this first as more ingenious and less infamous Who hath ravished the peace I felt in this sweet languishing for to draw me an innocent offering to the war of a sacrifice as bloody as unjust O Elise must thou be the scandal of thy blood the dishonour of ancestors What is become of thy pomps thy greatness and honours O my dearest Philippin was it not enough that I lost thee without seeing my self not only accused as the cause of thy loss but condemned as guilty of thy death Ha cruel Andronico that the honest respects thou hast heretofore offered me are become now hurtfull and that thy conversation heretofore so sweet is changed into cruel bitterness O how dearly do I pay the interest of my simplicity and inconsideration Ah barbarous thou knowest well the contrary of thy accusation But thou wast not satisfied with the life of the husband if thou dost not quench thy enraged thirst with the blood of his wife Yet if thou hadst done to me as to my husband thou mightst make me lose my life without tearing mine honour from me but thou must needs add this to the measure of thy insatiable cruelty Ah Judges why can you not see into my innocence One day but it will be too late the just heavens that see the outrage your injustice doth to me breaking the vail of a false accusation will let you see it and then you will render to my ashes the honour that you now ravish from me We would pursue further the end of these complaints yet more pitttifull then they can be imagined if we did not fear to beget pitty in these dungeons where inflexible cruelty makes its eternal residence The presence of a Dominican for the religious of this order as they are in great esteem every where so principally in this City where this sad adventure hapned tempering by his words the extreme grief of her who complains thus without comfort brought her in small time to acknowledge that this disaster was not hapned to her without some secret providence of God which could not turn but to her greater good so that she did not take that on the left which should be on the right nor seized not the brand there where it burned most Good Father quoth she it is not death that I fear knowing that is the end of all humane miseries On the contrary I have desired it heretofore with no less impatience against the outrages of my ill fortunes and if the laws of God did not forbid to have recourse to a voluntary trespass I should have fled it it as to a safe port But that this death makes me run a double infamy crimes of which I am accused although I be exempt both of the one and the other stain This is it that makes my griefs unconsolable and hinders me to frame in my soul a good resolution And that which is hardest to me is that the shame of this stain reflects on so many persons of quality to whom I have the honour to appertain in this place For to speak truth the grief of the death of my body is nothing comparable with this bitterness that assails at once all my understanding Madam replied the religious man If it be the cause that makes the martyr and not the pain if you are innocent of that that is imposed on you you ought not to fear the loss of your honour nor any shame for he that draws light from darkness knows well a time that his providence hath determined to make known your justification to those very same that have condemned you The disciples of an antient Philosopher grieving to see him condemned innocently Alas my friends said he would you have me die guilty That which you esteem a high point of desolation ought to be according to my judgment the strength of your consolation If you but cast your eyes upon the Example of Christians the Saviour crucified is there anything comparable to Innocence that defies all the most mortal enemies to reprehend it with any fault And can there be any grief equal to his suffering What his adversaries had procured to obscure his glory proves the height of his greatness and the gibber of the Cross before so ignominious is now the most precious ornament of crowns and diadems The judgment of men should not trouble you it is God that judges you and them and their judgments too They are ordinarily false in their ballances but the time will come that the hidden secrets of the dark shall be revealed and the thoughts of all hearts manifested and then every one shall be praised or blamed according as they have truly deserved Mean while Madam imploy this little time that remains to you of life not in inutile complaints for the cutting off your days not in protesting your innocence nor in exclaiming against your ill fortune nor in reprehending the sincerity of your Judges that have condemned you according to their laws that make the rule of their consciences since the Lord before whose tribunal you are going to appear will that we be at peace and accord with our enemies whilst we are in the way of this life otherwise he will not be pleased with the sacrifice you go to offer him of your heart and body Take heed you harden not your heart to day when you hear the voice of the heavenly Bridegroom that knocks at your ears by my tongue for it is written that those that have their hearts hardned will make an ill end This discourse was preferred with so much devotion by this good Friar whom we give the name of Symphorian that the courage of Elise strengthened on the one part against the assaults of death and ignominie was also sweetned on the other towards Andronico ready to pardon him her death without considering that she was more cause of the loss of this Gentlemans life then he had been of hers After having discharged her conscience in the ears of this good Father and protested before God and that tribunal of penitence where it is a fault inexpiable to lye unto the Holy Ghost that she was not any way consenting to the murder of Philippin yet nevertheless adores the will of God to whom she submitted herself with all her heart as to the rule of all justice She embraces the cross of him that would die on the tree dishonorably for her salvation The whilst Elise is thus disposing herself Andronico is brought to the same point of resignation and reconciliation by a venerable Priest whom we will name Cyrille who having seen that this Patient drew no other consolation of his death but the pleasure to be revenged of his enemy after having plucked from his heart this malicious humour with which if he should have dyed it had endangered his loss eternally Why but Father do I ill to rejoyce to see that this unworthy Elise is fallen into the pit she had prepared for me and that herself is brought into the precipice where
removed from his heart But as youth is like soft wax that receives all forts of impressions and keeps not one so Philippin promises what one would have him being resolv'd not to maintain any thing that the apprehension of fear makes him say his love being far stronger then his fear When retired from his fathers sight like a Criminal from the Tribunal of his Judge it was then he blamed himself of weakness and want of courage and giving himself a thousand injurious names accusing his fearfulness and protesting a new loyalty and service to this Idol which swam in his fancy he rubbed his sore and invenomed his wound by this constraint disanuling all he had said in prejudice of his promise he renews his meetings and secret practises with Herman But being sold by his Lacquays in whom he trusted most who for hansel of their treachery put many of his letters and those of Isabels into the hands of Timoleon by which he understood that reciprocal promises had been given on both sides which made him enter into such an extream choler as he had never had the like sometime threatning to ruine Pyrrhe and all his house and then to be revenged on his son for this disobedience as also to publish the shame of Isabella Being transported to these extremities by his choler he calls his son the second time and after having reviled him with all the outragious speeches that could be imagined esteemed this relapse worse then his first fault This young Lyon having taken courage for the shame of his last flight like him which said of himself If I fled at the first encounter it was to return the second time to fight with more resolution setting aside those invective speeches of his father which his duty bound him to endure after some holy protestations of the honour and reverence which he would always give him he told him plainly and in a fashion of that height more then the spirit of Timoleon could endure that he would lose a thousand lives rather then to fail in the least point of his love that his honour was engaged by word and by writing and that his soul should never receive other impression but that of Isabella's the which was a Gentlewoman and of that birth as she could receive no reproach for her Nobility having no other wants but the goods of fortune esteeming rather to chuse a wife which had vertues and perfections in abundance then one with great wealth which should have nothing more unpleasing then herself and that this affection of his was led rather by reason then passion honour and marriage having been the end of his pretensions and if there Were any thing worthy reprehension it was his carriage not any thing in Isabella or Herman and for himself he was resolved never to leave their friendships for all the violence could be used on him chusing rather to suffer the extremity of cruelty and the worst of indignities which should be like flames to purifie his fidelity to the proof And as God lives answered Timoleon we will see whose head is best yours or mine How now Gallant what scarce born and are you at your defiance with me I 'll make thee as supple as glove and to bend to my will and break that stubborn will of yours though it cost me my life and goods and yours too I will teach you the duty of a son and the authority of a father said he And so turning from him he commanded to put Philippin in a chamber which served for a prison to the end to teach this young bird to sing another tune Philippin goes very joyfully contented to give a testimony of his firmness and constancie of his flames But that which put him in an extream agony was to hear that his father having searched his chamber and his secret Cabinet wherein were his sweetest tyes amongst a thousand Letters seised of the Promise of Isabella at which he made a trophie of mockery and laughter and would have made a sacrifice of it and of his choler to the fire For now as being transported what says he not against his father and his ill fortune and against heaven Truly those things which ought not to be repeated but throughly blamed Yet nevertheless comforting himself upon the word of his Mistress which he esteemed beyond all the writings in the world he resolves upon the common remedy of all the ills of the world Patience Not but that the wearisomness of a prison was extreamly sensible to this stirring spirit active and full of heat yet in this extream youth which is nothing but fire and life the tediousness is redoubled by being deprived of news which served at least in this his constraint of liberty to diminish his flame Before he hoped all and feared nothing now fears all and hath no hope But in the faith of the brother and sister He fears that those Letters should come to the hand of Pyrrhe and Valentine they would not take occasion to ease their childrens ill His thoughts are so troubled as when he rests in this prison he thinks he is invironed with a thousand thorns he suspects all which come near him as he had reason being made so many spies by Timoleon's means He wants wherewith to corrupt them this metal which changes courages fails him and his servants whom his father had made his dare not yield to pitty this young Lord. He thinks to entertain them with discourse yet seeing pitty dead in some and affection in others refused all to entertain himself with his own private thoughts the onely recreation that accompanied him which in stead of diverting him nourished his displeasures 'T is Musick which hath that property to make them merry which are content and those which are sad more melancholy He plays reasonable well on the Lute and sings well enough for a young Cavalier who was more given to violent exercises then to these sweet and peaceable One day for to expell the grief he felt in these words expressing Hopeless and helpless in my sad distress I sink my griefs admitting no redress Thus the imprisoned Philippin comforted himself the best it was possible But at last being not able to bear this weak and melancholy life nor having any with whom he might freely converse his thoughts giving way to the vehemencie of his desires he was constrained to yield himself to the mercy of a sickness which brought him so low as within a foot of his grave had it not been for his youth good temper and strong disposition with the help of the Physitians and good means applied he was even at the last point to lose his life and that most affected the sad father to see at point of death his onely son Knowing the cause which brought him to this pittifull estate he repented a thousand times the cruelties he had used an hundred times he promised him but with words far from the thoughts of heart to give him Isabel to wife
of Isabel not only to his nose but also with the pen He Writ certain verses against her and long ones but because they were too biting I would not black this paper with then Often in defending Elise he publishes her worth and patience saying that Philippin abused her goodnes was not worthy of such a wife for in following the dissolution of his marriage he sought his own ruine and shame His ruine for without the wealth of Scevole his house remains engaged without hope of recovery his shame in having married one he covers with infamie and dishonour And for the insupportable disdain that pride drew from the spirit of Philippin against the family of Scevole he said that the inequality in condition made him not less noble Justice being during peace that which Military art is during wars That if Nobility were drawn from its first and most just measure which is Vertue it would be found greater of the fathers side then of the son-in-law's That according to the course of the world a new Nobility accompanied with great riches ought to be in as great esteem as an antient boasting under miserable poverty As the wind carries often a small sparkle here and there which at length is cause of great flames so there want not in the world reporters which like Smiths bellows serve to light and kindle cholers and to put fire into mens courages The speeches of Andronico come by these means to the proud ears of Philippin who at first began to carry himself with threats appearing as a cowardly dog that barks more then bites It was true that for antiquity and greatness of descent Andronico was much the inferior yet was he a Gentleman and of a descent too good to endure any thing unworthy When Philippin spake of a cudgel he replied he would answer him with a blade of steel and being born a Gentleman might measure his sword with any man that wore iron at his side By an ill encounter they met in a company where at the first sight after the lightning of looks succeeds the thunder of words and had come to the hail of blows if they had not been by the multitude of their friends parted Andronico not having lost any thing in this encounter retains himself within modesty but furious Philippin foaming with rage challenges him with as much noise as small effect For it was never in their powers to meet the Justice having set guards on them and the Governour desirous to agree them had straitly forbid them fighting The whilst Philippin besides the spight to see himself braved by a man he thought not worthy to be his servant redoubling his injuries not only against Scevole and Elise but also against Andronico obliges his patience to return sharp replies Philippin enquires from whence this humour of Andronico's should proceed to sustain so ardently the cause of Elise And having learned his ordinary frequenting the house of Scevole with some addition by the calumnious reporter as it is ordinary adding something to flatter his passion we need not ask if he added to the letter As those which are ill think all are like themselves he accuses her of dishonour who was as innocent as he guilty calling ordinarily Andronico in mockery the Squire of Elise a word in apparence simple but furred with black malice and to be understood as sharp as it appeared subtile The courteous Andronico turning to laughter these mockeries said his madness made him spit at heaven and his own filth returned on his head Which was true for if Elise had been such as Philippin had described her and his marriage with her not yet declared null who sees not that that which he said to dishonour her returned infamy on himself But in that he shot his arrow at a rock which returns to hurt him that shot it And Andronico to shew he wanted not wit nor spirit to defend himself with a tongue more then the other that assailed him would say that if he had lived in the time of the antient Palatines which made profession to revenge the wrongs done by the strongest to the weakest as also to defend the afflicted innocent and principally to vindicate the honour of Ladies he would easily have been drawn to the field as Elise's Knight to make known by a victory the justice of this Lady so unjustly accused and unworthily used by her barbarous husband But since they were so strictly watched that they could not join and the use of those antient Combats abolished accommodating themselves according to the time bear patiently the yoke the laws had imposed and observing the customs of the place they live in all these contestations of words seemed like storms and thunder which after much lightening in dark mists of rain and noise leave no sign of their passage but only darkness For after these reports and bitings all these bravado's end in air which filled with filth the authors themselves as snails which soil themselves in their own scum But at last as lightning is ordinarily followed with thunder-claps even so choler passes ordinarily from the tongue to the hand A Gentleman of Philippin's whom we will call Valfran mad to see his Master could not be revenged of a meaner then himself resolves on a base and unworthy act which was to shoot a pistol at the head of Andronico He takes his time and as day was shut in for these shamefull actions require darkness having learnt he was in a company where he passed his time in hearing a pleasing Consort of musick he sent to him by one of his Lacquays saying he was to speak with him from the Lord Philippin and would attend him at the chamber door The Lacquay tells his Master secretly who full of the furious courage of our French Nation that esteems most valor in single Combats although it be nothing but brutality and dead with envy to see this Rodomonts sword in his hand hoping to abate his pride and make his day by his death to the promise of Elise steals subtilly from his company as if he would but go into another chamber and stepping to the door he no sooner appeared but the traiterous murderer which attended him with his foot firm without saying any word presents his pistol to his head Andronico slips quickly aside and so happily that the blow given with a noise such as you may judge against the door burst it like thunder Hereat all the house and neighbourhood is in alarms the Consort ceases and yields to this hellish musick The murderer would have drawn his sword but Andronico throwing himself resolutely upon him rolls him down the stairs Above and below were many blows given the Lacquays cry murder all run to the rescue of Andronico but the place was so strait that the sword of Valfran was of no use Andronico is altogether unarmed who perceiving the murderer sought his poniard to offend him having more strength gets it and holding it to his throat says
since that the vail of absence is altogether necessary to a Father that knows his daughter is sacrificed innocently I say innocently Sir and in this word I beseech you to take part of the only consolation that accompanies me in the loss of my life It is now time to speak truth or never seeing I am going before the tribunal of him that will condemn all those that prefer falshood before truth and who will not acknowledge for legitimate children those that do not fix their eys upon the light of truth God under whose providence run all the moments of this mortal life permitting that at this present my innocence shall appear guilty yet will make known in another season this imaginary guilt to be apparently innocent And I conjure you by the agonies of any death to prolong your life untill that happy time by which the honor of your house that appears now to suffer some stain shall flourish more then ever I must confess that after the death of my husband from whence all my calamities have drawn their original nothing hath so much afflicted me as the pain I have seen you suffer for my occasion For since death had made me widow of the most noble Alliance I could have hoped for in the world I intended to have died to the world and to all the pomps thereof and to have confin'd my self to a Cloister there to have ended my dayes But since it hath pleased the divine wisdom to dispose otherwise be it that I live or die so I appertain to him for ever I pass not be it for ignominie or for reputation so I attain unto the celestial glory it is indifferent to me I believe now that Andronico is innocent of the crime which I accused him of more by suspition then any firm ground I had and it may be God permitted I should be wrapped in the same condemnation to punish my disloyalty thaâ— broke the right of a friendship as holy as it was vertuous for I desire not heaven to pardon me if even there passed between us other but that was worthy and honest or if in the writing that my facility drew from my hand I ever thought to prejudice Philippin in his honour or life The secret judgments of God are marvellous which sounds the depths of all secrets and by the greatness and majesty of him you will know in the end how the murder was done for God is too just to let this deed go unpunished For my self I repent me to have accused Andronico of whom I beseech you to love the memory as mine own and not to bear any hatred against his parents I am as much and more cause of his death then he of mine We have demanded pardon one of the other and pray all the world to pardon us We remit our honour as out lives into the hands of God sacrificing both to his greatest glory I beseech you Sir to implore his misericordia on our souls by your prayers and to â—ake care of little Dalimene since blood and nature require it of your fatherly goodness Farewel my dear Father Oh refuse not your holy benediction to this miserable creature that demands it at the last minute of her death being she is innocent of the cause of her condemnation which for the love of God she goes freely to suffer With the same hand and heart she drew these other lines for Sophie MADAM MUst my deplorable misfortunes bring death into the breast of her that gave me life Must I like a Viper open the bosom of her that gave me my being And must fortune insatiable of my miseries direct the stroke of my trespasses on the body of her that is as innocent of my faults as I am of that which causes my death by a secret judgment of God which I adore although ignorant of Madam the sharp cutting sword that is to sever my head from my body and my body from my soul will not be so sensible to me as the feeling of the grief that hath laid you in your bed for the sorrow of my loss and shame The compassion I have of your heart is more incomparably grievous then the pains I am to suffer If I might die often to deliver you from the torments and pains wherein your own goodness throws you if I should measure the grief you have to lose me by the dear affections you have alwais shewed me I see nothing so extreme as your unconsolable displeasures For knowing how tenderly you have brought up this wretched creature and how highly you esteem your honour I know not how to express nor conceive with what air you can support the loss of both Just Heaven which permittest crimes and hindrest them if thou sufferest that I die without being able to justifie my self of these two false infamies Adultery and cruel murder of my husband at least yet Thou that declarest things that are most dark make for the consolation of my dear mother that from the midst of my ashes may arise the light of my innocence without suffering that truth should not only be detained prisoner by injustice but also stifled with falshood Madam I desire not you should take pitty of my suffering but to cast your eys on my innocence I have no other justification then my protestations which I make in a point where falshood trains after it an eternal ruine You will not be so cruel and severe to me as my Judges And although an Adulteress and a Murderer cannot be purged by oaths yet I think you have had so long knowledge of my soul by my carriage to believe me in this truth which I profess with a dying voice I die innocent of the crime that is imposed on me as God shall love and save me Live Madam even till that day that he makes it appear in evidence from the midst of the clouds that hinder this clearness I have no more to add but to demand your motherly blessing which I ask with joyned hands for the last favour from you and ask it by your intrails that bore me and by the mercies of that good God in whom I put all my hopes Farewell my dearest Mother And remember in your prayers this poor Elise that will have no period to her trespass of more sweet imagination then the memory of Sophie as of the best mother in the world Time with an insensible course advanced with great paces the hour of execution of this Innocencie guilty Our Lovers are brought to the place with as much joy and gladness as if it had been to their wedding When they appeared on the bloody Theatre they were beheld with many eyes yet very different For many had compassion of their miseries by a natural feeling that touches the hardest hearts Others had them in horror not so much for their faults for to sin is a thing humane but because they published so loud their innocence this displeased them like Bats to whom light is unpleasing