Coria a Spaniard who stayed there some time during which he made loue to my Mother and gained such interest in her as that during the absence of Signior Fabritio her Husband in a Voyage hee made to his Holinesse his affection had arriued to what the affections of men doe vsually pretend For in this time I was begotten I call God to witnesse of my wordes and that I speake a perfect trueth My Mothers Nurse and her Sister in Law the Nunne are yet both liuing who are neither of them ignorant hereof But to alledge a proofe that may at all times bee produced I assure my selfe there may bee found among the Registers of the Towne-Treazor the day of the departure of Signior Fabritio to Rome and of his returne to Naples and by his charges and their discharge in his imployment and the expedition hee obtained of his Holinesse may be seene the day of my Birth in his papers and that of my Baptisme in the Registers of the Church where I receiued it Let these bee brought and it will bee found that it cannot bee I should bee his Daughter since by the immooueable Lawes of Nature a childe to liue must of necessitie bee borne either vpon the seuenth ninth or eleuenth moneth after Conception And so farre was it from any of these as in the beginning of the eight after his returne I was borne a time altogether insufficient and incapable of giuing life to a childe Being not Daughter to Fabritio I am not Neece nor of kinne to Hipolito Now since freedome and libertie begets the will the will consent and consent the Marriage and that all this hath giuen me for wife to Hipolito Since no alliance can bee any barre betweene vs since force or violence drawes or workes no obligation and since by that onely I was cast vnder the bondage and seruitude of Pompeio why shall it not bee lawfull for mee to redeeme my libertie from the vniust vsurpation of him that hath too long abused and enioyed by violence what was none of his and restore my selfe into the hands of him to whom God the Lawes my Election and my Faith hath giuen me The contentment that I giue my selfe in being able to worke my release from mine enemies makes me resolue to suffer with cheerefulnesse all the iniuries of Fortune of the Heauens of the Time of Necessitie and all that can happen me in a strange Clime Where resolued to goe confine my selfe and end the rest of my dayes I beg of my friends no more then to forget my name and imagine me dead This Euidence being read shee was asked what shee intended with those poysons she said shee made them to take if shee were pursued so narrowly as shee could not saue her selfe to the end to barre her enemies the contentment and preuent the mischiefe of falling aliue into their power After shee had confest much more and more voluntarily then shee was questioned the Vncle said since you determined to bee your owne executioner and punish your owne dishonestie it were pitie though you haue beene preuented in the execution of so wicked an enterprise that you should bee frustrated too in the iust punishment you haue so well deserued and so prouidently prepared for your selfe and therefore you are speedily by the meane of your owne appointment to receiue your death where-with taking one of the pilles which her Vncle presented her shee answered them it is for them that haue either pleasure or desire of life to seeke the meanes to keepe it and for such as haue lost both the one and the other to hasten the end of it and flie to death which is so farre from being a thing odious to mee being depriued of my Hipolito as that were ye as inclinable to pitie and should deny it mee as you are bent to cruelty and to giue it me I would beseech you to let mee take it with my owne hands Now after all the trecherous and ignoble courses you haue taken against me I must confesse my selfe much bound to you for shortning my miserable life whose end is as pleasing to mee as the course hath beene vnfortunate hoping that as God doeth affoorde you by this meane the triumph of your desires ouer me and mee the end of my afflictions hee will also please to giue my soule her rest in eternall blisse which I humbly craue of him and that the long paines of my life and vniust Martyrdome of my death may obtaine mee his pitie and my sinnes their pardon Shee spake these words with so resolute and vnmooued a face and fashion that all those about her were seized with astonishment and pitie Her Vncle himselfe and Husband began to speake to her testifying a moderation of their doome and rage when she swallowed the Pill and with a nimble hand taking two more said One is too few and nothing is hard to doe that giues vs contentment and barres our enemies the pleasure of a long vengeance Soone after the force and quantitie of the poyson wrought his effect and seizing all the Vitall parts left her onely power to speake these last words Receiue receiue my Hipolito these last proofes of my affection and know by my death what power a faithfull loue hath in a soule resolued and vpon that word yeelded vp the ghost in the same chaire where they had set her leauing her memory no lesse admirable for the constancy of her end then remarkeable for the bouldnesse of her desperate enterprise Here Reader with Isabella's end would I end too so wearied I am with the already too sad relation of these vnhappy Louers fortunes and most vnwilling to adde hereto the lamentable end of the poore Hipolito whom my Authour tells mee his Isabella's death made so desperat a despiser of his owne life as to forsake all his hopes meanes of sustenance friends and allies and die an exile to his Countrey for her reuenges sake For I finde that within few weekes after her death hee slew her Husband and his Vncle vpon their way in a iourney to Rome for which fact neither his Brothers who being questioned about him were driuen to much trouble for him nor any other friend or his Countrey durst owne him but hee was constrained being opprest with extreame want to returne himselfe into the State of Venice where fiue yeeres after Isabella's death to auoide staruing he was inforced to Marry a Widdow that had some reasonable meanes to sustaine him a while with but no more then what hee had in a short time so farre wasted as shee as well out of discontentment thereat as also discouering perhaps withall the many degrees of comparison betweene the loue shee found hee bore her and might imagine hee might beare to an Isabella or one more worthy of him then she who was neither handsome nor well natured poysoned him as it was thought with a messe of broath shee caused to bee made for him one morning that hee had taken a little Physick for some indisposition of body he complained of There was found in his Study after his death a table which it seemed hee had not long before caused to be made wherein there was Painted his Isabella lying along dead with her eyes closed and himselfe kneeling at her feete with certaine verses vnder written speaking it seemes to her eyes The verses were to this purpose SLeepe in your lids ye loued shades Of my vail'd Sunnes I vow 'T is not to spare my bloud that thus I spill my teares on you Griefe and affliction onely due To me are iustly bent To giue me a wasting life t' indure A lasting languishment That when mine eyes can weepe no more My heart might bleede and I Because I liu'd the longer life A longer death might die FINIS
against his life and loosing colour speech and vnderstanding remained a good while without speaking at last returning to himselfe as from an extacy with a trembling voyce as full of sighes as words hee made this answere If my fortune haue led me to an enterprize so harmefull to my selfe and to you so offensiue your perfections the diuine force of loue or my cruell destinies not my will must be accused which hath but by violent necessitie offended you O be satisfied with the infinitie of those other miseries that I see prepared for me without adding to them the priuation of your company and leaue mee yet the short comfort of that trouble whereof I hope ere long by the end of my life to deliuer you my selfe by the same meane from the punishment of myrashnesse the which I earnestly beseech you not to imagine to haue beene guided by any craft or subtiltie I haue all my life had this vice of dissimulation in too great a horror to bee able now to vse it especially with you towards whom though it were familiar to me yet the lawes of my affinitie and loue would forbid it mee Beleeue mee truth accompanies my wordes and the respect of your honour my intentions which haue no other end then the assurance of your fauour and of a more particular affection then friendship may dispence with you to beare to another t is no breach of your honour that I pretend vnto nor more then I will hope you may thinke belongs to me being but so â—arre a preferring me before others as the obligation of nature and our vowed friendship makes to become due to me He was beginning to say more when one came to call them to supper so as Isabella had onely leisure to tell him that she was to heare no more of those matters which thrust him yet farther into despaire by which occasion and the many teares hee had shed his face was so changed that hee was faine to perswade his brother and sister in law that hee was not well so excusing himselfe for not supping he went to a house of another of his brothers a Notary a rich man and there lodged with another fourth brother named Scipio somewhat elder then himselfe where hee lay with opinion of euery one that hee was sicke as hee seemed and remooued his brother from his chamber to the end to enioy more fully the libertie of his plaints and passions which all the night held him in such vnrest as he not onely slept not but fell into a feauer a fit bodily disguise for the affliction of his minde Hee lay foure daies contending in his reason with loue for the mastery and to beate him from the hold hee had got in him but alas what resistance can men make against gods Hee was already in the snare which the more hee strugled to get free of still the faster held him and was forced backe to the pursuit of his vnfortunate loue Hee resolued to take more courage and to write to his mistresse since hee had neither meanes nor assurance to see her She was no lesse diuided by as great a ciuill warre of loue sometimes accusing her selfe of ingratitude sometimes of crueltie for casting him shee loued best of all worldly things into so great a dispaire of this she would excuse her selfe vpon a greater fault that shee had too easily receiued the first offer of his seruice whom diuine humane and the lawes of publique honesty had forbidden her In the meane time Hipolito was often visited by his brother Fabritio and had speech with him of the marriage of Pompeio with his daughter which hee seemed much to approoue of wisely dissembling his griefe and offring Pompeio his seruice in all good offices to his mistresse for which he hourely importuned him Amongst these passages Hipolito's foote-man fit enough for such imployments brought Isabella a letter from his master faining to bee onely sent to inquire of her health The fellow being gone shee retired into her chamber and read the letter which was to this purpose IF I had left me any power to command my desires I might bee content to discourse only with my selfe of the sufferings of my most vnhappy condition without importuning you with the view of my afflictions but since loue hath inforced the subiection of all my will to his lawes and your seruice pardon mee I beseech you if inforced by both these I flie to your pitie which I implore with all the vowes of my soule as the onely helpe and meane left mee to escape a neuer ending torment Though it bee vneasie to you yet you owe it him who honours you aboue all worldly things and adores you as the onely modell of all excellence here below who liues not but by you nor desires life but for you and to bee so happy as to spend it in your seruice to which I am so vowed as heauen shall as soone bee false as I alter this resolution Accept if you please this deuotion and gouerning it by what lawes you shall thinke fit make your selfe of it what assurance my life or death can yeeld you and let not cruelty which findes some limits euen in them to whom it is proper and peculiar bee a perpetuall blot to your faire vertues in not suffering me to finde that mercy at deaths hand that I may not at your A weake perswasion will carry a diuided and doubtfull minde to that part whither it selfe inclines so these letters finding her leaning more to loue then dutie forced her through all the doubts that could oppose themselues and after some discourse with her selfe of such differing accidents in those occurrences as her able vnderstanding set before her reason at length gaue place to loue and respect to passion but with this resolution not to engage her honour or by any thing confesse her purpose till the last she could possibly delay it to and the next morning shee sent this following answere IF I had not by all the points of a faithfull obseruance assured you of as perfect a friendship as you can desire of me I should allow the complaints of your letter being incident to euery good disposition to desire a friendship with his kindred or if our case were such as wee might expect the end their desires looke to who seeke the vnion of their liues by the holyknot of a lawful loue I should receiue that passion you complaine to suffer for my sake as a most assured testimony of the worthy opinion you held of mee to whom you would permit your selfe to addresse such an affection but since I am assured of the one and cannot hope any thing of the other I aduise you restore your selfe to reason that you may condemne as you ought your grieuings for their vnfitnesse your passions as lecentions and beyond the bounds of your part and to shew you that pitie hath in mee an equall place with friendship since you put your selfe vpon the rules of
their desire of the dispatch of her Marriage presently after the end of the Christmas holy-dayes Shee that alwayes beleeued it should haue beene deferred till the end of the Carneuall for feare of being surprised writ to Hipolito this letter following YOu haue alwayes promised me and I haue presumed on it that I should haue the happinesse to see you before the dayes of my sacrifice Now knowing they are to be hastened and that presently after these holy-dayes I must into my fetters I haue found the meanes to acquaint you with this sad newes whose euents I hope you will preuent with your promise To this I doe summon you beseech you coniure you by the obligation of your word by the dutie of your loue by the assurance you haue of mine by the holy oathes wee haue made and by that respect and reuerence you owe to those diuine powers which our inuocation made our witnesses You owe my misfortunes this consolation because the hope of your contentmeÌ„t in it was not the first but onely cause of my consenting to this match I will not feare you will by refusing this my first request giue mee so iust occasion to distrust your affection because you owe it it lies in your power to doe it I desire it and there needes but your will to the accomplishment of your due and my satisfaction This letter was safely deliuered to Hipolito which more afflicted him then if it had brought him the doome of his death And but that hee knew it madnesse to oppose what he could not hinder and though he could it might bee his destruction hee had to his vttermost laboured to haue crost it but hee yeelded in his resolution to necesssitie and conuenience and sent this answere THey are weake and cold affections that neede so much chafing and remembrance of their duties and not those who by their owne feelings are enough disposed it is not from these things that I would giue you the estimation of my obedince but by the hazard of as many liues if I had them as I would wish there might be dayes betweene this and the accomplishment of what you enforme mee since Heauen shewes it selfe so intentiue to my ruine as to hasten so much the time of your appointed Marriage we must indure his bitter lawes But if it meane absolutely to triumph ouer my happinesse it must suddenly breake off the course of my life for that onely shall deny me the blisse of your sight almost with this letter which leaues mee as full of griefes as I wish you may bee euer of contentment By good hap the Post of Naples was then at Padua who had brought letters and money to Hipolito from his Brothers and by whom hee returned them answere which gaue him the fitter commoditie to steale his iourney without being discouered He went disguized during the Christmas holy-dayes and by bywayes got to Naples where hee arriued late in the euening and without being knowne to any one found the way the next morning to the Nunnery where hee lay concealed for the space of eight or tenne dayes in his Sisters Chamber in which time Isabella who quickly heard of it had but three times the meanes to see him and then caused certaine workes to bee made there which was the pretext of her visitations During the two last whereof the good and discreete Nunne left them alone in her Cabinet two or three houres where they employed the time about you may imagine what rather then to looke on Pictures For so was it fit and reasonable that the deere and last gage of the confirmation of a loue ariued to his perfection should be reserued for him whose merite and affection might best claime it not for one that had but the shadow giuen him by the blind tyrany of fate A little after Twelfe day because the time of her Marriage drew neere and his longer stay could not bee but incommodious and daungerous hee prepared for his departure and after hauing anew repeated their old oathes and assurances and giuen each other fresh witnesses of the affections of their soules by all sorts of lamentable complaints that may bee occasioned by so dâ—spleasing a seperation which they could not leaue off till Teares Words and time failed them he left her Shortly after and almost assoone as Hipolito was arriued at Padua the long promised Nuptialls of Pompeio and Isabella were dispatch't with the honour of much great and Noble company Combats Races for prizes Masques and other pleasures vsuall in such occasions He that had well obserued Isabella's lookes that day howsoeuer she might dissemble them would haue iudged that what shee did then was more by constraint then out of her wils election This alteration apparant sometimes in her teares which yet she stroue to hide was by such as perceiued it attributed rather to the apprehension she might haue of the change of her condition which often troubles in such occurrences the chast hearts of young maides then to the true cause which none knew of The dauncing being ended the Bride led into her Chamber and vndrest and the women that accompanied her departed shee retired into her inner Chamber where in despite of her best resolution the force of her teares ouer-bare the strongest opposition her reason could make Detesting with sobbing and broken complaints the fault shee made against her faith to Hipolito and the more shee sought to curbe her passion the more violent it grew so as in this conflict she was halfe distracted In the end comming a little more to her selfe shee tooke paper and bad her maide bring her handkercher faining that her nose bled to excuse her long stay and in the meane time opened a vaine so well to her purpose as she had blood enough to write this letter to Hipolito SInce my teares are not able to write my griefes my bloud shall and I would these were my last drops that I might die as innocent in my actions as I will for euer liue constant in the sincerity of my will towards you Which will is so contrary to what I am forced to as that but for being your command I would sooner haue consented to my death and though the offence might be excused through my constraint yet neuerthelesse the extremity that forces me to the fault I commit against you and against my selfe will neuer be able to serue me for remedy against the incurable vlcer that I make in my soule in being able to suffer that any other should be partaker of that which is onely due to you and that as consenting to the victory of mine enemy I should yeeld my selfe to him for his prey and trophy I goe then no rather I am drag'd to a loathed bed Why did not my destinies rather ordaine my life for a bleeding sacrifice vpon the altar of Diana then to slaue it to the tyranous seruitude of these vnworthy bands from the which if you will not I vow death must be