Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36282
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Don Henriquez de Castro, or, The conquest of the Indies a Spanish novel / translated out of Spanish by a person of honour.; Historia tragicomica de Don Henrique de Castro. English
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Loubayssin de Lamarca, Francisco.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing D1844; ESTC R11561
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51,279
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188
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his assistance his Enemy vvho looked upon him as the King of Beasts and who found himself too weak to dispute the Victory with him endeavoured but in vain to save his Life by flight the Lyon had soon catched the poor Ape and torn him in pieces in sight of the Person whom he had affronted This odd accident suspended for some few moments the Grief with which these two Persons were affected and furnished Don Henriques subject enough to be pleasant upon concerning the perplexity he had found Don Garcia in he had a mind to persecute him concerning what he knew of his Sex but Don Garcia took upon him his serious Air and upheld with a great deal of boldness what he had first pretended so that Don Henriques did not know what to believe This fair Counterfeit was greatly concerned to confirm Don Henriques in his Error for she thought she could not with Decency live alone with a Man of the Age of Don Henriques if he were truly informed of her Sex and she could not go from the place where she was without suffering many inconveniencies For this reason she affected great sincerity the better to deceive Don Henriques and told him that she could not make a better return to the Confidence he had reposed in her than by relating to him in her turn the Adventures which had brought her to this agreeable solitary place Don Henriques who hoped by the means of the Relation she was going to make to clear his Doubts prest her to afford him this satisfaction they sate down under some Palm-Trees which were near the Mouth of the Grotto and Don Garcia after having studied some short time began his Discourse in this manner The History of Don Garcia SInce you never heard dear Brother of the Marriage of Don Lorenzo with the Daughter of Montezuma I ought before I give you an account of what relates to my self to inform you what has hapned to him since his coming into the Indies You know that he having set Sail with Ferdinando Cortez for Mexico a storm separated the Ship aboard of which he was from the rest of the Fleet and that he was forced to put in at the Molucca's to refit it was whilst he remained in these Islands that he fell in love with your Mother whom he Married to have the Protection of the Vice-Roy whose Kinswoman she was she was with Child soon after her Marriage and Don Lorenzo sent her into Spain whither he hoped in a short time to come to her but his unhappy Fate stayed him in the Indies where he gloriously lost his Life as you told me last night Ferdinando Cortez with whom he wentto joyn so soon as he was fit to set Sail again having observed in many occasions that he was undaunted amongst the greatest dangers and that he always acted with agreat deal of Conduct and Prudence made him General of his Army He found no reason to repent his having givenhim this employment and he owed the Conquest of Mexico to his management Cortez who had not Forces enough to undertake the Siege of the Capital of that Kingdom made use of Don Lorenzo to treat with Montezuma and with his Cassicoes who are the great Men of the Country indeavouring to persuade them what a great advantage they would have from an Alliance between the two Nations by the exchange of Merchandises brought from Europe with theirs and the knowledge of the Arts and Trades which are used in Europe This Prince had heard so much of my Fathers Vertue and sincerity and he speaking to him with so much eloquence my Father obtained of him what he desired notwithstanding the endeavours that had been used to terrifie Montezuma by Prophesies by which it was foretold that the Monarchy of Mexico was to be destroyed by a People who were to come from the other end of the World the King went out to meet Cortez and made him to be carried in a Golden Chair followed by all his Cassicks with a most magnificent Equipage He conducted this Illustrious General into his Palace with the sound of many Instruments of musick after the manner of the Countrey and lodged him there in a most sumptuous Appartment But Montezuma was ill rewarded for the kind reception he gave to Cortez for whil'st he was a-sleep in his Chamber the Spanish General came into it under pretence of discoursing with him concerning some important business and being followed by some Officers who were entrusted with his design seized not only upon his Person but upon all the Royal Family The People provoked by so black a treachery took Arms and besieged Cortez in the Royal Palace and they had certainly put all the Spaniards to the Sword who were not in a condition to resist so great a Multitude if my Father had not appeased the Kings just resentment and prevailed with him to appear in the Balcony and command the Mutineers to lay down their Arms. Don Lorenzo did yet more he treated with Cortez for Montezuma's ransom who promised to give him a Pike of Gold in square This Prince performed on his part all that he was engaged to But Cortez far from setting him at Liberty as he had promised caused him to be strangled with a cruelty beyond example using all his Children with the same inhumanity excepting Ismelia whose beauty had charmed this barbarous Tyrant This Treason would have been the destruction of all the Spaniards if my Father had not endeavoured to excuse it to the Princess and perswaded her that the refusal which Montezuma had made to his General of accepting of him for his Son in-Law had forced him to this Violence he represented to Ismelia that Cortez would have been more moderate if he had been less in Love and that it would be more advantageous for her to sit with him upon the Throne of her Fathers than to undertake to revenge the death of Montezuma upon a man that would be supported by the greatest Monarch in the World Ismelia yielding to his reasons appeased the People and turned Christian but Cortez who was more Politique than Amorous would not have his safety depend meerly upon the humour of a Woman fortifyed himself in the Palace and sent for Ships and Artillery to keep the Mexicans in awe when he saw his Power setled he used Ismelia without any respect and looked upon her then but as his Slave Don Lorenzo who thought his Honour engaged to support the interest of a Princess who had suffered her self to be guided by his Counsels spoke of it with so much heat to his General that he thereby discovered himself her Lover Jealousie joined it self to the usual severity of Cortez who thought himself obliged at the same time to punish Don Lorenzo for the boldness which he had spoken and the Charms of the Princess which had been able for some time to slacken his Courage but he would not put them to death he contented himself with exposing them upon the Sea
do it she had courage enough to oppose his injustice I thought she spoke to me only to deceive me with more ease in short she could not still my disquiets but by promising me she would allow me to carry her away from her Guardian 's House I told Don Pedro what we resolved and he gave me to understand it was not best for me to appear my self upon this occasion and that it would be much easier for him than me to take Leonora out of the House of her Guardian without being mistrusted and to conduct her to the place where I should stay for her How could I mistrust a Man who had till then appeard fo faithful and generous I approved his thoughts and gave him a Note to Leonora in which I desired her not to sail within two days to be in the Balcony which was towards the little Street where I us'd to discourse with her that Don Pedro would take care to carry thither to her a Ladder of Silk which she might make use of to come down when she saw him appear and that he would conduct her to the place where I was She sent me her Answer by Don Pedro that she would not fail to do every thing punctually as I desired of her in the Note I agreed with Don Pedro that I would expect her in an open place which vvas neer to the House and after having considered some time vvhat vve had to do vve parted to give order each on his own part for the Execution of his Design I did not fail coming to the Rendezvous so soon as the Clock had stricken Tvvelve I vvaited there for Don Pedro vvith an extream impatience and hearing no news of this Traytor I vvas just going to seek after him vvhen I savv by the light of the Moon come tovvards me a Man vvith his Svvoord dravvn vvho vvas fighting in retreat against six others he defended himself vvith great Courage but they prest him so hard that he vvould have been forced to yield had I not taken his part I could not suffer so unequal a Combat and having put my self on his side vvith tvvo Servants that follovved me I quickly sound the Heat of my Enemies cool One amongst them vvho did not care to fight vvithout advantage told me that I should make my self guilty by hindring the execution of justice and that he vvhom I had defended had just then assassinated one of the most considerable Men in the vvhole Tovvn and kill'd one of the finest Ladies in all Spain But as I knovv People of that sort never fail to pretend those vvhich they carry to Prison are gulity of great Crimes thereby to render them odious I gave no credit to what this Man told me nor would not quit the unknown Gentleman's side Those who would have arrested him endured no long fight and having turned their backs they left him at liberty to shew his thankfulness to me I interrupted him at the first word and desired him to leave me alone for a reward of all the service I had done him but yet I could not be rid of him till I had accepted of a Diamond Ring which he gave me that he might as he said another time know his deliverer After he had left me I did not stay long in the place where the fray was the Impatience which I had to hear some news of Don Pedro forced me to seek him out in the little Street where I was used to discourse with Leonora but I left however one of my Servants there that he might ingage Don Pedro to stay for me in case he came to look after me scarce had I set my foot in this Street before I heard a confused noise of people speaking and saw coming towards me a great many Armed Men who carried Lanthorns with them I was advanced too far to retreat without being seen and those Men could take no other way than that by which I came all that I could do to escape from them was to go with my Servant who had followed me into a house which was building and which I was then very near We had but just hidden our selves when I saw come by the same place which I just then left a second Company which joyned with the first I easily perceived that it was the Watch and that the last Comers were those who endeavoured to arrest my unknown Friend they spoke of this Action to their Companions so soon as they were come to them but it was so softly and I was so far from them that I could not hear them very distinctly having a great desire to know the Names of those which had been kill'd because the murther had been committed very near the House of Don Thomas I order'd my Servant to go near to them and to bring me an account of what he hear'd The House which we were in was raised but to the ground Floor and the Youth to go to them was to go over a very narrow board the Night being very dark and the Lanthorns dazling him he missed his footing and fell into the Foundations he had in his Pocket a Pistol ready cockt which unfortunately for him at the same time went off and shot him through the Body I hastned to his assistance but the Watch-men being drawn thither by the noise were before me and taking me for the Author of this Murther seiz'd me they would not give me time to defend my self but hurried me away to Prison notwithstanding whatsoever I could say in my justification You may easily imagin Brother what a despair I was in when I was arrested I saw by this misfortune all the hopes which I had conceived of possessing a Person who could alone make all the happiness of my Life frustrated that which I had heard made me fear with a great deal of reason that the Lady whom the unknown Person had killed was my dear Leonora and I had not any long time the Comfort of being able to doubt of it for the Guards who had taken me Prisoner told the Gaoler that I had killed with a Pistol-shot which I had aimed at Don Pedro a Woman who was coming down by a Silk Ladder out of a Balcony into the Street and that Don Pedro indeavouring to revenge her Death had had the same Fate Although I perceived they took me for the Stranger whom I had rescued from their hands yet I could not therein find any thing to make me doubt of my unhappiness and I had the more reason to be afflicted because I my self had taken up the Defence of him who had assassinated my Friend and my Mistress I passed the Night in so great an Affliction that I felt no more my Grief by feeling it too much The next morning when I was drest I went down to the Court I found my self immediately incompassed by a great number of Prisoners who told me I must pay them my welcome as if it was a great advantage to me to