he by this time polluting himselfe with filthy and pernicious Company it is no marvell if he leave his temperancie to follow drunkennesse his chastity to commit fornication and adultery yea it is no marvell I say if these foule sins as Bawds to rage and revenge exact such power in his heart and predominancie in his soul as in the end to draw him to murther for goodmen cannot receive a greater plague nor the Devill afford or give them a worse pestilence then bad company It is the fatall Shelves and dismall Rocks whereon a world of people have and doe daily suffer shipwracke yea it is the griefe of a Kingdome and Countrey the bane of our Age and the corruption and poyson of our Times for it turnes those who professe and pursue it out of their estates and homes which they are then inforced either to sell or rather to give away to Vsurers and Cormorants and consequently which makes themselves and their poore wives and children ready to starve and dye in our streets So this is now the cause of our Vasti and therefore it will be his happinesse if it prove not his misery hereafter for after twelve yeares time of a most peaceable cohabitation and Godly conversation betweene him and his vertuous wife Hester it is a thousand griefes and pitties that she must now be inforced to see so brutish and beastly a Metamorphosis in her husband for hee is no more the man which hee was nor the husband which shee formerly found him to bee Hee loves neither his house nor his wife but stayes abroad every day with his whores and then at night returnes home to her starke drunke and in lamentable sort reviles and beats her whereas heretofore he would rather have lost his life then have strucken her and whereas heretofore he affected and loved her so dearely as he thought he could not be kinde enough to her now in the extravagancie of these his deboshed humours he hates her so deadly as he deemes and supposeth hee cannot be sufficiently cruell to her although her affection be still so fervent to him and her care so vigilent and respectfull of him as shee gives him nothing but either sweet words teares sighs silence or prayers yea shee proves her selfe so good a woman to so bad a man and so courteous and vertuous a wife to so unkinde and vitious a husband as to the eyes and judgements of all their kinsfolkes and neighbours they know it is now her praise and glory and feare it will hereafter prove his shame and misery She leaves no meanes unassayed or invention unsought and unattempted to divert and turne this foule inundation of his Vice into the sweet streames of Vertue and the pure rivers of Godlinesse But Ahlas good woman her care proves vaine and her affection and zeale impossible herein although her pale cheekes mournefull eyes brinish teares far-fetcht sighs religious prayers and sweet perswasions doe still second and accompany her indeavours in this her desired hope of his reformation for she is inforced to know that hee keepes a young strumpet named Salyna at the Towne of Cleraux some sixe Leaugues from Fribourg whither most mornings hee goes to her and to make himselfe the more treacherous a dissembler to his wife and the more execrable a traytor to his soule he fortifyeth and coloureth out this his accustomed journey to his strumpet with this false Apologie that he goes to Cleraux to heare the Sermons of M r Abraham Tifflin a very famous and religious Preacher there when God and his ulcerated soule and conscience know the contrary and that this pretended excuse of his is but only a false cloak to overvail his true Adultery and prophane Impiety for he needed not to have formerly added Whordom to his Drunkennesse and now Ingratitude Cruelty and Impiety to his Whordome in regard the least of these enormous crimes and sinnes assuredly have the power and will infallibly finde the meanes to make him futurely as miserable as now he foolishly thinkes himselfe happy for these his journeyes to Cleraux are onely the Pilgrimage of his wanton Lust. Salyna is the Saint of his voluptuous devotion her House the Temple of his obscene wishes and Adultery the Oblation and Sacrifice of his lascivious desires Wee can difficultly make our selves guilty of a fouler sinne on earth then to seeme sanctifyed in our devotions towards God when we are prophane or to indeavour to appeare sound without when we are rotten within in our Faith and Religion For as Man is the best and noblest of all Gods creatures so an Hypocrite towards God is the worst of men yea or rather a Devill and no man for our hearts and actions and our most retired thoughts and secret darling sinnes are as conspicuous and transparant to Gods eyes as his decrees and resolutions are invisible to ours sith he sees all things and we see nothing when we doe not see him A miserable hight of impiety in making of our selves foolishly sinners and wilfully Hypocrites and yet it is a more fatall and fearefull degree thereof when we so delight in sinne and glory in hypocrisie as to make Apologies for the same But Vasti not thinking either of Religion or God frolicks it out with Salyna his strumpet in Cleraux whiles his owne vertuous wife Hester weepes at home at Fribourg and when he returnes thence hee is still so hard hearted and cruell to her as he continually beates her Now by this time George their Sonne is sixteene yeares of age of a mans courage and stature and of a very pregnant wit so that as young as he is hee hath beene long enough a sorrowfull eye-witnesse of his Fathers cruelty in beating of his Mother Hee hath formerly seene the lamentable effects and now he falls on his knees to her and with teares and prayers beseecheth her to acquaint him with the true cause thereof and from whence it proceeds when his Mother adding more confidence to his wisedome then to his youth from point to point fully relates it to him accordingly as we have formerly understood George bursts forth into sorrowfull passions at her repetition and his knowledge hereof as not able to refraine from sighing to see her sigh nor from weeping to see her weepe Hee as much grieves to be the Sonne of so vicious a Father as he rejoyceth and gloryeth to be that of so vertuous a Mother so he makes her sorrowes his and here weds himselfe to her quarrell with promise and oath either to right it with his Father or to revenge it on Salyna whom he knowes to be the originall cause of all these stormes and tempests of all these afflictions and miseries which befall his Mother and in her himselfe He will no longer bee a child because God and nature hath now made him a man so the very next time hee sees his Father beate his Mother hee steps to her assistance and defends her from the tyrannie of his blowes and then
repentance nor consequently from Earth to Heaven but like a prophane Libertine and unregenerate person being within a small point of time neere his end hee yet thinkes not of his soule nor of God but onely dallies away the remainder of his houres in the miserable contemplation of his fond affection and beastly sensuality By this time Victoryna hath receiv'd his Letter at the newes and reading whereof such is the passion of her frenzy which shee though unjustly tearmes love that shee is all in teares sighes and lamentable exclamations she knowes it impossible for any other of the world to bee the revealer of Sypontus his Letter but onely her Mayd Felicia whom in her uncharitable Revenge shee curseth to the pit of hell but that which addes a greater torment to her torments and a more sensible degree of affliction to her miserable sorrowes is to see that her Sypontus whom by many degrees she loves far dearer then her life finisterly snspecteth her fidelity towards him yea so farre as hee not onely calls her affection but her treachery in question and this indeed seemes to drowne her in her teares But yet notwithstanding so fervent is her love towards him as the feare of his death drawes her to a resolution of her owne so if Sypontus dye shee vowes shee will bee her owne accuser and so not live but dye with him Strange effects of love or rather of folly sith love being irregular and taking false objects in its true character is not love but folly to which end calling for inke and paper she bitterly weeping indites and sends him these few lines in answer of his VICTORYNA to SYPONTVS I Were the most wretched and ingratefullest Lady of the world yea a Lady who should not then deserve either to see or live in the world if Victoryna should any way prove treacherous to Sypontus who hath still beene so true and kinde to her But beleeve mee Deare Sypontus and I speake it in presence of God upon perill of my soule I am as innocent as that witch that devill my mayd Felicia is guilty of the producing of thy Letter which I feare will prove thy death and rejoyce that in it it shall likwise prove mine For to cleer my selfe of ingratitude trechery as I have lived so I will dye wiyh thee that as we mutually participated the joyes of life so we may the torments of death for although thy Letter accuse me not of my Husband Souranza's Murther yet that my affection may shine in my loyalty and that in my affection I will not survive but dye with thee for I will accuse my selfe to my Iudges not onely as accessary but as author of that Murther and this resolution of mine I write thee with teares and will shortly seale it with my bloud VICTORYNA Sypontus in the middest of his perplexities and sorrowes receives this Letter from Victoryna the sweetnesse of whose affection and constancy much revives his joy and comforteth him For now her innocency defaceth his suspicion of her ingratitude and treachery and withall hee plainely sees and truly beleeves that it was Felicia not Victoryna who brought this Letter to Light But when hee descends to the latter part of her Letter and finds her resolution to dye with him then hee condemnes his former errour in taxing her and in requitall loves her so tenderly and dearely that he vowes hee will bee so farre from accusing her as accessary of her husbands Murther as both the Racke and his death shall cleare and proclaime her innocency Had the ground of these servent and reciprocall affections of Victoryna and Sypontus beene laid in vertue as they were in vice or in chastly and not in lust and adultery they would have given cause to the whole world as justly to prayse as now to dispraise them and then to have beene as ambitious of their imitation as now of their contempt and detestation So Sypontus as before having fully and definitively resolved not to accuse but to cleare Victoryna of this Murther as also that hee would dye alone and leave her youth and beauty to the injoying of many more earthly pleasures hee expecting hourely to bee sent for before his Iudges to sit upon his torment or death thinking himselfe bound both in affection and honour to signifie Victoryna his pleasure herein he craves his â—…aylors absence and with much affection and passion writes her this his last Letter SIPONTVS to VICTORYNA SWeet Victoryna thy Letter hath given mee so full satisfaction as I repent mee of my rash credulity conceived against thy affection and constancy and now lay the fault of the discovery of my Letter where it is and ought to bee on Felicia not on thy selfe It is with a sorrowfull but true presage that I foresee my life hastens to her period the Racke is already prepared for my torments and I hourely expect when I shall bee fetch 't to receive them which for thy sake I will imbrace and suffer with as much constancy as patience I will deny mine owne guiltinesse the first time but not the second but in my torments and death I will acquit thee of thine with as true a resolution as Earth expects to lose mee and I hope to finde Heaven Therefore all the by bonds of love and affection that ever hath beene between us I first pray then conjure thee to change thy resolution and to stand on thine innocency For if thou wilt or desirest to gratifie mee with thy last affection and courtesie at my death let mee beare this one content and joy to my grave that Victoryna will live for Sypontus his sake though Sypontus dye for hers SYPONTVS Hee had no sooner sent away this his Letter to Victoryna but hee himselfe is sent for to appeare before his Iudges who upon his second examination and denyall adjudge him to the Racke which hee indures with admirable patience and constancy Yea hee cannot bee drawne to confesse but stands firme in his denyall and not onely cleares himselfe but also acquits Victoryna Hieronymâ—… Souranza doth notwithstanding earnestly follow and solicite the Iudges and God out of his immense mercy and profound providence so ordaineth that their consciences suggest and prompt them that Sypontus is the actor of this execrable Murther Whefore the next day they administer him double torment when loe his resolution and strength fayling him hee acknowledgeth the letter his and confesseth it was himselfe that had Murthered Seignior Iovan Baptista Souranza but withall protesteth constantly that Victoryna is innocent and no way accessary hereunto The Iudges rejoyce at Sypontus his confession as much as they grieve at the foulenesse of his fact and so although they were also desirous to hang him yet considering hee was a Venecian Gentleman and consequently had a great voyce in the great Counsell of the Seigniory they adjudge him the next day to lose his head betwixt the two Columes at Saint Markes Place and so for that night send him backe
drowne thy thoughts in the hell of concupiscence and adultery when it were farre fitter thou shouldest lift them up to heaven in the sacrifice of prayer and other pious and religious contemplations But all this will not prevaile to stop the current of his voluptuousnesse and the progression of his sensuality for without respect of his God or regard of his soule hee is resolute in his desires to make a strumpet of his Daughter in Law and to make his Sonnes wife his whore but God will deceive his hopes and prevent his villany Now the better and sooner to drawe her to his lascivious desires hee is wonderfull courteous and affable to her still walking and talking with her yea and many times kissing her whereof both her Husband and selfe are infinitely joyfull but espeally Perina because shee findes a great alteration in her fortune in that her Father in Law Castelnovo proves as courteous to her as her owne Father Arconeto is cruell But poore innocent soule and sweet and chast Lady little dost thou either dreame oâ—… thinke on his lascivious intent against thine honour and chastity Old Castelnovo wallowing in the filthinesse and burning in the fire of his new lust and losing himselfe and his thoughts in the Labyrinth of his Daughter in law Perina's beauty hee thinkes on nothing so much nay on nothing else but how to obtaine her to his lascivious will but not daring or rather fearing to acquaint her with his inordinate and beastly purpose whiles his son her husband is at home present with her he forgeth and frames a plot both unnaturall and treacherous to make him imbrace and follow the Wars in wayting on the Duke Charles Emanuel or the Prince Amadee Victor his son and heire who with their warlike troopes were resolute to expell the Duke of Feria Viceroy of Millan with his Spanish Regiments out of Vercele Casall and the other Townes of Piedmont to which end his lustful affection to Perina made him eloquent in perswading and powerfull in drawing her husband to this Martiall action so full of honour and glory adding that his honour and the service of his Prince and Countrey called him to the Field and that he should not wholly drowne himselfe in the beauty of his young Wife and the pleasures of Marriage His sonne Castelnovo not at all suspecting or dreaming what a dangerous Snake lay lurking under the greene leaves of his fathers sugered speeches and perswasions like a noble and generous Knight as he was needes no other advocate but his owne honour and Martiall disposition to imbaâ—…ke him in these Warres and although the beauty requests and teares of his young Lady were vehement sollicitours to divert him yet hee is resolute to leave her for three or foure moneths And so making ready his armes traine horses and preparatives hee giving her many kisses and shee returning him a world of sighes and teares leaves Nice and so findes out the Duke and his Army in Piedmont where for a little time we will leave him It is a question very disputable and which by my weake capacity and judgemt cannot well bee decided whether this departure of young Custelnovo to the Warres made his father more glad or his wife sorrowfull for as shee was all in teares so was hee in mirth and jollity being so vaine in his lust and sâ—… lustfull in his vanity as 〈◊〉 trimmes up his beard and goes nearer and withall more youthfull in his apparell then accustomed yea his lust had so metamorphosed him as if it had a prophane influence and secret power to renew old age in him But alas alas what perfection of chastity can wee expect or hope for in youth when wee see no better signes and frâ—…s in one of threescore and eight yeares But I will follow the streame of our History though indeed the relation of this old lascivious Lechers Lust and Vanity to his daughter in law Perina equally afflict me with griefe and pitty to publish it I am then constrained to write and averre that although meere shame and unnaturalnesse doe as yet with-hold this wretched fathers tongue from vomiting foorth his adulterated lust to his faire and chast daughter in law Perina yet his lust is so immodestly lascivious as hee cannot keepe himselfe out of her company nor being in it refraine from kissing her but to see the innocencie and observe the purity of her thoughts shee neverthelesse not so much as any way suspects or dreames of his lascivious intent although indeed shee thinkes this courtesie of his somewhat exceeds the priviledge of a Father and the duety of a Daughter but measuring this by the cruelty of her owne Father shee poore silly soule thinkes her selfe in this respect now as happy as heretofore shee was miserable Onely the absence of her deare husband Castelnovo doth both torture and torment her and the more for that hee is in the Field at Warres when God knoweth shee desireth and wisheth hee should bee at home with her in peace But whiles Perina lookes from Savoy to Piedmont from Nice to Vercelli and from her selfe to her Lord and Husband her other selfe wee must not forget because oâ—… History will remember her Mother in law Fidelia which now wee must admit and re-conduct to act her part upon the Theatre hereof who observing her Husbands immodest and unwise familiarity demonstrated to the young Lady Perina her sonneâ—… Wife as also his alteration in humours and apparell but chiefely his unaccustomeâ—… distraction and sighes in his rest and repose shee more out of vertuous wisedome then foolish jealousie ay mes at his vaine lust towards this young Lady her Daughter in law whereat shee both admires with griefe and wonders with the anxiety of affliction and sorrow to see her old Husband in the winter of his age so soâ—…ish and beastly to lust after his owne sonnes young Wife to see that no respect of heaven no regard of conscience nor apprehension of damnation and hell had the grace or power either to kill these lascivious thoughts in their conception or to â—…rangle them in their birth to fee that hee who was ready to goe to his bed of death should now like the Salamander in the fire bee burning with desire to goe to that of Lust and Adultery and to see him fo devoyde of piety as he must needs joyne Incest with Adultery as if one of these beastly sinnes alone were not enough enormous and prodigious to make his life miserable and his death wretched And although she have cause enough of sorrow in her selfe yet when shee thinkes of her Husbands age and Daughters youth of his lust and her chastity and which is more of the most degenerate and unnaturall part of a Father to seeke to pollute and defile his owne Sonnes bed and consequently his owne honour This indeede goes neere her and this and onely this makes her looke on him both with envie and pitty but her age having taught her to love
one way to bring us into this world but death hath infinite to take us from it and what is this buâ—… true argument reason of Gods glory and our miserie of his power and of our frailty and weaknesse and therefore because wee are as repleat of sinne as he is of sanctity and as subject to imperfections as all perfections are both properly co-incident and subject to him It will be an act of morall wisdome and of religious piety in us rather to glorifie than examine his sacred Providence and rather to admire than pry into his divine Decrees and resolutions And because his correction and punishment of all sinnes especially of this crying and scarlet sinne of Murther is as Just as secret and as inscrutable as Just therefore to 〈◊〉 towards the period of this deplorable History God is first pleased to exercise and beginne his Judgements on miserable Marsillia and then to finish it in wretched Idiaques But his divine Majestie is likewise pleased and resolved both to impose and make as great a difference in their punishments as he found a parity and conformity in their crimes It is Marsillia's pleasure or to say more truly the providence and pleasure of God that she rides from Santarem to Coimbra to visit a sicke Gentlewoman her Cousin German who dwelt there being only accompanied with her maâ—… 〈◊〉 on horse-backe and her foot boy Piscator to attend her and as shee comes within a small halfe league of that towne having sent away her man Andrea before and her foot boy Piscator being a very little distance behinde her there suddenly staâ—…s up a Hare betweene or close to her horse legges which so amazed her horse which was as hot and proud as the Gentlewoman his Mistresse whom he bore as comming off with all foure he throwes her to the ground and kicking her with his hinde feet at her fall hee strikes her in the fore-head and so dasheth out her brains God so ordaining that she had not the power to speake a word much lesse the grace or happinesse to repent her of her horrible sinnes A dultery Incest and Murther And thus was the lamentable and fearfull end which God gave to this gracelesse young Lady the which I cannot as yet passe over without annexing and remembring one remarkable point and circumstance therein in which the Justice and Mercy of God to both sexes and all ages and degrees of people doth miraculously resplend and shine forth for that very horse which threw and killed her was the verie same which shee formerly lent to her Brother De Perez and whereon he rid to Saint Sauiours when he by her instigation killed her waiting maid Mathurina Good God how just and wonderfull are thy decrees Deere Lord how immense and sacred is thy Iustice. But this is but the forerunner and as it were but the enterance into a further progression of this History For as her foote boy Piscator extreamely wept and bitterly cryed at the sight of this mournefull and tragicall death of his Lady and Mistris God had so decreed and provided that the next that passed by and who were sorrowfull spectators thereof were two Corigadors or Officers of Iustice of the Citie of Coimbra riding that way in their Coach to take the aire Whoâ—… compassion of the deplorable death of this faire unknowen young Gentlewoman they descend their Coach and having enquired and understood of her sorrowfull Foote boy what shee was they then with much respect and humanity cause 〈◊〉 dead Corps to be decently layd into their Coach which they shut and so mounting their Servants Horses they returne againe to Coimbra From whence they send her Man Andrea in all possible post hast to Santarem to acquaint his Master and her Father in law Don Idiaques with this lamentable death of his daughter in Law Marsillia and to pray him to repayre speedily thither to them to take order for her Buriall Andrea is no sooner departed for his Master but these two Corigadors consult on the fatality of this accident and very profitably consider for themselves that the horse who killed her and all her apparell and jewels by the custome and royalty of their City were devolved and forfeited to their jurisdiction to which effect they cause her rings chaines and bracelets to be taken from her and then her pockets likewise to bee carefully searcht for gold and jewels so as murther cannot belong concealed or underected wee may therefore here behold the wonderfull Providence and singular Justice of God for in one of her pockets they finde folded up in a rich cut-worke handkerchiefe the last Letter which her Husband Don Ivan had written and sent her from Madrid at the sight of this Letter one of these Corigadors is desirous to have it read publikely but the other being more humane and respective to the concealing of Ladies secrets which many times prove that of their honours hee contradicts it till at last God enlighâ—…ing their judgements and prompting and inspiring their hearts that the perusall of this Letter might peradventure import and report something which might teâ—…d to his service and conduce to his glory they fall then on a 〈◊〉 â—…wixt both their 〈◊〉 and so withdrawing themselves to a priâ—… chamber they there secretly oâ—…-reade this Letter where in with admiration and amazement they understand of the obscene Adultery and Incest of Don Idiaques with this his daughter in law Marsillia which was the cause of her Husband Don Ivan his absence from her in Spaine But at length when they proceed farther therein and so fall upon these words of Don Ivan to her in this his Letter I doe as much grieve as I both doubt and feare thou rejoycest at thy hand maid Mathurina's death and as I am ignorant of the manner so if my father and thy selfe have beene the cause thereof you have then all the reasons of the world to beleeve that God will in the end punish it to your confusion then led by the spirit of God they both concurre in one opinion that this their Adultery and this Murther of Mathâ—…rina did not only firmly reflect but equally take hold both on Idiaques and Marsillia and therefore that this her late deplorable and disasterous end was only a blow from God and the very true fore-runner and undoubted Harbinger of his owne to come When resolving to seize and imprison Idiaques as soone as he should arrive thither to Coimbria They hushing up this Letter and businesse in their owne bosomes doe then hold it fit to send for Marsillia's foot-man Piscator to come to them which he speedily doth They carefully enquire of him if his dead Lady had not sometimes a waiting Gentlewoman named Mathurina hee answered them yes and that she was lately murthered in the streets of Saint Saviours and that her murtherers were as yet unknowne They demand of him againe whose daughter she was hee informes them that her father is a Gentleman who dwels in
and number lamented and pittied that so proper and noble a Gentleman should first deserve and then receive so untimely a death When after the Priests and Friers have here prepared and directed his soule hee aseending the Scaffold with some what a low voice and dejected and sorrowfull countenance he delivered this short speech That in regard hee knowes that now when he is to take his last leave of this life to charge his conscience with the concealing of any capitall crime is the direct and true way to send his soule to hell in stead of heaven hee will now therefore reveale that hee is yet more execrable and bloudy then his Iudges thinke or know or his spectatours imagine for that he not only hired Pierot his Fathers Miller to murther Marieta but also the Apothecary Moncallier to poyson his owne brother Valfontaine of both which foule and bloudy crimes of his he now freely confesseth himselfe guilty and now from his heart and soule sorrowfully lamenteth and repenteth them that his filthy lust and inordinate affection to women was the first cause and his neglect of prayer to God the second which hath justly brought him to this shamefull end and confusion that therefore he beseecheth all who are present to bee seriously forewarned of the like by his wofull Example and that in Christian charity they will now joyne their devout prayers with his to God for his soule When on the Scaffold praying a little whiles silently to himselfe kneeling and then putting off his Doublet hee commits himselfe to the Executioner who at one blow severed his head from his shoulders But this punishment and death of Quatbrisson suffiseth not now to give full content and satisfaction to his Iudges who by his owne confession considering his inhumane and deplorable poysoning of his owne brother Valfontaine they as soone as hee is dead and before he be cold adjudge his body to bee taken downe and there burnt to Ashes at the foot of the Gibbet which accordingly is performed And here our thoughts and curiosity must now returne poast from Rennes to Vannes and from wretched Quatbrisson to the base and bloudy Miller Pierot whom God and his Iudges have now ordayned shall likewise smart for this his lamentable murther on poore and harmelesse Marieta Hee is brought to the Gallowes in his old dusty mealy Suite of Canvas where a Priest preparing him to dye hee either out of impiety or ignorance or both delivereth this idle speech to the people That because Marieta was young and faire hee is now heartily sorry that he had not married her and that if he had beene as wise as covetous the two hundred Crownes or the Lease of his Mill which his yong master Monsieur Quatbrisson profered him might have made him winke at her dishonesty and that although she were not a true Mayd to her selfe yet that she might have proved a true and honest wife to him with many other frivolous words and lewd speeches tending that way which I purposely omit and resolve to passe over in silence as holding them unworthy either of my relation or the Readers knowledge when not having the grace once to name God to speake of his soule to desire heaven or to seeme to bee any way repentant and sorrowfull for this his bloody offence hee is stripped naked having onely his shirt fastned about his waste and with an Iron barre hath his legs thighes armes and brest broken alive and there his miserable body is left naked and bloudy on the Wheele for the space of two dayes thereby to terrifie and deterre the beholders from attempting the like wretched crime And the Iudges of Vannes being certifyed from the Court of Parliament at Rennes that Quatbrisson at his death charged the Apothecary Moncallier to have at his hiring and instigation poysoned his brother Valfontaine they hold the Church to be too holy a place for the body and buriall of so prophane and bloudy a Villaine When after well neere a whole yeares time that he was buried in Saint Francis Church in that Towne they cause his Coffin to be taken up and both his body and it to bee burnt by the common Hang-man and his Ashes to bee throwne into the aire Which to the Ioy of all the Spectators is accordingly performed GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRAble Sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXV Vasti first murthereth his Sonne George and next poysoneth his owne Wife Hester and being afterwards almost killed by a mad Bull in the Fields hee revealeth these his two murthers for the which he is first hanged and then burnt TO religious hearts there can nothing be so distastfull as Sinne nor any Sinne so odious and execrable as Murther for it being contrary to Nature and Grace the very thought much more the act thereof strikes horrour to their hearts and consciences Wherefore if this foule and bloudy Sinne bee so displeasing to godly men how infinitely more detestable is it then to God himselfe who made all living creatures to serve Man and onely created Man purposely to serve Himselfe But as Choller and Malice proceede from the passions of men so doth Murther from the Deuill for else wee should not so often and frequently see it perpetrated in most Countryes and Cities of the World as we doe A mournefull Example whereof I here produce to your view and serious consideration THe place of this History is Fribourg an antient city of Switzerland which gives name to one of the Divisions or Cantons of that famous and warlike country Wherein of fresh memory dwelt a rich Burger named Peter Vasti who had to his wife a modest discreet and vertuous woman named Hester by whom he had one only child a Sonne called George Vasti whom God sent them the latter end of the first yeare of their marriage and for the tearme of some ten yeares following this marryed couple lived in most kinde and loving sort each with other yea their hearts and inclinations so sympathized in mutuall and interchangeable affection as they held and reputed none of their Neighbours so rich in content as themselves for she was carefull of her Family and he very diligent and industrious to maintaine it both of them being chaste and continent in themselves very religious towards God and exceeding charitable affable and courteous to all their Neighbours and Acquaintance onely they are so temperate in their drinking as â—…ee would not and shee could not bee tainted with that beastly Vice of Drunkenâ—…esse whereunto that Countrey and the greatest part of that People are but too excessively addicted and subject So that had Vasti still imbraced and followed those Vertues in the course and conduction of his life hee had not then defiled this History with the profusion of so many sinnes nor besprinckled it with the effusion of so much innocent bloud nor consequently have administred so much sorrow to the Reader in perusing and knowing it but as contrary Causes produce contrary Effects so