Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A27299
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The lives of sundry notorious villains, memorable for their base and abominable actions together with a novel as it really happened at Roan in France.
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Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing B1739; ESTC R18177
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53,278
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178
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two Thieves who being exceeding earnest afteâ— their Prey thought they had founâ— what they had lookt for seeing Postell He being confident enough iâ— himself wou'd not retreat but keeping on his way comes up to him who demanded of him his money swearing Damn 'um and Sink 'um that if he did not presently deliver he was aâ— dead man He being not accustom'd to give but to take could not relish this Summons but without being a whit afraid made answer he had none and at the same time laying suddenly his hand on one of the Thieves Swords who stood not well on his guard he wrench'd it out of his hand giving him with it such a blow on the arm that the pain took away all sense which having done â—e sets upon the other who less vaâ—ant than his Companion betakes â—imself to his heels but Postell purâ—'d him so neerly that he made him â—ield himself to his mercy who gave â—im his life after severe checks for â—etting upon his Master He returns â—o the other whom he had first struck â—hreatning to kill him if he delivered â—ot his money He wou'd have excused himself as having none proâ—nising him that if he wou'd go along with him to the first house after they had come out of the Wood he wou'd help him to some Postell not thinking that the other was laying an Ambush for him follows him so that having went through the Wood he enters with this Thief into an Inne the Master whereof was a meer Rogue and of correspondence with these Rescals Being very well used by this Inne-keeper who said he was kin to this Thief who had conducted him thitheâ— he receives Ten Crowns and professing plainly what he was he waâ— the more kindly entertain'd it being agreed he should stay and dwell there and have every thing necessary and go partners in all booty A while after this a Gentleman oâ— Picardy a very discreet and valianâ— person as any in his time return'd from England after having staid some time at Calais and having taken the Road of Amiens he rides throughâ— Abbeville where he would not stay being willing to reach farther so that he went through this Wood and waâ— forc'd by the nights approach to puâ— in at this Inne Being in his Chamber after having had every thing fitting he perceive the Servant to weep as she was making his bed and was secretly informed by her of the danger he was in Amongst other things she told him 'T was the Inne-keepers oustome to ring a Bell at the sound of which â—veral Rogues came running when â—esently one of them feigning to be â—ervant to the Inne comes to the Chamber where the Guests are and â—aking as if he would snuff the Canâ—le would put it out upon which â—he other Villains would enter and â—ll upon them and so most cruelly â—urther them there being none that â—ould escape them This Gentleman considering with â—imself what to do causeth the Maid â—o bring him a Lanthorn and puts a Candle lighted in it and hiding his â—anthorn under a stool lays ready his Arms and stands upon his guard When scarcely had he sat himself down but a great boorish fellow enâ—ers who very officiously as Servant of the house so snuffs the Candle that he snuffs it out but the Gentleman causes presently his man to bring out the Lanthorn repels the Villains who came pesle mesle upon him killing some of them and puts the others to flight seizes on the Inne-keeper and delivers him into the hands of Justice Postell saves himself and returns again to Paris and lodgeth with a Gentleman a stranger in the Suburbs oâ— St. Germaine This person had a considerable sum of Money together with a great Chain of gold and several Rings which he ever carried abouâ— him Our Rascal willing to geâ— them from him so prevailed with him that he got him to walk with him towards the Wood of Vincennes where being amongst the Vines he sets upon him and having seized on him unawares he cuts two of his fingers off his hand and gives him two stabs with a Dagger into his back thinking that he had kill'd him Thiâ— done he takes the Money and Rings and returns to the City The Gentleman who pretended himself worse than he was makes a shift to rise and crawl to the House of a Peasant near â—y who took what care he could of â—im From thence he was carri'd assoon as â—ver he could bear it to Paris where â—e sends for the Provost of the Island â—nd relates what passed describing â—o him as near as he could the perâ—on he made search for him about â—ll the University and was at last â—et withal as he would have leaped â—own from the Colledge of de Lysieux â—to the Ditches He was carried to the Chatelet â—here being put on the Rack he conâ—esseth these and several other Villaâ—ies for which he was Sentenced â—o be broken on the Wheel but â—owsoever it came to pass he died â—x hours whether he poysoned himâ—elf or no or by some other means â—efore the Officers came to fetch him â—o Execution CHAP. VIII The Life and Death of Veroâ— born at Compeigne in France NOt far from the place where thâ— Rivers of Oire and of Ene joyâ— together that they may come in thâ— same course to lose their Names iâ— the Seine there stands a pleasant anâ— stately City called Compeigne famous for its Antiquity having beeâ— built by Charles le Chauve or thâ— Bauld taking from him its name 〈◊〉 Carlopolis This City has all the advantages desireable for it enjoys most excellent Air and admirabâ— Prospect being every way most pleâ— santly seated on the one side she 〈◊〉 watered with the River Oire whicâ— separateth her by a great and spacioâ— Meadow bordered with fruitful â—ines and all sorts of Grain On the â—ther side half a League distant it â—ath a large and level Forest. The Kings of France were wont 〈◊〉 divert themselves in this City by â—ason of its convenient scituation â—r Hunting especially in the said â—orest which may be justly said to â—e one of the best in all France 'T was in this Forest and thereabout â—here Veron play'd his Devilish â—ranks and as an other Antheus â—nged and ransack'd all the neighâ—ouring parts there being scarcely â—y one who durst be so bold as to â—eet him so cruel and barbarous was â—e It will not be here amiss to â—eak something of his Parentage and â—xtraction before we relate any of â—is horrid and abominable actions He came then of one of the best â—amilies of Compeigne but gave â—imself over from his Youth to Cruelâ—y and Rapines and all manner of Licentiousness yet nevertheless beiâ— born of honest Parents he light 〈◊〉 a good Match in the said City bâ— alas when we leave God he leavâ— us and suffers all our Affairs to dâ— cline Veron had no sooner entred inâ— possession of his Estate but begaâ— immediately to abuse his Wife aâ— to pawn and make
away all theâ— had that he might keep lewd coâ— pany and be continually at Taverâ— and Alehouses this course of Liâ— lasted not long drunkenness being Labyrinth in which those who aâ— plunged cannot get out when theâ— please Having spent some years after thâ— sort he found himself at length striâ— of all things necessary so that his Wivâ— friends would have ' em-parted as weâ— for the present want he had reduceâ— her to as for the injuries he conâ— nually did her pawning not oneâ— his own Cloaths but hers likewiâ— that he might have wherewithal to â—rnish his drunken appetite which â—roceeding was not a little hard of â—igestion to her who being as yet â—oung was not a little troubled to â—e her self used after this manner All the admonitions his Parents â—sed were to no purpose being so â—abituated in Vice and naughtiness â—rom that very time he despised all â—ood Counsel and began to range the Woods being sometimes eight days â—efore he returned home so that â—e was often held for dead by reason â—f his so long absence There was scarcely any thing else â—alk'd of but Thieves in that Forest â—nd scarcely durst any one pass by â—here being sure if they did to be â—obb'd sometimes he was on that â—ide which lies towards Pierrefonds â—nd other times towards Verberie There was not a Hole or Cavern in â—he Forest he knew not Somtimes â—e would take the Field and vaulted on the other side the Water aâ— bout the Borders of Vernelle Remâ— and other circumjacent places Anâ— that which gave the most admiratioâ— was that having committed anâ— Murther or Robbery in a place hâ— would be seen two or three hours aâ— ter at least eight or nine Leagues oâ— thence This person was of a great sizâ— being a huge massie Fellow and likâ— another Hercules would by hiâ— strength do things beyond concepâ— tion One day being pursued in thâ— City by the Justices Officers whâ— were resolved to have him examineâ— concerning his way of living he caâ— himself from the Bridge into the Riâ— ver near where the Boats are haleâ— up the Water the Tide running iâ— that place with such a rapid swiftâ— ness that when a man could not swimâ— it would carry him half a Leaguâ— without stirring himself Veron casâ— himself in there and which waâ— never before seen he was so strong that maugre the force of the River he made up and ascended the Key This action was admired by every one as indeed it might well The Woods were the ordinary places of his retreat he lurk'd there all the day-time and was often seen on a Tree with his Harquebuss watching the Passengers It is reported for certain he kill'd in one day six Merchants who were all of them returning from a Fair not far distant thence In short all the parts thereabouts trembled with fear at his cruelties he on the other side when he was flusht returned to Compeigne and no one durst be so bold as to affront him carrying on always his business so slyly that 't was impossible to finde certain proofs against him It hapned about the year 1609 when France was calm'd by a long and happy Peace that people from all parts as 't is the custom came to the general Match of Shooting every one striving who should bear away the Prize Veron being a man who loved to shew himself would not let slip this occasion resolving with himself to make one amongst them but that for which he was most concerned was that he had no Money and not one of his Relations would lend him any being by them well enough known to be a bad Husband notwithstanding which he was resolved to furnish himself some how or other imagining people would reflect on him not appearing on so eminent an occasion and seeing on the other side he could borrow none he resolved in his minde to get some by force It is to be remarked that about a quarter of a League beyond Compeigne upon the side of the Wood near the great Road which leads to Soissons there is a little Hermitage called the Cross of the holy Signe where there lives continually Hermits who come begging to the City There is likewise a very decent Chappel where many people whose occasions lie that way turn in to make their Prayers In this Hermitage dwelt then two good old Fathers one of them was called Frater Claudus the other 's name I do not remember Now Veron was wont very often after he had been weary with ranging the Wood to retire there They ever gave him entrance when he knock'd at their Gate and also imparted to him what they had gotten in the City He had frequented this Hermitage for at least two years before this business of the Shooting-match was talk'd of so that notwithstanding all the bad reports which were continually noised of him these Fathers were not afraid of him and ceased not to receive him whensoever he listed to put in with them But the easie access which they gave him lost 'em For frequenting there so often he came at length to know they both had Money he would not howsoever have harmed them could he otherways have effected his business but finding himself urged by want of Money and knowing he must contribute his part to the Prize which was to a very rich one and that very speedily he resolves thereupon to rob these Hermits and take from them their Money but he knew not what means to use that people might not mistrust him but behold what he did one night about eight of the clock 't was about Whitsonâ—ide when the days were at longest as he was about to go out of the City he asks of two several persons what a clock 't was he was told it was eight upon which he strikes into a little Street that leads out of the Gate and was so quick that scarcely was he half an hour in his way to the Hermitage where he enters no body without seeing him go in where he addresses himself to the Eldest of the two Hermits for the other was gone to draw Water out of a Well hard by there and demands his Purse The good old Senior thought he was in jest not making any reckoning of what he said but was immediately astonish'd finding himself on the Ground by a blow given him by this Parricide seconding it by another with his Poignard about his left-breast the Hermit feeling himself thus struck shewed him the place where his Money lay the other redoubles notwithstanding his blows piercing him to the Heart and so was dispatched without any farther noise for Veron held his Foot on his Throat which having done he takes his Money amounting to about three hundred Livers Frater Claudus in the mean time returns from the Well with his Bucket of Water not in the least suspecting what had hapned and sees Veron standing before the Wicket of the Hermitage being entred he sees likewise his Companion on the Ground and began to