prevaile with his daughter his commands shall But hee shall misse of his ayme There is not so great distance from Briamata to Alicant but some of the noblest of the citie are advertised thereof and one among the rest in great zeale and affection to Piracquo secretly acquaints Don Thomaso Piracquo his younger brother therewith being then in the citie of Alicant who hearing of this newes whereof he imagined his brother was ignorant loath that he should any longer persever in his present errour and to prevent his future disgrace he like a faithfull and honest brother takes occasion from Alicant to write him this ensuing letter to Briamata THOMASO to ALONSO PIRACQVO BEing more jealous of your prosperitie then of mine owne and knowing it many times falls out that Lovers lose the clearenesse and soliditie of their judgement in gazing and contemplating on the Roses and Lillies of their Mistresses beauties I desirous to prevent your disgrace thought my selfe bound to signifie you that I here understand by the report of those whose speeches beare their perswasions with them that your suite to Beatrice-Ioana is in vaine and shee unworthie of your affection because shee hath already contracted her selfe to Alsemero your Rivall I am as sorry to bee the Herald of this newes as glad and confident that as shee hath matched your inferious so you are reserved for her better Wherefore Sir recall your thoughts tempt not impossibilities but consider that the shortest errours are best and though you love her well yet thinke that at your pleasure you may finde varietie of Beauties whereunto hers deserves not the honour to doe homage I could give no truce to my thoughts till I had advertised you heereof and I hope either the name of a brother or your owne generositie will easily procure pardon for my presumption THOMASO PIRACQVO Piracquo notwithstanding this his Brothers Letter of counsell and advice is so farre from retyring in his sute as hee rather advanceth with more violence and zeale and as many mens judgements are dazled and obscured a little before their danger and misfortune when indeed they have most need to have them sound and cleare so hee is not capable to bee disswaded from re-searching his Mistresse but rather resembleth those Saylors who are resolute to endure a storme in hope of faire weather but he had found more security and lesse danger if he had imbraced and followed the counsell that his brother gave him For Beatrice-Ioana seeing she could not obtaine her desire in marying Alsemero e're Piracquo were removed doth now confirme that which formerly shee had resolved on to make him away in what manner or at what rate soever And now after shee had ruminated and runne over many bloodie designes the devill who never flies from those that follow him proffers her an invention as execrable as damnable There is a gallant young Gentleman of the Garison of the Castle who followes her father that to her knowledge doth deeply honour and dearely affect her yea shee knowes that at her request he will not sticke to murther Piracquo his name is Signiour Antonio de Flores shee is resolute in her rage and approves him to be a fit instrument to execute her will Now as soone as Vermandero understands of Alsemero's departure to Valentia hee with his daughter and Piracquo returnes from Briamata to Alicant where within three dayes of their arrivall Beatrice-Ioana boyling still in her revenge to Piracquo which neither the ayre of the Countrey nor Citie could quench or wipe off shee sends for de Flores and with many flattering smiles and sugred speeches acquaints him with her purpose and desire making him many promises of kindnesse and courtesies if he will performe it De Flores having a long time loved Beatrice-Ioaua is exceeding glad of this newes yea feeding his hopes with the ayre of her promises he is so caught and intangled in the snares of her beautie that hee freely promiseth to dispatch Piracquo and so they first consult and then agree upon the manner how which forth-with wee shall see performed to which end de Flores insinuates himselfe fairely into Piracquo's company and familiaritie as hee comes to the castle where watching his hellish opportunitie he one day hearing Piracquo commend the thicknesse and strength of the Walles told him that the strength of that Castle consisted not in the Walles but in the Casemates that were stored with good Ordnance to scoure the ditches Piracquo very courteously prayes de Flores to be a meanes that he may goe downe and see the Casemates De Flores like a bloudy Faukner seeing Piracquo already come to his lure tells him it is now dinner time and the bell upon ringing but if he please hee himselfe will after dinner accompany him and shew him all the strength and rarities of the Castle Hee thankes de Flores for this courtesie and accepts heereof with promise to goe So hee hies in to dinner and de Flores pretending some businesse walkes in the Court. Whiles Piracquo is at dinner with Vermandero de Flores is providing him of a bloody banquet in the East Casmate where of purpose hee goes and hides a naked sword and ponyard behinde the doore Now dinner being ended Piracquo finds out de Flores and summons him of his promise who tells him he is ready to wayt on him so away they goe from the Walles to the Ravellins Sconces and Bulwarkes and from thence by a Posterne to the Ditches and so in againe to the Casemates whereof they have already viewed three and are now going to the last which is the Theater whereon wee shall presently see acted a mournefull and bloudy Tragedy At the descent hereof De Flores puts off his Rapier and leaves it behinde him treacherously informing Piracquo thar the descent is narrow and craggy See here the policie and villany of this devillish and treacherous miscreant Piracquo not doubting nor dreaming of any treason followes his example and so casts off his Rapier De Flores leades the way and hee followes him but alas poore Gentleman hee shall never returne with his life they enter the Vault of the Casemate De Flores opens the doore and throwes it backe thereby to hide his sword and Poniard Hee stoopes and lookes thorow a Port-hole and tells him that that Peece doth thorowly scowre the Ditch Piracquo stoopes likewise downe to view it when O griefe to thinke thereon De Flores steps for his Weapons and with his Poniard stabs him thorow the backe and swiftly redoubling blow upon blow kills him dead at his feete and without going farther buries him there right under the ruines of an old wall whereof that Casemate was built Loe here the first part of this mournefull and bloudy Tragedie De Flores like a gracelesse villaine having dispatched this sorrowfull businesse speedily acquaints Beatrice-Ioana herewith who miserable wretch doth hereat infinitely rejoyce and thankes him with many kisses and the better to conceale this their vild and bloudy Murther
Charybdis of Murther for they found the fruits and end of their beastly pleasures farre more bitter then their beginning was sweet yea and because at first they would not looke on repentance at last shame lookes on them and they when it is too late both on a miserable shame and a shamefull misery May we all reade it to Gods glory and consequently to the reformation of our lives and the consolation and salvation of our owne soules IN the beautifull Citie of Avignion seated in the Kingdome of France and in the Province of Provence being the Capitall of the Dutchie of Venissa belonging to the Pope and wherein for the terme of welneere eightie yeeres they held their Pontificall See there dwelt a young Gentlewoman of some twentie yeeres of age tearmed Madamoyselle Laurieta whose father and mother being dead was left alone to her selfe their onely childe and heire being richer in beautie then lands and indued with many excellent qualities and perfections which gave grace and lustre to her beautie as her beautie did to them For shee spake the Latine and Italian tongue perfect was very expert and excellent in singing dancing musicke painting and the like which made her famous in that Citie But as there needs but one vice to eclipse and drowne many vertues so this faire Laurieta was more beautifull then chaste and not halfe so modest as lascivious It is as great a happinesse for children to enjoy their Parents as a miserie to want them For Laurieta's Father and Mother had been infinitely carefull and curious to traine her up in the Schoole of Vertue and Pietie and wherein her youth had during the terme of their lives made a happie entrance and as I may say a fortunate and glorious progression But when God the great Moderator and soveraigne Iudge of the world had in his eternall Decree and sacred Providence taken them out of this world then Laurieta was left to the wide world and to the vanitie thereof without guide or governour exposed to the varietie of the fortunes or rather the misfortunes of the times as a Ship without Pilot â—…r Helme subject to the mercy of every mercilesse winde and wave of the Sea yea and then it was that shee forgot her former modestie and chastitie and now began to adore the Shrines of Venus and Cupid by polluting and prostituting her body to the beastly pleasures of lust and forâ—…cation wherein it grieves mee to relate shee tooke a great delight and felicitie But shee shall pay deare for this bitter-sweet vice of hers yea and though it seeme to begin in content and pleasure yet wee shall assuredly see it end in shame repentance and misery for this sinne of Whoredome betrayes when it seemes to delight us and strangleth when it makes greatest shew to imbrace us so sweet and pure vertues are modestie and chastitie so foule and fatall vices are concupiscence and lust But hee with whom shee was most familiar and to whom shee imparted the greatest part of her favours was to one Monsieur de Belluile a proper yong Gentleman dwelling neere the Citie of Arles by birth and extraction noble but otherwise more rich then wise who comming to Avignion no sooner saw Laurieta but hee both gloried in the sight of her singular and triumphed in the contemplation of her exquisite and incomparable beautie making that his best content and this his sweetest felicitie that his soveraigne good and this his heaven upon earth so as losing himselfe in the labyrinth of her beautie and as it were drowning his thoughts in the sea of his concupiscence and sensualitie hee spends not onely his whole time but a great part of his wealth in wantonizing and entertaining her a vicious and foule fault not onely peculiar to Belluile but incident and fatall to too many Gallants as well of most parts of Christendome in generall as of France in particular it being indeed a disasterous and dangerous rocke whereon many inconsiderate and wretched Gentlemen have suffered shipwrack not only of their reputations healths and estates but many times of theiâ—… lives In the meane time Laurieta more jealous of her same then carefull to preserve her chastitie is advertised that Belluile is not content to cull the dainties of her beautie and youth but hee forgets himselfe and his discretion so farre as to vaunt thereof by letting fall some speeches tending to the blemish and disparagement of her honour so as vaine and lascivious as shee is yet the touching of this string affords her harsh and distastfull melodie For shee will seeke to cover her shame by her hypocrisie and so resolves to make him know the foulenesse of his offence in that of his basenesse and ingratitude To which end at her first interview and meeting of him shee not onely checks him for it but forbids and banisheth him her company which indeed had been a just cause and opportunitie for him to have converted his lust into chastitie and his folly into repentance But hee is too dissolute and vicious to bee so happily reclaimed from Laurieta and therefore hee is resolved not onely to justifie his innocencie but thereby also to persevere in his sinne Hee is acquainted with many Gentlemen who forgetting themselves conceive a felicitie and glory to erect the trophees of their vanities upon the disparagement of Ladies honours yea he seemes to be so farre from being guiltie of this errour as hee taxeth and condemnes others in being guiltie or accessary thereunto So although his Mistresse Laurieta remaine still coy strange and haggard to him yet hee persevereth in his affection to her who at last judging of his innocencie by his constancie and of that by his many letters and presents which hee still sent her as also observing that she had no firme grounds nor could produce any pregnant or valable witnesses of this report shee againe exchangeth her frownes into smiles and so receives and intertaines him into her favour onely with this premonition and caution That if ever heereafter shee heard of his folly or ingratitude in this kinde shee would never looke him in the face except with contempt and detestation So these their dis-joynted affections as well by oathes as protestations are againe confirmed and cimented but such lustfull contracts and lascivious familiarities and sympathies seldome or never make prosperous ends Now to give forme and life to this Historie Not long after a brave young Gentleman of Mompillier named Monsieur de Poligny having some occasion comes to Avignion who frequenting their publike Balles or Dancings no sooner saw our faire and beautifull Laurieta but hee falls in love with her and salutes and courts her and from thencefoorth deemes her so fayre as hee useth all meanes to become her servant but not in the way of honour and Marriage rather with a purpose to make her his Courtezan then his Wife But hee sees himselfe deceived in the irregular passion of his affection for Laurieta is averse and will not bee
strangle Marieta in her Bed and to throw her body into his Mill-Pond Pierot the Miller is broken alive on a wheele and Quatbrisson first beheaded then burnt for the same 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 THE TRIVMPHS OF GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRABLE sinne of Murther HISTORIE XXI Babtistyna and Amarantha poyson their Eldest Sister Iaquinta after which Amarantha causeth her servants Bernardo and Pierya to stifle her Elder Sister Babtistyna in her bed Bernardo flying breakes his necke with the fall off his Horse Pierya is hanged so likewise is Amarantha and her body afâ—…er burnt Bernardo being buried his body is again taken up hanged to the Gallowes by his feet then burnt and his ashes throwne into the ayre THe Golden times being past what doth this Iron or flintie age of ours produce but Thornes for Roses and Brambles for Lillies I meane bloudy and barbarous actes in stead of deedes of Compassion and workes of Charitie Not but that Christianitie as a faire and glorious vayle covereth the face of Europe as the firmament of Heaven doth that of Earth and that by the mercie of God there are now great variety of learned and godly Preachers who by the sanctity of their lives and the purity of their Doctrine spend the greatest part both of their time and of themselves to propagate Vertue and Pietie in us and consequently to roote out vice and Sinne from among us But it is the vanity of our thoughts the corruption of our depraved Natures the infirmity of our Iudgements the weakenesse of our Faith the coldnesse of our Zeale and our neglect of prayer which sometimes O that I might not say too too often transporteth our selves beyond our selves and our resolutions and actions beyond the bounds of reason yea and violently carrieth us to desperate and inhumane attempts which this next deplorable History will so apparantly and perspicuously verifie vnto us that we shall difficultly reade it without sighes nor understand it without teares at least if wee have but the sparkes of so much Charitie in our hearts and Pietie in our Soules as the unfortunate authors and miserable actors hereof wanted IF Tuscany be the beauty glory of Italy then Florence the capital Citie thereof must needs be that of Tuscany or else it could not so justly and generally deserve that true and excellent Epithite of faire It is a Citie which hath given both life and being to the Illustrious family of the Medicis or as some affirme they to it The worst grounds about it are Vâ—…eyardes and the best are dainty Meadowes and delicate Gardens or rather their Gardens are Meadowes for their spaciousnesse and their Meadowes are Gardens for their fertility beauty It is divided and crossed in two parts by the famous River Arno and that river againe by two stately Bridges curiously embelished and adorned with many Marble and Alabaster Statues The streetes hereof are well paved broad and long the buildings for the most part rather Palaces then private houses and the Temples for sumptuousnesse and beauty nothing inferiour to the best and richest of Italy especially the two most sumptuous and unparalleld Chappels of the Babtistaria and Saint Lorenzo as also the Domo and Campanella which is the Tower thereof it being a most magnificent and stately Cathedrall Church which not onely catcheth our eye with wonder but surpriseth our thoughts with admiration as all our English Noblemen and Gentlemen Travellers doe peradventure know farre better then my selfe I say in this rich and fayre Citie of Florence neere the Church of the Dominican Fryers in the latter dayes of the great Duke Ferdinand there dwelt an ancient vertuous and generous Cavallier named Seignior Leonardo Streni descended of a Noble family neere to the Citie of Pistoia where his Auncestors left him many fayre demeanes and a very rich Patrimony the which through his Frugality Vertue and Wisedome the true foundation of most of the chiefest houses and best familyes of Italy hee managed and improved so well that within the space of twenty yeares he became exceeding rich and oppulent but neere about this time that the sweetnesse of his content might receive some checke of bitter affliction to shew him that man is subject to God and that there is no perfect or permanent felicity heere on Earth his Lady Alcydina dyed which brought him much sorrow and affliction having onely yet this joy and consolation left him that he had by her in marriage three proper young Ladyes to his Daughters named Iaquinta Babtistyna and Amarantha who albeit he hoped would prove the stayes and comforts of his Age yet they will futurely afoord him farre lesse felicity and more misery then he can expect or my Readers as yet any way conceive or imagine the which to approve and verifie they are by me prayed to understand and remember that these two youngest Daughters Babtistyna and Amarantha are wonderfull fayre and beautifull of a reasonable tall stature very streight and slender But Iaquinta the eldest Daughter is of a browne complexion short and Crooke-backd but shee hath this sleight that her Taylors art serves to overvayle the defects and to cover the deficiencie of her Nature and she her selfe hath the skill to put on fresh tincture and complexion on her face vices which the puritie and simplicity of former Ages were not acquainted with or else purposely disdained and hated although the pride and vanity of these our times doe ambitiously allow and practise them Againe Iaquinta is proud and stately Babtistyna chollericke sullen and revengefull and Amarantha to the eye and judgement of the world pleasant and courteous Have we but a little patience and we shall shortly see each of these three Sisters appeare in their true coulers and in very different wayes to act their severall partes upon the Stage and Theater of this their History Streni seeing himselfe a widdower not so much favoured of God to have any Sonne to enjoy his name and Landes and all his three Daughters to be now capable of marriage He as a provident and loving Father holds it a great poynt of affection and discretion in him now to leave his Mannor house of Cardura neere Pistoia and to betake himselfe to live and reside in Florence hoping thereby with lesse difficulty and farre more advantage to looke out and provide fit Husbands for his daughters answerable to their ranke and degree which disposition and resolution of his pleased them well and administred them cause of great content and joy siith it is now growne to a custome and a habit that young Ladyes and Gentlewomen doe infinitely desire to live in great Townes and Cities where they may see and be seene and especially in those of Italy more then in any Country of
other busines rides over to Stremos and acquaints the Corigidores herewith and taking Roderigo likewise along with him hee also failes not very resolutely to affirme and most constantly to confirme it to them which these wise and grave judges understanding they in honour to Gods service and glory and in true obedience to his sacred justice without any delay or procrastination take Don Gasper de Mora the old Souldiour Roderigo and some three or foure expert Swimmers along with them and with hast and secresie speed away to the pond wherein after those Swimmers had beene a quarter of an houre and curiously busked and dived in most places thereof to find out this cloath at lâ—… by the mercy and providence of God one of them diving far better than the rest sees and finds it and swimming with his left hand brings it a shore in his right hand to the Corigidores who much admiring and rejoycing thereat cause it presently to bee opened where contrary to all their expectations they find no dead child but as wee have formerly understood a cambricke smocke as yet all spotted and stained with blood and tyed fast with a blew silke garter and in it a very sharp and bloody razor with a brasse weight tyed in all this purposely to sinke it in the pond The Corigidores Gaspar De Mora and all the rest are amazed and astonished at the sight of these bloody evidences when Roderigo againe constantly swearing to them that hee saw the Lady Bellinda with her owne hands throw this little linnen fardell into that pond the verie same morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and the malitious curiosity of Gaspar De Mora here finding the very two first and last letters of her name in the cambricke smocke the Corigidores then concurre in one opinion as so many lines which terminate in one Centre that yet infalibly it was shee and no other who had so cruelly murthered her husband Ferallo in his bed Whereupon taking this bloody smocke razor and garter with them they with much zeale and speed poast away to the Lady Bellinda's house to apprehend her for this her foule and lamentable murther where cruell hearted and lascivious Lady shee is so far from the consideration of grace or the thought and apprehension of any feare as shee feares none and which is worst of all not the power and justice of God himselfe for shee is so immodest in her heart so lustfull in her conversation as notwithstanding her blacke mourning attire and apparell that her first husband was but lately dead and now her second not as yet cold in his grave yet with great variety of musicke shee is here now in her house singing dancing and revelling with divers young Cavalliers and Gallants both of the cittie country as if she had no other care thought or busines but how to make choyce of a third husband who might amorously please her lustfull eye and heart and of no lesse than a paire of Paramours and favorites who should lasciviously content her wanton desires and affections But these wanton vanities and vaine and lascivious hopes of the Lady Bellinda will now deceive her for now the Lords appointed due time is come wherein for these her two horrible murthers committed on the persons of her two husbands his divine sacred Majestie is resolved to powre downe his punishments and to thunder forth his judgements upon her to her utter shame and confusion The Corigidores resolutely enter her house then and there cause the Sergeants to apprehend her prisoner whereat being suddainly amazed and infinitely terrified shee weepes sighes and cries extremely But those Cavalliers I meane those her supposed lovers and pretended favorites who were there singing and dancing with her neither can or dare either affist or rescue her Now the plumes of her pride and jollity are suddainly dejected and fallen to the ground yea her musicke is turned to mourning her singing to sighes and her dancing triumphâ—… to teares The enormity of her crime cause these officers of justice to see her conveyed to prison without any respect of her beauty or regard of her sex and quality where shee hath more leisure given her to repent than meanes how to remedy these her misfortunes The next morning shee is sent for before her judges who roundly charge her for cruelly murthering her husband Don Ferallo in his bed the which with many teares and oathes shee stoutly denies then they shew her those bloody evidences â—…er cambricke smocke the razor her blew garter and the brasse weight and also produce and confront Roderigo with her who as before hee had affirmed now hee swears hee saw her throw this bloody linnen fardell into the pond the verie morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and although at the sight and knowledge hereof shee is at first wonderfully appalled and daunted therewith yet her courage is so stout as shee againe denies it with many prophane and fearefull asseverations and delighteth to heare her selfe make a tedious justification and a frivolous apologie to her judges for her innocency But those grave and prudent Magistrates of justice who in zeale to Gods glory have eyes not in vaine in their heads will give no beleife either to the sweetnes of the Lady Bellinda's youth or to the sugar of her speeches and protestations but for the vindication of this crime and of this truth they adjudge her the very next morning to the racke where such is her female fortitude as shee permits suffers her selfe to bee fastned thereunto with infinite constancy and patience as disdaining that the torments thereof should extort any truth from her tongue to the prejudice of her reputation and to the shipwracke of her safety and life but herein she reckons too short of God and beyond her selfe for shee considereth not that these torments are truly sent her from God and this her courage falsly lent and given her from Sathan for at the very first wrench of the racke and touch of the cord finding it impossible that her tender body and dainty limbs can endure the cruelty of those tortures God puts this grace into her heart that with many sighes and teares shee prayes her judges and tormentors to desist and so publikely confesseth that it was shee and only shee who had murthered her husband Ferallo and cut his throat in his bed with that very same razor Upon which confession of hers her judges glorifiing God for the detection of this cruell murther they for expiation thereof doe forthwith adjudge and sentence this wretched and bloody Lady Bellinda to bee the next morning burnt alive without the walles of Stremos at the foot of the castle which is the destined place of death for the like crimes and offendors so she being by them then againe returned to prison that night in Christian charity they send her some Priests and Nunnes to direct and prepare her soule
the ayre for the first pag. 437. THE TRIVMPHS OF GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRABLE sinne of Murther HISTORIE I. Hautefelia causeth La Fresnay an Apothecary to poyson her brother Grand Pre and his wife Mermanda and is likewise the cause that her said brother kils de Malleray her owne husband in a Duell La Fresnay condemned to bee hanged for a rape on the ladder confesseth his two former Murthers and sayes that Hautefelia seduced and hired him to performe them Hautefelia is likewise apprehended and so for the cruell Murthers they are both put to severe and cruell deaths IF our contemplation dive into elder times and our curiositie turne over the varietie of ancient and moderne Histories as well Divine as Humane wee shall find that Ambition Revenge and Murther have ever prooved fatall crimes to their undertakers for they are vices which so eclipse our judgements and darken our understandings as we shall not only see with griefe but find wâ—…h repentance that they will bring us shame for glory affliction for content and misery for felicity Now as they are powerfull in men so they are soâ—…etimes implacable in women who with as much vanity as malice delight in these sinnes as if that could adde grace to their bodies that deformes their soules or lustre and prosperity to their dayes that makes shipwracke both of their fortunes and lives It is with griefe and pity yea not with passion but compassion that I instance this in a Gentlewoman who was borne to honour and not to shame had not these three aforesaid vices like so many infernall furies laine her glory in the dust and dragged her body to an untimely and infamous grave It is a History that hath many sorrowfull dependances and which produceth variety of diasasterous and mournefull accidents wherein by the just judgement of God wee shall see Ambition bitterly scourged Revenge sharpely rewarded and Murther severely punished by whose example if all that professe Religion become lesse impious and more truely religious wee shall then lead the whole course of our lives in such peacefull and happy tranquility as arming our selves with resolution to live and die in the favour of Heaven wee need not feare either what earth or hell can doe unto us The History is thus NEere Auxone a strong and ancient Towne upon the frontiers of Burgundy and the free County dwelt an aged grave Gentleman nobly descended and of very faire demaynes named Monsieur de Grandmont who had to his wife a vertuous Lady termed Madammoyselle de Carnye the onely daughter of Monsieur de Buserat a worthy Gentleman of the Citie of Dole this married couple for a long time lived in the greatest height of content that either Earth could afford or their hearts desire for as one way they grew opulent in lands and wealth so another way they were indewed with three hopefull Sonnes Grand Pre Vileneufe and Masseron and with two daughters Madamoyselles de Hautefelia and de Cressye a faire posterity they blest in their Parents and their Parents hoping themselves blest in them so as to the eye of the world this one family promised to make many especially sith the youngest of the five had already attained its tenth yeare but God in his providence ordayned the contrary Grand Pre as the first and chiefest pillar of the house craves leave of his Father that he might serve his apprentiship in the warres under the command of that incomparable Captaine Grave Maurice then Earle of Nassaw since Prince of Orenge Vileneufe delighting in bookes his Father thought fit to send to Pont-au Mousson and thinking to retaine Masseron with him he for his beauty was begg'd a Page by that valorous Marshall of France who so wilfully and unfortunately lost his head in the Bastile of Paris As for their two daughters Hautefelia lived with her Parents and de Cressye they presented to a great Lady of Burgundy who was long since the most afflicted and sorrowfull Wife and Mother to the Barons of Lux Father and Sonne who were both slaine by that generous and brave Lorayne Prince the Knight of Guyse But behold the inconstancie of fortune or rather the power and pleasure of heaven which can soone metamorphose our mirth into mourning our joyes into teares and our hopes into despaire for within the compasse of one whole yeare wee shall see three of these five Children laid in their graves and of three severall deaths for Vileneufe was drowned at Pont-au Mousson as hee bathed himselfe in the River Masseron was killed in a Duell at Fontaine bleau by Rossat a Gascon being Page to the Duke of Espernon and Hautefelia dyed at home of a burning Feaver with her Parents a triple losse which doth not onely afflict their hearts and soules but also seemes to drowne their eyes with a deluge of mournefull and sorrowfull teares Grandmont and de Carny his Wife being thus made unfortunate and wretched by the death of three of their Children they resolve to call home their other two to bee comforts and props to their old age but their hopes may deceive them First from the Baronesse of Lux comes de Cressye who succeeding her sister we must now terme by the name or rather by the title of Hautefelia who hath a great and bloody part to act upon the Theater of this History and after her very shortly comes Grand Pre from Holland where in divers services hee left many honourable and memorable markes of his prowesse and valour behind him Vpon his arrivall to his Fathers house the flowre of all the nobility and gentry of the Country come to condole with him for the death of his brothers and sister as also to congratulate his happy returne an office and complement which expresseth much affection and civility they find Grand Pre a brave compleate Gentleman not in outward pride but in inward generositie and vertue not in the vanity of fashions and apparell but in the perfections and endowments of his mind and body he is wholy addicted to the exercise of warre and not to the art of courting of Ladies his delights are in the campe of Mars and Bellona and not in the Palace of Venus and Cupid well knowing that the one will breed him honour and glory the other shame and repentance his pastimes are not crisping and powdering of his haire quarrelling his taylor for the fashion of his clothes dancing in velvet pumps and tracing the street in a neat perfumed Boote with jangling Spurres yea hee resembleth not young spruce Courtiers who thinke no heaven to brave Apparell nor Paradise to that of their Mistresse beauty for hee onely practiseth riding of great Horses Tilting running at Ring displaying the Colours tossing the Pike handling the Musket ordering of Ranke and File thereby to make himselfe capable to conduct and embattaile an Army and to environ fortifie or besiege a City or Castle or the like yea hee spurnes at the Lute and Viall and
opened his mouth to make her the least shaddow of so unchast a motion Grand Pre weighing her wordes and seeing her bitter and sorrowfull teares believes his Wife and so frees both her selfe and the Baron prayes her to pardon him and vowes that hee will love her dearer then before and for ever forget and bury the memory thereof in perpetuall oblivion and forgetfulnesse But his wife Mermanda notwithstanding this submission and reconciliation of her husband is still vexed in minde as finding it easy to admit griefe but difficult to expell it she knowes not what to doe nor of whom to take advice how shee should beare her selfe in this straight and perplexity for well she knowes that if the Baron of Betanford should come to visit her husband as formerly he was accustomed to doe it would revive and confirme his jealousy although they were both as innocent as innocencie it selfe Now she resolves to write the Baron a Letter to refraine her house but then she thinkes it too much indiscretion and presumption to attempt it or that the letter might be intercepted or her husband have newes thereof but againe fearing his comming and encouraged through her innocencie she resolves to write unto him which shee doth to this effect IT is not with blushes but teares that I presume to write unto you for indeede it grieves mee to publish my Husbands folly which by duety I know I am bound to conceale neither had I attempted it but that griefe and necessity throwes me on this exigent for so it is that my vnspotted chastity is not capable to defend him from jealousy which makes mee as much triumph in mine owne loyalty as I grieve at his ingratitude and not content to wrong me his folly or rather his frensie hath reflection on you whom he takes to be both the object and cause thereof but as your innocencie can justly warrant and defend mine honour and your bonour my innocencie from the least shaddow of that crime so that we may both endeavour rather to quench then inflame this his irregular passion I most humbly beseech you to refraine our house and neither to visite mee nor bee familiar with him and so peradventure time may weare away from his thoughts that which at present truth and reason cannot your relucent Vertues and true generosity assure mee of this curtesy the which I will repay with thankes and requite with prayers that your dayes may bee as infinite as your perfections and your fame as glorious as your merits MERMANDA The Baron receives this letter prayseth Mermanda's discretion and laughes at Grand Pre's folly extolleth her innocencie and condemnes his jealousy hee will bee carefull to preserve a Ladies honour especially one so truely chast and honourable as Mermanda hee before had a purpose to see Paris so now this occasion doth both crowne and confirme his resolution hee makes ready his preparatives and baggage and so takes Coach for that great City which abounds with the greatest part of the Nobility of the whole Kingdome but before his departure he returnes Mermanda this Answer YOur vertues and my conscience make us as unworthy of your husbands jealousy as hee of so chast a wife as Mermanda and so true a friend as Betanford but as your affection to him hath still shined in your loyalty so it must now in your patience sith hee in this base passion of his seeking his own shame will at last assuredly find out your glory Had his folly revealed me so much as your discreet Letter I would have exchanged my pen to a sword and with the hazard of my life and losse of my dearest blood made known as well to him as to the whole World the truth both of your chastity and hanor and of mine honor and innocencie in the mean time I will both imbrace and obey your request and will mannage it with such observance to your Husband such respect to your vertues and such regard to mine owne reputation as I hope he shall rest satisfyed of your chastity towards himselfe and of mine to you otherwise I prize Ladies of your perfections at so high a rate and set Cavaliers of his humour and inclination at so low an esteeme that I well know how to answer his choller with contempt and to requite your discretion both with admiration and prayse BETANFORD Mermanda very joyfully receives this Letter but hers to the Baron producerh effects contrary to her hopes for Grand Pre understanding of the Baron of Betanfords suddaine departure for Paris as jealousy is full of eyes hee feares a plot betwixt him and his wife and so confirmes his former suspicion of her disloyalty he therefore converts his love into hatred towards her and now to shew the fruits and effects of his jealousy refuseth her his bed then which to a chast and vertuous wife nothing can be more distastfull At this ingratefull discourtesy poore Mermanda teares her haire sigheth weepeth mourneth and lamenteth in such pittifull sort that it seemes nothing in the world is capable to comfort her but she conceales her griefe as secretly as she may onely heâ—… pale cheekes and discontented lookes as the outward heralds of her inward affection doe silently discover and bewray it Her husbands father and mother Grandmont and de Carnye all this while know nothing of this discontent betweene Grand Pre and Mermanda but their malicious and wretched daughter Hautefelia whose malice never sleepes hath spyes in every corner of her fathers house who advertise her thereof whereat she infinitely triumpheth and rejoyceth But this joy of hers shall be but as breath on steele or as smoake before the winde Grand Pre this meane time boyles with inveterate rage and his jealousy carries him to such extreames as he vowes to be revenged first of Betanford then of his wife to which effect he pretends busines to Chaalons as what will malice leave unpretended and taking a choice Horse a Page and two Lackeyes with him he passeth a contrary way and comes first to Troy then to Brie-count Robert a dayes journey from Paris where being very private in his Inne he writes a Challenge and taking aside his Page delivers it him and commands him at breake of day to poast with all expedition for Paris where being arrived to go to the Crown of France in S. Honories street secretly to deliver iâ—…to the Baron of Betanford to take his answer to return the same night The Page to obey his Masters command seemes rather to flie then poast he fitly findes out the Baron and very fairely delivers him the Letter who breaking up the seale therein findes these words GRAND PRE to the Baron of BETANFORD YOu neede no other witâ—…esse then your selfe to informe you in how high a nature you have wronged mee and herein your false glory hath made my true shame so apparant as I had rather dye then live to digest it for not to dissemble you my malice as you have done
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
giving over his sute to her as hee continueth it with more earnestnesse and importunity and vowes that hee will forsake his life ere his Mistresse but sometimes wee speake true when wee thinke wee jest yet hee findes her one and the same for although shee were not yet acquainted with Alsemero yet shee made it the thirteenth Article of her Creed that the supreame power had ordained her another husband and not Piracquo yea at that very instant the remembrance of Alsemero quite defaced that of Piracquo so that shee wholly refus'd her heart to the last of purpose to reserve and give it to the first as the sequell will shew Now by this time Vermandero had notice and was secretly informed of Alsemero's affection to his daughter and withall that shee liked him farre better then Piracquo which newes was indeed very distastefull and displeasing to him because hee perfectly knew that Piracquo's meanes farre exceed that of Alsemero Whereupon considering that hee had given his consent and in a manner ingaged his promise to Piracquo hee to prevent the hopes and to frustrate the attempts of Alsemero leaves his Castle to the command of Don Hugo de Valmarino his son and taking his daughter Beatrice-Ioana with him hee in his Coach very sodainely and secretly goes to Briamata a faire house of his tenne leagues from Alicant where hee meanes to sojourne untill hee had concluded and solemnized the match betwixt them But hee shall never bee so happy as to see it effected At the newes of Beatrice-Ioana's departure Alsemero is extreamely perplexed and sorrowfull knowing not whether it proceed from her selfe her father or both yea this his griefe is augmented when hee thinkes on the suddennesse thereof which hee feares may bee performed for his respect and consideration the small acquaintance and familiari y hee hath had with her makes that hee cannot condemne her of unkindnesse yet sith hee was not thought worthy to have notice of her departure hee againe hath no reason to hope much lesse to assure himselfe of her affection towards him hee knowes not how to resolve these doubts nor what to thinke or doe in a matter of this nature and importance for thus hee reasoneth with himselfe if hee ride to Briamata he may perchance offend the father if he stay at Alicant displease the daughter and although he be rather willing to run the hazzard of his envy then of her affection yet hee holds it safer to bee authorised by her pleasure and to steere his course by the compasse of her commands Hee therefore bethinkes himselfe of a meanes to avoyd these extreames and so findes out a Channell to passe free betwixt that Sylla and this Carybdis which is to visit her by letters hee sees more reason to embrace then to reject this invention and so providing himselfe of a confident messenger his heart commands his pen to signifie her these few lines ALSEMERO to BEATRICE-IOANA AS long as you were in Alicant I deemed it a beaven upon earth and being bound for Malta a thousand times blessed that contrary winde which kept mee from embarking and sayling from you yea so sweetly did I affect and so dearely honour your beauty as I entered into a resâ—…lution with my selfe to end my voyage e're I beganne it and to beginne another which I feare will end mee If you demand or desire to know what this second voyage is know faire Mistressâ—… that my thoughts are so honourable and my affection so religious that it is the seeking of your favour and the obtayning of your selfe to my wife whereon not onely my fortunes but my life depends But how shall I hope for this honour or flatter my selfe with the obtaining of so great a felicity when I see you have not onely left mee but which is worse as I understand the City for my sake Fâ—…ire Beatrice-Ioana if your cruelty will make me thus miserable I have no other consolation left me to sweeten the bitternesse of my griefe and misfortune but a confident hope that death will as speedily deprive mee of my dayes as you have of my joyes ALSEMERO I know not whether it more grieved Beatrice-Ioana to leave Alicant without taking her leave of Alsemero then shee doth now rejoyce to receive this his Letter for as that plunged her thoughts in the hell of discontent so this raiseth them to the heaven of joy and as then shee had cause to doubt of his affection so now she hath not not onely reason to flatter but to assure her selfe thereof and therefore though shee will not seeme at first to grant him his desire yet shee is resolved to returne him an answere that may give as well life to his hopes as praise to her modestie Her Letter is thus BEATRICE-IOANA to ALSEMERO AS I have many reasons to bee incredulous and not one to induce mee to beleeve that so poore a beautie of mine should have power to stop so brave a Cavallier as your selfe from ending so honourable a Voyage as your first or to perswade you to one so simple as your second so I cannot but admire that you in your Letter seeke mee for your Wife when in your heart I presume you least desire it and whereas you alledge your life and fortunes depend on my favour I thinke you write it purposely either to make tryall of your owne wit or of my indiscretion by endeavoring to see whether I will beleeve that which exceeds all beliefe now as it true that I haue left Alicant so it is as true that I left it not any way to afflict you but rather to obey my father for this I pray beleeve that although I cannot be kinde yet I will never bee cruell to you Live therefore your owne friend and I will never dye your enemy BEATRICE-IOANA This Letter of Beatrice Ioana gives Alsemero much dispaire and little hope yet though hee have reason to condemne her unkindnesse hee cannot but approve her modestie and discretion which doth as much comfort as that afflict him so his thoughts are irresolute and withall so variable as hee knowes not whether hee should advance his hand or withdraw his penne againe to write to his Mistresse But at last knowing that the excellencie of her Beautie and the dignitie of her Vertues deserve a second Letter he hoping it may obtaine and effect that which his first could not calls for paper and thereon traceth these few lines ALSEMERO to BEATRICE-IOANA YOu have as much reason to assure your selfe of my affection as I to doubt of yours and if Words and Letters Teares and Vowes are not capable to make you beleeve the sinceritie of my zeale and the honour of my affection what resteth but that I wish you could dive as deeply into my heart as my heart hath into your beautie to the end you might bee both Witnesse and Iudge if under heaven I desire any thing so much on earth as to bee crowned with the felicitie to see Beatrice-Ioana my
Chimney and so dispatcheth and kils her in her bed without giving her any time to commend her soule unto God and so very hastily rusheth forth the doore Pomerea fearing that which was happened lights a candle and ascends up the Chamber where shee sees the lamentable spectacle of her Murthered Grand-Mother hot reeking and smoaking in her bed whereat shee is amazed and makes most wofull cries and mournefull lamentations when wringing her hands and bitterly sighing and weeping shee knowes not what to doe or what not to doe in this her bitter and wretched perplexity in which meane time Alibius going for his horse findes onely the halter for his horse is grazing in the Meddow hee diligently seekes him but cannot a long time set sight of him which indeed doth much astonish and amaze him but at last hee findes him and so gallops away to Brescia where the better to delude the World and to cast a mist before their eyes hee is againe dy sixe of the Clocke in the morning waiting upon the Podestate and conducting him to the Domo or Cathedrall Church of that City But this policy of his shall not prevent his detection and punishment In this meane time Pomerea runnes to the neerest neighbours and divulgeth the Murther of her Grandmother Many of the neighbours flock thither to see this bloudy and woefull spectacle the Corrigadors of Spreare are acquainted herewith they send for Chirurgions who visit the dead body and report shee is both poisoned and beaten to death they examine poore Pomerea who relates what shee sees and knowes theâ—… send every where to search for the Murtherer By this time the newes hereof comes to Brescia Alibius like a counterfet miscreant is all in teares yea hee sheweth such living affection to the memory of his dead wife as hee sends every where to find out the Murtherer But God will not have him escape for in due time wee shall see him brought forth and appeare to the world in his colours Alibius notwithstanding his teares in his eyes having still a hell in his conscience is afrayd least Emelia his daughter measuring the subsequent by the antecedent hold him to bee her mothers Murtherer and because the Corrigadors of Spreare suspecting her have taken sureties for her apparance he the better to insinuate with her useth her with more then wonted courtesie and affabillity imagining that if her mouth were stopped he needed not feare any others tongue But this politike sleight of his shall not prevaile Now by little and little Time the consumer of all things beginnes to were away the crying rumor of this Murther and so Alibius thinking himselfe secure e're three moneths be fully expired forgetting Merilla takes Philatea to his second wife which being knowne in Brescia many curious heads of that City though not upon any substantiall ground but onely out of presumptive circumstances vehemently suspect that Alibius had a deepe hand in the Murther of his late wife Merilla but they dare not speake it alowd because hee was well beloved both of the Podestate himselfe for that yeere being and generally of all the Senators But as Murther pierceth the Cloudes and cryes for revenge from Heaven so wee shall see this of Alibius miraculously discovered and e're long severely punished for when hee thought the storme past and saw the Skies cleere when I say hee imagined that all rumours and tongues were hushed up in silence and that hee thought on nothing else but to passe his time sweetly and voluptuously with his new and faire wife Philatea then when all other meanes and instruments wanted to bring this his obscure and bloudy fact to light Lo by the Divine providence of God we shall see Alibius himselfe be the cause and instrument of his owne discovery For after hee had married Philatea which I take to bee the first light of suspecting him of his wife Merilla's Murther if my information bee true as I confidently beleeve it is this is the second Alibius under the pretext of other businesse sends for one Bernardo of the parish of Spreare to come to him to Brescia Now for our better light and information herein as also for the more orderly contriving of this History we must understand that this Bernardo was an old associate and dissolute companion of Alibius whom as it is well knowne by those who knew them hee had many times used and made his stickler and agent in many of his former lewde courses and enterprises not that I any way thinke hee had any hand in the present Murther of Merilla for then I know such is the Candour and Wisedome of the Corrigadors of Spreare and such is the cleere judgement and zeale of the Senators of Brescia to justice that hee had never escaped but had beene apprehended and brought to his tryall Wee must farther understand that this Bernardo was likewise a companion of Emelia's husband yea scarce any one day past but they were knowne and seene together in tippling houses and other such lewd and vicious places whereas drinke was still a most treacherous and unsecret Secretary It may bee that what Merilla told her husband privately hee discovered it publikely to Bernardo who comming as wee have formerly heard to Brescia after his conference with Alibius hee fell to his old vaine of tippling and carowsing and there without the North gate of Brescia which lookes towards Bergamo having more money then wit and more wine then money in the middest of his cups told hee was a Contadyne or Countreyman of Spreare that hee knew Alibius as great as now hee bore himselfe and that hee Murthered his poore wife in the Countrey to have this fine one in the City Which speeches of his hee reiterated and repeated often yea so often as they fell not to the ground but some of his â—…ewd companions tooke notice thereof and one amongst the rest being inwardly acquainted with Alibius went and secretly advertised him hereof who under-hand sends away for Bernardo where hee was and wrought so with him as since that time he was never seene in Brescia But this report of his remained behind him A second light which Alibius gave to the discovery of this his Murther was that thinking the way cleere and all suspicion vanished he converted his affection into contempt and his courtesie to disrespect and unkindnesse towards his daughter Emelia by taking away the greatest part of that small meanes hee gave her towards her maintenance which uncharitable and unnaturall part of his threw this poore woman into so bitter a perplexitie as knowing in her conscience that her father was her Mothers Murtherer shee exceedingly apprehended and feared lest hee would attempt to dispatch her likewise the which shee farre the more doubted because her father had bayled her but not as yet freed her from her appearance before the Corrigadors of Spreare But here as simple as shee was shee enters into many considerations with her selfe that to accuse her father would be as great
a disobedience in her as it was a cruelty in him to Murther her mother She is a long time in esolute either to advance or retire in this her purpose and enterprise and here shee consults betwixt nature and grace betwixt the Lawes of Earth and heaven what shee should doe or how she should beare her selfe in a matter of so unnaturall a nature It grieves her to bee the meanes of her fathers death of whom shee had received her being and yet shee sorroweth not to reveale the murtherer of her mother of whom shee enjoyed her life But though sense and nature cannot yet Reason and Religion will reconcile and cleere these doubts yea evaporate those mists and disperse these clouds from our eyes and makes us see cleere that Earth may not conceale Murther sith God receives glory both in the detection and punishment thereof Some will say this daughter did ill to accuse her father But who will not affirme that he did farre worse to Murther her mother Neither was it a delight but a torment to her to effect it for shee enters into this resolution with teares and persevereth therein with sighes and lamentations but if shee were at first resolute herein this resolution of hers is exceedingly confirmed when shee sees her father so suddainely married and her mother in law ready to lay downe her great belly especially when shee heareâ—… the reports of his suspicion bruted in Brescia So now shee can no longer containe her selfe but goes to the next Corrigador and reveales him that her father Alibius was the Murtherer of her mother Merilla The Corrigador being a wise and grave Gentleman wondering at this lamentable newes retaines Emelia in his house and writes away to the Podestate of Brescia hereof who receives this news on a Saturday at night The Sunday morning he acquaints the Prefect and chiefest Senators therof who repayre to his house The probabilities and circumstances are strong against Alibius So they all conclude to imprison him he is at the doore ruffling in his garded gown and velvet cap with his silver wand in his hand as if hee were fitter to checke others then to be controuled himselfe wayting to conduct the Podestate to the Domo Alibius little dreames how neere hee is to danger or danger to him hee is by an Isbiere or Serjeant called in to speake with the Podestate and although his conscience inwardly torment him yet hee puts a good or at least a brazen countenance on all and so very cheerefully comes before him at his first arrivall his velvet cap and silver wand those dignified markes of honour and justice are taken from him and consequently his office because these are rewards onely proper to vertue and not to vice hee is examined by those worthy Magistrates who beare gravity in their lookes wisedome in their speeches and justice in their actions Alibius hath many smooth words for the defence of his crime which with the ayd and varnish of his gracefull gesture hee strives to extenuate and palliate but in vaine for hee hath to doe with those Magistrates who cannot bee deluded or carried away either with the sugar of a lye or the charme of an evasion So they commit him close prisoner where hee hath both time and leasure to thinke on the foulenesse of his fact and the unnaturalnesse and barbarisme of his cruelty The Munday following the Corrigadors of Spreare send Emelia to Brescia where the next day the Podestate Prefect and Senators examine her they first exhort her to consider that shee speakes before God and although Alibius bee her earthly father yet he is her heavenly they conjure and sweare her to speake the truth and no more and because they see her a simple illiterated woman they informe her what the vertue and nature of an oath is When Emelia falling on her knees wringing her hands and stedfastly looking up towards heaven she bitterly weeping sighing for a pretty while had not the power to utter a word The Prefect with milde exhortations and speeches encourageth her to speake when with many teares and inrerrupted sighes she at last proffereth these words My father hath often beaten my Mother and even layne her for dead and at other times hee hath given her poyson and hee it is and no other that hath now Murthered her One of the Senators some say it was the Podestate who as much favoured Alibius as hated his crime bade Emelia looke to her conscience and her conscience to God and withall to consider that as Merilla was her Mother so Alibius was her Father Whereat shee bitterly weeping againe said that what she had already spoken was true as shee hoped to injoy any part of heaven So they binding her to give evidence at the great Court of the Province which some foure moneths after was to be held in the Castle of their Citie they dismisse her In which meane time Alibius is visited in prison by divers of his acquaintance yea some of the chiefest Senators themselves afford him that honour and charity they deale with him about his crime but in vaine for hee takes heaven and earth to witnesse that hee is innocent yea hee seemes to bee so religious and conscionable in his speeches as hee drew many of inferiour ranke and understanding to beleeve that his accusation was not true and his imprisonment unjust and false But God will shortly unmaske his hypocrisie and to his shame and confusion lay open and discover to the whole World his unnaturall and bloudy cruelty And now the time is come that the Duke and Seigniory of Venice are used to depute and send forth Criminall Iudges to descend and passe thorow the provinces of their territories and dominions to sit upon all capitall malefactors and to punish them according to their deserts A custome indeed held famous not onely in the Christian but in the whole universall world and whereby the Venetian Sate doth undoubtedly receive both glory vigour and life sith it not onely preserveth their peace and propagateth their tranquillity but also rooteth out and exterminateth all those that by their lewd and dissolute actions seeke to impugne and infringe it Thus these high and Honourable Iudges being in number two for every division having dispatcht their businesse or rather that of the Seigniories in Padua Vincensa Virona and Bergamo are now arrived in Brescia in the Castle whereof which is both beautifull and conspicuous to the eye they keepe their Forum and Tribunall And because this Citie is exempted from the Province as being particularly indowed with a peculiar jurisdiction and honoured with many honourable priviledges and prerogatives therefore Merilla being Murthered in the Province Alibius is fetched out of his first prison and by one of the chiefest and gravest Senators deputed for that purpose by the Podestate and Senate conducted and conveyed to the Castle there to bee arraigned by those two great Iudges and although this aforesaid Senator was so wise and religious as
by the compasse of her advice hee had undoubtedly avoyded the shipwracke of his life and prevented the misfortune of his death what to thinke of Belluile shee knowes not bâ—… if hee were her friend before hee hath now made and proclaimed himselfe her eâ—…my by killing her deare and onely friend Poligny and therefore is resolved that as shee could never perfectly bâ—…ooke his company so now this bloudy fact shall make her detest both it and him But let us a little leave her and descend to speake of Lâ—…rieta to see how shee brookes the murther of her intimate friend Poligny for sith sheâ—… assuredly knowes and believes that this cruell Murther was performed by no other bâ—… by her professed enemy Belluile or by some of his bloudy agents love and revenge conspire to act two different Scenes upon the Theater of her heart for in memory and deepe affection to her Poligny her pearled teares and mournefull sighes infinitely deplore and bewayle his disastrous end so as sorrow withering the roses of her cheekes and griefe making her cast off her glittering to take on mournefull attire she could not refraine from giving all Avignion notice how pleasing Poligny's life was to her by the excesse of her lamentations and afflictions demonstrated for his death oâ—… if her sighes found any consolation or her teares recesse or truce it was administred her by her revenge which shee conceived and intended towards Belluile for this his bloudy fact So as consulting with Choller not with Reason with Nature noâ—… with Grace with Satan not with God shee vowes to bee sharpely revenged of him and to make him pay deare for this his base and treacherous Murther yea the fumes and fury of her revenge are so implacable and transport her resolutions to so bloudy an impetuositie that resembling her sexe and selfe shee inhumanely and sacrilegiously darts forth an oath which her heart sends to her soule and her soule from Earth to Hell that if the meanes finde not her she will infallibly find out the meanes to quench and dry up her teares for Poligny's death in the bloud of Belluile which sith she is so devoyd of reason religion and grace I feare we shal shortly see her attempt and performe But leaving her in Avignion let us finde out Belluile in Aix who is a Gentleman so prophane in his life and debosht in his actions and conversations as in stead of repenting he triumphs at this his Murther yea hee is become so impious and impudent as hee grieves not thereat but onely that he had not sooner dispatched his rivall Poligny but the better to delude the world that neither his hand or sword were guilty in sending Poligny from this world in a bloudy winding sheet his thoughts like so many hounds pursuing his conscience and his conscience his soule hee thinkes himselfe not safe in Aix where the sharpe-sighted Presidents and Councellours of that illustrious Senate of Parliament might at last accuse and finde him out for the Authour of this bloudy Murther and therefore leaves both it and Provence and so rides to the City of Lyons accompanyed with none but his two Lackeyes who to write the truth actâ—…d no part in Poligny's mournfull Tragedy neither doth he yet thinke himselfe safe there but within a moneth after the Murther thinking directly and securely to flye from the eyes and hands of justice thereby to avoyd the storme of his punishment hee againe takes horse for that great City and Forrest Paris where he hoped the infinite number of People Streets Coaches and Horses would not only secure his feare but prevent his danger and that here as in a secure Sanctuary and safe harbour he might quietly ride at anchor in all peace and tranquillity but as before the time is not yet come of his punishment for it may bee God out of his inscrutable will and Divine providence will when hee best pleaseth returne him from whence hee came and by some extraordinary accident make him there feele the foulenesse of his fact in the sharpenesse and suddennesse of his punishment which as a fierce gust and bitter storme shall then surprise him when hee least suspects or dreames thereof But in this interim of his residence he forgets his new fact of Murther to remember his old sinnes of Concupiscence and Whoredome and so rather like a lascivious Courtier then a civill morall Christian hee cannot see the Church for the Stewes nor the Preachers or Priests for Panders and Strumpets But this vanity of his shall cost him deare and hee shall be so miserable to feele the punishment sith hee will not be so happy to seeke the meanes to avoyde it for now sixe moneths having exhausted and dissipated the greatest part of his gold and his credit comming short of his hopes it seems the aire of Paris is displeasing to him sith he cannot be agreeable to it and therfore necessity giving a law to the vanity of his desires he beginnes to loath the I le of France to love the Province of Provence and to leave Paris to see Avignion And now it is that the devill that subtle and fatall seducer steps in and at one time bewitching both his reason and judgement presents him afresh with the freshnesse and delicacie of Laurieta's beauty which so inkindleth and revives the sparks of his affection that lay raked up in the ashes of silence as he vowes there is no beauty to hers and if hee chance espie any faire Ladies either at Court or in the City he presently affirmeth and infinitly protesteth they come farre short of his Laurieta's delicacie perfection and grace so as his purse tyrannizing o're his ambition and his concupiscence o're his judgement he not so much as once dreaming of the implacable hatred she formerly boâ—…e him and thinking it impossible for her to conceive much lesse to know that he murthered Poligny he is constant and resolute to reseeke the felicity to live in her favour and affection or to dye in the pursute thereof but that will prove as impossible as this apparent and feasable So as absence adding fire to his lust and excellencie to her beauty he is resolute to send one of his Lackeyes to Avignion partly to returne with money and so to meete him at Lyons Moâ—…lins or Nevers but more especially in great secrecie to deliver a Letter to his fa re and sweet Lâ—…urieta and to bring him backe her answer as if hee were still at Paris and not in his journey downewards When meaning as yet to conceale his Murther of Poligny hee calling for pen and paper traceth her thereon these lines BELLVILE to LAVRIETA IF Poligny had but the thousandth part as truely respected mee as I dearely loved thee thou hadst not so soone cast mee out of thy favour nor God so suddenly him out of this world but I know not whether more to bewayle my unfortunacie occasioned by thy cruelty or his misery ingendred through his owne treachery And indeed
lesse doth his father Castelnovo for that of his sonne onely their griefes comformable to their passions are diametrically different and opposite for hers were fervent and true as proceeding from the sinceritie of her affection and his hypocriticall and faigned as derived from the profundity of his malice and revenge towards him And not to transgresse from the Decorum and truth of our History old Castelnovo could not so artificially beare and over-vaile his sorrowes for his Sonnes death but the premises considered our young afflicted widdow and Lady vehemently suspecteth hee hath a hand therein and likewise partly beleeves that Ierantha is likewise accessary and ingaged therein in respect she lookes more aloft and is growne more familiar with her Lord and Master then before And indeed as her sorrows increase her jealousie so her jealousie throws her into a passionate and violent resolution of Revenge both against him and her if shee can bee futurely assured that they had Murthered and poysoned the Knight her husband Now to bee assured heereof shee thus reasoneth with her selfe that if her Father in law were the Murtherer of his Sonne her husband his malice and hatred to him proceeded from his beastly lust to her selfe and that hee now dispatched hee would againe shortly revive and renew his old lascivious suit to her which if hee did shee vowes to take a sharpe and cruell Revenge of him which shee will limit with no lesse then his death And indeed wee shall not goe farre to see the event and truth answer her suspicion For within a moneth or two after her husband was laid in his untimely grave his old lustfull and lascivious father doth againe burst and vomit forth his beastly sollicitations against her chastity and honour which observing shee somewhat disdainefully and coyly puts him off but yet not so passionately nor chollerickely as before onely of purpose to make him the more eager in his pursuit thereby the better to draw him to her lure that shee might perpetrate her malice and act her Revenge on him and so make his death the object of her rage and indignation as his lust and malice were the cause of the sorrowes of her life But unfortunate and miserable Lady what a bloudy and hellish enterprize dost thou ingage thy selfe in and why hath thy affection so blinded thy conscience and soule to make thy selfe the authour and actour of so mournefull and bloudy a Tragedy For alas alas sweet Perina I know not whether more to commend thy affection to thy husband or condemne thy cruell malice intended to his father For O griefe O pitty where are thy vertues where is thy Religion where thy conscience thy soule thy God thus to give thy selfe over to the hellish tentations of Satan Thou which heretofore fled'st from adultery wilt thou now follow Murther or because thy heart would not bee accessary to that shall thy soule bee now so irreligious and impious to bee guilty of this But as her father in law is resolute in his lust towards her so is shee likewise in her revenge towards him and farre the more in that shee perceives Ierantha's great belly sufficiently proclaimes that shee hath plaid the strumpet and which is worse shee feares with her execrable and wretched Father in Law so as now no longer able to stop the furious and impetuous current of her revenge shee is so gracelesse and bloudy as shee vowes first to dispatch the Lord and Master then the Wayting-Gentlewoman as her thoughts and soule suggest her they had done first the Mother then the Sonne so impious are her thoughts so inhumane and bloudy her resolutions Now in the interim of this time the old Lecher her father is againe become impudent and importunate in his suit so our wretched Lady Perina degenerating from her former vertues and indeed from her selfe she after many requests and sollicitations very feignedly seemes to yeild and strike sayle to his desire but indeed with a bloody intent to dispach him out of this world So having concluded this sinfull fatall Match there wants nothing but the finishing and accomplishing thereof onely they differ in the manner and circumstances the Father is desirous to goe to the Daughter in lawes bed the Daughter to the Father in lawes but both conclude that the night and not the day shall give end to this lascivious and beastly businesse his reason is to avoyd the jealousie and rage of Ierantha whom now although she bee neere her time of deliverance hee refuseth to marry her but the Lady Perina's if that she may pollute and staine his owne bed with his bloud and not hers but especially because shee may have the fitter meanes to stab and murther him and hereon they conclude To which end not only the night but the houre is appoynted betwixt them which being come and Castelnovo in bed burning with impatience and desire for her arrivall hee thinking on nothing but his beastly pleasures nor she but on her cruell malice and revenge she softly enters his chamber but not in her night but her day attire having a Pisa Ponyard close in her fleeve when having bolted his Chamber doore because none should divert her from this her bloudy designe she approaching his bed and hee lifting himselfe up purposely to welcome and kisse her shee seeing his brest open and naked like an incensed fury drawes out her Ponyard and uttering these words Thou wretched Whore-master and Murtherer this life of mine owne honour and the death of my deare Knight and husband thy some And so stabbing him at the heart with many blowes shee kills him starke dead and leaves him reeking in his hot bloud without giving him time to speake a word onely hee fetcht a screeke and groane or two as his soule tooke her last farewell of his body Which being over-heard of the servants of the house they ascend his chamber and finde our inhumane Perina issuing foorth all gored with the effusion of his bloud having the bloudy Ponyard which was the fatall Instrument of this cruell Murther in her hand They are amazed at this bloody and mournefull spectacle so they seize on her and the report hereof flying thorow the City the Criminall Iudges that night cause her to bee imprisoned for the fact which she is resolved no way to denye but to acknowledge as rather glorying then grieving thereat Ierantha at the very first understanding hereof vehemently suspects that her two poysoning Murthers will now come to light and so as great as her belly is she to provide for her safety very secretly steales away to a deare friends house of hers in the City which now from all parts rattleth and resoundeth of this cruell and unnaturall Murther yea it likewise passeth the Alpes and is speedily bruited and knowne in Saint Iohn de Mauriene where although her father Arconeto would never heretofore affect her yet he now exceedingly grieves at this her bloudy attempt and imminent danger but her irregular affection and
not affect La Frange we may yet observe and discover which way hee intends to shape the course of his affections and resolutions For albeit he had formerly addicted himselfe and resolutions to be a professed Souldier yet Peace calling him home now to Pleasure and that to effeminacy a fatall and dangerous vice which in the iniquity of these our times and depraved manners not onely most insensibly creepes into common Souldiers and Commanders but also into all Armies and into many Estates and Kingdomes still to the disparagement of their glory and sometime to the price of their ruine and perill of their subversion he began to let his Colours hang dustie and his Pike and Parâ—…zan râ—…stie by the walls and to frequent the company of Ladies which the old Counsellor his father observes with joy hoping that in the end he shall draw him to affect and marry La Frange but these hopes of his will proove vaine and this hiâ—… joy will soone bee exchanged into sorrow and metamorphosed into affliction and misery for that his sonne is partly resolved to marry t is true but as true it is that he is fully resolved never to love much lesse to marry La Frange Now wee must understand that in Tholouse there dwelt a Merchant of Silks or as wee in England say a Silk-man termed Monsieur de Soulange rather reputed rich of others than knowne so of himselfe and yet being an old widower to the end the sooner to get him a new wife he puts a good face on his estate and maintaines himselfe familie and house with great pompe and expences having no son but three faire daughters all marriageable yet out of ambition and in emulation of the Gentry severally knowne and stiled by their titles not by their names as Mesdamoyselles de Marsy La pre Verte and La Hay all famous for their beauties and indeed for the purenesse and excellencie thereof justly reputed held the prime Birds of the citie and yet the youngest of them La Hay was the Phenix of all the three for she was so sweetly faire and fairly sweet of complexion as she drew all eyes to doe homage to hers so as it was almost impossible for any man to looke on her without loving her or to gaze on her without desiring her for her body was so strait and slender and the roses of her cheekes so deliciously gracing the lilies and the lilies the roses that the greatest Gallant either of the Citie or Country held himselfe not only happy but honoured with the felicitie of her presence and company But in one word to give these three sisters their true characters de Marsy and la Pre-verte were far more vertuous than La Hay though La Hay were far fairer than they for as Religion and Pietie was their chiefest delight and exercise as more desirous to embelish their soules than their bodies so wanton pleasure and vaine lasciviousnesse was hers as rather delighting to please and adorne her body than her soule they being more vertuous than faire shee more faire than vertuous different inclinations and resolutions these as happy and blessed as hers wretched and impious their actions might have beene a President yea a Pilot to have conducted her fame as well to the Temple of Honour as to the harbour of immortall glory of glorious immortalitie but she vowes she will prove a President to her selfe and her pleasure shall be a Pilot to her will although she misse the Temple of Honour to find out that of beastly concupiscence and the harbour of immortall glory to suffer shipwrack vpon the shelves of ingloâ—…ious infamie and the rocks of infamous perdition To this Monsieur de Soulanges house the beauties of his three daughters but especially that of La Hay and withall her pleasing and tractable affabilitie invites many young Gentlemen and the eminentst Citizens who there passe their time in courting and conversing in dancing singing and the like whereunto the Youth of France more than any other people of the world are most licentiously addicted and as things are best discerned and distinguished by their contraries so the vertues of De Marsy and La Preverte were made more apparant by La Hayes vices and her lust and whoredomes were more palpably notorious in their chastitie O that so sweet a creature should be subject to so foule a sinne and that Beautie the best gift and as I may say the gold of Nature should be thus vilified and polluteâ—… with the beastly pleasures of carnall concupiscence and obscene sensualitie For aye mee I write it with as much griefe to my selfe as shame to her she was too prodigall of her favours for she imparted them liberally unto some for love but unto most for money not caring to whom she prostituted her body so they filled her purse thereby to support her pride and maintaine the excesse and vanitie of her braverie and yet she was so subtill and cautious therein that although she were a professed Courtisan she would neverthelesse publikely seeme a pure and unspotted Virgin and the better to fortifie her fame and to make the reputation of her Chastitie passe currant with the world she would sweare all those to conceale her favours on whomsoever she imparted and bestowed them but if this lascivious subtiltie of hers have power to bleare the eyes of the world how can this her beastly sin of fornication be unseene of God when the windowes walls and beames of her chamber yea her very bed whereon she hath acted her whoredomes shall one day give in evidence and serve as witnesses against her yea and be petitioners on earth that God will requite and reward them with vengeance and confusion from Heaven Now among the rest of those deboshed Gentlemen who devoted their lascivious service and sacrificed their fond affections to La Hays beautie in comes our De Salez to inroule himselfe one who feasting and surfetting his eyes on the delicacies of her fresh and sweet complexion leaves his owne fathers house to frequent hers yea his desires are so lustfully inflamed with her beautie as with his best art and policie he lies close siege to her chastitie and with many gifts requests and oathes seekes to endeere her to his desires and pleasure But see the subtiltie of this lascivious young Courtisan for knowing De Salez deeply in love with her and to be the only childe of his father and he one of the richest Councellors of Tholouse she conceives a plot in her head to goe a fishing to make him her husband and so beares her selfe wonderfull modest and coy casting a cloake and veile of chastitie over her unchaste desires and actions as if she were now a virgin yea a Saint to him though heretofore she had many times played the Strumpet with others but her deniall doth rather inflame than quench the fire of his lust so as making many assaults to raze downe the defences of her refusall that he may enter and
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
was a crying Sinne which despight of sorcery and of Hell would in Gods due time draw downe vengeance to Earth from Heauen on their Authors That if he were guiltie of his accusation he had no better plea than confession nor safer remedie than repentance That contrition is the true marke of a true Servant of God and though we fall to Nature and sinne as being men yet wee should rise againe to grace and righteousnesse as being Christians That to deny our Crimes is to augment them and consequently their punishments both in Earth and in Hell and that he was not a Christian but an Infidell who would attempt to save his life with the losse of his soule with many other religious exhortations concurring and looking that way But all this notwithstanding Idiaques his Faith and Conscience was yet so strong with Sathan and therefore so weake with God that he left no excuse policy or evasion uninvented to bleare the eyes of these Corigadors and so to make his innocency to passe current with them But his eloquence and asseverations cannot prevaile with the solidity of their Iudgements for God will not suffer them to bee led away with words nor seduced or deluded with shadowes But from the circumference of circumstances they now flie to the centre of truth and to the Authour and giver yea to the life and soule thereof God So they againe adjudge him to the rack for his second accusation of Murther as they formerly had done to him for his first At the pronouncing of which sentence If wee may judge of his heart by his face hee seemed to be much afflicted appaled and daunted which his Iudges perceiving before they expose him to his torments they in Honour to his Age and qualitie but farre more to Truth and Iustice whom they know to be two Daughters of Heaven they now hold it a point of Charity and Piety to send him two Diuines to his prison to worke upon his Conscience and Soule which they doe And God in the depth of his goodnesse and the richnesse of his mercy was so mercifully propitious and indulgent to him that hee added such efficacy to their perswasions and power to their exhortations as at the very sight of the racke hee with teares in his eyes then and there confessed unto them That hee was innocent of Mathurinaes murther but guiltie of poisoning his owne wife the Ladie Honoria for the which he said he most heartily and sorrowfully repented himselfe Whereupon his Iudges and the rest present admiring with wonder and praising God with admiration for the detection of this his foule bloody and lamentable crime they pronounce sentence against him That for expiation thereof hee at eight of the clocke the next morning shall have his head cut off at the place of common execution in that Towne When Idiaques who yet adhered so much to Satâ—…an that hee could never be devested of his mortall sinnes before he were first deprived of his sinfull life doth yet still flatter himselfe with some further hope of life and so hee appeales from the judgement and sentence of this Court of Coimbra to that of Santarem as being native and resident thereof as also because he committed his murther there for which they not his competent Iudges adjudged him to death Whereat although the Corigadors of Coimbra for the preservation of the priviledges of their Court and Towne doe obstinately expose and vehemently contest it yet at last well knowing and being conscious with themselves that smaller Townes and Courts in Portugall are bound and subject to depend of the greater They therefore making a vertue of necessitie and contenting themselves to give way to that which they cannot remedie doe ordaine that Idiaques should bee conveighed and tryed at Santarem But yet before they suffer him to depart their Towne they in honour to Iustice in wisedome to themselves and in reputation to their Towne and Court doe seriously and religiously charge him in the name and feare of God to declare truly to them whether his unburyed Daughter in Law Marsillia were not likewise accessary with him in poysoning his Wife the Lady Honoria which at first he strongly denies to them But then they send away for the two Divines who had formerly dealt with him and his Conscience in Prison who exhort him to carrie a white and candyd soule to Heaven and threaten him with the torments of Hell fire if hee doe not When with sighes and teares he confesseth that to them and that it was hee himselfe who administred that poyson to his wife but that his daughter in Law Marsillia bought it for him So these Iudges upon the validity of this free and solemne confession in detestation of this her lamentable crime doe reverently resolve to second and glorifie God in his Iudgements towards her and therefore they presently condemne her dead body to bee burnt that afternoone in their market street the common place of execution which accordingly is then and there performed in presence of a great concourse of people who infinitly rejoyce that God so miraculously destroyed the life and their Iudges the body of so execrable a female Monster By this time we must allow and imagine that our old Lecher and new murthere Idiaques by vertue of his appeale is brought to his owne City of Santarem and I thinke either with a ridiculous hope or a prophane and impious resolution to see whether God will punish him there with death or the Divell preserve and save him from it Hee hath many friends in this Court who are both great and powerfull and therefore builds all his hopes of life on this reeling quicksand this snow this nothing that his great estate of money and lands will undoubtedly act wonders with them for his pardon But still he hopes because still the divell deceives him He is arrived here at Santarem where this faire Citie which might heretofore have proved his delight and glory is now reserved for his shame and appointed and destined for his confusion They cannot brook the sight much lesse the cohabitation and company of such monsters of nature and divels incarnat of men who glory in making themselves guilty of these soule sinnes and crying crimes Adultery Incesâ—… Murther So that Idiaques who hath made himselfe a principall of this number and a monster of Art in these sinnes thinking here in Santarem to find more mercy and pity during his life shall find lesse of both of them after his death For the criminall Iudges of this Court who reverence and honour Iustice because Iustice doth daily and reciprocally performe the like to them doe confirme the sentence of Coimbra that the next morne he shall lose his head but in detestation and execration of these his foule and bloody crimes they adde this clause and condition thereto that both his head and body shall be afterwards burnt and his ashes throwne into the ayre which gives maatter of talke and admiration not onely to Santarem
but to all Portugall And thus most pensively and disconsolately is Idiaques reconveyed to his prison where Church-men are sent him by the Iudges of that court to direct his soule in her slight and transsiguration from earth to Heaven whom they finde or at least â—…hey make very humble mournefull and repentant According to which sentence he is the next morning brought to the place of execution which for the greater example and terrour to others and of ignominy to himselfe was before his owne house wherein he had acted and perpetrated all his enormous crimes Where the scaffold is no sooner erected but there flocke an infinite number of people from all parts of the City to be spectators of this last scene of his Tragedy He came to the scaffold betweene two Friers in a sute of blacke Taffeta a gowne of blacke wrought tuffe Taffeta and a great white set ruffe which yet could not be whiter than his broad beard At his ascent on the scaffold his grave aspect and presence engendred as much sorrow pity as his beastly crimes did detestation in the hearts and tongues of the people to whom after hee had a short time kneeled downe and prayed he made a short speech to this effect That although the poysoning of his owne wife and his adultery with his sons wife were crimes so odious and execrable as had made him unworthy any longer either to tread on earth or to look up unto Heaven yet although he deserved no favour of his Judges for his bodie he humbly repented and begged some of God for his soule and for the more effectuall obtaining thereof hee zealously prayed all those who were present to joyne their prayers to his Hee confessed that it was Marsillia's beauty which first at the instigation of the devill drew him to that adultery with her and this poysoning of his owne wife Honoria whereof from his heart and soule he now affirmed hee implored remission of God of the Law of his sonne Don Ivan and of all the world and prayed them all to be more godly and lesse sinfull by his example and so kneeling downe and praying a little whiles to himselfe he rose up and putting of his gowne ruffe and doublet which hee gave to the Executioner hee binding his head and eyes with his handkerchiefe bade him doe his office which he presently performed and with one blow of the sword made a perpetuall double divorce betwixt his head and his shoulders his body and his soule when presently according to his sentence both his head and his body were then and there burnt and consumed to fire and his ashes throwne into the ayre And this was the deplorable life and death of De Perez Idiaques and Marsillia of whom the spectators according to their severall humours and affections spake diversly all condemning the bloudy cruelty of De Perez towards innocent Mathurina and of Idiaques towards his vertuous wife Honoria Againe some pitied and others execrated Marsillia's youth beauty and lust but both sexes and all degrees of people as so many lines terminating in one Center magnified the providence and Justice of God in so miraculously and condignly cutting off these monsters of nature and bloudy butchers of mankinde And if the curiosity of the Reader will yet farther enquire what afterwards became of Don Ivan The reports of him are different for as first I heard that his discontent and griefe was so great yea so extreame for the death of his Parents and wife that he cloistered himselfe up a Capuchin Fryer in their Monastery at Madrid So contrariwise I have since credibly beene enformed that he shortly after these disasters left Spaine and still lives in Santarem in Portugall in great honour welfare and prosperity But which of these his resolutions are most inclining and adherent to the truth it passeth beyond my knowledge and therefore shall come too short of my affirmation GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XVII Harcourt steales away Masserina his brother Vimoryes wife and keepes her in Adulterie She hireth Tivoly an Italian Mountebanke to poyson La Precoverte who was Harcourts wife Harcourt kils his brother Vimory and then marries his widdow Masserina Tivoly is hanged for a robbery and at his execution accuseth Masserina for hiring him to poyson La Precoverte for the which shee is likewise hanged Noel who was Harcourts man on his death-bed suspecteth and accuseth his said Master for killing of his brother Vimory whereof Harcourt being found guilty he is broken alive on a wheele for the same MAn being the Workemanship and figurative Image of God what an odious sinne yea what an execrable crime is it therefore for one out of the heate of his malice or fumes of his revenge to poyson or murther another sith Nature doth stronglie impugne and Grace with a high hand infinitely contradict it Therefore were not our hearts and understandings either wholly deprived of Common sence or our soules of the gratious assistance and favour of God wee would not thus so furiously and prophanely make our selves guilty of these infernall sins but rather with our best endevours would seeke to avoid them as Hell and with our most pious resolutions to hate and detest them as the Divell himselfe who is the prime Authour and Actor thereof But some such monsters of Nature and Disciples of Sathan there are here on Earth A fearefull and lamentable Example whereof this ensuing History will shew us The which may all good Christians read to Gods glory and remember to the instruction of their Soules THere is a parish tearmed Saint Symplician a mile from the Citie of Sens in the Dutchy of Burgundy which is honoured with the title and See of an Archbishop where within these few yeares there dwelt and died an aged Gentleman more Noble by birth than rich in Estate and Demaynes termed Monseiur De Vimory who left onely two sonnes behinde him the eldest named Monâ—…eiur Dâ—… Harcourt and the second Monseiur De Hautemont who were two very proper young Gentlemen excellently well bred and qualified as well in Arts as Armes or in any other vertue or perfection which was requisite both to shew and approve themselves to bee the sonnes of their father And to content my Reader with their characters Harcourt was tall but not well favoured but of a milde and singular good disposition Hautemont was of a middle stature neatly timbred of a sweet and amiable countenance but by nature hasty and head-strong Harcourt had a light Aubrnn beard which like a Countrey Gentleman he wore negligently after the Ovall cut Hautemont had a coale blacke beard which Courtier-like he wore in forme of an invaled Pyramides Harcourt was thirty two yeares of age very chaste and honest Hautemont was twenty five but many times given to women and ready to bee deboshed and drawne away by any though but of an indifferent quality and complexion To Harcourt the eldest son their father gave his
chiefest Mannor house with eight hundred Crownes of yearely Revenew and all his Goods and Chattels To Hautemont his second son he gave his second Mannor house worth foure hundred Crownes yearely and fifteene hundred Crownes in his purse by his Testament Estates which though it came short of their bloud yet it exceeded that of most of the Gentlemen their neighbours and is held in France at least the double if not the triple of as much here with us in England So having neither the happinesse or the care to be accompanied with any sister or other brothers they interchangeably sweare a strict league of brotherly love and deare affection each to other which by their Vertues and Honours they sweare shall never receive end but with the end of their lives They many times consult together for the conduction and improving of their Estates which they promise to manage with more frugality than lustre and with more solide discretion than vaine ostentation or superfluity and not to live in Paris or to follow the Court but to build up their residence in the Countrey To which end they cut off many unprofitable mouths both of servants horses and hounds which their father kept They likewise vow each to other to bee wonderfull charie and carefull in their mariages as well fore-seeing and knowing it to be the greatest part of their earthly felicity or misery So here we may see and observe many faire promises rich designes and resolutions and many sweet covenants voluntarily drawne up betweene these two brothers which if they make good and performe no doubt but the end thereof will bee successefull and prosperous unto them or if otherwise the contrary But before I wade farther in the streame and current of this History I must first declare that by the death of Vimory the father and by the custome of France we must now wholly abandon and take away the title of Hautemont from the second brother futurely to give him that of Harcourt the eldest and that from Harcourt the eldest to give him that of Vimory their father for by the right and vertue of the premised reasons these are now become their proper names and appellations which the Reader is prayed to observe and remember A yeare and halfe is not fully expired and past away since their father past from Earth to Heaven but the eldest brother Monseiur De Vimory being extreamly ambitious and covetous of wealth and understanding that a rich Counsellour of the Court of Parliament of Dijon named Monseiur De Basigni was dead and had left a very rich widow of some forty yeares of age named Madamoyselle Masserina he earnestly seekes her in marriage Shee is of short stature corpulent and fat of a coale-blacke haire and if fame towards her bee a true and not a tatling goddesse she hath and still is a lover of Veâ—…s and a Votaresse who often sacrificeth to Cupids lascivious Altars and Shrines Harcourt is very averse and bitter against this match for his brother They have many serious consultations hereon Hee alleageth him the inequality of her age and birth in comparison of his her corpulency the ill getting of her Husbands goods who was held a corrupt Lawyer and as the voyce of the world went who gained his wealth by the teares and curses of many of his ruined and decayed Clients and when he saw that nothing would prevaile to disswade his brother from her he rounds him in his eare that it was spoken and bruted in Diion that she was not as chaste as rich nor so continent as covetous Vimory is all enraged hereat and chargeth Harcourt his brother to name the reporters of this foule scandall vomited forth quoth he against the vertues and honour of chaste Masserina Harcourt replies that hee speakes it wholly upon fame no way upon knowledge much lesse upon beleefe so Vimory being wilfully deafe to his brothers advice and requests and preferring Masserina's wealth to her honesty hee marries her But shee is so wise for her selfe as first both by promise and contract shee ties him to this condition that he shall receive all her rents which are some twelve hundred Crownes per Annum she to put her ready money to Use into whose hands she pleaseth and he also to have the one halfe of the interest money but the principall still to remaine in her owne right propriety and possession and as well in her life as death to be wholly at her owne disposing Not long after Harcourt being at a great wedding of a Gentleman his Cousin Germaine at the City of Troyes in Champagne he there at the balles or publike dancing espies a most sweet and beautifull young Gentlewoman whom he presently fancieth and affects for his wife He enquires what shee is and findes her to be named Madamoyselle La Precoverte daughter to an aged Gentleman of that City tearmed Monseiur de la Vaquery Harcourt courts the daughter seeks the father finds the first willing and the second desirous but at last he plainly and honestly informes Harcourt that his daughters chiefest wealth are her vertues and beautie that he hath not much land and lesse mony that hee hath two great suits of Law for store of Lands depending in the Parliament of Diion which promise him store of money and that he will futurely impart a great part thereof to him if he will marrie his daughter the which for the present he tels him he is content to make good confirme to him both by bond contract Harcourt loves his faire young Mistresse La Precoverte so tenderly and dearly as he is ready to espouse her on those tearmes but he will first acquaint his brother Vimory therewith and take his advice therein Vimory informes his brother Harcourt that he knowes Monseiur De Vaquery of Troyes to be a very poore Gentleman that most of his lands are morgaged out and in great danger never to be redeemed that his law suits are as uncertaine as the following thereof chargeable Harcourt extols the beauty of La Precoverte to him to the skie Vimory replies that beauty fades and withers with a small time and that those who preferre it to wealth are many times enforced to feed on repentance in stead of content and joy and to looke poverty in the face in stead of prosperity But Harcourt having deeply setled his affection on La Precoverte he rejecteth this true and whole sâ—…ne counsell of his brother and so marries her When forgetting his former promise to his brother hee in a small time turnes a great Prodigall abandoneth himselfe to all filthy vices and beastly course of life and as a most deboshed and gracelesse Husband within one yeare hee for no cause quarrelleth very often with this his faire and deare wife then whom neither Champagne nor Burgundie had a more beautifull or vertuous young Gentlewoman shee was of stature tall and slender of a bright flaxen haire a gratious eye a modest countenance a pure
of our soule but our whole soule For in matters of his divine worship and service which consists in that of our faith and of his glory he will not admit of any Rivall or Competitor nor bee served in any other manner than as he hath taught us by his sacred Word and Commandements and instructed us by his holy Prophets and blessed Apostles But againe to Harcourt and Masserina whose lascivious hearts and lewd consciences not permitting them to rest in assurance or reside in security any where the very day after they had dispatched the messenger with their Letters to La Precoverte holding Geneva no place for them nor they for Geneva they trusse up baggage and so with much secrecie leave it and direct their course to the great and famous Citie of Lyons some two and twenty leagues thence and which is the frontier Towne of France and there they thinke to shrowd themselves among that great affluence and confluence of people which inhabite and aboord there from divers parts and they make choice to live in this frontier Citie because it is neere to Savoy where if any danger should chance to betide or befall them they might speedily and safely retire themselves there and so lay hold on the law and priviledge of Nations which is inviolable throughout all the world At their arrivall at Lyons they take their chambers and residence neere the Arsenall though for the two first nights they lie in Flanders-street They have not beene in Lyons fifteene dayes but there befell them an accident very worthy both of our observation and of their remembrance which was thus A Gentleman of the City of Tholouse named Monseiur De Blaise having some five dayes before treacherously killed his elder brother Monseiur De Barry in the high way as they travelled together upon a quarrell which fell out betweene them for having deboshed and clandestine stollen away his said elder brother De Barry's wife from him and conveyed and transported her away with them There was a privie search then made in Lyons when that same night Harcourt and Masserina were upon suspition apprehended for them and laid in sure keeping But the next morning before the Seneschall and Procureur Fiscall they justified their innocencie by many who knew De Blaise and so were cleared but yet it gave them both a hot Camisado and fearfull Alarum and left an ominous impression in their hearts and minds whereof for the conformity of the circumstances of this action with their owne had they had the grace to have made good use they had not hereafter made themselves so famously infamous nor consequently this their History so prodigiously deplorable Harcourt and Masserina whiles they stay here in Lyons as guilt is still accompanied with feare doe seldome goe forth their lodgings and when they doe they for their better safety disguise themselves in different apparell and for her part shee goes still close masked and muffled up in her Taffeta coyffe Yea both of them make it their practise to frequent the fields often but the Churches and streets seldome as if their foule crime of Adultery had made them unworthy the communion of Gods Saints and consequently all good company too worthy for them He exceedingly feares his brother Vimory's silence and revenge and she highly envieth and disdaineth her sister in law La Precovertes jelousie and still that disgracefull word of Strumpet which she upbraided her with and obtruded to her in her Letter strikes sincks deeply in her heart and remembrance in such sort that it so possesseth her thoughts with malice and takes up her minde with choller fierce indignation as she vowes to her selfe not thus to let it passe in silence or to vanish and die away in oblivion quite contrary to that which her late Letter to her sister La Precoverte promised and spake And here it is that the devill first begins to take possession of her heart and by degrees to seize upon her soule and to make her wholly to forsake God For knowing La Precoverte to be wife to her brother in law and lover Harcourt whom she affects a thousand times dearer than her owne Husband yea than her owne life shee is therefore so great a beame to hereye so sharpe a thorne to her heart and so bitter a corrasive to her content as shee not onely assumes bad thoughts but bad bloud against her For vowing that none shall share with her in his affection shee forgetting her Conscience and Soule Heaven and God is speedily resolved to cause her to be poysoned her inraged malice being capable of no other excuse or reason but this that it is impossible she can reape any perfect felicity or content in earth till she have dispatch't and sent her to Heaven To which end she insinuates her selfe into the acquaintance of two Apothecaries of that City and deales with them severally and secretly to effect this hellish businesse for the which she promised either of them a hundred crownes of the summe in hand and as much more when they have effected it and fifty more to defray the charge of their journey But the devill hath made her so crafty and subtile as she still retaines from them the name Masserina and the place Troyes where the party dwelt There are good and bad men of all countryes faculties and professions these two Apothecaries are as honest as she is wretched and as religious and charitable as shee is prophane and bloody so the one denies her request with disdaine and choller and the other with charity and compassion alleaging her many pious considerations and reasons to divert and disswade her from this foule and bloody act the execution whereof though tacitely yet infallibly threatneth saies hee no lesse than the utter subversion of her fortunes and the ruine and confusion of her life in this world if not likewise of her soule in that to come So shee being hereat a little galled and stung in Conscience to see that this great City of Lyons affoords poyson but no poysoners to act and finish this her bloody project The devill hath yet notwithstanding made her so curious in her malice and so industrious and resolute in her revenge as enquiring whether there were any Italian Empericke or Mountebancke in that City whom she thought might bee made fit and flexible to her bloody desires and intents she is advertised that there departed one hence some eight daies since who is gone to reside this spring of the yeare at the Bathes at Pougges a mile from the city of Nevers his name being Signior Baptista Tivoly whom I conjecture may derive his surname from that pleasant small towne of Tivoly some twenty small miles from Rome wherein there are many Cardinalls country Pallaces or houses of pleasure being very skilfull in Mineralls and in attracting the spirits and quintessence of divers other vegitives Of a vaine glorious and ambitious humour and disposition and yet of a very poore estate 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
husband make great suit to the Iudges that they may for a short time see and speake one with the other but it will not be graunted them When Harcourt being as confident of his owne life as hee was of his wifes death makes secret proffer by some friends of his to the Iudges of all his lands and demaynes to save his wife but they resembling themselves doe so much feare God and reverence and honour the sacred Name of Iustice as they are deafe to his requests The next morning according to her sentence she is brought to the place of her execution but at her earnest and importunate request so early that very few people were present at her death where being ascended the Ladder she there againe cursed the name and execrated the memory of that wretched Villaine Tivoly and wished much prosperity and happinesse to her Husband Harcourt when turning her eye about and seeing a Cosen Germaine of his there present named Monseiur de Pierpont shee cals him to her and is so vaine at this last period as it were of her life as she takes off her glove and bracelet from her right hand and arme and prayes him to deliver it to his Cosin and her Husband Harcourt and to assure him from her that shee dyed his most loving and constant wife which Monseiur Pierponte faithfully promised her to performe then a Subordinate officer of justice being there to see her dye tells her that hee was now commanded by the Iudges his Superiours to tell her that shee being now to leave earth and so ready to ascend into heaven they prayed her in the name and feare of God to declare to all those who were present if her Husband Harcourt yea or no had any hand or were knowing or accessary with her in the poysoning of his first wife La Precoverte and that shee should doe piously and christianly to discover the truth thereof which would undoubtedly tend to Gods glory and the salvation of her owne soule When she solemnely vowed to him and to all the people that her Husband Harcourt never knew nor in thought word or deed was any way accessary knowing or consenting with her or Tivoly in poysoning of his wife and this which shee now spake was the pure truth as she hoped for Heaven And now after a few teares shee most vainely and idely fell praysing and commending of him especially how tenderly and deerely hee loved her with other ridiculous and impertinent speeches tending that way which I hold every way unworthy of my mention and repetition but had not the grace either to looke up to heaven or to God with repentance or the goodnesse to looke downe into her owne heart conscience or soule with contrition and sorrow for all those her foule Adulteries and Murthers Neither to pray to God for her selfe or to request those who were present to pray to God for her And so shee was turned over all wondring and grieving at her bloody crime and therefore some few lamenting or sorrowing for this her infamous death But shee there speakes not a word or the shadow of a word either of her Husband Harcourts pistolling to death of his Brother her first husband Vimory or of her knowledge thereof or consent thereunto Now though Harcourt seemed outwardly very sorrowfull for this shamefull death of his wife Masserina yet hee is inwardly exceeding Ioyfull that her silence at her death of murthering his Brother Vimory hath preserved his life with his reputation and his reputation with his life Whereupon being the same day freed and acquitted by the Iudges of Sens both of his pretended cryme as also of his imprisonment Hee composing his countenance equally betwixt joy and sorrow returnes to his house of Saint Symplician where now thinking himselfe absolutely discharged and cleered of all these his former Adulteries as also of his late cruell murthering of his Brother Hee within two or at most within three moneths after his wife Masserinaes Execution casts of his mourning apparell which he wore for her death and neither thinking of his soule or his conscience or of heaven or hell he â—…antes and froliques it out in brave apparell and because hee is now fortunately arrived to bee chiefe Lord and master of a great Estate both in Lands and money therefore hee thinkes it not his pride but his glory and not his vanity but his generosity to dight and put himselfe now into farre richer apparell then ever formerly hee had done whereof all the Gentlemen his neighbours yea all the Citty of Sens with no little wonder tooke especiall notice therof Yea hee is so farre from once dreaming or thinking either of his murthering of his Brother Vimorye or of the deplorable and untimely ends of his two wives as with much vanity and with farre more haste then discretion or consideration he now speedilyresolves to take and marry a third But his hopes will deceive them because God in his sacred Iustice and Iudgements will deceive his hopes For when he thinkes himselfe secure and safe not onely from the danger but likewise from the suspition of any fatall or disasterous accident which can possibly befall him then the triumphant power of Gods revenge will both suddenly and soundly surprise him His honest man Noell with an observant eye and a Conscionable and sorrowfull heart hath heard of La Precovertes poysoning and of Vimories pistolling to death and hath likewise seene the hanging both of Tivoly and of his last Mistris Masserina In all which severall accidents as one way hee wondereth at the malice of Sathan So another way hee cannot but infinitely admire and applaud the just judgements of the Lords Hee likewise knowes what his Master Harcourt is to him and hee to his master and in the time of his service and attendance under him what different and severall passages of businesse and secrets have past betweene them Hee hath remarked farre more vices then vertues in his Master whereat hee much grieveth but hee was infinitely more enforced then desirous either to see or know them and this againe doth exceedingly rejoyce him Hee well knowes that fidelity is the glory of a servant and yet it is a continuall sensible griefe to his heart and vexation to his soule to see that his Master serves God no better Hee doth not desire to know things which concerne his said Master whereof hee is ignorant but doth wish and pray to God that he were ignorant of many things which hee knowes and of more which he feares and being very often perplexed in his minde with the reluctation of these different causes and their as different effects Hee cannot but in the end satisfie himselfe with this resolution That as Harcourt is his Earthly Master so God is his Heavenly Master But here betides an unexpected and unwished Accident to this Noell which will speedily try of what temper and mettall both himselfe his heart his conscience and his soule is made and what infinite
and constantly avoid it in our selves THe foundation of this History is layd in the faire and famous City of Verona anciently a great Colony of the Romans since a free estate of it selfe but now dependant and subject to the Estate and Seignory of Venice wherein their lately dwelt an old Gentleman being a widdower and one of the chiefest and noblest families of that City named Seignior Fabritius Miniata who was rich in lands but exceeding wealthy in money whereof he had put a great and remarkeable Sum in the bank of Venice he had one only Childe a daughter of some eighteene yeares of age named Dona Felisanna who was wonderfull faire and a most lovely sweet Creature tall and slender of stature of yellow golden haire and sanguine damaske Rose Complexion Now as her beautie was every way answerable to her birth and extraction no lesse were her singular vertues and sweet perfections to her beautie and as wealth beautie and vertue concurring and meeting together are three powerful lures and attractiue Adamants to draw the desires and affections of many Noble gentlemen to seeke her in mariage So two of her chiefe Suitors and who cheifly flattered their hopes to enioy this sweet and pretious Jewell of nature and who stood in best possibility to beare away her affection and her selfe was Seignior Thomas Planeze a brave young gentleman of the neighbour citie of Mantova of a sweet presence and proper comely feature of some twentie five yeares old not verie rich yet indued with competent meanes to maintaine himselfe like himselfe but infinitly well bred and adorned and honored with all those generous parts and endowments which are requisit to make the gallants of our times compleat and the other Seignior Inan de Borlari a verie rich Gentleman of the same citie of Verona a proper man of countenance but of personage some what crooke backed and much Camber leggd and drawing towards fortie yeares of age but of education conditions and qualities so ignorant and inciuill as hee seemed to bee rather a Citizen then a Gentleman or indeed more a clowne then a citizen and yet otherwise of mettall and courage enough And that we may the more apparantly see and perfectly know upon what tearmes they both stand aswell in the opinion of the Father as the affection of the Daughter Miniata is infinitly desirous of Borlari for his Sonne in law but not of Planeze and Felisanna is excedingly affected to take Planeze for her Husband but not Borlari which they both perceiving whiles Borlari intends to seeke the affection and cosent of the Father before that of the Daughter Planeze shapes a contrary course resolues to seeke and prefer that of the daughter before the Father the regard of Borlari his wealth and of Planezes poverty with covetous Miniata like a furious stream or impetuous Torrent beares downe all other regardes and considerations before it But the consideration and respect of Borlari his deformed personage and then that of Planezes sweet feature and deportment with amorous Felisanna as a delicious charme and heart-ravishing extasy sweepes away all other regards and respects whatsoever The Father bids Borlari to be couragious and cheerfull and then hee shall not faile to have his daughter for his wife But the daughter wills Planeze to be descreet and constant and then she will not faile to take him for her Husband Miniata to shew his love to Borlari forbids Planeze his his house and the company of his daughter Felisanna to reveale her deere and fervent affection to Planeze assureth â—…m he shall often enjoy both her sight and company but confidently if not peremptorily prohibits Borlari to approach her presence Thus whiles Borlari often frequenteth and converseth with the Father publikely no lesse or indeed farre oftner doth Planeze privatly and whiles the first hath more cause to despaire than reason to hope of her affection and consent to be his wife the second hath all the reasons and causes of the world not onely to hope but to assure himselfe thereof But the patience of a little time will shortly resolve our curiositie whereunto these different affections will tend and what the event and issue will bee of these their opposite intentions and resolutions But because the ambition and wisdome of Borlari will make it conspicuous and apparant to his Mistris That there is as much difference betwixt him and Planeze as there is betweene her selfe and her Chamber-Maid Radegonda Hee therefore seeing that he cannot hitherto gaine her by the perswasion of her Father now hopes and attempts it by this her maids solicitation as holding her to be a fit instrument for the compassing of his desires and a proper Agent for the perfecting and crowning of his wishes because his best genius and intelligence informe him that shee hath a great power and beares a great stroake and sway with her Mistres But we shall shortly see and he too soone finde the contrary and that these his ill grounded hopes and undervalewing attempt of his will both deceive his ambition and betray his wisdome and judgement Now to gaine this her chambermaide Radegonda to his will that thereby with the more facility and cheerefullnesse shee may obtaine him her Mistris her favour and affection Hee bribes her with silver and Gold and many other gifts if not too costly for his giving yet I am sure too rich for her receiving and in requitall thereof she with her tongue promiseth him her best power and assistance towards her Mistris but in her heart intendes the contrary which is directed to betray him He sends likewise by her to his love and her Mistris divers curious rich presents and two Letters and prays her to take time at advantage and so to deliver them to her from him the which likewise shee faithfully promiseth but yet intends nothing lesse so she holds it rather a vertue than a vice to keep these presents for her selfe and to give the letters to his Corrivall Planeze to whom by solemne oath she had formerly ingaged her best art and power and her chiefest assistance Which policy or rather which fallacy of hers is not so secretly borne betwixt Planeze and herselfe but Borlari by some sinister accidental meanes hath perfect notice therof which he takes so unkindely at Radegondaes hands as consulting more with passion then reason his heart is so inflamed with Choller and his resolution with revenge against her that impatient of all delaies he sends for her one afternoone to meet him at the Amphitheatre and from thence goes with her to the next street to a friends house of his where ascending a chamber and bolting the doore withinside to him he with choller and threats chargeth her with this her ingratefull infidelity and treachery towards him when drawing all the truth from her by making herselfe a witnesse against her selfe aswell of the delivery of his letters to Planeze as also of keeping her presents for her selfe and that her Mistris and he are
solemnely contracted each to other He there in meere reuenge to her and in malice and disdaine to her Mistris puls off her head attire and very basely and violently cuts away all her haire and throwes it into the fire notwithstanding that Radegonda first fell on her knees and with infinite teares and praâ—…s besought him to the contrary But as he hath made it an act of his reveâ—… to Radegonda and of his disdaine to her lady his unkinde mistris Felisanna so hee now likewise resolves to make it one of his justifications to the world Poore Radegonda is all in teares and choller at this her disgracefull accident received of Borlari and no lesse but rather farre more is her younge Lady and Mistris Felisanna the griefe of the one engendring the choller of the other yea this ignoble and malicious fact of his doth so deepely sticke in her heart and minde and so extreamely exasperateth her against him as shee makes her lover Planeze acquainted therewith who notwithstanding her fathers prohibition was then descended his Coach and assended the Parlor to visit her Planeze wondreth and grieves at this incivill and base indignity of Borlari towards Radegonda which hee every way sees can no way but reflect on the other part of himselfe Felisanna and so consequently on himselfe When being in her presence the passions of his affection and the fumes of his revenge so farre ecclipse and transport his Judgement as hee freely profereth her his sword and selfe to right Radegondaes wrong on the person and life of Borlari the which courtesie and noble affection and respect of his Felisanna takes most lovingly and kindely of him but yet loves him so tenderly and deerely that by no meanes she will permit him to ingage muchlesse to hazard himselfe in this triviall quarrell which being as she affirmed more feminine then masculine did therefore more properly belong to her owne deciding and requitall the which in that regard she prayed him wholly to leave and referre to herselfe Borlari by some of Miniataes domestique servants whom in favour of money he hath made to be his friendly Spies and intelligencers heares hereof and especially takes notice of Planezes forwardnesse to fight with him for the quarrell of a poore chamber-maid so seeing that hee could hope for nothing but for dispaire in his affection from Felisanna hee takes this so ill from Planeze who although hee bee his rivall and competitor yet being in a manner but a stranger to him that he cannot he will not be outbraved by this Mantovesse in any point of courage or valour and therefore to prevent his insulting and daring Generosity and to give him a touch and taste of his owne Hee the next morning by his laquey Romea sends him this challenge BORLARY to PLANEZE IN Regard thou couldest not content thy selfe to bereave me of the Lady Felisanna whose sweat beauty and vertues are by farre more deere and pretious to me then my life but that with much ostentation and malice thou likewise makest it thy Trophees and Glory to offer her the sacrifice of my death onely for the triviall respect of her Chambermaids haire Therefore because thou makest so small an esteeme of my life My reputation invites and mine honour conjures mee to see what care thou wilt have for the defence and preservation of thine owne Towhich end I pray thee to meet mee to morrow betwixt five and sixe of the clocke in the afternoone with thy single rapier without seconds in the first meadow without the Vinsensa gate of this City where I will attend thy arrivall with much zeale and impatiency Thou art Noble enongh to bee so generous and I generous enough to trie if thou wilt appeare and approve thy selfe so Noble BORLARY The Lady Felisanna well knowing Romeo to be Borlari his laquey and seeing him deliver a letter to her lover Planeze which sâ—…areth to be some challeng she thereat adorning and beautifying her lilly cheekes with a Roseat blush prayes him to tell her what Borlari his letter contained When his owne hohonour getting the supremacy of his affection towards her he tels her that Borlari therein onely requested him to meet him the next day in the Domo which is the Cathedrall Church of that City dedicated to Saint Athanasius the which he is now going to grant him in his answer But Felisanna still jealous and fearefull prayes him to shew her those two letters which hee pleasantly puts off with some kisses and yet her bloud and heart so freezeth within her with feare as she useth the best power of her Art and the chiefest Art of her affection to conjure him not to fall out muchlesse to fight with Borlary at there meeting in the Church Planeze tells her hee is too religious to bee so prophane to distaine and pollute that sacred place with the effusion of Christian bloud because it is the temple of prayer the house of God and therefore every way fitter for a peacefull attonement and reconciliation then for a contentious quarrell now as the malice of men are finite but of women infinite Felisanna seeing her Planeze going to write his letter revenge and choller being then extravagantly predominant in her lookes and resolutions shee hastily steps downe into a chamber next to the garden where she sends for Borlaries laquey Romea and causeth three of her groomes whom she had purposely placed there by force and violence to cut off his right eare which they presently doe notwithstanding that he used a thousand intreaties and prayers to her to divert her from this her unworthy and malitious fact and then hastily departing from him shee spake this to him Tell thy Master Borlari that I have caused thine eare to be cut off to requite the affront and disgrace which he offered me in cutting off my chambermaid Radegondaes haire Planeze having secretly to himselfe reade Borlari his challenge Hee thinkes so honourably of himselfe and so disgracefully of him as he not a little wondereth to see that he hath the courage to write to him muchlesse the resolution to fight with him When grieving that hee cannot now have the felicity and honour to make tryall of his valour to himselfe and affection to his mistris upon a more generous spirit and nobler personage then Borlari hee accepts his challenge and in this answer promiseth him to meet him and performe it the which hee honourably conceales from Felisannaes feare and jealousie and so sealing up his letter hee goes downe to deliver it to Borlary his Laquey and resolves to dispeede and hasten his returne but contrary to his expectation he findes this laquey Romeo bitterly storming and weeping and so demanding the cause thereof hee then and there by a Gentleman his servant is first informed of the Laqueys disgrace and of the manner thereof as we have understood Planeze is wonderfully grieved at this disasterous accident but love prescribes so powerfull a law to his discretion as he is inforced to
drowning himselfe as it were in pleasure and security without so much as once thinking of his poysoning of Planeze or how he was revealed to be the Authour thereof by Castruchio his Letter sent unto him by Dorilla He is amazed and astonished at this his apprehension now beating his brest and then repenting when it was too late that ever he embrewed his hands in the innocent bloud of Planeze So both himselfe and Castruchio are brought to the State house where the Podestate and Prefect first examine them a part and then confront them each with other Where finding that neither of them deny but both of them to confesse themselves guilty of this foule murther they pronounce sentence of death against them and condemne Borlary to have his head cut off and then his body to be burnt and Castruchio to be hanged and his body to be throwne into the River of Addice whereon he was first taken the which the next morning was accordingly executed All Verona is as it were but one tongue to talke and prattle of this foule and lamentable murther and especially of Gods miraculous detection thereof by this drunken Bawd Dorilla who having heretofore often brought Castruchio to whores willingly now at last she brings him to the gallowes against her will The morning they are brought to their execution where there flocke and resort a world of spectators from all parts of the City And although the charity of their Judges send them Priests and Fryers to direct their soules for heaven yet this miserable wretch Castruchio seeming no way repentant or sorrowfull for this his foule fact uttered a short prayer to himselfe and so caused the top-man to turne him over which he did and within two houres after his body was throwne into the River But for Borlary he came to the scaffold better resolved and prepared for with griefe in his lookes and teares in his eyes hee there delivered this short and religious speech That he grieved in heart and was sorrowfull in soule for this lamentable murther of his committed on the person of Planeze as also for seducing of Castruchio to effect it by poyson for whose death he affirmed he was likewise exceedingly afflicted and sorrowfull That it was the temptations of the flesh and the devill who first drew him lustfully to affect the faire chaste and vertuous Lady Felisanna and consequently to murther her husband in full hope afterwards to obtaine her for his Wife or for his Curtesan That he was infinitely sorrowfull for all these his enormous crimes for the which he religiously asked forgivenesse first of God and then of the Lady Felisanna and likewise prayed all those who were there present to pray unto God for his soule that he was more carefull of his reputation towards men than of his salvation towards God and that his neglect of prayer and of the participation of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist was the originall cause of this his misery So againe commending himselfe to the prayers and recommending his sinfull yet sorrowfull soule into the hands of his Redeemer the sword of the Executioner at one blow made a perpetuall divorce betweene his soule and his body which pious and Christian speech of his was as great a consolation to the vertuous as his death as that of Castruchio was a terrour to the vitious spectators and Auditors So to confirme the sentence the dead body of Borlary is presently burnt And thus was the bloudy lives and deserved deaths of these three irreligious and unfortunate persons Of Romeo the Laquey Of Borlary the Gentleman and of Castruchio the Apothecary And in this manner did the justice of the Lord of Hosts in due time justly triumph o're their execrable crimes in their sharp punishments and shamefull ends Pray we that we may reade this their History with feare and as religious and godly Christians remember these their lamentable Murthers with horror and detestation GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther Beaumarays and his brother Montagne kill Cahmpigny and Marin his Second in a Duell Blancheville the widdow of Champigny in revenge thereof hireth Le Valley servant to Beaumarays to murther his said Master with a Pistoll which he doth for the which Le Valley is broken on the wheele and Blancheville hanged for the same LEt all Religious Christians examine their hearts and soules with what face we can tread on Earth or looke up to Heaven when we stab at the Majestie of God in killing and murthering man his image a bloudy crime so repugnant to nature as reason abhorres it a scarlet and crying sinne so opposite to grace as God and his Angels detest it And yet if ever Europe were stained or submerged with it now it is for as a swift current or rather as a furious torrent it now flowes and overflowes in most Kingdomes Countries and Cities thereof in so much as in dispight of divine and humane Lawes it is now almost generally growne to a wretched custome and that almost to a second nature A fatall example whereof this ensuing History will report and relate us Wherein Gods Iustice hath so sharply and severely punished the perpetrators thereof that if we either acknowledge God for our Father or our selves for his children and servants it will teach us to be lesse revengfull and more charitable by their unfortunate ends and deplorable judgement I Will now relate a sad and bloudy History which betided in the faire Citie of Chartres the Capitall of the fertile Countrey of Beausse so famous for her sumptuous Cathedrall Church dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary as also for that Henry the fourth that great King and unparalleld Captaine of France during the combustions of the league was despight of the league crowned therein In which faire and pleasant City as there still dwell some Noblemen and many Gentlemen in respect of the sweet aire and goodly Champaigne Countrey thereabouts second for that to no other in France So of late yeares there resided two rich and brave young Gentlemen well descended being both of them heires to their two deceased fathers The one of them named Monsieur De Champigny and the other Monsieur De Beaumarays and their Demaines and Lands lay within seven leagues of this City in the way towards Vendosme Now the better to see them in their true and naturall Characters They were both of them tall and slender and of faire and sanguine complexions and very neere of an age For Champigny was twenty six yeares old and Beaumarays twenty foure and yet the last had a beard and the first none and of the two Champigny was by farre the richer but Beaumarays the Nobler descended Now to lay this History upon its proper seat and naturall foundation we must understand that there was a very rich Counsellour of the Presidiall Court of Chartres named Monsieur De Rosaire whose wife being dead left him no other childe but one faire young daughter of the age
saw or knew them May wee reade this their History first to the honour of God and then to our owne Instruction and reformation That the sight and remembrance of these their punishments may deterre us from the impiety and inhumanity of perpetrating the like bloudy crimes Amen GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther Lorenzo murthereth his wife Fermia Hee some twenty yeares after as altogether unknowne robbeth his and her sonne Thomaso who likewise not knowing Lorenzo to be his father doth accuse him for that robbery for which he is hanged THose who by the pernitious instigation and fatall temptation of Sathan doe wilfully imbrue their hands in innocent bloud and so make themselves guilty of murther are no longer men but have prodigiously metamorphosed themselves into the nature and quality of devils And as after this their crime they are worthy of all true christians detestation so most commonly without Gods saving grace and mercy their hearts are so obdurated with impenitency of security and their soules seared up and abandoned to all kinds of atheisticall prophannesse and impiety that they are so far from thinking of God as they beleeve there is no God and so far from fearing of his judgements and punishments as they are desperately confident they have not deserved any But because their hearts and actions are as transparent to Gods eyes and knowledge as Gods decrees and resolution are invisible to theirs therefore despight this their blindnesse and the devils malice and subtilty to obscure and conceale it this world will affoord them no true peace nor this life produce them any perfect tranquility But wheresoever they goe or live their guilty thoughts and consciences as so many hellish bloudhounds will incessantly persue and follow them till in the end they drag them to condigne shame misery and confusion for the same which this subsequent history will verifie and make good to us in a wretched and execrable personage whom it mournefully presents to our view and consideration Let us read it in the feare of God that we may weigh that benefit by it which becomes good Christians to make IT is not the meannesse of the personages but the greatnesse and eminence of Gods Judgements which hath prevailed with me to give this History a place among my others The which to draw from the head-spring and originall we must understand that in Italy the Garden of Europe as Europe is that of the whole world and in the City of Genova seated upon the Mediterranean Sea which the Italians for the sumptuousnesse and statelinesse of her buildings doe justly stile and entitle proud Genova neare unto the Arsenall upon the Key there dwelt of late yeares a proper tall young man of a coale blacke haire some twenty five yeares old named Andrea Lorenzo who by his trade was a Baker and was now become Master of his profession and kept forth his Oven and shop for himselfe wherein he was so industrious and provident that in a short time he became one of the prime Bakers of that City and wrought to many Ships and Galleyes of this Estate and Seigniory He in few yeares grew rich was proffered many wives of the daughters of many wealthy Bakers and other Artificers of Genova but he was still covetous and so addicted to the world as he could fancy none nor as yet be resolved or perswaded to seeke any maid or widdow in marriage sith hee knew it to be one of the greatest and most important actions of our life and which infallibly drawes with it either our chiefest earthly felicity or misery But as marriages are made in heaven before consummated on earth So Lorenzo going on a time to the City of Savona which both by Sea and Land is some twenty little miles from Genova and heretofore was a free City and Estate of it selfe but now swallowed up in the power and opulencie of that of Genova he there fell in love with a rich Vintners daughter her father named Iuan Baptista Moron and shee Firmia Moron who was a lovely and beautifull young maiden of some eighteene yeares of age being tall and slender of a pale complection and a bright yellow haire but exceedingly vertuous and religious and endowed with many sweet qualities and perfections who althouhh she were sought in marriage by divers rich young men of very good families of that City with the worst of whom either for estate or extraction Lorenzo might no way compare yet shee could fancie none but him and hee above all the men of the world she secretly in her heart and minde desired might be her Husband Lorenzo with order and discretion seeks Fermia in mariage of her father Moron who is too strong of purse and to high of humour to match his daughter to a Baker or to any other of a mechanicall profession and so gives him a flat and peremptory deniall But Lorenzo finds his daughter more courteous and kinde to his desires for she being as deeply enamoured of his personage as he was of her beauty and vertues after a journey or two which he had made to her at at Savona she consents and yeelds to him to be his wife conditionally that hee can obtaine her fathers good will thereunto but not otherwise which Lorenzo yet feared and doubted would prove a difficult taske for him to compasse and procure for her father knowing Fermia to be his owne and onely childe and daughter and that her beautie and vertuous education together with the consideration of his owne wealth and estate made her every way capable of a farre better husband than Lorenzo As also that his daughter in reason and religion and by the lawes of heaven and earth was bound to yeeld him all duty and obedience because of him she had formerly received both life and being therefore he was resolute that Lorenzo should not have his daughter to wife neither would he ever hearken to accept or consent to take him for his sonne in Law Lorenzo having thus obtained the heart and purchased the affection of his sweet and deare Fermia he now out of his fervent desire and zeale to see her made his wife and himselfe her husband makes it both his ambition and care according to her order to drawher father Moron to consent thereunto wherein the more importunate humble and dutifull he both by himselfe friends is to Moron the more imperious averse and obstinate is he to Lorenzo as disdaining any farther to heare of this his suit and motion for his daughter But Lorenzo loves the daughter too tenderly and dearly thus to be put off with the first repulse and deniall of her father and so notwithstanding hee againe persevereth in his suit towards him with equall humility and resolution Hee requesteth his consent to their affections with prayers and his daughter Fermia having formerly acquainted her father with her deare and inviolable love to Lorenzo she now prayes him thereto with teares But as one who
happinesse to you as I your sorrwfull daughter and his poore mother see my selfe borne to affliction and misery God will requite this your charity to him and thereby I shall the sooner forget your unnaturall unkindnesse and cruelty towards my selfe And so may you live in as much prosperity as I feare I shall shortly die in extreame indigence and misery FERMIA Her father Moron receiveth and peruseth this third Letter of his daughter Fermia whereat being yet nothing moved in charity or touched in compassion towards her but onely towards her young sonne and his grand childe Thomaso he returnes her this short answer MORON to FERMIA I See thou art both wilfull and obstinate in disobeying my commands with thy Letters wherein I beleeve thou takest more glory than either I conceive griefe at the relation of thy wants or sorrow at the repetition of thy miseries the which I am so farre from releeving as I onely pitie it that I am thy father but not as thou art my daughter And yet because thy young sonne Thomaso is as innocent as thou art guilty of my displeasure and indignation therefore give him to this bearer whom I have purposely sent to receive hiâ—… of thee and I will see whether it be the pleasure of God that I shall be as happy in hiâ—… as I am unfortunate in thy selfe and if in his sacred providence he hath ordained and decreed that he prove as great a comfort to thy age as thou art a crosse and calamity to â—…ine which if it prove so then give God the onely praise and glory which is the best use and requitall which thou canst make or I desire MORON Our poore and desolate Fermia having received and over-read her fathers letter although she be wonderfull sorrowfull at the perseverance of his cruelty towards her selfe yet she is infinitely glad and joyfull at his compassion and kindnesse towards her young son who apparelling the very best that possibly she could which God knowes is ragged meane and poore she with a thousand sighs teares prayers blessings and kisses gives him to her fathers messenger and to whose affection and education as also to Gods gracious protection and preservation shee religiously recommends him when to her exceeding griefe and sensible affliction she sees it out of her possible power once to perswade her husband Lorenzo either to kisse or see him at his departure as if it were no part of his affection to blesse it or of his duty to pray to God to blesse it much lesse to kisse it at parting A most unkinde and unnaturall part of a father to his sweet and pretty young sonne Which strange and discourteous ingratitude of his it is not impossible for us to see God as strangely both to requite and revenge Sorrowfull Fermia having thus sent away her little sonne Thomaso to her father Moron at Savona she the very same night dreames in her poore bed and house in Genova that she shall never be so happy to see him againe when being awaked and remembring this her sorrowfull dreame she for meere griefe bitterly weeps thereat and although she would yet she cannot possibly forget or suppresse the remembrance thereof or once put it out of her minde so that thinking her selfe fortunate in placing this her little sonne with her father and his Grandfather shee is now very pensive and sorrowfull for his absence because she can no longer see him play with him and kisse him and is infinitely disconsolate and mournfull when she thinks of her dreame of him In the meane time her lewd husband growes from bad to worse so that her cohabitation is but a bondage with him and her mariage and wedlocke but an Indenture of slavery and a contract of misery under him Such is her incomparable griefe such her unparalleld afflictions and calamities Five yeares our disconsolate Fermia lives in this rich misery and miserable poverty with her husband and yet all the whole world cannot perswade her father Moron to take her home to him and maintaine her She hath no consolation left her but prayers nor remedy but enforced patience so shee armes her selfe with the last and adorneth her selfe with the first She was contented to begge for the maintenance of her little sonne Thomaso but now being eased of that burthen she will give it over so she works hard to get her hard and poore living which yet she cannot get so fast as her husband spends it prodigally and lasciviously Her care and vertues make her the pitie as his lewdnesse and vices make him the scorne and contempt of all their neighbours So whiles she sits at home close at her needle in poore apparell he idlely wanders and gads abroad untill he have brought his apparell to ragges and himselfe almost to nakednesse And here it is that her wretched husband Lorenzo now first beginnes to hearken to the devill yea to prove a very devill himselfe towards this his deare and vertuous wife for he enters into a consultation with himselfe that if he were once rid of his wife Fermia he might marry some other with a good portion to maintaine him and so againe set up his trade of baking which now had forsaken him because he had vitiously and unthriftily forsaken it When his faith being as weake with God as his infamous life and vices were odious to the world he assumes a bloudy and damnable resolution to murther her and hereunto the Devill is still at his elbow to provoke and egge him onward and continually blowes the coales to this his malice and indignation against her So neither his minde or heart his conscience or soule can divert him from this fearfull enterprize and lamentable and bloudy businesse The which to performe and perpetrate he on a great holiday which was the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary takes her with him into a Vineyard some halfe a mile from the City of Genova under colour to recreate themselves and to take the aire which God knowes she poore soule takes for a great because an unaccustomed favour and courtesie at his hands where she most lovingly and willingly goes with him and there feigning himselfe fast a sleep and she innocent harmlesse young woman then thereslept soundly and every way being as devoid of feare as he was of grace he with a barbarous and diabolicall cruelty seeing the coast cleare softly riseth up and cuts her throat without giving her the power time or happinesse to utter one word before her death Where leaving her weltring and goring in her bloud he speedily and politikely enters Genova by a contrary gate thereby to avoid all suspition of this his bloudy and damnable fact The very same night this her breathlesse murthered body is found out by some of Genova who accidentally walked that way and they causing it to be brought to the City it is knowne by some of Lorenzo's neighbours to bee his wife Fermia whereat to adde the better cloke to his knavery and shadow
to his villany he seemes to be wonderfully sad and passionately sorrowfull for the same and so requesteth the Criminall officers both in and about the City to make curious research and enquiry for the murtherers of his wife which they doe but this hypocriticall sadnesse and false sorrow of his though to the eye of the world it prevaile for a time yet to that of Gods mercy and justice in the end it shall little availe him so he gives her a poore and obscure buriall every way unworthy the sweetnesse of her beauties and the excellencie of her vertues Her father Moron hath speedy notice of this deplorable death of his daughter who considering how she had cast away her selfe upon so bad a Husband as Lorenzo though outwardly hee seeme to bewaile and lament it yet inwardly he much cares not for it and for her little sonne Thamaso his few yeares dispenceth with his capacity from understanding much lesse from lamenting and mourning for this disastrous end of his mother A moneth after the cruell murther and buriall of this vertuous yet unfortunate young woman Fermia her bloudy and execrable husband Lorenzo is yet so devoid of feare and grace as he goes to Savona to request his father in law Moron to give him some maintenance in regard he had no portion from him with his wife his daughter as also to see his sonne Thomaso But Moron by his servants sends him a peremptory refusall to both these his requests and so will neither see him nor suffer him to see his sonne but absolutely for ever forbids him his house Whereat Lorenzo all in choller leaves Savona and returnes to Genova where selling away his wives old cloaths to provide him new he seeks many maidens and widdowes in mariage but the fame of his bad life and infamous carriage and deportment with his late wife is so fresh and great that they all disdaine him so that utterly despairing ever to raise himselfe and his fortunes by mariage he forsakes and leaves Genova inrols himselfe a Bandetti and for many yeares together practiseth that theevish profession to the which we willl eave him and speake a little of his young and little sonne Thomaso Old Moron traines up this his Grand-child Thomaso very vertuously and industriously and at the age of fourteene yeares bids him chuse and embrace any trade he best liketh When Thomaso exceedingly delighting in limming graving and imagery he becomes a Goldsmith and in foure or five yeares after is become a singular expert and skilfull workman in his trade His Grandfather loves him dearly and tenderly and intends to make him his heire but Thomaso led as I thinke by the immediate hand and providence of God or out of his owne naturall disposition and inclination being of a gadding humour to travell abroad and see other Cities and Countreyes and having a particular itching desire to see Rome which he understood is one of the very prime and chiefe places of the world for rich and curious Goldsmiths Hee finding a french ship of Marseilles which by contrary winds stopt in the Road of Savona bound up for Civita Vechia very secretly packes up his trunke and trinkets and so goes along in that ship Now as soone as his Grandfather Moron understands hereof he very much grieves at this his rash and sodaine departure So Thomaso arrives at Civita Vechia goes up to Hostia by sea and thence on the River Tiber to Rome where hee becomes a singular ingenious Gold-Smith and thrives so well as after a few yeares he there keepes shop for himselfe and constantly builds up his residence In all this long tract and progression of time which my true information tels me is at least twenty foure yeares his father Lorenzo continues a theevish Bandetti in the state of Genova and Luca where hee commits so many Lewd robberies and strange rapines depraedations and thefts as that country at last becomes too hot for him and he too obnoxious for it so he leaves it and travelleth into Thoscany and to the faire famous Citty of Florence which is the Metropolis therof where with the moneys he had gotten by the revenewes of his robberies he againe sets up his old trade of a Baker in which profession he knew himselfe expert and excellent and here hee setleth himselfe to live and dwell takes a faire commodious house and lookes out hard for some rich old maiden or young widdow to make his new wife But God will prevent his thoughts and frustrate his designes and desires herein For as yet his bloudy thoughts have not made their peace with his soule nor his soule with his all seeing and righteous God for the cruell murthering of his old wife Fermia which as an impetuous storme and fierce tempest will sodainely befall him when hee least dreams or thinkes hereof yea by a manner so strange and an accident so miraculous that former ages have seldome if ever paralleld or givenus a precedent hereof and wherein the power and providence the mercy and Iustice of God resplends with infinite lustre and admiration and therefore in my poore judgment and opinion I deeme it most worthy of our observation as we are men and of our remembrance as we are christians Charles now Cardinall of Medicis going up to Rome to receive his hat of this present Pope Vrban VIII and Cosmos the great duke of Florence his Brother in honour to him and their illustrious bloud and family whereof they are now chiefe resolving to make his entry and aboade in that Citty of Rome to be stately and magnificent Hee causeth his house and traine in all points to be composed of double officers and Servants to whom he gives rich and costly liveryes and among others our Lorenzo is found out elected and pricked downe to be one of his Bakers for his owne trencher in that Iourney where in Rome he flaunts it out most gallantly and bravely in rich apparell and is still most deboshed and prodigall in his expenses before any other of the Cardinals meniall Seruants without ever any more thinking or dreaming of the murthering of his wife Fermia but rather absolutely beleives that as he so God had wholly buryed the remembrance of that bloudy fact of his in perpetuall silence and oblivion But the devill will deceive his hopes For now that Lamentable murther of his cryes aloud to Heaven and to God for vengeance Wherein we shall behold and see that it is the providence and pleasure of God many times to punish one sinne in and by another yea and sometimes one sin for another as reserving it in the secret will and inscrutable providence to punish Capitall offenders whereof murtherers are infallibly the greatest both when where and how he pleaseth for earthly and sinfull eyes have neither the power to pry into his heavenly decrees nor our minde and capacity to dive into his divine actions and resolutions because many times hee accelerateth or delayeth their punishments as they shall
hearing no answer of either of them they instantly cause the doore to bee forced open where contrary to their expectation they finde the Lady Babtistyna dead and well neere cold in her bed and causing her body to bee secretly searched by some Chirurgians and neighbor Gentlewomen they all are of opinion that shee is undoubtedly stifled in her bed and her face very much blacke and swolne with struggling for life against death They are amazed and her Father Streni almost drowned in his sorrowfull teares at the fight of this deplorable accident and mournefull spectacle and therefore what to say or how to beare himselfe herein hee knowes not But the Iudges upon farther knowledge and consideration of the flight of Pierya the death of Bernardo and the promised Annuity of Amarantha upon their marriage as it were prompted by God doe vehemently suspect and believe that they all three were undoubtedly consenting guilty of Babtistyna's death notwithstanding that the Key of her Chamber was found thrown in within side So they presently leave this sorrowfull Father to his teares and betaking themselves to their Seat of Iustice doe instantly cause all the Gates of the City to be shut and a strict and curious search to be made in all parts thereof for the apprehension of Pierya which in their zeale and honour to sacred justice they performe with so much care and speed as within three houres after shee is found out and apprehended in an Aunts house of hers who was a poore woman and a Laundresse of that City named Eleanora Fracasa The Iudges being presently advertised hereof convent her before them and by vertue of this Annuity charge both her and her lover Bernardo to bee the actors and Amarantha to bee at least the accessary if not the authour with them of murthering Babtistyna shee can hardly speake for teares at this her examination because her sighes still cut her words in pieces and yet she is so farre from grace and repentance as at first shee stoutly denyes all and boldly affirmes that both Amarantha Bernardo and her selfe were every way innocent of attempting any thing against Babtistyna's life and that if shee were dead shee dyed onely of a naturall death by the appoyntment of God and no otherwise and to this Answer of hers the Devill had made her so strong as shee added many fearfull oaths and deprecations both for her owne and their justification but yet notwithstanding this her Apologie these grave and cleere-fighted Iudges are so farre from diminishing as they augment their suspition both of her and them and so commit her to prison and forthwith to the racke At the pronouncing of which Sentence Pierya is much daunted seemes to let fall some of her former fortitude and constancie and to burst forth into many passionate teares sighs and exclamations But they will nothing availe her for seeing her pretended Husband Bernardo dead in whom lived the imaginary joyes of her heart shee so fainted as at the very first sight of the Racke with some teares and more deep fetch'd sighes shee confessed to her Iudges that shee and Bernardo had stifled her Lady Babtistyna in her bed but still constantly affirmed that her sister Amarantha was wholly innocent thereof flattering her selfe with this hope that for thus her cleering of her Lady Amarantha from this crime and danger shee in requitall thereof could doe no lesse then bee a meanes to procure a pardon for her life But these hopes of hers will deceive her and flie as fast from her hereafter as ever shee formerly did from God So the Iudges in detestation of this her foule and bloudy crime adjudge her to bee hanged for the same but first they send her backe to prison and the very next morning before breake of day they secretly send away three of their Isbieres or Sergeants to Cardura to fetch the Lady Amarantha to Florence being very confident notwithstanding Pierya's denyall that shee likewise had a deepe finger and share in her Sister Babtistyna's murther Amarantha not dreaming in Cardura what had betided in Florence to 〈◊〉 and Pierya but flattering her selfe with much hope and joy that by this time they had undoubtedly made away her Sister Babtistyna and consequently that she should shortly revisite Florence and there domineere alone and obtaine some gallant Cavallier of her Father for her husband shee in expectance of her servant Bernardo's returne and of his pleasing newes had that day as it were in a bravery and triumph purposely dighted her selfe up in her best attire and richest apparell and so betaking her selfe to her Chamber and to that window which looked towards Florence shee with a longing desire expecteth ev'ry minute when he will arrive when about ten of the clocke before dinner contrary to her expectation shee sees three men to enter into the house apparelled as Florentines whereat shee much museth and wondereth as not knowing what they or their comming should import These three Sergeants having entred the house they are brought to the Governesse Malevola who brings them to her young Lady Amarantha in her Chamber to whom with a dissembling confidence they report to her That Seâ—…gnior Streni her Father hath sent them to conduct and accompany her speedily to Florence Amarantha inquires of them for her Fathers Letters to that effect whereunto one of the subtlest of them makes answer very slylie and artificially to her that her Fathers haste and her preferment would not permit him to write to her for that hee perfectly knew from him hee was now upon matching her to a rich and noble Husband Her Governesse Malevola likewise demands of them if hee had not written to her selfe they answer no but that hee bad them tell her that he will'd her without delay to bring away his Daughter Amarantha with her and themselves to Florence by Coach and onely one Foot-boy The Pupill and Governesse consult hereon and the very name of a Husband makes the first as willing as the second is discontented to goe to Florence without a Letter but the policie of the Sergeants so prevaile with the simplicity of this young Lady and old Gentlewoman that they speedily packe up their Trunkes so dine and then take Coach and horse and away for Florence during which short journey although the mirth and joy of Amarantha bee great yet shee findes so many different reluctations and extravagant thoughts in her minde at the absence and silence of her man Bernardo as shee cannot possibly againe refraine from musing and wondering thereat They all arrive at Florâ—…nce where these Sergeants having learnt their parts well and acting them better in stead of Amarantha's Fathers house doe clap her up close prisoner in the Common Goale of that City notwithstanding all her prayers and cries sighes and teares to the contrary and then send her Governesse Malevola home to her said Father to advertise him hereof who tearing the snow-white haire of his head and beard at this sad newes and
hereat but how to remedy it she knowes not For his discontent hath made him so vicious his vices so obstinate and his obstinacie so outragious and violent as his Mother surfets with his Love-sute to Eleanora and will no more entermeddle with it Hee prayes and reprayes her to make one Iourney more for him to Vercelie to see what alterations time may have wrought in the hearts of Cassino and Eleanora but shee is as averse and wilfull as he is obstinate and peremptory and therefore constantly vowes neither to write nor ever to conferre more with them herein But this resolute answer of the Mother breeds bad blood in the Sonne yea it makes a Mutiny in his thoughts a Civill warre in his heart and a flat Rebellion in his resolutions against her for the same to which the Devill the Arch-enemy and Incendiary of our soules blowes the Coles For he who hereâ—…ofore looked on his Mother with obedience and affection cannot or at least will not see her now but with contempt and malice yea hee is so devoid of Grace and so exempt of Goodnesse that hee lookes from Charitie to wrath from Religion to Revenge from Heaven to Hell and so resolves to murther her thinking with himselfe that if hee had once dispatcht her he should then be sole Lord of all her wealth and that then this his great and absolute estate would soone induce Cassino and Eleanora to accept of his affection But he reckons without his soule and without God and therefore no marvell if these his bloody hopes deceive and betray him his Religion and Conscience cannot prevaile with him neither hath his Soule either grace or power enough to divert him from this fatall busines and execrable resolution for he will be so infernall a Monster of nature as to act her death of whom he received his life He consults with himselfe and the Devill with him whether hee should stab or poyson her but he holds it farre more safe and lesse dangerous to use the Drug then the Dagger and so concludes upon poyson to which â—…nd he being resolute in his rage thus to make away his Mother he as an execrable Villaine or indeed rather as a Devill provides himselfe of poyson the which hee still carries about him waiting for an opportunitie to give an end to this deplorable busines the which the Devill very shortly administreth him The manner thus This refusall of Cassino to her Sonne Alphonso and his miserable relapse to whoredome drunkennesse and neglect of prayer doth exceedingly distemper the Lady Sophia his Mothers spirits and they her body so that she is three dayes sicke of a Burning feaver when to allay the fervor of that unaccustomed heate shee causeth some Almond-milke to bee made her the which shee compoundeth with many coole herbes and other wholesome Ingredients of that nature and quality which she takes three times each day morning after dinner and before shee goes to bed So the third day of her sicknesse walking in the afternoone in one of the shaddowed Allies of her Garden with her Sonne and there with her best advice rectifying and directing his resolutions from Vice to Vertue she is unexpectedly surprised with the Symptome of her Feaver when sitting downe and causing her waiting Maid to hold her head in one of the Arbours she prayes her Sonne Alphonso to runne to her Chamber and to bring her a small wicker Bottle of Almond milke the which he doth but bloody Villaine that he is nothing can withhold him but his heart being tempered with inhumanitie and crueltie hee first poures in his poyson therein and then gives it her who good Lady drinkes two great draughts thereof when a sweat presently over spreading her face and shee beginning to looke pale he as a wretched Hypocrite makes a loud outcry from the Garden to the house and calling there Servants to her assistance hee likewise cals for a Chaire so she is brought to her Chamber and laid in her bed and within few houres after as a vertuous Lady and innocent Saint she forsakes this life and this world for a better and the ignorance of her Servants and her bloody Sonne drench'd as it were in the rivolets of his fained teares together with his excessive lamentations doe coffin her dead body up somewhat privately and speedily so that there is no thought nor suspicion of poyson and thus was the lamentable Murther and deplorable end of this wise and religious Lady Sophia committed by her owne wretched and infernall Sonne Now this Devill Alphonso to set the better luster on his forrowes and the better varnish and colour on his mourning for the death of his Mother gives her a stately Funerall the pompe and cost whereof not only equalized but exceeded their ranke and quality For he left no Gentleman or Lady in or about Cassall uninvited to be at her buriall and his Feast and dighted himselfe and all his Kinsfolkes and Servants in mourning attire thereby the better to carry off the least reflexion or shaddow of suspicion from him of this his foule and inhumane Murther The newes of the Lady Sophia's death runs from Cassall to Vercelie where Cassino and his Neece Eleanora understanding thereof they both of them exceedingly lament and sorrow for it in regard she was a very Honourable Wise and Religious Lady and to whom the tender youth of Eleanora was infinitly beholding and indebted for many of her sweet vertues and perfections so that as her Vncle honoured her so this his Neece held her selfe bound to reverence her as making her eminent and singular vertues the mould and patterne whereon shee framed all her terrestriall comportments and actions which in few moneths after were so many and so excellent that as she was knowne to bee one of the most beautifull so shee was likewise justly reported to be one of the wisest young Ladies of all that Citie and Countrie which together with her owne great Estate as also that of her Vncle Cassino's to the full enjoying whereof in contemplation of her vertues and consanguinity he had justly both designed and adopted her his sole heire the which made her to be sought in marriage by divers young Gallants of very noble and chiefe houses most whereof were superiour to Alphonso both in blood and wealth When her Vncle at last with her owne free affection and consent privately marries her to Signior Hieronymo Brasciano a rich and brave young Gentleman of Vercelie who was Nephew and Heire to the Bishop of that Citie but he being likewise very young the tendernesse of both their ages dispenced them from as yet lying together and both the Bishop and her Vncle Cassino for some important reasons best knowne to themselves caused this their marriage as yet to bee concealed from all the world with great privacie and secrecie hee for the most part living with the Bishop his Vncle at the Citie of Turin which is the Court of the Duke of Savoy and she in Vercelie
courteously prayed them to be no strangers to him and his house whiles the contrary winds kept them here in Ancona which they readily and thankfully promise him they for this time take leave each of other Astonichus and Donato highly applauding the beauty of Imperia and Morosini infinitely condemning and contemning the simplicity and age of her old Husband Palmerius But this is not all for that very after-noone Morosini out of the intemperate heat and passion of his love by a confident messenger sends to pray Imperia to meet him at three of the clocke in her Garden which was a pretty way distant from her house the which shee joyfully grants him and here it is where they meet and where I am enforced to say that in the pavillion or banquetting house of this Garden these our two youthfull lovers after a thousand sweet kisses and embraces first received each of other those amorous delights and pleasures which modesty will not and chastity and honesty cannot permit mee to mention as also for that these pils of sugar are most commonly candide in bitter wormwood and gall and but too frequently prove honey to the palate but poyson to the heart and soule And here in this her Garden I say againe was the very first time and place where our faire Imperia who was so famous in Loretto and Ancona for her piety and chastity forgetting the first made shipwracke of the last and where of a Gentlewoman of honour shee lost her honour by committing this her beastly sinne of sensuality and Adultery When the winds which were contrary to Morosini's voyage proved so favourable and propitious to his lustfull desires that he thinks of nothing lesse than of his returne to Venice nor of any thing so much as of his stay here in Ancona with his faire and sweet love Imperia who likewise finds lesse content and pleasure in the company of her Husband Palmerius than she hoped for and now farre more in her deare friend Morosini than she either dreamt or expected In which triviall regard and sinfull consideration shee in a manner abandons the first and gives her selfe wholly over to the will and pleasure of the second and so turning the custome of these their lascivious daliances into a habit and that into a second nature both in her Garden and her owne house shee very often both by day and night commits this bitter-sweet sinne of Adultery with Morosini whereof a subtill young Nephew of Palmerius of some eighteene yeares old who was his sisters sonne and termed Richardo takes exact and curious notice and once among the rest hee peeps in at the key-hole of his Aunts chamber doore and there sees her and Seignior Morosini on the bed together and in no lesse familiarity than was requisite or could be expected betwixt his Unkle her Husband Palmerius and her selfe whereupon secretly envying and hating her because he was afraid shee should beare away all or at least the greatest part of his said Unkles Estate and wealth from him who for want of children hoped that he therefore should be his adopted heire he therefore malitiously beares the remembrance of this object accident in his mind with an intent that when occasion should hereafter present the report and knowledge thereof to his said Unkle might justly cause him wholly to heave and raze her out of his good opinion affection As for Morosini and Imperia they notwithstanding all this doe still strongly endeavour to bleare the eyes of her Husband Palmerius who thinking his wife to be as chaste as faire and rather a Diana than a Lais out of his good nature doth sometimes in his house feast Morosini and his two Consorts Astonicus and Donato But they will prove pernitious and fatall guests to him for ere long we shall see them require this hospitality and courtesie of his with a prodigious and treacherous ingratitude In which meane time all Ancona resounds of the great expence and profuse prodigality of Morosini and his two associates for they here revell it out in the best Tavernes and companies of the City and not onely exceed others but also themselves in the richnesse and bravery of their apparell but most especially Morisini whose apparell is every way fitter for an Italian Nobleman than a Venetian Merchant Our lustfull and lascivious Imperia is never well contented or pleased but in his presence and her Husbands absence and here to relate the truth of her heart Morosini is more her Husband than Palmerius or rather Palmerius is but the shadow and Morosini the essentiall substance of her Husband and therefore I desire the Reader to know and remember that in that regard and consideration I have purposely entituled this History not to be of Palmerius and Imperia but of Morosini and Imperia Morosini Astonicus and Donato in their lodging and chambers have many times many private speeches and conferences what pity it is that so sweet and faire a young Gentlewoman as Imperia should by the constraint of her unkinde and cruell father thus bee clogged and chained in mariage to so old a dotard as Palmerius for a more favourable Epithite their vanity and folly could not afford to give him and Morosini in the dumbe eloquence and Logicke of Imperia's sighs and teares apparantly beleeves that in her heart and soule she infinitely desireth and wisheth that Palmerius were in Heaven and himselfe now her Husband here on earth in his place He reads as much in her looks and countenance and is therefore confident that her heart and ambition aspire to no sweeter earthly felicity Hee hath not lost his wit in his affection nor wholly drowned his judgement either in the fresh Roses and Lillies of her beauty or in the resplendent lustre of those sparkling Diamonds and starres her eyes He knowes that his Estate is farre inferiour to his birth and extraction and yet that his prodigalities and expences both in Turkie and Italy are farre superiour and above his Estate He would faigne therefore finde out the meanes to beare up his port and consequently to preserve his reputation with the whole world the which he esteemes equall to his life if not above it Hee knowes that Imperia is already more his Wife than her Husbands and is very confident that he can make her apt for any impression and capable of any designe which may advance his owne fortunes and confirme both their contents whereunto conjoyning the sweetnesse of her beauty the excellencie of her feature and the exceeding great wealth of her old Husband hee adding all these considerations together they here weigh him downe to Hell Satan by terminating his thoughts and fixing his heart upon this hellish resolution to send him speedily to Heaven in a bloudy winding sheet and no other charitable thought or Christian consideration can divert him from this inhumane and bloudy project neither can hee possibly reape any truce of his thoughts or peace of his heart before hee
they doe her to accept and receive her owne They tell her they have not the power to grant her the first and she replies that shee then hath not the will to embrace and entertaine the second They acquaint Morosini herewith who by their order and by their selves doe strongly perswade her hereunto but her first answer and resolution is her last that shee willaccept of no life if he must dye neither will hee refuse any death conditionally that shee may live to survive him The two Friers and two Nunnes use their best Art and Oratory to perswade her hereunto but they meet with impossibility to make her affection to Morosini and her resolution to her selfe flexible hereunto Her life is not halfe so pretious to her as is his for if shee had many as shee hath but one shee is both ready and resolute to lose and sacrifice them all for his sake and would esteeme it her felicity that her death might redeem and ransome his life The Judges out of their goodnesse and charity afford a whole day to invite and perswade her hereunto but shee is still deafe to their requests and still one and the same woman desirous to live with him or constant and resolute to dye for him Therefore when nâ—…thing can prevaile with her because dye he must so dye shee will to the which shee cheerefully prepares her selfe with an equall affection and resolution which I rather admire than commend in her So the next morning theyare all foure brought to the place of common execution to suffer death Where Donato is first liftedup to the Ladder who being fuller of paine than words said little in effect but that he wished he had either died in Constantinople or Aleppo or else sunke in the sea before he came to Ancona and not to have here ended his daies in misery and infamy The next who was ordered to follow him was Astonicus who told the world boldly and plainly that hee cared lesse for his death than for the cause thereof and that hee loved Morosini so perfectly and dearely that he rather reioyced than grieved to dye for him only he repented himselfe for assisting to murther Palmerius and from his heart and soule beseeched God to forgive it him and so he was turned over Then Morosini ascends the Ladder â—…ad in a haire coulour sattin sute and a paire of crimson silke stockings with garters and roses edged with silver lace being so vaine in his carriage action and speeches as before hee once thought of God hee with a world of sighes takes a solemneleave of his sweet heart Imperia and with all the powers of his heart and soule prayes her to accept of his life and so to survive him He makes an exact and godly confession of his sinnes to God and the world and yet neverthelesse hee is so vaine in his affection toward Imperia as hee takes both to witnesse that had hee a thousand lives he would cheerefully lose them all to save and preserve hers As for Imperia such was her deere and tender affection to him as she would faine look on him as long as he lives and yet she equally desires and resolves rather to dy than to see him die and because she hath not the power therefore she turnes her â—…ace and eies from him and will not have the will to see him dye When he having said his prayers and so recommended his soule into the hands of his Redeemer he is also turned over Now although our Imperia bee here againe and againe solicited by the Iudges Friers and Nuns to accept of her life yet she seeing her other selfe Morosini dead shee therefore disdaines to survive him shee hath so much love in her heart as she now hath little life and lesse joy in her lookes and countenance Shee ascends the Ladder in a plaine blacke Taffeta Gowne a plaine thicke set Ruffe a white Lawne Quayfe and a long blacke Cypresse vayle over her head with a white paire of gloves and her prayer booke in her hands When beeing farre more capable to weepe than speake shee casting a wonderfull sad and sorrowfull looke on her dead lover Morosini after many volleyes of farre fetchd sighes shee delivers this short speech to that great concourse of people who from Citty and Country flocked thither to see her and them dye Good People I had lived more happy and not dyed so miserable if my Father Bondino had not so cruelly enforced mee to marry Palmerius whom I could not love and to leave Morosini whom in heart and soule I ever affected a thousand times deerer than mine owne life and may all fathers who now see my death or shall hereafter heare or reade this my History bee more pittifull and lesse cruell to their daughters by his Example I doe here now suffer many deaths in one to see that my deere Morosini is dead for my sake for had hee not loved mee deerly and I him tenderly he had never died for mee nor I for him with such cheerefullnesse and alacrity as now we doe And here to deale truly with God and the world although I could never affect or fancy my old husband Palmerius yet noâ—… from my heart and soule I lament and repent that ever I was guilty of his innocent and untimely death the which God forgive me and I likewise request you all to pray unto God to forgive it me And not to conceale or dissemble the truth of my heart I grieve not to dye but rather because I have no more lives to lose for my Morosini's affection and sake I have and doe devoutly pray unto God for his soule and so I heartily request and conjure you all to doe for mine Thus I commend you all to happy and prosperous lives my selfe to a pious and patient death in earth and a joyfull and glorious resurrection in Heaven when signing her selfe often with the signe of the crosse she pulls her vaile downe over her face and so praying that she might be buried in one and the same grave with Morosini she bad the executioner performe his office who immediatly turnes her over And if reports be true Never three young men and one faire young Gentlewoman died more lamented and pittied then they For Morosini died with more resolution than repentance and Imperia with more repentance than resolution thus was their lives and thus their deaths May wee extract wisdome out of their folly and charity out of their cruelty so shall wee live as happy as they died miserably and finish our daies and lives in as much content and tranquillity as they ended theirs in shame infamy and confusion GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther HISTORY XXVII Father Iustinian a Priest and Adrian an Inne-keeper poyson De Laurier who was lodged in his house and then bury him in his Orchard where a moneth after a Wolfe digges him up and devonres a great part of his body which father Iustinian and Adrian
contrary The next day all Granado rings and resounds of this murther and of the suspition and imprisonment of Don Hippolito for the same when the Lady Cervantella goes to the Criminall Iudges of the City and accuseth him for the same and with griefe sorrow and passion followes it close against him and although Hippolito at his first examination denies it yet being by his cleeresighted Iudges adjudged to the racke for the same hee at the very first sight thereof confesseth it for the which bloody and lamentable crime of his hee is sentenced the next day to be hanged although hee proffered all his estate and meanes to save his life But the zeale and integrity of his judges was such to the sacred name of Iustice as they disdained to bee corrupted herewith So the next Morning this old bloody wretch Hippolito is brought to the common place of execution where a very great concourse of people repaire from all parts of the Citty to see him take his last farewell of the world most oâ—… them pittying his age but all condemning the enormity of this his foule and bloody crime He was dealt with by some Priests and Fryers in prison whose Charity and Piety endevoured to fortifie his heart against the feare of death and to prepare his soule for the life and joyes of that to come But the Devill was yet so strong with him that hee could not bee drawne to contrition nor would not bee either perswaded or enforced to repentance or to aske God or the world forgivenesse of this his bloody fact but as hee lived prophanely so hee would dye wretchedly and desperately for on the Ladder hee made a foolish speech the which because it savoured more of beastly concupiscence and lust than of Piety or Religion I will therefore burie it in oblivion and silence and so hee was turnedover Come we now to speake of Don Emanuell de Cortez the Father who understanding of his Sonne Roderigo his continuall frequenting of Dona Cervantella's house and her daughter Dominica's company and now hearing of this murther of her Sonne to her doore his owne Sonne being then therein present he is much discontented therewith and because he will sequester him from her sight and provide him another Wife hee sends him to Asnalos a mannor house of his some tenne leagues off in the Country with a strong injunction and charge there to reside till his farther order to returne Roderigo is wonderfull sorrowfull thus to leave the sight of his faire and deere Mistris Dominica and to the view of the world no lesse is shee so hee transporteth only his body to Asnallos but his heart he leaves with her in Granado But a moneth is scarce expired after his departure But the Lady Cervantella by the death of her Sonne Don Garcia wanting a man to conduct and governe her affaires especially her law sutes wherewith as wee have formerly heard she is much incumbred shee thereupon as also at the instant request of her Daughter writes Roderigo this letter for his returne CERVANTELLA to RODERIGO AS thou tenderest the prosperity of my affaires and the content and ioy of my Doughter I request thee speedily to leave Asnallos and to returne to reside heere in Granado for I wanting my Sonne Garcia who was the ioy of my life and shee her Roderigo who art the life of her joy thou must not finde it strange if my age and her youth and if my Law sutes and her love affections and desires assume this resolution Thy Father is a Noble man of Reason and his Sonne shall finde this to bee a request both 〈◊〉 and reasonable except thou wilt so farre publish thy weakenesse to the world thaâ—… thou doest more feare thy Father than love my Daughter for if thou shouldest once â—…mit thy obedience to him so farre to give a Law to thy affection to her thou wilt then make thy selfe as unworthy to bee her Husband as I desire it with zeale and shee with passion Shee is resolved to second this my letter with one of her owne to thee to which I referre thee God blesse thy stay and hasten thy returne CERVANTELLA Dominica resolving to make good her promise to her mother and that of her mother to Roderigo she withdrawes her selfe to her chamber to write and knowing her mothers messenger ready to depart chargeth him with the delivery of her letter to her lover Roderigo and to cast the better lustre and varnish over her affection she takes a Diamond Ring from her finger and likewise sends it him for a token of her love DOMINICA to RODERIGO AS the death of my Brother Don Garcia made 〈◊〉 extreame sorrowfull so thiâ—… of thy absence made mee infinitely miserable for as that nipt my joyes and hopes in their blossomes so this kills them in their riper age and 〈◊〉 When I 〈◊〉 received thy love and gave and returned thee mine in exchange I had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hadst affected me too dearly so soone to leave my sight and to â—…sh thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my company but now I see with griefe and feelewith sorrow that thâ—… lovest thy Fâ—…er farre bettter than â—…ee and delightest to preferre his content befâ—… 〈◊〉 for else thou hadst not made me thus wretched by thy absence who am as it were but entering into the happinesse of thy presence If thou canst finde in thy heart to obey his commands before thou grant my requests then come not to Granado but stay still in Asnallos but if the contrary then leave Asnallos and come to mee in Granado wâ—…ere I will chide thee for thy long stay and yet give thee a world of thankes and kisses for thy so soone returne and as my heart and soule doth desire it so the prosperity of my Mothers affaires doth likewise want and therefore crave it Iudge of the fervency of my affection to thee by thine to my selfe and then thou wilt speâ—…dily resolve to see thy Dominica who desires nothing so much under Heaven as to have the happinesse of thy sight and the felicity and Honour of thy Company DOMINICA Roderigo receives these their two Letters reputes that of the mother to much respect and this of her Daughter to infinite affection so as the very knowledg and consideration thereof makes him rejoyce in the first and triumph in the second and therefore knowing himselfe to be a man and past a child and that as he is bound by nature and reason to obey his farther so he is not tyed to bee commanded by him beyond it wherefore he resolves to give content to the mother for the daughters sake and to the daughter for his own saâ—…e and so by their own messenger returnes them these answers That to the Lady Cervantella spake thus RODERIGO to CERVANTELLA I So much tender the prosperity of thy affaires and thy daughters content and joy that my resolutions shall so dispose of my selfe towards my Father as verie shortly I will see thee with respect and observance and
taking his leave of Denisa or any way acquainting her therewith and now when it is too late this wretched wench exceedingly grieves thereat when knowing his returne uncertain his affection to her doubtfull her self poore and her Lady Mistris Dominica as then not able to maintaine her or her child shee assumes another bloody resolution which is that as shee was formerly accessary to the poysoning of her Master so shee now will bee a principall Actor in murthering and making away of her owne child as soone as it shall be borne and neither conscience nor her feare are able to divert her from this her bloody and damnable purpose For being provoked thereunto first by her shame then by her necessity but chiefly and especially by her fâ—…all Counsellor and instigatour the Devill shee being delivered almost a moneth before her time of a faire young Sonne as soone as it had cried once to bewaile his owne misery and his inhumane Mothers cruelty she as an execrable fury of hell strangles it giving him his mournefull and untimely death in that very same houre and instant which God and her selfe gave it life and the very same evening wrappes it in a cleane white liâ—…in cloth and with a Packthred tyes a great stone thereunto and the devill giving her strength the very same night caries it halfe a mile off to a pondwithout the east gate of the Citty where seeing no body present to see her shee not as a mother no not as a woman but rather as a fury of hell there throwes it in which before her departure thence presently sunck to the bottome And here let us behold and contemplate on the wonderfull mercy and Iudgment of God in so speedily revealing this deplorable and cruell murther of this harmelesse and innocent little new borne babe whom being so newly brought from the adulterate wombe of his pittilesse mother she malitiously cast into that Pond giving it death for life the Pond for its Cradle a banck of mud and Oze for its bed and pillow For upon the instant of Denisas delivery and her murthering and throwing of this her infant babe into the Pond God to revenge this soule and bloody fact of hers deprived her of discretion and judgement to returne for that night to her Masters house for shee thinking to make sure and sound work for her owne reputation and safety shee that very night takes up her lodging in the next poore Inne which was at the signe of Saint Ioâ—… head where to the Host and Hostesse shee pretends â—…amenesse by the receit of a fall But God will give her but small time to rest and repose her selfe in the guiltinesse of this her cruell sinne of murthering her own innocent new borne babe for with in one houre after a Groome riding to water his horse in the same pond his Horse â—…eth and starts exceedingly pawing in the water with his farther fore foote and many times thrusts downe his head therein The Groome gives him the 〈◊〉 and switch to bring him off but in vaine for the horse the more paâ—…th with his foote 〈◊〉 â—…eth with his nose yea so long till at last it seemes the packthred being broken the white cloth appeares and flotes upon the water which the groome upon the strange behaviour of his horse but indeed by the immediate providence and pleasure of God who then and there was well pleased to make this reasonlesse Beast an instrument of his glory in the detection of this cruell murther causeth to bee fetched a shore where opening the cloth in presence of some others who flocke thither to the pond side to see what this may be They find a sweet young Infant boy whose body was as white as the snow with a flaxen coloured haire a cheerefull looke a cherrie lip and some blacknesse about his throate and necke wherby they guessed it to be newly borne and strangled of some Strumpet his mother whom to detect and finde out they search all the adjacent houses and at last finde out Denisa in her Inne when the Officers of Iustice setting a Midwife and some three or foure elderly women to search her they dispight of her resistance or prayers to the contrary give in evidence against her that shee was that day delivered of a child so shee is imprisoned and the next day brought to her arraignement where threatned with the racke shee confesseth the strangling of her child and the throwing of it into this pond for the which soule and in humane fact of hers shee is the next day condemned to bee hanged When desirous to save her soule though through the instigation of Satan she hath miserably cast away her body she entreateth that father Eustace a Priest of her acquaintance may be sent to her in Prison to prepare her soule for her spiritual journy to heaven who is accordingly sent her Who after a long and a religious exhortation to her falling on this point that she should do well to disburthen her conscience of any other capitall crime which she in all the whole course of her life might have committed as affirming that the revealing thereof exceedingly tended to Gods glory and the felicity of her owne foule she with teares and sighes deepely thinkes thereof that night in prison Now the next morning shee is brought to the place of execution where a great number of people flocke together to see her end and there on the Ladder after shee had againe confessed the strangling of her infant and her throwing of it into the Pond shee likewise then and there confessed That she was accessary and consented with her Lady Dominica to poyson her Master Roderigo which shee affirmed they both effected in the same manner as wee have formerly understood The confession of this her otherfoule murther as also of her Lady Dominica doth much amaze her Auditors and astonish her Judges who to cleere and vindicate the truth hereof they cause her to descend the Ladder and to be confronted with her said Lady Dominica who by this time in the middest of her security is likewise apprehended and brought before the Criminall Judges where contrary to her expectation being enforced to understand the effect and tenour of her Chamber maid Denisa's confession and accusation against her for the poysoning of her Husband Roderigo shee with much passion and choller tearmes her witch and devill and curseth the houre that ever shee fostered up so pestilent a Viper in her house to eate out her own heart and life when with more confidence and boldnes than contrition and repentance being first by her judges threatned with the torments of the racke she confesseth her selfe likewise to be guilty of murthering her first Husband Roderigo So Denisa's sentence is altered for shee is condemned to be hanged for her first murther and her dead body after to be burnt to ashes for her second and the Lady Dominica to bee hanged for poysoning her husband which newes so resounds and rattles through
next to Palura's sight and presence was the chiefest joy of her heart and the sweetest felicity and content of her mind the which considering she therefore absolutely beleeves that the detection and perusall of this letter was the sole cause of her Lord and husbands jealousie as that was of her sweet Palura's death wherein indeed shee is nothing deceived for some six weekes after hee feturnes home to her from Lisbone where in favour of his Noble birth and discent of his many great friends and of a huge some of money hee in absence of the Viceroy had obtained his pardon from the chamber of that cittie and the very first salutations that hee gave his Lady Bellinda the which I know not whether hee delivered to her with more contempt or choler was thus Minion quoth hee how many prayers and oraysons hast thou said for the soule of thy Ruffion and adulterer Palura when she being exceedingly galled to the heart with these his scandalous speeches she yet to justifie her owne honour and innocency dissembles her griefe for Palura's death as much as her jealous husband triumphes and insults thereat and so frames him this short reply that Palara was not her adulterer but a Gentleman of honour and therefore shee besought God to forgive him his owne heynous sinne and execrable crime for so fouly basely murthering of him De Mora nettled with this his Ladies apologie and justification which hee knew to bee as false as her and Palura's crime of adultery was true hee produceth this letter to her then reads it her and in a great rage and fury immediately teres and burnes it before her face now although the sight and knowledge of this letter as also her husbands burning thereof doe exceedingly vex and perplex our Lady Bellinda yet shee was herewith no way daunted but againe very boldly tels him that she cannot prevent any Gentleman to write and send her a letter and although in the conclusion of this his letter to her had simply and sinisterly mentioned kisses and embraces yet shee peremptorily vowed and swore to him that the first had not exceeded the bounds of civility nor the last violated the lawes and rules of honour so wise and politicke was she in her answers so false and hyppocriticall in her justification towards her husband The which he well observing and understanding as also with what a pleasing grace shee spake it his owne lustfull age yet still doting on the freshnes of the youth and beauty of this his young wife seeing that Palura who was the cause and object of his jealousie was now removed and dead he therefore for the preservation of his owne honour and reputation in that of his Ladies doth content himselfe so fat as to bury the greatest part of his discontent and jealousie against her in the dust of oblivion or in that of Palura's grave and to that end he afords her his table still and his bed sometimes as if that obligation of courtesie would reclaime her lascivious thoughts and againe call home her wanton desires to chastity and honour neverthelesse the better to effect and compasse it hee much restraines her of her former liberty and debars her the company and sight of all Gentlemen whatsoever that come to his house A peevish custome which the husbands of Spaine Portugall and Italy tirannically use towards their Ladies whereas contrariwise the Ladies and Gentlewomen of England and France are far more happie because more chaste and honourable towards their husbands in using and not abusing this their liberty and freedome Bellinda with a watchfull eye and a wanton heart observes these passages and comportments of her husband De Mora towards her and in observing laughes at them but because her lascivious mind incessantly tels her that there is no hell to that of a discontented bed therefore hating his age as much as hee loves her youth her Paluro being dead she forth with resolves to make choice of another lover and at what rate soever not to trifle away her time and her youth idly but to passe it a way in the amorous delights of carnall voluptuousnes and sensuality To which effect missing of other Gentlemen and therefore enforced to make a vertue of necessitie she forgetting her selfe her honour makes choice of Ferallo her owne Gentleman-usher a man every way as proper as shee is faire and as well timbred as shee is beautifull and neere of her owne yeares which as yet had not exceeded one and twenty to Ferallo therefore shee freely imparts her affections and favours who as freely receives and as joyfully and amorously entertaines both her them so that to write the best of truth and modesty I must here affirme that as hee was formerly his Ladies usher now hee makes himselfe his Lords follower unknowen to him very often ties her shooc-strings and takes up her maske and gloves for her and many times when the old Nobleman is a sleepe then this ignoble couple of unchaste lovers are waking to their obscoene pleasures and secretly sacrificing up their lascivious desires to wanton Cupid the sonne and to lustfull Venus the mother but they shall find wormewood intermixed in this honey and gall in this sugar For three moneths together our Bellinda the mistris and Ferallo the man drowne themselves in the impietie of these their carnall delights and pleasuâ—…es as if they made it their â—…elicity and glory to continue the practise and profession thereof but at the end and expiration of this time as close as they beare this their adulterous familiarity from De Mora it comes to his knowledge by an unexpected accident and meanes for the reader must understand that Ferallo was heretofore dishonestly familiar with his Lady Bellinda's waiting Gentlewoman named Herodia whom under pretext and colour of marriage hee had many times used at his lascivious pleasure so that Herodia seeing that Ferallo's affections were now wholly transported from her selfe to her Lady Bellinda and that hee sleighted and disdained her to embrace and adore the other she is so inraged with jealousie at the knowledge and consideration thereof as she cals a counsell in her heart and thoughts what to doe herein how to prevent it and againe how to reclaime regaine Ferallo and his affection from her Lady to her selfe and shee is so inflamed with jealousie towards them as shee can reape no peace by day of her mind nor rest by night of her heart before shee have effected it to which end having ranne over a whole world of remedies and expedients shee at last resolves on this to acquaint her Lord and master De Mora with this unchaste and obscoene familiarity betweene his Lady Bellinda and her lover Ferallo and her rage is so outragious as with infinite malice and celerity she performes it At which unexpected and unwell-comed newes our old Lord De Mora hath now his heart a new set on fire with jealousie and malice both towards his Lady
taking a solemne and sorrowfull farwell of all the world shee puls downe her vaile over her snow-white cheekes and then often crossing her selfe with the signe of the crosse and saying her last in manus â—…ua the executioner with a flaming torch sets fire to the straw and fagots whereof shee presently dies and in lesse than an houre after her body is there consumed burnt to ashes at which all that great concourse of people and spectators in favour to her youth and beauty as much affecting the piety of her death as they hate and detest the cause thereof I meane the infamy and crueltie of her life doe with far more sorrow than joy give a great shout and out-cry When the judges of that cittie now upon knowledge of this Ladies first horrible crime of poysoning her first Lord and husband Don Alonsâ—… De Mora they in detestation thereof being not able to adde either worser infamy or more exquisite and exemplary torments to her living body they therefore partly to bee revenged on her dead ashes doe cause them curiously to bee gathered up and so in the same place by the common hang-man before all the people to bee scattered and throwen in the aire where at they rejoyce and praise God to see the world so fairly rid of so foule and bloody a female monster And thus was the untimely and yet deserved end of this lascivious and cruell hearted Lady Bellinda and in this sharp manner did the Lord of heaven and earth triumph in his just revenge and punishments against her for these her two foule and inhumane crimes of murthering her two husbands May God of his best and divinest mercy make this her history and example to serve as a chrystall mirrour for all men and especially for all women of what condition and qualitie so ever And now Christian reader having by Gods most gratious assistance and providence here finished this entire and last volume of my six bookes of tragicall histories if thou find that thou reape any profit or thy soule any spirituall benefite by the reading and perusall thereof then in the name and feare of God I beseech thee to joyne thy prayers and piety with mine that as in Christian religion and duty wee are bound so for the same wee may jointly ascribe unto God all possible power might Majesty thanksgiving dominion and Glory both now and for ever Amen Amen FINIS Augusti XVIII 1634. REcensui hunc librum cui titulus The sixt booke of the triumphs of Gods revenge upon Murther qui quidem liber continet folia 99 aut circiter in quibus exceptis quae delentur nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quò minus cum publicâ utilitate imprimi queat sub eà tamen conditione ut si non intrà annum proximè sequentem typis mandetur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Guilielmus Haywood Capell domest Archiep. Cant. a Psal 23. 1. b Psal. 100. 3. c Mat. 25. 34. 41 d 1 Ioh. 2. 16. e Col. 3. 5. f 1 Pet. 5 8. g Revel 12. 9. h Ioh 12. 31. Ephes. 6. 12. i 2 Cor. 11. 14. k Luk. 4. 6. 7. l Gen. 1. 27. Psal. 115. 6. m Ioh. 10. 21. 11. 25. o Gen. 2. 7. p Gen. 1. 28. q Isay. 43. 21. r Heb. 13. 14. s Psal. 102 3. Isay 40. 7. t Psal. 39. 5. u 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 x Coloss. 3. 〈◊〉 y Ephes. 6. 〈◊〉 b Rom. 5. 3. c Iames 1. 2. d Iam. 1. 13 14. e Psal. 73. 23. f Psal. 9. 10. g Psal. 18. 2. h Hos. 6. 1. i Iames 1. 12. k Psal. 125. 1. l 1. Ioh. 2. 11. m 1 Ioh. 4. 10. n Ephes. 4. 26. o 1 Pet. 3. 9. p Coloss. 3 13. r Psal. 145. 8. s Gen. 4. 8. t 2 Sam. 11. 17. u 2 Sam. 3. 27. x 1 Kin. 21. 13. y 2 Kin. 21. 1. z Psa. 7. 14 15 a Iam. 5. 13. b Psal. 61. 8. c Exod. 15. 15 c Deut. 30. 20. d Psal. 104. 31