so quench the flames of his lacivious and inordinate affection to her as thenceforth he exchanged his lust into love towards her and vowed that he would both respect and honour her as his sister Now although they both kept the passage of this businesse secret from his wife her Mistris yet notwithstanding as it is the nature of Iealousie not to hearken to any reason nor approve of any beliefe but of her owne therefore shee is confident that he lyes with Gratiana more oftner than with her selfe which shee vowes shee cannot digest and will no longer tolerate To which end with a most malicious and strange kind of treachery shee makes faire weather with Gratiana and thinking to coole her hot courage and to allay the heat of her luxurious blood looking one day stedfastly in her face she tels her that she hath need to be let blood to prevent a Fever whereunto although chaste and innocent Gratiana was never formerly let blood she notwithstanding willingly consents thereunto which to effect La Vasselay like a base mistris and a treacherous stepdame sends for an Apothecary named Rennee gives him a watch-word in his eare to draw at least sixteene ounces of blood from Gratiana for that she was strongly entred into a burning Fever But he being as honest as shee was treacherous and cruell told her that the drawing of so great a quantity of blood from her might not only impaire her health but indanger her life But she replies it was so ordered by a Doctor whereupon he opens her right arme veyne and as he had neere drawen so much from this poore harmelesse young Gentlewoman shee faints twice in a chaire betwixt their armes and all the cold water they threw in her face could very hardly refetch her and keepe life in her this old hard-harted hag still notwithstanding crying out that it was not blood enough having no other reason for this her treachery and cruelty but that indeed she thought it not enough or sufficient to quench the unquenchable thirst and flame of her jealousie of which this is the first effect towards this innocent young Gentlewoman but wee shall not goe farre to see a second Gratiana is so farre from dreaming of her mistris jealousie towards her master and herselfe or from once thinking of this her treacherous letting her blood as shee thankes her for her affection and care of her health and now the very next day after De Merson dyning at home with his old wife which he had not done in many dayes before and seeing Gratiana looke so white and pale demaunds her if she bee not well and then questioneth his wife what ayles her Gentlewoman to looke so ill which she seemes to put off with a feigned excuse but withall as if this care of her husband towards Gratiana were a true confirmation of their dishonesty and her jealousie she retaynes the memory thereof deepely in her heart and thoughts yea it is so frequent and fixed in her Imaginations as she cannot she will not any longer suffer or indure this affection of her husband to Gratiana nor that Gratiana's youth shall wrong La Vasselay's age in the rites and duties of marriage Wherefore casting sad aspects on him and malignant lookes on her she to please and give satisfaction to her jealousie which cannot bee pleased or satisfied with any thing but revenge resolves to make her know what it is for a waiting maid to offend and wrong her mistris in this kinde when not to deminish but rather to augment and redouble her former cruelty towards her Her husband riding one day abroad in company of divers other Gentlemen of the City to hunt Wolves which abound in those vast and spacious woods of Maine shee under pretence of some other businesse calls Gratiana alone into her inner chamber when bolting the doore after her she with meager and pale envy in her lookes and implacable fury and choller in her speeches chargeth her of dishonesty with her husband calling her whore strumpet and baggage affirming that the time and houre is now come for her to be revenged of her Poore Gratiana both amazed and affrighted at this sudden and furious both unexpected and undefiled alarum of her Mistris seing her honour and as she thinkes and feares her life called in
purpose if need should require which Lucilla promiseth Now this night as Belluile could not sleepe for joy so could not Laurieta for revenge who is so weighed downe to malice and murther as she wisheth the houre come for her to reduce her devillish contemplation into bloody action But this houre shall come too soone for them both for as Lovers are impatient of delayes so Belluile hath no sooner dined but taking his horse and two Lackeyes hee sayes he will take the aire of the fields that afternoone but will first call in and see his Mistresse Laurieta So hee alights at her doore and without the least feare of danger or apprehension of death very joyfully ascends Laurietâ—…'s chamber who dissembling wretch as shee is very kindly meets and receives him and the better to smother and dissemble her murtherous intent is not onely prodigall in taking but in giving him kisses Belluile like a dissolute and lascivious Gentleman whispers Laurieta in her eare that hee is come to receive the fruits of his hopes and of her promise and curtesie when considering that his horse and two Lackyes were at doore she returnes him this in his eare that she is wholly his and that it is out of her power to denye or refuse him any thing onely shee prayes him to send away his Lackeyes because their familiarity needed no witnesses Thus whiles hee calls them up to bid them carry away his horse to the gate that leades to Marseilles and there to awayt his comming Laurieta steps to her Wayting-mayd Lucilla and bids her make ready her Ponyard and stand close to her for now quoth she the houre is come that I will be revenged of Belluile for my Poligny's death the which she had no sooner spoken but Belluile returnes to her when redoubling his kisses hee little or rather not at all fearing he was so neere death or death him being ready to retire himselfe to a withdrawing Chamber which Laurieta treacherously informed him she had purposely provided for him he takes his Pistoll and layes it on the Table of the outer Chamber wherein they then were which shee espying as the instrument she infinitely desired to finger takes it in her hand and prayes him to shew her how to shoote it off so taking it from her he told her if shee pleased hee would discharge it before her for her sake Why quoth she is it charg'd Yea replyes Belluile with a single bullet Nay then quoth Laurieta put in one bullet more and if you can espye any Crow out of the window either on the house or Church top if it please you I will play the man and shoot at it for your sake When poore Belluile desirous to please her in any thing looks out the window and espies two Crowes on the crosse of the Augustine Fryers Church which he very joyfully relates Laurieta and so at her request claps in a second bullet more for quoth â—…he if I strike not both I will be sure to pay one and so prayes him to leane out at window to see how neere shee could feather them which miserable Gentleman he performing the Pistoll being bent shee behind him dischargeth it directly in his own reines Whereat he amazedly staggering Lucilla seconding her bloody Mistresse steps to him and with her Ponyard gives him five or sixe wounds thorow the body so as without speaking or groaning he falls dead at their feet Whereat Laurieta triumphing and leaping for joy uttereth these bloudy and prophane speeches O Poligny whiles thou art in heaven thus have I done in earth for thy sake and in revenge of thy cruell death Which having performed they more cruelly then cruelty her selfe drag his breathlesse carkasse reeking in his bloud downe the stayres into a low obscure Cellar where making a shallow grave they there bury him in his clothes and so pile up a great quantity of Billets on him as if that wooden monument had power to conceale their Murther and his body from the eyes and suspicion of all the world Good God! what devills incarnate and infernall Furies are these thus to imbrue their hands in the blood of this Gentleman But as close as they act and contrive this their bloody and inhumane Murther on earth yet heaven will both detect and revenge it for when they least dreame thereof Gods wrath and vengeance will surprise them to their utter confusion and destruction and it may be sooner then they are aware of For the two Lackeyes having stayed at the City gate with their Masters horse till night they returne and seeke him at Laurieta's house where they left him Laurieta informes them hee stayed not an houre after them and since shee saw him not which newes doth infinitely afflict and vexe them But they returne to his lodging and like duetifull and faithfull servants betwixt hope and feare awayt his returne that night and all the next day but in vaine And now they beginne to be amazed at his long and unaccustomed absence and so consult this important businesse to some Gentlemen their Masters confident and intimate friends who together with them repayre to Laurieta's house and againe and againe demand her for Mounsieur de Belluile but they finde her constant in her first answer and yet guided by the finger and providence of God they bewray a kinde of perturbation in her lookes and discover some distraction and extavagancie in her speeches whereupon calling to their mindes her former discourtesie to him for Poligny's sake and his fighting with him on the Bridge for hers as also this sudden and violent suspected murther of him they suspect and feare there is more in the winde then as yet they know and so acquaint the Criminall Iudges herewith who as wise Senatours having severally examined both her and her Mayd Lucilla and Belluile's Lackeyes they conclude to imprison Laurieta which is instantly performed whereat she is extreamly amazed and terrifyed but howsoever she is resolute to deny all and constant to stand upon her justification and innocencie So her Iudges adjudge her to the torments of the Racke which with a masculine yea with a hellish fortitude shee indureth without revealing the least shaddow either of feare or guiltinesse but they detaine her still prisoner and hope that God will make time discover the Murther of Belluile for eight dayes being now past they are become confident that hee is not in this world but in another In the meane time her bloudy Wayting-mayd Lucilla hath continuall recourse to her Lady Laurieta in prison where like impious and prophane wretches they interchangeably sweare secrecie each to other sith on eithers discovery depends no lesse then both their deaths Whiles this newes is generally divulged in Avignion Provence Daulphine and Langueâ—…k and no newes at all to be had or gathered of Belluile La Palaisiere who shined with as many vertues as Lâ—…urieta was obscured with Vices out of compassion and Christian charity some three weeks after visiteth Laurieta in
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
Devill was by ambition covetousnesse malice and revenge to seduce and perswade Hautefelia and La Fresnay to commit these Murthers and also how just God was in the detection and punishment thereof that the feare of the one may terrifie us from imbracing and attempting the other to the end that as they lived in sinne and dyed in shame so wee may live in righteousnes and dye in peace thereby to live in eternall felicity and glory GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE II. Pisani betrayeth Gasparino of his Mistresse Christeneta Gasparino challengeth Pisani for this disgrace and kills him in the field hee after continueth his suite to Christeneta shee dissembles her malice for Pisani his death shee appoynts Gasparino to meete her in a Garden and there causeth Bianco and Brindoli to murther him they are all three taken and executed for the same WHere Affection hath Reason for guide and Vertue for object it is approved of Earth and applauded of Heaven but where it exceeds the bounds of Charity and the lists of Religion Men pitty it Angels lament it and God himselfe contemnes it for if we are crossed in our love why should discontent make us desperate or to what end should we flie Reason to follow Rage except we desire to ride poast to Hell and to end our dayes on a shamefull and infamous Scaffold here on earth It is an excellent felicity to grow from Vertue to Vertue and a fatall misery to runne from Vice to Vice Love and Charity are alwayes the true marks of a Christian and Malice and Revenge those of an Infidell or rather of a Devill but to imbrue our hands in innocent bloud and to seeke the death of others is to deprive our selves of our owne life as the sequell of this History will declare which I relate with pitty and compassion sith I see the Stage whereon these Tragedies are acted and represented not only sprinkled but goared with great variety and effusion of bloud In Pavia the second City of the Dutchy of Millan the very last yeare that Count Fuentes under the King of Spaine was Viceroy of that State Signior Thomaso Vituri a noble Gentleman of that City had one onely child a daughter of the age of fifteene yeares named Dona Christeneta who was exceeding faire and beautifull and indued with many excellent qualities perfections requisite in a Gentlewoman of her ranke she was sought in marriage by many Gallants of the City but a Cavalier of Cremona must beare her away or at least her affection The History is thus Signiour Emanuel Gasparino a noble young Gentleman of Cremona hearing of Vituri his wealth and of his daughter Christeneta's Beauty and Vertues the Adamants and Load-stones to drawe mens affections resolveth with himselfe to seeke her for his wife he acquaints none herewith but an intimate deare friend of his a young Gentleman of the same City named Signior Ludovicus Pisani by descent a Venetian whom hee prayes to assist and accompany him to Pavia in seeking and courting the faire Christeneta his Mistresse Pisani tearmes himselfe much honoured and obliged to Gasparino and very willingly grants his request and so they prepare for their journy They come to Pavia Vituri bids Gasparino welcome and entertaines him respectfully and courteously as also Pisani he thankes Gasparino for the honour he doth him in seeking his daughter and like a carefull father takes time to consult hereon but for Christeneta she looks not so pleasing nor pleasantly on him as he expecteth he is deeply in love both with her beauty and other perfections but he finds her cold in her discourse and answers and very melancholly and pensive he courts her often and after the Italian fashion with variety of Musicke Ditties and ayres but still he findes her averse and contrary to his desires as if her thoughts were otherwise fixed Gasparino knowes not how to winne her affection nor how to beare himselfe herein he consults with Pisani and prayes him to conferre with Christeneta and to sound her affection But it proves often dangerous still indiscretion to trust a friend in this case Pisani promiseth to performe the office of a friend and to conferre effectually with Christeneta he seekes opportunity and place and findes both he sets out to her Gasparino's merits and paints foorth his praises and in a word leaves nothing untouched which hee thinkes may any way advance his friends content and affection but hee findes Christeneta's minde perplexed and troubled for shee often changeth colours now red then pale and then pale now red againe yet hee observes that her eyes are still stedfastly fixed on him hee prayes her that she will returne a pleasing answer for him to carry to his friend and her lover Gasparino Christeneta would willingly speake but cannot for her heart and paps beat and pant and her fighes very confusedly interrupt her words but at last dying her Lilly cheekes with a Vermillian blush shee tells him that she is not ignorant of Gasparino's merits who deserves farre her better but that shee cannot consent to love him in respect she hath fixed but not ingaged her affection on another Pisani still extolleth his friend Gasparino to the skie and for all honourable parts preferres him before any Gentleman of Lombardy and withall with much industry and insinuation endeavours to request and draw Christeneta to name him her servant which she once thought to have done had not Modesty the sweetest and most precious ornament of a Virgin for that time with-held her when after two or three deepe sighes the outward Heralds of her inward passions she told him thus Pisani it is a deare and neare friend of yours who is the first that I have and the last that I will affect but I will not at present name him onely if you please to meet me secretly to morrow at eight of the clocke in the morne in the Nunnes garden at Saint Clare I will there informe you who it is but in the meane time and ever forbeare to sollicite me any more for Gasparino sith he shall not be my servant nor will I be his Mistresse and so for that time they part and he confidently promiseth to meet her Gasparino demands Pisani how hee findes his Mistresse Christeneta Hee answeres faithfully according as shee told him but conceales their appoynted meeting in the Nunnes garden and now because hee seeth it labour lost to research Christeneta hee will not be obstinate in his suit but will give a law to his passions and affections rather then they shall prescribe any to him and so resolves to take leave of her because as well by her selfe as by her father and mother and now chiefely by Pisani he sees shee is otherwise bent and affected to which end he leaves Pavia and returnes to Cremona Leave we therfore Gasparino to his thoughts and come we to those of Pisani and Christeneta to see what their garden conference will bring forth
Iosselina but likewise that of her infant sonne whom hee first strangled and then threw into the River Lignon and this said he he did at the request of his Master Mortaigne of whom for his part and labour he received one hundred Frankes Wee have here found two of these Murtherers and now what resteth there but that the third who is the Authour and as it were the capitall great wheele of these bloody Tragedies bee produced and brought to this Arraignement The Procurer and Lievtennant repaire againe to the Prison and charge Mortaigne with these two bloody Murthers hee knowes it is in vaine to denye it sith hee is sure his two execrable agents have already revealed it therefore he ashamed at the remembrance of his cruell and unnatural crimes doth with many teares very sorrowfully and penitently confesse all It is a happinesse for him to repent these Murthers but it had beene a farre greater if hee had never contrived and committed them yea the Iudges are amazed to heare the cruelty hereof and the people to know it and both send their prayses and thankefulnesse to God that hee hath thus detected and brought them to light on earth And now comes the Catastrophe of their owne Tragedies wherein every one of these Malefactors receives condigne punishment for their severall offences La Palma is condemned to bee hanged and burnt La Verdure to bee broken on the Wheele and his body to bee throwne into the River Lignon and Mortaigne though the last in ranke yet the first in offence to be broken on the Wheele his body burnt and his ashes throwne into the aire which Sentence in the sight of a great multitude of Spectators was on a Market day accordingly executed and performed in La Palisse And this was the bloody end of Mortaigne and his two hellish instruments for murthering innocent Iosselina and her silly and tender infant May all Maydens learne by her example to preserve their chastities and men by La Verdures and La Palma's not to be drawne to shed innocent blood for the lucre of wealth and money and by Mortaignes to bee lesse lascivious inhumane and bloody thereby to prevent so execrable a life and so infamous a death One thing I may not omit La Palma on the Ladder extreamely cursed the malice of his wife Isabella who he said was the author of his death and no lesse did La Verdure on the Wheele by his Master Mortaigne but both of them were so desperately irreligious as neither of them considered that it was their former sinnes and the malice of the Devill to whom they gave too much eare that was the cause thereof And for Mortaigne after he had informed the world that hee extreamely grieved that his Iudges had not given him the death of a Gentleman which was to haue beene beheaded he with many teares bewayled his infinite ingratitude cruelty and unnaturalnesse both towards Iosselina as also his and her young sonne yet he prayed the world in generall to pray that God would forgive it him and likewise requested the Executioner to dispatch him quickely out of this life because hee confessed hee was unworthy to live longer Now let us glorifie our Creatour and Redeemer who continually makes a strict inquisition for blood and a curious and miraculous inquiry for Murther yea let us both feare him with love and love him with feare sith hee is as impartiall in his justice as in distributing his mercies GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE IV. Beatrice-Ioana to marry Alsemero causeth de Flores to murther Alonso Piracquo who was a sutter to her Alsemero marries her and finding de Flores and her in adultery kills them both Tomaso Piracquo Challengeth Alsemero for his Brothers death Alsemero kills him treacherously in the field and is beheaded for the same and his body throwne into the Sea At his execution hee confesseth that his wife and de Flores Murthered Alonso Piracquo their bodies are taken up out of their graves then burnt and their ashes throwne into the ayre SIth in the day of Iudgement we shall answer at Gods great Tribunall for every lewd thought our hearts conceive and idle words our tongues utter how then shall we dare appeare much lesse thinke to scape when we defile our bodies with the pollution of adultery and taint our soules with the innocent bloud of our Christian brethren when I say with beastly lust and adultery we unsanctifie our sanctified bodies who are the receptacles and Temples of the holy Ghost and with high and presumptuous hands stabbe at the Majesty of God by Murthering of man who is his Image This is not the Ladder to scale heaven but the shortest way to ride poast to hell for how can we give our selves to God when in the heat of lust and fume of Revenge we sell our hearts to the Devill But did we ever love God for his Mercy or feare him for his Iustice we would then not onely hate these sinnes in our selves but detest them in others for these are crying and capitall offences seene in heaven and by the Sword of his Magistrates brought forth and punished here on earth A lamentable and mournefull example whereof I here produce to your view but not to your imitation may wee all read it to the reformation of our lives to the comfort of our soules and to the eternall glory of the most Sacred and Individuall Trinity IN Valentia an ancient and famous City of Spaine there dwelt one Don Pedro de Alsemero a Noble young Cavallier whose father Don Ivan Alsemero being slaine by the Hollanders in the Sea fight at Gibralter hee resolved to addict himselfe to Navall and sea actions thereby to make himselfe capeable to revenge his fathers death a brave resolution worthy the affection of a sonne and the Generosity of a Gentleman To which end hee makes two voyages to the West-Indies from whence he returnes flourishing and rich which so spread the sayles of his Ambition and hoysted his fame from top to top gallant that his courage growing with his yeares he thought no attempt dangerous enough if honourable nor no honour enough glorious except atchieved and purchased by danger In the actions of Alarache and Mamora he shewed many noble proofes and testimonies of his valour and prowesse the which he confirmed and made good by the receit of eleven severall wounds which as markes and Trophees of Honour made him famous in Castile Boyling thus in the heate of his youthfull bloud and contemplating often on the death of his father he resolves to goe to Validolyd and to imply some Grando either to the King or to the Duke of Lerma his great favorite to procure him a Captaines place and a company under the Arch-Duke Albertus who at that time made bloudy warres against the Netherlanders thereby to draw them to obedience But as hee beganne this sute a generall truce of both sides laid aside Armes which by the mediation of England
knees beseech them to pray unto the Lord to forgive him Wee have seene Alibius Murther his wife Merilla wee have seene his apprehension imprisonment triall conviction and condemnation for this his execrable and bloudy fact wherein wee may observe how the justice of God still triumpheth o're the temptation and malice of the Devill and how Murther though never so secretly acted and concealed will at last be detected and punished What resteth there now but that after wee have hereby made good use of this example wee see Alibius fetched from his prison and conveyed to the place of execution whereat as wee have heard hee formerly stumbled in jest but must now in earnest where although it were timely in the morn as having the favour to dye alone and at least three houres before the other condemned malefactors an infinite number of the Citizens of Brescia of all rankes and of both sexes assembled to see Alibius take his last farewell of this World At his ascending up the ladder his faire gray beard and comely presence drew pitty from the hearts and teares from the eyes of the greatest part of the spectators to see that the Devill had so strongly inchanted and seduced him to lay violent hands on his wife and to see so grave and so proper an aged man thus misfortunately and untimely cast away His speech at his end was briefe and short onely hee freely confest his crime and with infinite sighes and teares besought the world to pray for his soule hee lamented the Vanity of his youth and the dissolutenesse of his age told them that his neglect of prayer to God and his too much confidence in the devill had brought him to this shamefull end and therefore besought them againe and againe to beware by his example and so having solemnely freed his second wife Philatea from being any way acquainted or accessary with the murther of his first wife Merilla he recommending his soule into the hands of his Redeemer dyed as penitently as hee had lived dissolutely and prophanely And thus was the life and death of Alibius the which I was the more willingly induced to publish partly because I was an eye-witnesse both of his arraignement and death as I returned from my travells but more especially in hope that his example and Historie may prove to bee as great a consolation to the Godly as a terrour to the unrighteous To God bee all Glory and prayse FINIS THE TRIUMPHS OF GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murder Expressed In thirty seuerall Tragicall Histories digested into six Books which containe great varietie of mournfull and memorable Accidents Amourous Morall and Divine Booke II. Written by IOHN REYNOLDS VERITAS TEMPORE PATET OCCVLTA RS LONDON Printed by Aug. Mathewes for WILLIAM LEE and are to be sold at his shop in Fleetstreet at the signe of the Turks Head neere the Mitre Taverne 1634. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND TRVLIE NOBLE RICHARD Lord Buckhurst Earle of Dorset and Lord Lievtennant of his Majesties Countie of Sussex RIGHT HONOVRABLE OVt of a resolution whether more bold or zealous I know not I have adventured this second Booke of my Tragicall Histories to the World under your Honours Patronage and protection Neither neede I goe farre to yeeld either your Honour or the World a reason of this my Presumption and Ambition sith your Uertues innobling your Bloud as much as your Nobility illustrates your Vertues was the first motive which drew me hereunto for whiles many others indeavour to bee great your Honour resembling your selfe not onely indeavours but strives to bee good as well knowing that Goodnesse is the glory and essence yea the life and as I may say the soule of Greatnesse and that betwixt Greatnesse and Goodnesse there is this difference and disparitie that makes us famous this immortall that beloved of men this of God that accompanyeth us only to our Graves and this to Heaven My second prevayling Motive in this my Dedication proceeded from the respect of my particular duety as my first was solely derived from the consideration of your owne generall and generous Uertues for having the honour to retaine to your Noble Brother Sir Edward Sackvile Knight to whom for many singular respects and immerited favours whiles I am my selfe Iowe not onely my service but my selfe I therein hold me obliged and bound to proffer and impart this part of my Labours to your Honour as the first publike testimony of my zeale and service eternally devoted and consecrated to the Illustrious Name and Family of the Sackeviles whereof Gods Divine providence hath made your Honour chiefe Heire and Pillar The drift and scope of these Histories are to informe the World how Gods Revenge still fights and triumphs against the crying and execrable sinne of wilfull and premeditated Murther which in these our impure and profane times is so fatally and frequently coincident to unregenerate Christians which Scarlet and bloody Crime is infallibly met with and rewarded by Gods sharpe and severe punishments having purposely published and divulged them to my deare Countrey of England that they may serve though not by the way of comparison yet of application as the sight of Iulius Caesars bloudy Robe shewed by Marcus Antonius to the Romanes in Campo Martio when hee there pronounced his funerall Oration thereby to make his Murther and Murtherers in the greater horrour and execration with the people The Histories of themselves are as different as their effects and accidents their Scenes being wilfully and sinfully laid in diuers parts of Christendome beyond the seas and the Tragedies vnfortunately perpetrated and personated by those who more adhering to impiety then Grace and to Satan then God made shipwracke if not of their soules with their bodies I am sure of their liues with their fortunes and of their fortunes with their lives They themselves or rather their sinnes first brought the Materials I onely the collection illustration and pollishing of these their deplorable Histories which are penned in so low a sphaere of speech and so inelegant a phrase as they can no way merit the Honour of your perusall much lesse of your iudgement and least of all of your Noble protection and Patronage Howsoever my hopes led and marshalled by the premises doe as it were flatter mee that your perfections will winke at my imperfections and your curiosity at my ignorance and presumption in daigning permit this my rude Pamphlet to salute and pilgrimage the World under the authenticall passe-port of your Honours favour who of her selfe is composed of so poore metall or rather drosse as without the pure gold of your Honourable Name it would runne a hazard not to passe currant with the curious wits and censures of this our too curious and too censorious age whereof could I rest assured I should then not onely rejoyce but triumph in this my happinesse as so richly exceeding the proportion of my poore Labours and merits that I could not aspire
at life see what bitter fruits and sharpe ends ever attend upon Whoredome and Murther it is a lively Example for all kinde of Empericks and Drugstâ—…rs whatsoever to consider how severely God doth infallibly revenge and punish the poysoning of his Saints and children In a word it is a Lesson and Caveat for all people and for all degrees of people but especially of Christians who professe the Gospell of Christ not only to detest these foule sins of Revenge and Murther in others but to hate and abhor them in their selves which that all may endeavour to practice and performe grant good God who indeed art the only giver of all goodnesse GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XII Albemare causeth Pedro and Leonardo to murther Baretano and hee after marriah Clara whom Baretano first sought to marry Hee causeth his man Valereo to poyson Pedro in Prison and by a letter which Leonardo sent him Clara perceives that hâ—… husband Albemare had hired and caused Pedro and Leonardo to murther her first Baretano which letter she reveales to the Iudge so he is hanged and likewise Valerio and Leonardo for these their blody crimes WIth what face can we presume to tread on the face of Earth or dare lift up our eyes to that of Heaven when our thoughts are so rebellious to conspire and our hearts and resolutions so cruell to embrue our hands in the innocent blood of our harmelesse and Christian brethren Thoughts they are which in seeming to please our senses poyson our hearts and doe therefore truely poyson our soules because they so falsly please our senses Resolutions they are which we cannot conceive or attempt with more inhumanity than finish with misery Sith in thinking to send them to their untimely graves wee assuredly send our selves to our owne miserable and infamous ends whereof in this ensuing History we shall find many wofull Presidents and mournefull examples in divers unfortunate and wretched persons who were borne to happinesse not to infamy to prosperity not to misery If they had so much Grace to secure their lives as Vanity and Impiety to ruine them It is a History purposely pâ—…duced and penned for our detestation not for our imitation Sith it is a point of true and happy wisdome in all men to beware by other mens harmes Read it then with a full intent to profit thy selfe thereby and so thou mayest boldly and safely rest assured that the sight of their sinnes and punishments will prove the reformation of thine owne FRuitfull and faire Lombardy is the Countrey and the great populous and rich City of Millan the Capitall of that Dutchie the place where the Scene of this mournefull and Tragicall History is layen where perpetrated The which to refetch from its first spring and Originall thereby the more truely to informe our curiosity and instruct our knowledge We must then understand that long since the Duke of Feria succeeded the Count De Fuentes as Vice-roy of that potent and flourishing Dutchie for King Philip the third of Spaine his master There was native and resident in that City an ancient Nobleman tearmed Seignior Leonardo Capello who in his younger yeares had married a Spanish Lady and brought her from Spaine to Millan tearmed Dona Maria de Castiana He exceeding rich and noble and shee as noble and faire he by his fathers side allied to Cardinall Charles Barromeo since Sainted by Pope Paul V. she by her mother to the present Duke of Albucurque hee infinitly honoured for his extraction and wealth shee no lesse beloved and respected for her beautie and vertues and although there are but few marriages contracted between the Millaneses and Spaniards and those very seldome prove successefull and prosperous in respect of the antipathy which for the most part is hereditary betwixt the commands of the Spaniards and the subjection of the Millaneses yet it seemed that this of Capello and Castiana was first instituted in heaven ere consummated on earth for so sweetly did their yeeres humours and affections conjoyne and sympathize as although thy were two persons yet I may truely affirme and say they had but one heart affection and desire which was mutually to please and reciprocally to affect and love each other And as Marriages cannot bee reputed truly happy and fortunate if they be not blessed and crowned with the blessings of children which indeed is not onely the sweetest life of humane content but also the best and sweetest content of our humane life so they had not beene long married ere God honoured them and their nuptiall bed with a beautifull and delicate and young daughter tearmed Dona Clara the onely childe of their loynes and heire of their lands and vertues being indeed the true picture of themselves and the joyfull pledge and seale of their intire and involuable affections who having overpast her infancy and obtained the eighteenth yeare of her age she was so exquisitely adorned with beauty and so excellently endued and enriched with vertues as distinctly for either or joyntly for both she was and was truely reputed the Paragon of Nature the pride of Beauty the wonder of Millan the glory of her Sex and the Phenix of her Time And because the purity and perfection of her beauty deserves to be seene through this dimme Perspective and the dignity of her vertues knowne of the Reader in this my impollished relation For the first she was of stature indifferently tall but exceeding streight and slender her haire either of a deepe Chesnut colour or rather of a light blacke But to which most adhearing and inclyning fancy mought but curiosity could difficultly distinguish her complexion and tincture rather of an amorous and lovely browne than of a Roseat and Lilly die but yet so sweetly pure and purely sweet and withall rather fat than leane that no earthly object could more delight and please the eye or ravish the sense And for her cies those two relucent lamps and startes of love they were so blacke and piercing that they had a secret and imperious influence to draw all other eyes to gaze and doe homage to hers as if all were bound to love her and shee so modest as if purposely framed to love none but her selfe Neither did her Front Lippes Necke or Paps any way detract but every way to adde to the perfection of her other excellencies of Nature For the first seemed to be the Promâ—…ntory of the Graces the second the Residence of delight and pleasure The third the Pyramides of State and Majesty And the fourth the Hills and Valley of love But leave we the dainties of her body now to speake of the rarities and excellencies of her mind which I cannot rightly define whether the curiositie and care of her parents in her education or her owne ingenious and apt inclination to Vertue and Honour were more predominant in her for in either or rather in both she was so exquisite and excellent that in Languages Singing
Widdowes and Wives to beware by her mournful and execrable example her flames and prayers made expiation for the offence of her body and her soule mounted and fled to Heaven to crave remission and pardon of God who was the only Creator of the one and Redeemer of the other And such were the deplorable yet deserved ends of this bloody and wretched couple La Vasselay and La Villette for so cruelly murthering harmelesse Gratiana and innocent De Merson And thus did Gods all-seeing and sacred Justice justly triumph ore these their crying and execrable crimes O that their examples may engender and propagate our reformation and that the reading of this their lamentable History may teach us not only how to meditate thereon but also how to amend thereby GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XIV Fidelia and Caelestina cause Carpi and Monteleone with their two Laquayes Lorenzo and Anselmo to murther their Father Captaine Benevente which they performe Monteleone and his Laquay Anfelmo are drowned Fidelia hangs her selfe Lorenzo is hanged for a robbery and on the gallowes confesseth the murthering of Benevente Carpi hath his right hand then his head cut off Caelestina is beheadeâ—… and her body burnt OUr best parts being our Vertues and our chiefe and Soveraigne Vertue the purity and sanctity of our selves how can we neglect those or not regard this except we resolve to see our selves miserable in this life and our soules wretched in that to come and as charity is the cyment of our other vertues so envie her opposite is the subversion of this our charity from whence flowes rage revenge and many times murther her frequent and almost her inseperable companions but of all degrees of malice and envie can there be any so inhumane and diabolicall â—…s for two gracelesse daughters to plot the death of their owne father and to seduce and obtaine their two lovers to act and performe it whereof in this insuing History we shall see a most barbarous and bloody president as also their condigne punishâ—…nts afflicted on them for the same In the reading whereof O that we may have the grace by the sight of these their 〈◊〉 crimes and punishments to reforme and prevent our owne that wee may looke on their cruelty with charity on their rage with reaâ—…on on their errors with compassion on their desperation with pitty and on their 〈◊〉 wiâ—…h pâ—… that the meditation and contemplation thereof may terrifie ouâ—… 〈◊〉 quâ—…ch both the fire of our lust and the flames of our revenge so shall our faiths be fortified our passions reformed our affections purified and our actions eternally both blessed and sanctified to which end I have written and divulged it So Christian Reader if thou make this thy end in perusing it thou wilt then not faile to receive comfort thereby and therefore faile not to give God the Glory MAny yeeres since the Duke of Ossuna under the command of Spaine was made Viceroy of the Noble Kingdome of Naples the which hee governed with much reputation and honour although his fortunes or actions how justly or unjustly I know not have since suffered and received an Eclipse In the City of Otranto within the Province of Apulia there dwelt an ancient rich and valiant Gentleman nobly descended tearmed Captaine Benevente who by his deceased Lady Sophia Eliaâ—…ora Niece to the Duke of Piombinâ—… had left him two daughters and a sonne he tearmed Seignior Richardo Alcasero they two the Ladies Fidelia and Caelestina names indeed which they will no way deserve but from whom they will solely dissent and derogate through their hellish vices and inhumane dispositions to blood and murther wee may grace our names but our names cannot grace us Alcasero lives not at home with his father but for the most part at Naples as a chiefe Gentleman retayning to the Viceroy where he profiteth so well in riding and tilting a noble vertue and exercise beyond all other Italians naturall and hereditary to the Neopolitans that he purchased the name of a bold and brave Cavalier but for Fidelia and Caelestina the clockes of their youth having stroke twenty and eighteene the Captaine their father thinking it dangerous to have Ladies of their yeeres and descent farre from him keepes them at home that his care might provide them good husbands and his eye prevent them from matching with others It is as great a blessing in children to have loving Parents as for them to have obedient children and had their obedience answered his affection and their duty his providence wee had not seene the Theatre of this their History so be sprinckled and gored with such great effusion of blood This Captaine Benevente their father for his blood wealth and generosity was beloved and honoured of all the Nobility of Apulia and for his many services both by sea and land was held in so great esteeme in Otranto that his house was an Academie where all the Gallants both of City and Country resorted to backe great Horses to run at the Ring and to practise other such Courtly and Martiall Exercises whereunto this old Captaine as well in his age as youth was exceedingly addicted so as the beauty of his two daughters Fidelia and Caelestina could not be long either unseene or unadmired for they grew so perfectly faire of so sweet complexions and proper statures that they were justly reputed and held to be the Paragons of Beautie not only of Apulia but of Italy so as beauty being the Gold and Diamonds of Nature this of theirs so sweet in its influence and so excellent and delicious in that sweetnesse drew all mens eyes to love them many mens hearts to adore them so had they beene as rich in Vertue as in Beauty they had lived more fortunate and neither their friends nor enemies should have lived to have seene them die so miserably for now that proves their ruine which might have beene their glory They are both of them sought in marriage by many Barons and Caviliers as well at home as abroad but the Captaine their father will not give care nor hearken to any nor once permit that such motion be moved him They are so immodest as they grieve hereat and are so extreamly sorrowfull to see that a few yeares past away makes their Beauties rather fade than flourish where Vertue graceth not Beauty as well as Beauty Vertue it is often 〈◊〉 presage and fore-runner of a fortune as fatall as miserable But as their thoughts were too impatient and immodest to give way to such incontinent and irrigular conceits so on the other side the Captaine their father was too severe and withall too unkind I may say cruell to hinder them from Marriage sith their beauty and age had long since made them both meritorious and capable of it It was in them immodesty in him unkindenesse to propose such ends to their desires and resolutions for as hee hath authority to exact obedience from them
meanes and such a one as indeed Masserina holdes every way a fit agent and instrument for her turne and purpose She is glad of this advertisement and will neither give nor receive any truce from her heart or her heart from her revenge before she have seene and spoken with Tivoly The which to effect shee to Harcourt pretends a sodaine ach in her right arme and so upon good advise tells him that she is very desirous to goe to the Bathes of Pougges by Nevers there to stay some fifteene or twenty dayes at farthest Harcourt no way once dreaming of her inveterate malice and farre lesse of her revengefull and bloody intents towards the safety and life of his wife La Precoverte approves of her resolution and journey but intreats her to be wonderfull carefull of her selfe her health and safety and proffereth to accompany her himselfe she with many kisses deerely thankes him for his care of her and affection to her herein answereth him that his stay in Lyons will make her journey the more safe short so she accepts of the man for the master and only takes Noell along with her who respects her so well as he cares not for her sight much lesse for her company She arrives at Nevers and impatient of all delay the next morning findes out Tivoly at Pougges being a very tall man of a cole blacke beard and of a wanne and sullen countenance shee by his Phisiognomie judgeth that her hopes will not be deceived of him The second day she breakes with him about het hellish businesse and findes him tractable to her devillish intents They proceed to this lamentable bargaine and shee is to give him one hundred Crownes in hand and a faithfull promise of a hundred and fiftie more when he hath effected it as also fiftie Crownes for the Charge of his journey the which she limits at fifteene dayes so having settled this her businesse she now names the party to Tivoly whom she will have him to poyson La Precoverte to be the woman who resides and dwels with her Father Monseiur La Vaquery a poore Gentleman in the Citie of Troyes in Champagne and shee a young Gentlewoman of some twentie yeares of age of a flaxen haire and very sickly When giving him a small Saphir Ring from her Finger she therewith sweares him both to the performance and to the secrecie of this murther the which armed by the Divell hee doth When being exceeding glad of this his bloody imployment which brings him store of gold the which hee esteemes the Elixar of his heart and the felicitie and glory of his life and which indeed was the maine businesse that brought him on this side the Alpes from Italy to France Thus without any feare of God or thought of Heaven or Hell these murtherous and damnable miscreants have concluded and shut up this their bloody bargaine Our poore sweet La Precoverte having received her Husbands Letter from Geneâ—… and considering the contents thereof as also that of her Sister in Law Masserina she knowes not what to thinke either of their Letters or of themselves she sees her letter to promise much zeale and devotion to God and his much affection to her and yet remembring his former unkindenesse I may say crueltie towards her as also the manner of their base and clandestine departure then she thinks the first to be false and the second feigned and rherfore conceives she hath far more reasons to dispaire than to hope either of their Innocencie or their returne But this is her resolution Harcourt is her Husband therefore shee will still love him dearely She is his wife and therefore shee will for ever pray for him and his prosperitie religiouslie Thus hoping and many times with many heavie sighes and bitter teares wishing and desiring his happy returne and vertuous reformation she in his absence lives pensively and sorrowfully with her Father rather as a widdow than a wife and such is her miserable Estate and poore and sorrowsull fortune that she well knowes not whether she may more grieve or reioyce that God hitherto hath given her no Childe For ah me she is so invironed with afflictions so incompassed with calamities so assaulted with sicknesse and so weighed downe with sadnesse and disconsolation as shee reputes her life worse than death and either wisheth her Husband athome with her or her selfe in Heaven with God But Alas alas deere sweet young Gentlewoman little doest thou thinke or dreame now thou desirest death what a hellish plot there is contrived and intended against thy life by these two bloody Factors and Agents of the Devill Tivoly and thy Sister Masserina O Masserina Masserina the disgrace of thy name the infamy of thy family the shame of thy time and the scandal of thy sexe O how I want words not teares to condemne thy cruell rage and to execrate thy infernall malice and fury thus to resolve to imbrue thy guilty hands in the innocent blood of thy chast and vertuous Sister in Law La Precoverte for was it not sinne and lust enough for thee to have heretofore bereaved her of the love and presence of her Husband but that thou wilt now be so wretched and inhumane as likewise to rob her of her life O griefe O shame O pittie that thou shouldest once dare to thinke thereof much lesse to attempt it I meane so lamentable a crime and so bloody a fact which assure thy selfe as there is a God in Heaven will never goe long unpunished in Earth But I must proceed in this our sad and mournefull History and rherefore with an unwilling and trembling resolution I am enforced to declare that this limbe of the Divell Tivoly rides away to Troyes where he speedily and secretly makes profession of his Empery When understanding that Monseiur de la Vaquery is constantly in the Citie he with an Italian impudence and policy soone skrewes and insinuates himselfe into his Company And as it is the vanitie of our times and the weakenesse and imbecility of our Iudgements in any profession whatsoever still to preferre and respect strangers before our owne Countreymen so Monseiur de la Vaquery hearing this Italian to devoure Latine at his pleasure and rather to vomit than utter forth whole Catalogues of phisicall phrases which hee had stollen not learnt from Aristotle Galen and Parecellsus His ignorance beleeves him to be very learned and therefore hee holdes him a most fit Phisitian to cure his Daughter La Precoverte of her consumption whereinto as before she was deeply and dangerouslie fallen by the unparalleld griefes and sorrowes which she conceived for her husbands former unkindnesse to her but more especially for his present absence and flight with his lascivious Sister Masserina So in a most unhappie hower Her Father La Vaquery mentioneth it to Tivoly Which being the only occasion and opportunitie hee gaped for he freely promiseth him his best art and skill for her recovery and the next
beare up with the time and so to dissemble it and when in the language of a victory and a triumph Felisanna acquaints him therewith hee holds it discretion rather to winke at it and dissemble it with silence then to remember it with choller or reprehension towards her So hee to acquit his ignorance reputation and honour herein towards Borlari cals his laquey againe and vowes and protesteth to him as hee is a Gentleman that hee is free from being any way knowing or accessary to this his disgrace and disaster and bids him to assure his Master from him that hee is every way Innocent hereof the which hee would have signified to him in writing but that his letter was sealed before he knew it and so giving him some crownes to wash downe his anger and sorrow he then takes leave of him Romeo sayes little but thinkes the more and as hee disdaineth to bewray any appearance of griefe hereat so he cannot cloake that of his choller nor overvaile or smother that of revenge in their fatall effects which time will too soone produce Romeo in great haste and more choller arrives to his master Borlaries presence gives him Planezes letter who very speedily and hastily breaking up the seales thereof findes therein these lines PLANEZE to BORLARY I Acknowledge it to bee rather thy misfortune then my merits that induceth the faire and vertuous Lady Felisanna to give her affection to mee and not to thy selfe the which as a rich treasure and pretious Iewell I doe not onely esteeme equall to my life but a thousand degrees aboue it and therefore it was with much affection and zeale to her and with no ostentation or malice to thy selfe that I tendred her my best service to right her of the ignoble wrong which thou didst offer to her Chamber-maide Radegonde In which regard because thou purposely givest a sinister construction to my intent therein and art so ambitiously resolute to hazard thy honour and life in hope of the losse of mine I doe therefore freely and cheerefullie accept of thy challenge and my impatience and zeale shall anticipate thine before I perform it wherein if my Rapier give not the lie to my bloud my misfortune to my Rapier thou shalt finde me enough noble and generous to attempt this duell for thy sake and to finish those of greater danger for the Lady Felisannas sake who I freely professe is the Empresse of my affections and till death shal bee the Queene Regent of my desires and wishes PLANEZES Borlari hath no sooner perused and ore read this letter of Planeze but finding his challenge accepted he is exceeding glad and Ioyfull thereof as if his glory consisted in his shame and his safety in his danger Then his laquey Romeo acquaints him with his disgrace acted saieth he wholly by Dona Felisanna and no way as hee vowes and thinkes by the consent or knowledge of Planeze and so relates all that he and shee charged him to report unto him The which Borlari hearing and understanding hee extreamely stormes to see his owne affront and disgrace offered and brought home unto him in that of his Laquey When having other affaires and businesse in his head he contents himselfe for that time to give him some gold thereby the sooner to make him forget the losse of his eare which his lockes better then his lookes could now overvaile and cover These two inconsiderate Gentlemen being infinitely more ambitious to preserve their honours then their lives and more carefull of their reputations towards the foolish people of the world then of their soules towards God are now fitting of their Rapiers and Chirurgions to dispatch this their rash enterprise and irreligious businesse and it is not the least part of Planezes discretion and care to play the Mercury and now to blinde the Argus eyes of Felisannaes feare and vigilancy and how to see a beginning and end to this duell with his generosity and fame that he bee no way disturbed or prevented by her in the performance thereof The prefixed houre being come Borlari with his Chirurgeon as Challenger comes first into the field I meane into the meadow the designed place and theatre where they intend to act this their bloudy Tragedy and hee hath not stayed halfe a quarter of an houre but Planeze the Challenged arrives there likewise with his Chirurgion When there malice is so furious and their courages so inflamed each against other as passing over their saluting ceremonies without a ceremony they putting themselves into their shirts doe both of them draw and so approach each other At their first comming up Planeze runnes Borlari through the left thigh and Borlari him in the right shoulder and the sight of their scarlet bloud upon their white shirts doth rather revive than quench their courages At their second meeting Borlari runnes Planeze into the right arme of a large and deep wound and Planeze dies not in debt for it but requites it with a dangerous one in the small of his belly which went neere to prove mortall for it fetcht much bloud from him made him to beginne to faint and stagger so being both of them well neere out of breath they make a stand to breath and take the benefit of the aire but their hearts and animosity are so great as they will not as yet desist or leave off but now begin a fresh to redouble their blowes and courages and here they traverse their ground to gaine the advantage of the Sunne with far more advisement and discretion then before Now at this their third comming up Borlari presents Planeze a furious thrust but he very actively and nimbly wards it off him and in exchange runnes Borlari into the necke a little wide of his throat bole whereat Planeze instantly closing with him he fairely attempted to whip up his heeles but that Borlari his strength prevented Planezes agility when each having the other by the coller of their doublets with one hand and their rapiers in the other as they are striving and strugling together God more out of his gratious goodnesse and mercy then of their desires and wishes is pleased that neither of them shall for this time dye For the Earle of Lucerni riding poast with three gentlemen in his company from Venice towards Turin chanced to espie and see them in the meddow almost all covered over with sweat bloud and dust when he and they leaping from their Horses hee very honourably and charitably runnes to them and parts them offering them his best power and a pretty parcell of his time to end and shut up their differences in a friendly attonement and reconciliation but so inveterate and strong by this time is their malice each to other as he found it no way feaseable but impossible to effect it So this brave and honourable Earle contents himselfe to reconduct and see them safe into the City where privately leaving them to their future fortunes hee againe takes horse and away Our
of his greatest creditors he is arrested and clapt into prison and his shoppe seized on by them which they finde as empty of drugges as his masters heart was of pitty and his soule of piety And as it is the nature and or rather the misery of prisons that where one man vertuously improves his life and actions their a hundred doe vitiously ruine themselves so Castruchio being one of this last number he there wasteth and consumeth all that he hath or which he can possibly procure and in a few weeke reduceth himselfe to soe extreame poverty and beggery that he is clapt into the common goale among the poorest sort of prisoners who live by the almâ—… and charity of well disposed people his clothes being all tottered and tornâ—… having no bed to lye on nor hardly bread to suffice nature or to maintaine life being abandoned of all his friends and acquaintance who will rather see him starve and dye then relieve him And yet in all these extremities and at the very lowest ebbe of these his wants and miseries hee will yet neither looke downe into his Conscience heart and soule with sorrow nor up to heaven or to God with repentance for all his foule sinnes and vices especially not for this his cruell and lamentable poysoning of Planeze which are the true reasons and the efficient causes of these his miserable calamities and afflictions yea his wants and miseries are so great and infinite here in prison that none whosoever will come thither to see him muchlesse to pitty him and least of all to releive him Only Dorilla a filthy old baud of his more out of importunacy to her then of her courtesie or charity to him although she disdaine to goe herselfe into prison to see Castruchio yet shee is contented sometimes to send him her sonne Bernardo a boy of some sixteene yeares of age to goe his errands so his necessity making his invention pregnant and cleere sighted after hee had tyred all his friends and acquaintance with notes and Letters which returne still empty fisted his memory at the last falles and pitcheth on Borlari who for the bloody reason formerly mentioned hee thinkes the onely fit man of the world to redresse his wants and to releave his weather beaten fortunes and to him hee often sends Bernardo with many pittifull requests and intreaties for money but to write him he dares not Borlari considering that he hath farre more cause and reason to love Castruchio then to hate him for that by vertue of the premises hee sees his owne life to lye at the mercy of his tongue although hee rather wish him in Heaven then in prison yet being extreamely covetous and yet holding himselfe both inconscience and discretion bound to releive him hee therefore sends him some small summes of money but no way enough to buy him cloathes or to maintaine his former prodigalities but rather hardly sufficient to maintaine life in him much lesse to cherish or pamper him And so often doth Castruchio send the boy Bernardo to Borlari for money that at last being weary thereof and resolute to depart with no more money God here makes his covetousnesse partly the meanes to chaulke out a way to his owne confusion and is resolved neither to speake nor to see Bernardo and to that effect gives order to his servants When little Bernardo seeing that he weares out his time and his shooes in vaine to hunt after Borlari whom he knowes will not be spoken with by him he tels Castruchio that he provide himselfe of another messenger towards Borlari for he will goe no more to him because he sees it is wholly impossible for him to speak with him and at this discourtesie of Borlari Castruchio doth now bite his lip with discontent and hung his head for anger and from henceforth he begins to assume badbloud and to conceive dangerous thougâ—… against him but as yet the consideration of his owne safety or danger makes him patient and silent But God will not have him to continue so long for almost presently we shall see his patience burst forth into violence and impetuosity and his silence breake out into extreame choller and indignation against him His old Baud Dorilla as an expert Hag of her sinnefull profession as often as she heares or knowes that Castruchio had any mony from Borlari so often she would come to the prison to him and speedily carouse and consume it with him but when by her sonne Bernardo she sees his purse shut that fountaine exhausted and that her boy could no more see Borlari but a wod den face I meane his doore shut then she resembling her selfe againe forsakes Castruchio and will neither see him nor come neere his prison so that at last he not seeing Bernardo nor once hearing from Borlari in three weekes or well neere a moneth together and being ready to perish starve and dye under the heavy burthen and pressure of his wants hee earnestly sends for Dorilla to come to him and causeth her to be informed that if she will come to him and deliver a letter to a friend of his he will speedily send him some store of mony and then shee shall have a share and part thereof so when no other respect or consideration will then this of mony againe brings this old filthy Beldam Dorilla to the prison to Castruchio who having provided her a bottle of wine and five Gazettaes to drinke by the way thereby the more carefully to effect his businesse hee exceedingly incensed with choller and revenge against Borlari for this ingratitude towards him writes him this angry Letter and deepely chargeth Dorilla with speed care and secresie to deliver it into Borlari his owne hands and to no other which Letter of his spake this language CASTRVCHIO to BORLARY THou knowest that for three hundred Dukatons which thou gavest me I poysoned Seignior Planeze in a Vomit and wilt thou now be so hard and cruell hearted against me to suffer me to dye in prison for want of so small a summe as twenty Dukatons I am made of the same flesh and bloud as thou art and although my fortunes be so low plunged yet my heart is so high seated and elevated that I give thee to understand I will rather consent to bee hanged then starved Wherefore because my Tragedy will infallibly prove thine if thou meane to prevent the one and to secure thy selfe from the other faile not speedily to send me the said twenty Dukatons by this bearer Dorilla whom I have entrusted with my letter fast sealed and so maist thou with thine but for the secret therein which thou wotest of she is wholly ignorant of it In performing me this courtesie thou shalt not onely tye my tongue and pen but my heart and soule to silence or else not Amiddest thy wealth remember my poverty which if thou forget God hath reserved mee to make thee know that thou doest not use but abuse it and therein thy selfe CASTRVCHIO
speedily after but findes the same answer So then fearing the truth that his father Law was infallibly within and yet would not be within he returnes to his lodging and in much choller betakes himselfe to his bed but this discourtesie of his father in Law will not permit him any sound rest but onely affords him many broken discontented slumbers The next morning very early hee returnes thither againe to see and speake with him but the first prove the last answer of his servants whereat Lorenzo all nelted with choller and anger takes horse and rides away for Genova Allow we him by this time returned to Genova where hee truly and fully relates to his wife Fermia the discourtesie of her father towards him from point to point as wee have formerly understood which poore sweet soule exceedingly grieves her heart and infinitely perplexeth her minde and thoughts but how to remedie it shee knowes not for as shee knowes shee by her disobedient flight and mariage against hâ—… fathers consent hath committed a greatfault towards him so now she sâ—… that of necessity shee must owne and make the best of it When he câ—…orting his wife with encouragement and she reciprocally encouraging â—…m with comfort they referre the issue of this their fathers pleasure or displeasure unto God but yet rather hoping than despairing that a little time will make him more tractable and flexible to their desires they passe away their time merrily and sweetly together he proving a courteous loving husband tâ—…er and she a kinde and dutifull wife to him He exceeding provident to geâ—… thrive by his trade and she as carefull in her house and family to save what he gets and thus in six moneths after they neither goe nor send to their father thinking and hoping that although it be unlikely yet it is not impossible but that hereafter of his owne free accord and good disposition and nature he may shortly exchange his displeasure into courtesie and his malice into affection towards them but as yet they still finde the contrary for in all this time he never sends to them nor so much as once hearkens after them At the end of six moneths Lorenzo prayes his wife Fermia to ride over to Savona to see what alteration this long time hath wrought in her fathers affection and so recommends her portion from him to her care remembrance but resolves not to write to him because of his unkindnesse to him at his last being at Savona Fermia more in obedience to her husband than out of her owne willingnesse or desire accepts of this journey but still she feares that shee shall finde her father to bee one and the same man in his discontent and displeasure against them But yet in regard shee is his owne flesh and bloud his onely childe and therefore a great part of himselfe she yet flatters her selfe with this hope that he cannot be so unnaturall to her as he was unkinde to her husband She comes to Savona but looke what entertainment her husband Lorenzo found from her father the same in all respects and points doth she and no otherwise For he will neither speake with her no nor see nor permit her either to lie eat or drinke in his house but most uncourteously and unnaturally causeth his doores to be fast shut against her yea and to adde cruelty to his unkindnesse he is extreame angry with his servants for daring to admit her to speake with him and with her Aunt Alcyna his owne sister for receiving and lodging her Our sweet Fermia the daughter is extreamly perplexed afflicted and grieved at this her fathers bitter unkindnesse and cruelty towards her the which she seales with many sighs and confirmes with infinite Rivolets of teares which trickle downe her beautifull cheeks as so many pearled drops of dew on blushing and fragrant damaske Roses When againe imploying her aforesaid Aunt Alcyna and likewise entreating father Bernardin De Monte her fathers owne ghostly father to perswade him in her behalfe which they doe But at last seeing the requests of the one bootlesse and the spirituall exhortations of the other vaine and to no effect then as she came from Genova to Savona with some hope and joy so she is againe constraind to returne from Savona to Genova with infinite griefe and dispaire Where from point to point betwixt anger and teares shee relates to her husband Lorenzo the unnaturall discourtesie which her father had offered her Whereat as before so now he againe dissembleth his discontent thereof and with many sweet speeches and some few kisses seekes to comfort and pacifie her But still the remembrance hereof stickes deepe in her minde and yet farre deeper in his thoughts for the knowledge of his father in Law Morons discourtesie first offered to himselfe and now to his wife in Savona being knowne and reported to many of his neighbours and friends in Genova they scoffe and taunt at his foolish ambition in marrying and stealing away his wife and in all companies which he frequenteth they give him this quip that hee had done farre wiser to have marryed a poore trades mans daughter in Genoua with a small portion then a rich Vintners in Savona with nothing which foolish and malitious speech of theirs falles not so easily from his memorie as from their tongues but leaves an impression therein for from henceforth Lorenzo of a wise man proves himselfe a foole of an honest man a knave and so of a good christian to God an extreame bad husband both to his wife and himselfe for now seeing the mountaines of his hopes of a rich wife turned to molehils and they to nothing through his fathers displeasure and unkindnesse to them hee lookes not on his wife with so kinde and respective an eye as heretofore although poore harmelesse young woman shee knowes farre better to lament and greive then how to remedy her fathers cruelty towards them But this is but the beginning of his ingratitude and her unfortunacy for before a whole yeare be past since their marriage her husband so farre forgets his love to his wife his regard to himselfe and his reputation and credit to the world as hee first beginnes to sleight her and then to neglect both himselfe and his profession And here now it is that idlenesse beginnes first to enter into his hands vice into his heart and sinne into his soule and here it is that he first fals into bad courses and wicked company from whence in the end I feare will proceed nothing but shame repentance misery and confusion of all sides Hee who formerly prayed often with his wife and family in his house and was a devout and religious frequenter of his Church now he is so dangerously fled from God and so desperately following of the devill as hee scornes the Church and will neither pray himselfe at home with his wife nor which is worse permit or suffer her to doe it at home with her family He
accesse or conversation of any man whatsoever and under the charge and custody of an old ill-favoured Beldame sometimes their Schoolmistris named Dona Malevola Babtistyna and Amarantha being enforced to banishment from Florence to Cardura beleeved that it proceeded as well by the pride and malice of their Sister Iaquinta as by the severitie of their Father They know not from what Saint to implore aide or assistance or from what point their Art or Invention to expect for hope or redresse hereof But at length being constrained to make a Vertue of Necessitie they brooke this their disgrace with as much patience as they may no way doubting much lesse dispayring but that a little time will worke a great alteration in their Estates and Fortunes But seeing a moneth past over and their Keeper Malevola still more and more bent to restraine them of their liberty without suffering them to see or speake with any stranger or any stranger with them they at last recollect and plucke up their spirits to themselves and so resolve to write a faire Letter to their Father and a peremptory one to their Sister Iaquinta to procure their returne to Florence which they doe and send it by one Bernardo a trusty Servant of theirs That to their Father spake thus BABTISTYNA and AMARANTHA to STRENI IT is with much astonishment and griefe to us that you have so sodainely banished us from your presence and from Florence to live here rather as Prisoners then your Daughters in your Countrey house of Cardura And having the honour to be so great a part of your selfe wee doe not a little wonder what our Errours or Crimes should be that wee must bee enforced to be deprived of that felicitie and to taste and suffer this misery If we have beene sought or sued unto by any Noblemen or Gentlemen it hath beene in the way of marriage and therefore in that of honour and yet we have still so strictly tyed our fancies to our Duties and our affections to our obedience towards you that in the least degree wee have not swerv'd from your consent but have done and doe still inviolably make your Pleasure therein our resolution and your Will and Commands our Law But wee are confident that although you are the cause yet that our Sister Iaquinta is the sole Author of this our sorrowfull and immerited sequestration Who peradventure in regard that her beautie comes short of ours that her Malice therefore must not onely exceed the bounds of Reason but of Nature And although shee alledge her Priviledge and Prerogative of yeares against us yet because our blood is as good as hers and our Hearts and Education no worse therefore wee humbly beseech you to bee so favourable and kind to us that in regard her Malice and Pride hath made her our Accuser and which is worse our Enemy that you will not make her our Iudge but that wee may speedily reobtaine the happinesse to returne and live with you in Florence without which we shall assuredly either live here in Dispaire or shortly dye in Discontent and Misery Which request of ours is so just and equall as you cannot deny it to us either in affection or nature much lesse in Reason or Pitie God ever blesse you with happinesse and make us happy in your blessing BABTISTYNA AMARANTHA Their Letter to their Sister Iaquinta depainted these passions BABTISTYNA and AMARANTHA to IAQVINTA HAving curiously examined our thoughts and actions wee cannot find the least shaddow of cause much lesse of Reason why thou shouldst so sharpely exasperate our Father â—…ainst us so suddenly to banish and exile us from Florence to Cardura neither doe wee â—…ke it is for that wee are fairer then thy selfe but that thou art more malicious then us â—…ch hath occasioned thee and thou precipitated him to this sharpe resolution against us If thou art desirous of a Husband let it content thee that as yet wee no way intendor desire to become Wives to any and therefore if thou wilt not beleeve us at least beleeve this truth from us that thou hast farre more reason to doubt thine owne haste then any way to suspect or feare ours therein for whiles thou prayest for a Husband wee will first make it our Prayers to God that wee may bee capable and happy to deserve good ones Wee advise thee therefore in Love and counsell thee in Affection and Charitie to consider seriously with thy selfe that wee are thy Sisters not thy Servants much lesse thine Enemies and in that regard that wee are as unworthy of thy malice as unwilling and uncapable to digest it because the priority of thy yeares can no way justly introduce an inequality in our blood and if thou wilt not inforce us to degenerate from our selves and consequently from the nature and affection of Sisters thou shalt doe us great right and to thy selfe more reason to cause our Father to recall us home to him with as much celerity and favour as he sent us away from him with discourtesie and indignation BAPTISTYNA AMARANTHA The Lackey Bernardo arriving to Florence and having delivered these two Letters to Streni and Iaquinta they breaking up the seales thereof perused and read ouer their Contents when he smiling to see the indiscretion of these his two daughters attributed this their disobedience towards him and their discontent towards their sister Iaquinta rather to ignorance and simplicity then to malice and yet hee could not but wonder at this their bold and peremptory Letter sent him But for Iaquinta shee was so galled and nettled with her two sisters insolent carriage and Letter towards her that it exceedingly troubled and perplexed her but especially and farre the more for that shee feared that their Letter to her Father might cause him to grant their returne to Florence the which to her possible power shee would no way willingly permit or suffer as desirous to rule and governe her Father alone and so to raigne sole Lady over his humors and house without rivalls or competitors to which end shee goes to him and in the softest and sweetest termes which either her art or malice could invent she extreamely incenseth him against her Sisters alledging to him that their stay in Cardura was necessary and their disobedient motion for their returne to Florence too insolent and insupportable and that she hoped with confidence that he would not permit their malice so unjustly to fall and reflect on her because she was as innocent as they guilty thereof and that for any thought and desire of a husband she vowed she had none but that his will and pleasure should in all things be hers as resolving both to live under his commands and to dye in his favour and service Which sugred and treacherous speeches of hers so prevailed and vanquished the credulity of her old Father yea and so powerfully wrought and trenched upon his affections that being all in choller against Babtislyna and Amarantha hee
extreamely fearing the dangerous consequence of this deplorable accident he with teares in his eyes sorrow in his lookes and sighes in his speeches repaires speedily to the Iudges to whom sorrowfully and humbly casting himselfe almost as low as their feet hee prayes them to thinke of his age and of his imprisoned Daughters youth and that having unfortunately lost his eldest Daughter that they would not deprive him of his youngest nor cast her life away either upon bare presumption or circumstance or upon the wrongful reports and malice of his and her enemies But these grave and Lynce-ey'd Magistrates who looke as deepely into the priviledge and dignity of Iustice as hee doth into the passions of paternall affection and nature cut him off with this sharpe reply That they honour his age and respect his Daughters youth that she shall have justice and that by the lawes of Florence he must expect no more with which cold answer hee returnes home to his house as disconsolate as hee came foorth sorrowfull beeing not permitted but defended to see or speake with his Daughter Amarantha in prison onely hee hath permission to bury his murthered Daughter Babtistyna the which hee performeth with farre more griefe and sorrow then solemnity The truth and decorum of this History must now invite the Reader to visite Amarantha in prison who being there debarr'd from speaking with any or any with her except those miserable comforters her Sergeants and Goalers shee now seeing the imminencie of her danger and fearing the assurance of her death for that shee heard a secret inckling from the lower Court through her Chamber window That her Sister Babtistyna was murthered her Mayd Pierya imprisoned and shee her selfe vehemently suspected for the same Shee therefore now beginnes to think of her former bloudy crimes with repentance and of these her inhumane cruelties towards her two elder Sisters with contrition and solemnly vowes to God that if his divine Majesty will now please to save her life shee will henceforth religiously redeeme the first and second with repentance So in the middest of these good thoughts though vaine desires and wishes of hers shee yet still flatters her selfe with this poore hope that if her man Bernardo bee living then her promised Annuity to him written with her owne hand is still sure and therefore tacitly dead in his custody and that both hee and Pierya cannot any way wrong her without infinitely wronging themselves and indangering their owne lives so albeit her Iudges have matter of suspicion yet they can have no cause of death against her or if peradventure they have yet that the power of her Fathers greatnesse and friends are so prevalent in Florence and Tuscany that if the worst fall out he and they can obtaine at least her reprivall for the present if not her pardon for the future But contrary to all these her weake and triviall hopes the very next morning she is sent for before her Iudges to a private examination who after they had made a grave and religious speech to her they demand her first If shee imployed â—…ot her servant Bernardo and Pierya to murther her Sister Babtistyna the which shee firmely and constantly denyes Secondly If shee had not given an Annuity of 150 Duckatons during his life to marry Pierya the which shâ—…e likewise denyes then they produce and shew it her under her owne hand writing whereat they measuring her heart by her countenance shee seemes to be so much perplexd with sorrow and amaz'd with feare as shee cannot refraine from giving them lesse words but more teares Of which her Iudges conceiving a good opinion hope therfore deeming themselves now to be in a faire way and a direct course to obtain the whole truth of this lamentable busines from her they bethinke themselves of a policie thereby to effect and compasse it which is every way worthy of themselves and their offices of their discretion and justice They tell Amarantha that in regard of her youth and beauty and of her Fathers age and nobility they desire and intend to save her if shee will not wilfully cast her selfe away That her safeâ—…y and life now consisteth in her plaine confession and not in her perverse denyall and contestation of being accessary and consenting to the murther of her Sister Babtâ—…styna That they have proofes thereof as cleare and as apparant as the Sunne and that they having caused Pierya to bee executed for the same this morning shee confessed it to them at her death yea and dyed thereon At which speeches of her Iudges and confession and death of Pierya this wretched and unfortunate Lady Amarantha seeing her selfe so palpably convicted of this her bloudy and inhumane crime being wholly vanquished either with feare toward her selfe or choller towards Pierya she falls on her knees to her Iudges feet and with a great showre of teares makes her selfe by her free confession to bee the prime authour of her Sister Babtistyna's murther That shee had hired Bernardo and Pierya to performe it and given him an Annuity of 150 Duckatons per annum and to each of them 50 Duckatons more in hand to that effect concealing no poynt or part therof as we have already formerly understood when contrary to the expectation of her Iudges she most bitterly exclaymed on the name memory and ingratitude of this base wretch Pierya for so shee then termed her in that she could not be contented to die her self but also as much and as maliciously as in her power to think likewise to hazard her owne life with her And now our chollericke and yet sorrowfull Amarantha between these two different extreames of hope and feare layes hold of her Iudges late promise and profered courtesie to her to save her and then and there with many reverences teares and ringing of her hands most humbly beseecheth them for Gods sake and for honours cause to bee good unto her and to give her her life although she confesseth she is most worthy of death in being so degenerate and bloudy minded towards her owne Sister But they having by this commendable meanes and artificiall policie drawn this worme from Amarantha's tongue I meane this truth from her mouth are exceeding sorrowfull and as much detest this her barbarous fact as they pitty her descent youth and beauty but well knowing with themselves that God is glorifyed in the due and true execution of Iustice upon all capitall malefactors and especially on murtherers who are no lesse then monsters of nature the disgrace of their times and the very butchers of mankinde and that the greatnesse of their quality and blood doth onely serve but to make these crimes of theirs the greater therefore I say these wise and religious Iudges proove deafe to her requests and blinde to her teares and so having first caused then to signe this her confession and then confronted her with Pierya who now to Amarantha's face confirmed as much as she her selfe right now confessed
either shortly thou returne me my said Sonne from 〈◊〉 or speâ—…oily take â—…ee to thy selfe in heaven But yet O my blessed Saviour and Redeemer not my but thy will be done in all things She having thus privately to her selfe vented her sorrowes but not as yet found the meanes either how to remedy or appease them because her husband is no Changeling but is still resolute in this ingratefull unkindnesseand cruelty towards her she is now resolved though with infinit griefe and reluctation to acquaint the Preacher of the parish and some two of her husbands deerest and neerest kinsfolkes to speake with him againe and to acquaint them with his pernitious relapse into all his old vices of drunkennesse whoredome and fighting and to desire them to use all their possible power to divert him from it wherein her resolution hatâ—… this just â—…cuse that if they cannot worke it none but God can But all their câ—…e aâ—… and â—…eale cannot prevaile with him For he with the filthy dog returâ—… to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with the brutish swine againe to wallow in the durt and 〈◊〉 in the mire of his former vices and voluptuousnesse For now her husband Vasti is oftner at Cleraux with his Salyna then at home at Fribourg with his wife who as formerly we have understood still makes him pay deare for his pleasures and as a subtle rooking strumpet emptieth his purse of his gold as fast as he foolishly filleth it he being not contented to waste his body to shipwracke his reputation to cast away his time but also to cast away his estate and himselfe on her the which his vertuous wife cannot but observe with sorrow and remember with griefe and vexation but she sees it impossible for her how to redresse it For she is not capable to dissemble her discontent to him so privately as he publickely makes knowen his cruelty to her wherefore her thoughts suggest her and her judgement prompts her to proove another experiment and triall on him To which end she tels him that if hee will not henceforth abandon beating of her forsake his old vices and become a new man and a reformed husband that then all delayes set apart she will speedily by some one of her neerest kins folkes send poast to Rome to his brother Captaine Andrew Vasti that her Sonne George returne home to her to Fribourg the which shee is more then confident upon the receipt of her first Letter he will speedily and joyfully performe Her husband Vasti is extremely galled with this speech and netled with this resolution of his wife Hester because wretched villaine as he is he but too well knowes hee hath already sent his Sonne to heaven in a bloody winding sheet and therefore both feares and knowes that by this his wifes sending poast to Rome his deplorable and damned fact will infallibly burst forth and come to light the which therefore to prevent hee as bad and cruell hearted as the Devill himselfe is execrably resolved to heape Ossa upon â—…elion to adde blood to blood and murther to murther and so now to poyson the Mother his wife as hee had lately pistolled his and her onely Sonne to death O Hester it had beene a singular happinesse for thee that thou hadst not thus threatned thy husband Vasti to send to Rome forthy son George but that thou hadst either bin dumbe when thou spakest it or he deaf when he heard it for hereby thinking to preserve thou hast extremely indangered thy selfe and hoping to make thy Son thy refuge and champion I feare with griefe and grieve with feare that thou hast made thy selfe the ruine of thy selfe For Vasti is so strong with the Devill and so weak with God in this his bloody designe to murther his wife Hester as neither Grace or Nature Religion or God the feare of his bodies tortures in this life or of his soules torments in that to come are able to divert him from it he having no other reason for this his damnable rage nor no other cause for this his infernall and hellish cruelty but this triviall and yet pittifull poore one that his wife Hester is an eye-sore to him because his Salyna is so to her A wretched excuse and execrable Apologie and no lesse execrable and wretched is he that makes it So he turning his backe to God and his face and heart to the Devill provides himselfe of strong poyson and cunningly infusing it into a muske Mellon which he knew she loved well and resolved to eate that day at dinner shee greedily eating a great part of it before night dies thereof When very subtlely he gives out to his servants and neighbours that she died of a surfet in then and there eating too much of the muske Mellon and so all of them confidently beleeve and report Thus we have seene with sorrow and understood with griefe that this execrable wretch Vasti hath â—…layed the part of a Devill in poysoning his vertuous and harmelesse wife Hester and now we shall likewise see him play the part of an Hyâ—…rite to conceale it as if it lay in his power to blind-fold the eyes of God as â—…ll or as easily as to hood wincke those of men from the sight and knowledge thereof He seemes wonderfull sorrowfull for his wifes death dights himselfe and his servants all in blacke provides a great dinner and performes her funerall with extraordinary solemnity But notwithstanding God lookes on him with his eye of Iustice for both these his cruell and inhuman barbarous murthers of his son and wife and therfore now in his Providence resolves to punish him sharply and severely for the same As marke the sequell and it will instantly informe us how Our debauched and bloody Vasti immediatly upon his wifes death and buriall doth without intermission haunt the house and company of his lascivious strumpet Salyna at Cleraux as if the enjoying of her sight presence and selfe were his chiefest delight and most soveraigne earthly felicity Hee spends a great part of his estate on her and to satisfie her covetous and his lustfull desires hee is at last enforced to morgage and sell away all his Lands For as long as hee had money she was his but when that failed him then she as a right strumpet acted a true part of her selfe failed in her accustomed kindnesse and familiarity towards him and casts him off The judgements of God and the decrees of Heaven are as secret as sacred and as miraculous as just which we shall see will now by degrees be apparantly made good and verified in this Monster of men and Devill of Fathers and Husbands Vasti For his mansion house and all his utensills and moveables in Fribourg are consumed with a sudden fire proceeding from a flash of lightning from heaven as also all his granges of corne and stacks of hay and yet those of all his neighbours round about him are untouched and safe His corne also which growes in the field brings
Aunt Mellefanta her Father Seignior de Tores whose age contentment and joy lived chiefly in the youth prosperity and health of this his only child and daughter makes her will and desire herein to be his when not knowing any thing of the distast that had past betweene his daughter and the Baron of Sanctifiore or of his affection to the Lady Bertranna hee demanded of her when you are at Putzeole what shall become of the Baron of Sanctifiore to whom rather from her apâ—…strings than her heart she returnes this witty and speedy answer if Sanctifiore love me hee will then sometimes leave Naples and visit mee or if hee doe not I will not love him which reply of hers pleased her father so well that hee causeth her to fit up her apparell and bagage and within three daies after attended on by a chamber maid and a man of his sends her away to Putzeole in his coach to his sister Mellifanta where being arived shee speedily and privatly acquaints her aunt with this great secret of her great belly which so much imports her reputation or disgrace and also with all the circumstances thereof and so prayes her best love and assistance to her herein the which shee faithfully promiseth her adding withall that because shee is of her owne blood shee will regard and love her as her owne child telling her that shee highly commended her policy for thus blinding the eyes of her father and for leaving Naples to come lay downe her great belly with her in Putzeole yet shee could not chuse but blame her for the cause thereof in suffering her selfe to bee thus abused and betrayed by so base a Nobleman as the Baron of Sanctifiore but then againe shee excuseth that errour of this her neece upon the freshnes of her youth and beauty and bids her feare nothing but to resolve to bee here cheerfull couragious and merry with her Here we see our beautifull Vrsina safe at Putzeole under the wings and protection of her aunt Mellifanta and far of from the eyes of the knowne or suspected rejoycing enemies of her disgrace lodged in a dainty house a delicate a yre having variety of curious sweet gardens and dainty ranckes and groves of orenge and lemon trees to walke in well attended on and fâ—…ing most delitiously and who therefore would beleeve that shee would not now quite abandon her former sorrowes and teares and wholly reject and cast of that base Baron of Sanctifiore who so ingratfully had ruined and so treacherously had first forsaken and rejected her but here in Putzeole wee shall see her performe nothing lesse for although she yet hold him to bee intangled in the lures of Bertrannas beauty and the temptations of her father de Tores wealth yet judging his heart and affections by her owne and measuring him by her selfe shee still loves him so dearely that she neverthelesse beleeves hee cannot hate her so deadly as to reject and repundiate her to marry the said Bertranna when the more to fortifie her beleefe and resolution thereof she very often againe reads over his two former letters which wee have heard and seene and therein finding that by his conscience and soule and by heaven and by God hee had bound himselfe to marry her and to love and die her faithfull husband shee then beleeves that no man much lesse a Nobleman and least of all a christian will bee so prophane and impious without any cause or reason to violate all these his great oathes and promises so deeply made and so religiously attested unto God wherefore although this Baron of Sanctifiore were absent from her yet seeing him still present in her eyes and heart shee therefore in consideration of the promises doth yet continually so plead for him against her selfe and for his affection and fidelity to her against her suspition and disfidence of him that she yet flatters her selfe with a conceit that in the end his conscience will so call home his thoughts and God his conscience that hee will marry her selfe and none but her selfe Againe consiâ—…ng him to be the Father of her unborne babe shee thinkes her selfe a very unkind and unnaturall mother if shee should not love him for her childs sake as well as for his owne and that God would neither blesse her nor her burthen it shee should any way neglect or omit him upon the foundations of which reasons truely and courteously laid by her but so falsly and treacherously by him shee thinkes it a good way and an excellent expedient for her to seeke to reclaime him to her by a letter the proofe whereof since his defection from her she had not as yet practised or experienced but as shee began to fall on this resolution her hope and despaire of Sanctifiore and yet her love and affection to him make her meet and fall on a doubtfull scruple whether shee should write kindly or cholerickly to him but at last her affection to him declining and excusing his infidelity to her and her love and courtesie giving a favourable construction to his cruelty towards her shee holds it more behouefull for her desire his returne to write to him passionately and effectually but not harshly or severely and so to take the sweet and faire way which shee desired but not the sharp and bitter which hee deserved when flying to her closet she full of griefe and teares writes him this ensuing letter the which without the knowledge of her Aunt Mellifanta shee sends him to Naples by her trusty menssenger Sebastiano her Fathers coachman VRSINA to SANCTIFIORE TO preserve thine honour and prevent mine owne disgrace and shame I have left Naples to sojourne here for a time in Putzeole with the Lady Mellifanta mine aunt where thy presence will make mee as truly joyfull and happie as I feele and know my selfe infinitly miserable without it For although of late but for what cause or reason God knowes I knowe not it hath pleased thee to excercise my affection and patience in thy discontent yet in regard I am thy wife by purchase sith thou art my Husband by promise whereof the copies of thy former letters will informe and remember thee that thou madest God the judge and the soule and consciences the witnesses I cannot beleeve that thou art so irreligious or that thou bearest mee so little love or so much malice to make thy selfe guilty of such foule infidelity to mee and impiety towards God and I appeale to them all if my tender untainted affection to thee have not every way deserved the contrary at thy hands Againe as in hoping to marry thee I gave thee my heart so in assurance and counfidence thereof thou didest likewise bereave mee of my honour and therefore if the conterpane of that contract doe anyway fade or dye in thy memory yet rest confident that the Originall lives still in Heaven as the pledge and seale thereof doth now in my unhappie wombe here on earth mistake mee not
Vrsina whom hee ever held to bee more charitable and not so cruell hearted to any one of the world and although hee be poore yet hee is so honest vertuous and religious as hee highly refuseth to distaine his heart or dip his hands in innocent blood for any silver or gold whatsoever So in humble and yet in absolute tearmes hee gives her the deniall and with teares in his eyes prayes her to desist from this her cruell purpose because hee affirmes to her that the end of murther proves most commonly but the beginning of shame repentance misery and confusion to their authors so shee bites her lip and hangs her head for sorrow at this his repulse and refusâ—…ll and yet is so cautious and wary in her actions as shee makes him againe swear secrecy to her in all thinges which now doth othereafter may concerne this businesse the which hee faithfully promiseth her provided that her commands and his seruice bee every way exempt of the effusion of innocent blood and the perpetration of murther to the which hee constantly vowes to her it is impossible for him ever to bee seduced or drawen and so hee takes leave of her and leaves her solitarily alone in the garden to her muses but yet as hee was issuing forth shee againe calls him to her and strictly chargeth him first carefully and curiously to informe himselfe and then hee her of Sanctifiores most frequent haunts and walkes without the cittie the which hee likewise promiseth her to performe Our malitious and revengefull Vrsina is not contented to receive the deniall from her Apothecary Romancy and the repulse from her coachman Sebastiano about the finishing of this deplorable busines but without making any good use of their honest and religious disswasions of her from it or without once looking up to God or thinking of heaven or hell shee as a fatall member and prodigious agent of Sathan is still resolute to proceed therein for he is still so strong with her heart because her faith and soule are so weake with God that shee sees not her selfe so often in her looking glasse with delight as shee both sees and finds Sanctifiore in her heart and mind with detestation for her mallice to him hath quite expelled all reason and banished all charity and piety in her selfe and consequently now made her memorative and capable of nothing but of revenge and blood towards him which takes up every part and usurpes every point both of her time and of her selfe yea and workes so strang I may rather truly say so miserable a metamorphosis in her as if shee were now wholly composed of one or both of these two impious and diabolicall vices so that every moment seemes a yeare and every day an age to her before shee hath dispatched him for heaven she now sees that shee cannot with safety employ any other herein but her selfe and therefore day by day calling upon Sebastiano to know of him where Sanctifiores usuall haunts and walkes were without the cittie hee at last tells her that hee is fullie assured that most mornings and evenings he takes his coach and some times his page but many times alone and so goes a mile out of the cittie beyond the gate which lookes towards Saint Germaines and there in a dainty grove of olives and orenge trees neere a small rivers side hee with his booke in his hand and his spaniell dogge at his heeles passeth an houre or two alone in his private contemplations his coach being sometimes out of sight from him and sometimes returnes to the cittie and so comes and fetcheth him backe againe which report is no sooner heard and understood of Vrsina from her coachman but shee receives it with much joy and entertaines it with infinite content and delectation shee is therefore so cruell in her thoughts and so determinate and bloody in her resolutions as shee will protract no time but shee speedily bethinkes her selfe of a hellish stratagem and policy no lesse strange than cruell which the devill him selfe suggested and found out for her to wreake her inveterate malice and infernall revenge in murthering of Sanctifiore the manner whereof is thus She very secretly provides her selfe of a friers complete weed as a sad ruffer gowne coule with a girdle of a knottie rope woodden sandalls proper to the order of the Bonnes homes which is the reformed one of that of S. Francis with a false negligent old beard and haire for his head sutable to the same and in one of the pockets of this frocke shee puts a small begging box such as those friers use to carry in cittie and country when they crave the charitable almes and devotion of well disposed people as also a new breviary or small masse booke of the last edition and forme of Rome boundup in blew turky leather richly guilt but in the othor pocket thereof shee puts a couple of small short pistolls which shee had secretly purloined out of her father Placedo's armory and had charged each of them with a brace of bullets fast rammed downe with priming powder in the pans and all these fatall trinckets shee with equall silence and treachery packes and tyes up close in the gowne expecting the time and houre to worke this her cruell and lamentable seate on innocent Sanctifiore who little thinkes or dreames what a bloody banquet his old love and now his new enemy Vrsina is preparing for him And here I write with griefe that it was the tuesday after Palme Sunday a time and weeke which the blessed passion of our Saviour Christ Jesus makes sacred and famous and which all true christians in his commemoration ought to keepe holy and not to polute or defile it with barbarous and bloody sacrifices when our masculine monster or rather our femall fury Vrsina being assured by Sebastiano that the Baron of Sanctifiore was that day about three of the clocke after dinner gone out alone in his coach to his aforesaid usuall place of walking a mile off the cittie in the fields shee infinite glad of this desired occasion and longed for opportunity bids Sebastiano make ready his coach and silently to leave him without the posterne gate of her fathers garden and so presently to come up to her chamber to her the which hee as soone performes to whom she now prophanely and treacherously sayes Sebastiano by the favour and mercy of God I have now exchanged my cruelty into courtesie towards the Baron of Sanctifiore and doe therefore presently resolve to give him a merry meeting in the fields whereat before our departure and returne I know thou wilt rejoyce and laugh heartely at the fight hereof the which indeed was very welcome and pleasing newes to Sebastiano to whom shee then gives this little fardell and so purposely leaving her waiting maid behind her shee cheerefully and speedily followes him to the coach wherein being seated and the litle fardell likewise within by her shee bids him drive away withall
time but bootlesse for mee either to paliate the truth or to flatter with God or man the worst of his crime he being my servant was the least courtesie hee owed to mee I being his mistris which after with mine owne hands I had committed that deplorable fact was to bring mee home from the fields to my fathers house and for assisting mee to cast the friers frocke the false beard and haire the almes box breviary and two pistolls into the next deepe pit or precipice thereunto adjoining where as yet they still lie for this my heinous offence the very remembrance whereof is now grievous and odious unto mee I aske pardon first of God then of mine owne deare father and next of the Lady Bertranna and if the words and prayers of a poore dying gentlewoman have any power with the living then I beseech you all in generall and every one of you in particular to pray unto God that hee will now forgive my sinnes in his favour and hereafter save my soule in his mercy the which as soone as shee had said and uttered some few short prayers to her selfe shee often making the signe of the crosse takes leave of all the world when pulling downe her vaile in comly sort over her eies and face and erecting her hands towards heaven shee was turned over now as some of her spectators rejoyced at the death of so cruell and bloody or female monster so the greatest part of them in favour of her birth youth and beautie did with aworld of teares exceedingly lament and pittie her but all of them doe highly detest and execrate the base ingratitude infidelity and treachery of this ignoble Baron of Sanctifiore towards her which no doubt was the prime cause and cheifest motive which drew her to these deplorable and bloody resolutions As for her honest coachman Sebastiano although his owne torments on the racke and now this solemne confession of his Lady Vrsina at her death had sufficiently proclaimed and vindicated his innocency in this murther of Sanctifiore yet such was his widdow Bertrannas living affection to her dead husband and her deadly malice to living Sebastiano for thinking him to bee guiltie and accessary hereunto with his Lady Vrsina that her power and malice so far prevailed with the integrity of the judges for the further disquisition of this truth as they now againe sentence him to the double torments of the racke the which hee againe likewise endureth with a most unparalleld patience and constancy without confessing any thing the which his judges wondering to see and admiring to understand and having no substantiall proofes or reall and valable evidences against him they now fully absolve and acquit him of this his suspected crime when being moved in charity justice and conscience to yeeld him some reward and satisfaction for thus enfeebling his body and impairing of his health by these his sharpe and bitter torments they therefore adjudge the plaintiffe widdow Bertranna to give him three hundred duckatons whereof shee cannot possibly exempt or excuse her selfe And thus lived and died our unkind Baron Sanctifiore and our cruell hearted young Lady Vrsina and in this manner did the sacred justice of God requite the one and condignly revenge and punish the other Now by reading this their history may God of his best favour and mercy teach us all from our hearts to hate this Barons levitie and from our soules to abhorre and detest this Ladies cruelty and impiety AMEN GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XXX De Mora treacherously kills Palura in a duell with two pistolls His Lady Bellinda with the aid of her gentleman usher Ferallo poysoneth her husband De Mora and afterwards shee marrieth and then murthereth her said husband Ferallo in his bed so shee is burnt alive for this her last murther and her ashes throwen into the aire for the first IN the generall depravation of this age it is no wonder that many sinfull foules are so transported by Sathan and their owne outragious passions to imbrue their guilty hands in the innocent blood of their christian brethren and it were a great happines and felicity to most countries and kingdomes of Europe if they were not sometimes infected with the contagion of this bloody and crying sinne which with a presumptuous hand seemes to strike at the majestie of God himselfe in killing man his creature but because wishes availe little and for that examples are more powerfull and prevalent and prove the best precepts to the living therefore I here produce a lamentable one of so inhumane a condition that by the knowledge and consideration thereof wee may know how to detest the like and avoid the temptations in our selves IN the famous kingdome of Portugall and within a very little league of Stremos one of the sweetest and fairest cities thereof there within these few yeares dwelt a noble gentleman of some fifty six yeares old named Don Alonso De Mora Issued and discended from one of the best and famous houses of that kingdome as being Nephew to that great and wise Don Christopher de Mora of whom the histories of Spaine and Portugall make so often and so honourable mention and although hee were by his ancestors and parents left very rich in lands and possessions yet his ambition and generosity caried him to serve his king Phillip third of Spaine in his warres of Africa and Flanders wherein hee spent the greatest part of his time and of himselfe wonne many renowned laurells and martiall trophees of honour and as an excellent cavalier left behinde him many approved markes and testimonies of his true valour and magnanimity But as all men are naturally constant in unconstancy and subject and co-incident to mutations and that the world still delights to please us with changes and to feed our fancies and affections with different enterprises and resolutions so our De Mora at last calls home his thoughts and himselfe from warre to peace and resolves to spend the remainder of his age in as much ease pleasure as formerly hee had done the heate and strength of his youth in tumults and combustions hee now sees that there is no life nor pleasure comparable to that of the country for here the sweetnesse of the imbalmed aire the delicacy of the perfumed and enamelled fields the unparalleld pastime of hauking and hunting and the free and uninterrupted accesse which wee have to arts in our study and to God in religious praiers and meditations makes it to bee no lesse than either an earthly paradise or a heaven upon earth For the campe despite of commanders abounds with all kinds of insolencies and impieties the cittie despite of magistrates with all sorts of vice deceit covetousnes and pride and the court despite of good kings and Princes too often with variety of hippocrisie perfidiousnes and vanity To his owne great mannor house neere Stremos therefore is our De Mora retired with a resolution
gentleman I say passing by De Mora and well and perfectly knowing him hee according to his dutie and the others merrits respectfully saluted him by his name and the young gentlewoman who followed him likewise gives him a very lowe and gracefull courtesie De Mora surprised with the suddainesse of their arrivall and the sweetnes of these their salutations riseth up and having first saluted him and kissed her hee praies his name who tells him that hee is a gentleman that dwelt some three leagues off tearmed Emanuell de Cursoro De Mora demaunds of him if this young gentlewoman bee his kinswoman or his daughter who tells him shee is his daughter when De Mora againe inquires of him if she bee married or no and what age and name shee is of Cursoro replies that shee is unmaried of some twentie yeares of age and her name Bellinda De Mora againe tells him that hee is verie happie in having so sweet and faire a young gentlewoman to his daughter whereat the father smileth for joy and the daughter blusheth for bashfullnes and modestie De mora againe questioneth Cursoro if any busines brought him thither that morning who tells him hee had no busines but only came thither with his daughter to take the aire and that hee had left his coach without the hedge so they walke together some turnes in this pleasant grove and from thenceforth De Mora could not possibly refraine from gadding and gazing his inamoured eyes on the roses and lilies of Bellindas sweet and delicate beautie when De Mora acquaints Cursors with his misfortunes how that morning hee came forth a hunting that hee had lost his men his hounds and his hauke and that this three houres hee was there left alone and had no newes of them they together make many walkes turnes and returnes when De Mora led by the lustre of Bellindas lovely atractive and rolling eye hee ever and anon proffereth to lead and conduct her by the arme the which Cursoro modestly and respectfully excuseth as holding it too great an honour for De Mora to give and his daughter to receive here Cursoro proferreth De Mora to lend him his coach to carry him home to his house but De Mora freely and thankfully refuseth it and in counterexchange of this courtesie proferreth Cursoro and his daughter to accompany and conduct them to their coach the which undeserved kindnes Cursoro modestly refuseth of him Thus in point of honour and courtesie they along time stand striving and complementing till at last De Mora heareing the crie of his hounds his importunitie vanquisheth Cursoro's modestie and so will or nill hee conducts him to his coach and likewise leads his daughter Bellinda by the arme and hand and by the way doth at least usurpe steale many amorous kisses from the cheries of her sweet lips and damaske roses of her pure and delicate cheekes wherat shee is more admired then pleased As they are thus going towards Cursoro's coach De Mora's hounds and servants arive all sweating and blowing who in redemption and requitall of their long stay doe present their Lord and master with a brace of hares and a wild white fawne which they had kild whereof hee being exceeding glad hee very joyfully bestowes the hares on Cursoro and the white fawne on his faire daughter Bellinda who from thenceforth hee swears shall bee his mistris and his love Cursoro is too modest and his daughter too bashfull to accept hereof so they along time refuse these his presents with many dilatory and complementall excuses But at last De Mora finds out a means and medium to reconcile this difference according to his owne will and desire for hee peremptorily swears to Cursoro and his daughter Bellinda that they shall receive these poore presents from him and that in requitall hereof hee will to morrow come over to his house and eat his part of them to dinner with them upon which condition and tearms Cursoro thankfully receives the hares and likewise causeth his daughter to doe the same by the fawne the which with a verie low and observant courtesie she doth so he conducts them on to their coach and by the way wrings her by her lilie white hand plaies with the loose â—…esses of her sweet haire her blushing cheeks dimpled chinne downie paps and Alabaster necke when taking a friendly leave of Cursoro and a solemne conge of his faire daughter Bellinda which hee againe seales and confirmes with many new kisses they take coach and away and De Mora with his servants and hounds returnes home to his house Thus in a little time wee see an extraordinary alteration yea a wonderfull change and metamorphosis in De Mora but whether more strange or suddaine I know not for in the morning hee went forth a free man and now before night comes home a slave and a captive Heretofore hee spurned at love and disdained beauty and now the verie first sight of our faire Bellinda sets fire to his blood and flames to his heart so that his old blood is passionatly and amorously inflamed with this new beautie formerly hee in derision tearmed Cupid alittle boy now hee holds him to bee a great God then hee called Venus a whore but now hee recants that Athiesme and repents himselfe of that blasphemy vomited forth against her diety and tearmes her a Celestiall and facred Goddesse yea now in his heart and thoughts hee erects altars to the first and consecrates all his vowes to the second The small and streight wast of his honoured Bellinda together with her sparkling eyes and sweet cheekes and blushes doe amaze his mind act wonders in his heart and cast his thoughts into a confusion of many amorous raptures and extasies yea the consideration of her sweet youth and the remembrance of her fresh and delicate beauty doe in his conceit seeme to make his age young and to give the lye to those infinite number of white haires which time hath snowed on his head and showred on his beard Hee a thousand times repen's himselfe of his former errour and crime in living so long single and is now assured and confident that there is no earthly pleasure or heavenly delight comparable to the heart-ravishing kisses and embraces of his sweet Bellinda hee is readie to lay downe all his lands and life at the feet of her commands and service and esteemes both of them too poore for the purchasing of so inestimable a jewell whom in his determinations and resolutions hee hath alreadie adopted the Qâ—…eene of his heart and confirmed and crowned the Soveraigne Empresse of his soule and the sacred Goddesse of his desires and affections Hee thinks not of the great disparity and Antithesis betwixt his deâ—…ling age and her fragrant and flourishing youth nor what an â—…e quall difference and disproportion there is betwixt his fiftie six and her twentie yeares Hee will not consider what a poore simpathie and a palpable antipathy there is betweene such
day goes home to his house with him visiteth his daughter He findes her to be weake leane and pale the which serves the better for his turne to coulour out this his bloody purpose to her When if there had been any humanity in his thoughts any Grace in his heart or any sparke of religion or pietie in his Soule the very sight of this sweet this harmelesse this beautifull young Gentlewoman would have moved him to compassion and not with hellish crueltie to resolve to poyson her But his sinnefull heart his seared Conscience and his ulcerated and virulent soule had in favour of gold made this compact with the Divell and therfore hee will advance and not retire in this his infernall resolution Hee feeles her pulse casts her estate in an Vrinall receives thirty Crownes of her Father for her cure and so bidding her to be of good comfort he administreth her two pills three mornings following whereof harmelesse sweet Gentlewoman within three dayes after shee sodainly dyes in her bed by night Tivoly affirming to her sorrowfull Father and Friends that before hee came to her the violency and inveteracy of her consumption had turned all her blood into water and exhausted and extenuated all the radicall humours of her life which opinion of this base and bloody Italian Mountebanke past current with the simplicitie of his beliefe and their Iudgements So he burieth his daughter and with her his chiefest earthly delight and ioy Within three daies after that this sorrowful and lamentable tragedy was acted This monster this Divell incarnate Tivoly leaves Troyes and poasts away to Nevers where he ravisheth Masserina's heart with the joyfull newes and assurance of La Precovertes death and buriall of whom he receives his other hundred and fifty Crownes the which according to her promise shee failes not presently to pay him downe And heere againe they solemnely sweare secrecie each to other of this their bloody fact Wretched Masserina feasting her heart with joy and surfeiting her thoughts with content to see the rivall and competitor in her loves La Precoverte thus dispatched and sent for heaven Shee now thinking to domineere alone in her Harcourts heart and affection esteemes her selfe a degree neerer to him in marriage that so of his Sister shee may become his Wife For this is the felicity and content whereat her heart aymeth and the delectation and ioy wherein her desires and wishes terminate But her Husband Vimories life doth dash these ioyes of hers in peeces as soone as she conceives them and strangles them if not in their birth yet in their cradle She finds Nevers to bee a pleasant Citie and Pougges a delightfull little place to live in and when the Spring is past and the great confluence of people retired and gone home to bee a place of farre more safety for them than Lyons Yea and shee affects and loves it farre the better because here it was she first heard and understood of La Precovertes death which as yet for a time she closely conceales to her selfe Wherefore shee sends Noell her man to Lyons to his Master and by her letter prayes him speedily to come and live with her at Nevers which shee affirmes to him is a pleasant City and that there she attends his arrivall and company with much affection and impatiencie Harcourt to please his Sweet-heart-Sister Masserina leaves Lyons and comes to her at Nevers where with thankes and kisses she ioyfully wellcomes him telling him that these bathes of Pougges have perfectly freed her of her ache but in her heart and mind shee well knowes it is the death of La Precoverte and not those bathes which hath both cured her doubts and secured her feares They have not lived in Nevers and Pougges above three weekes since his arrivall untill they there but by what meanes I know not understand of La Precovertes death whereat hee seemes nothing sorrowfull but she extreamly glad and ioyfull And by this time which is at least a whole yeare since their flight and departure from Saint Simplician and Sens they in their Travells and other gifts and expenses have consumed â—…nd expended a prettie Summe of their money In all which time wee must understand that Vimory hates his wife and Brother so exceedingly as hee in contempt of their crymes and detestation of their trecherous ingratitude scornes either to looke or send after them but the only revenge which he useth towards him in his absence he pretends a great Summe of money to bee due to him from him and in compensation thereof seizeth upon the remainder of his lands and by Order of Iustice gathereth up and collects his rents from his Tenants to his owne use and behoofe Which extreamely grieves Harcourt and afflicts Masserina who by this time seeing in what obscurity and considering in what continuall feare and eminent danger they live in As their lascivious affections so their irregular desires and irreligious resolutions looke one and the same way which is to send her Husband and his Brother Vimory to Heaven after his wife La Precoverte yea so resolute are they in this their bloody intentions and desires as they wish and pray for it with zeale and desire it with passion impatiency And now their malice is growen so resolute and their resolution so gracelesse in the contemplation and conceiving of this bloody 〈◊〉 as they bewray it each to other Masserina vowes to him that she can reape no true content either in her life or conscience before of his sister he make her his wife Nor I replies Harcourt before my brother Vimorie be in Heaven and I marry thee be thy husband here in earth When as a bloody Courtisan and Strumpet she gives him many thanks and kisses for this his affection to her and malice to his Brother Vimory for her sake when working upon the advantage of time occasion and opportunity Shee tells him that in her opinion the shortest and surest way is to dispatch him by poison Harcourt dislikes her judgement and plot as holding it no way safe in taking away his brothers life to entrust and hazard his owne at the coâ—…rtesie of a stranger at which speech of his shee blusheth and palleth as being conscious and memorative of what she had lately caused to be perpetrated by Tivoly Therfore he thinks to acquaint and imploy his owne man Noell in this bloudy businesse and proâ—… him two hundred Crownes and fortie more of yeerely pension during his life if hee will pistoll his Brother Vimory to death as he iâ—… walking in the fields But Noell is too honest a man and too good a Chriâ—… to stabbe at the majesty of God iâ—…â—…ling man his creature and Image and so absolutely denies his Master and although he be a poore man yet he rejects his offer as resolving never to purchase wealth or preferment at so deere a rate as the price of innocent blood whereat his Master bites his lip for discontent and
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