evill but it is our owne concupiscence that drawes and inticeth us to it In which respect wee may justly say it is a folly to hearken to temptation but a misery and madnesse to follow and embrace it For why should discontent cast us into despaire except wee will resemble the foolish Saylor who abandoneth the Helme in a storme when he hath most neede to use it or the simple fish that leapes from the pan to the fire Or those ignorant fooles who to shelter themselves from the raine run into the river For are we tempted The Lord will hold us up by his right hand yea hee will not faile those that seeke him For he is our Rocke and our fortresse our shield and our refuge yea although hee hath wounded us hee will bind up our wounds And that wee may yet see a farther benefit that accrueth to those that are tempted let us read with joy and retaine with comfort that Blessed is the man that endureth temptation hee shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him yea they that trust in the Lord shall bee as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever When therefore amongst other temptations choller so farre prevaileth with us or rather the Devill with our choller that wee imagine mischiefe in our hearts or life up our hands against our Christian brother let us then consider what the Apostle tels us from God Hee that hateth his brother walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whither he goeth yea He that loves not his brother is not of God Hath any one therefore offended thee Why consider hee is a man and no Angell and as subject to infirmities as thy selfe as also that he is thy brother by Creation and Adoption by Nature and by Grace and that hee beares the same Image and Resemblance of God as thy selfe dost in which regard thou art counselled Not to 〈◊〉 the Sunne goe downe on thy wrath That thou seeke after Peace and follow it That we forbeare and forgive one another as Christ forgives us and q that if we live in Peace the God of Peace will be with us But some there are yea alas too too many who are so hardned in their hearts and sinnes and so resolute in their wilfulnesse as in stead of rellishing they distaste and in stead of embracing reject and disdaine this Christian advice and counsell opening their thoughts and hearts to all vanities or rather drawing up the Sluces and Flood-hatches to let in all impiety to their soules they give way to the treacherous baites of the World to the alluring pleasures of the Flesh and to the dangerous and fatall temptations of the Devill and so cruelly imbrue their hands in the innocent blood of their Christian brethren and although the murthers of Abel by Cain out of Envie of Vriah by David for Adultery of Abner by Ioab for Ambition of Naboth by Iezabel for Malice and of Iehu his Sonnes by Athaliah for Revenge with their severall punishments which God inflicted on them for these their hainous and horrible crimes are presidents enough fearefull and bloody to make any Christian heart dissolve into pittie and regenerate soule melt into teares yet sith new examples ingender and produce fresh effects of sorrow and compassion and as it were leave and imprint a sensible memory thereof in our hearts and understandings therefore I thought it a worke as worthy of my labour as that labour of a Christian to collect thirty severall Tragicall Histories which for thy more ease and perfecter memory I have digested into sixe severall Bookes that observing and seeing herein as in a Christall mirrour the variety of the Devils temptations and the allurements of sinne wherewith these weake Christians the Authors and Actors hereof suffered themselves to bee carried away and seduced Considering I say the foulnesse of their facts in procuring the deaths of their Christian brethren some through blood others through poyson as also Gods miraculous detection and severe punishment thereof in revenging blood for blood and death for death yea many times repaying it home with interest and rewarding one death with many that the consideration of these bloody and mournfull Tragedies may by their examples strike astonishment to our thoughts and amazement to our senses that the horrour and terrour thereof may hereafter retaine and keepe us within the lists of Charity towards men and the bonds of filiall and religious obedience towards God who tels us by his Royall Prophet that Whosoever makes a pit for others shall fall into it himselfe for his mischief will returne upon his own head and his cruelty fall upon his own pate Which we shall see verified in these who seduced partly by sinne but chiefly by Sathan who is the Author thereof forgot the counsell of the Apostle If any one be afflicted let him pray and grived to powreforth their hearts before God not considering the efficacie thereof nor how Moses made the bitter waters of Marah sweet thereby yea they builded not their faiths on God and his promises on Christ and his Church on his Gospell and his Sacrament but spurned at all these Divine comforts and spirituall blessings yea and trampled that sweet-smelling Sacrifice of prayer under their feete which is the Antidote and preservative of the soule against sin and the Bulwarke to expell all the fiery and bloody darts of Sathans temptations yea the very ladder whereby both the aspirations and ejaculations of our soules mount unto God and his benefits and mercies descend unto us and this and only this was both the Prologue to their destruction and their destruction it selfe the which I present unto the view not only of thine eyes but of thy heart and soule because it is a Vertue in us to looke on other mens Vices with hatred and detestation imitating herein the wise and skilfull Pilot who mournes to see the Rockes whereon his neighbours have suffered shipwracke and yet againe rejoyceth that by the sight thereof he may avoid his owne which indeed is the true way both to secure our safety and to prevent our destruction as well of the Temporall life of our bodies in this World as the Spirituall of our soules in that to come I must farther advertise thee that I have purposely fetched these Tragicall Histories from forraine parts because it grieves mee to report and relate those that are too frequently committed in our owne Countrey in respect the misfortune of the dead may perchance either afflict or scandalize their living friends who rather want matter of new consolation then cause of reviving old sorrowes or because the iniquity of the times is such that it is as easie to procure many enemies as difficult to purchase one true friend In which respect I know that divers both in matters of this and of other natures have beene so cautious
Murther of her brother Sebastiano and shee like a most wretched and inhumane sister will speedily act it The manner is thus the which I cannot remember without griefe nor pen without teares Shee provides her selfe of a long and sharpe knife the which some ten daies after the death oâ—… 〈◊〉 sister Catalina 'twixt foure and five of the clocke in the morning shee hides in oâ—… of her sleeves and the better to cover and overvaile her villany shee in the same hand takes her Lute and so enters her brothers Chamber and findes him sleeping being a pretty way distant from hers and his Page Philippo in a lower Chamber under him resolving that if shee had found him waking she would play on her Lute and affirme she came to give him the good morrow But Sebastiano his fortune or rather his misfortune was such that hee was then soundly sleeping without dreaming or once thinking what should befall him when his wretched and execrable sister Berinthia stalkes close to him and laying her Lute softly on the window drawes out her devillish knife foorth her sleeve and as a shee-devill incarnate cuts his throat to the end hee might neither crye nor speake and so though with a female hand yet with a masculine courage she with as much malice as hast gives him seven severall wounds thorow the body and as neere the heart as shee could whereof hee twice turning himselfe in his bed nâ—… ver sprawled more and then taking up her Lute and leaving him reeking in his bloud shee after this her hellish fact hyes her selfe to her Chamber This cruell Murther is not so closely perpetrated and acted but Philippo Sebastiano's page hears some extraordinary stirring struggling in his Masters chamber so leaps out of his bed taking his cloak on his shoulders his Rapier in his hand he aâ—…ends the Stayâ—… where Berinthia hath not made so greaâ—… speed but hee sees hâ—…â—…ing her Chamber and throwing her doore after her whence running to his Masters Chamber hee findes the doore open and his Master most cruelly murthered in his bed of eight severall wounds at which bloudy and lamentable spectacle hee makes many bitter and pittifull outcryes whereat all the house is in allarum and the folkes and servants repaire thither of all sides By this time Berinthia hath shifted her outward Taffeta gown sprinkled all with bloud and wrapt her bloudy knife close in it and for the more secrecie throws it into her Closestool and so awayts the comming up of her Father and Mother whom the mournfull eccho and sorrowfull newes of their son Sebastiano's cruell mâ—…ther had with an ocean of teares wafted to his Chamber with whom Berinthia likewise all blubber'd with teares enters They are all amazed at the sight of this bloudy and breathlesse corps and wringing their hands Father Mother Daughter and Servants looke one on another in this calamity and at this sorrowfull disaster They search every Chamber Vault and Doore of the House and finde no body nor print of drops of bloud whatsoever when Philippo the Page cries out that hee feares it is the Lady Berinthia who hath murthered her Brother and his Master Sebastiano for that hee saw her flying to her Chamber as hee ascended the Stayres Vilarezo and Alphanta his wife are doubly amazed at this report but gracelesse Berinthia is no way daunted or astonished hereat but affirmes she likewise heard some stirring in her Brothers Chamber which made her arise and come to the Stayrâ—… head where seeing Philippo she being in her night attire modesty made her retire to her Chamber They all believe the sugar of her words and the circumstance of her excuse yet they will not proclaime her innocencie till they have searched her Chamber and all her Trunks where they finde no Knife Stilletto Dagger or any other offeâ—…sive Weapon and so her Father and Mother acquit her but God will not Notwithstanding they must advertise the Criminall Iudges of this lamentable and bloâ—… dy murther of their sonne which they doe So they arrive visit the dead body and cause all the House to bee searched but as soone as they heard Philippo's speeches and suspicion of Berinthia then considering her affection to Antonio and her brother Sebastiano's killing of him at Elvas they attribute this to bee her fact as proceeding from passionate revenge when the sequell and circumstances thereof being apparent in themselves theâ—…â—…t regarding her Fathers prayers her Mothers requests and her owne teares seizâ—… her and so send and commit her close Prisoner where wretched Gentlewoman shee hath a whole night left and given her to see and consider the foulnesse of her fact and to prepare her selfe to her answer which whether it will breede in her confession or denyall obstinacie or repentance as yet I know not So from her imprisonment come we to her answer Avero rings with the newes of this foule and bloudy Murther All bewayle all lament the death of Sebastiano as a Gentleman who was truely noble truely generous but his Father Vilarezo and Mother Alphanta seeme to drowne themselves in their teares at these mournefull accidents strange crosses and unheard of afflictions of theirs For though they will not believe yet they deepely feare that their daughter Berinthia was the murtherer of her brother Sebastiano and as affection seemes to diâ—…ert them from this opinion so reason indeavoureth to perswade and confirme them in the contrary The next moâ—…e the Iudges sit and send for Berinthia who comes accompanyed with her parents and many of her kinsfolkes they againe examine her and confront her with Philippo shee is firme in her denyall and her Iudges finde circuâ—…tances but no probability nor witnesse against her sufficient to convict her of this crime yet directed by the finger of God they condemne her to the Racke One of her Iudges pittying her descent youth and beauty as much as he detests this Murther intreats that her Chamber may be first curiously searched ere shee exposed to the Racke This advice and request is heard and followed with approbation Hee and two other Officers accompanyed with some of her friends repaire to Vilarezo his house and Berinthia her Chamber they leave no place Trunke Chest or Boxe unsearched yea their curiositie or to say truer their zeale and fidelity to Iustice descends so low as to visite her Close-stoole which for want of the key they breake open and behold the providence and Iustice of God! here they finde Berinthia's bloudy Gowne and therein very closely wrapt up that hellish Knife wherewith shee perpetrated this inhumane murther on her onely brother They praise and glorifie God for the discovery hereof and so returne to their Tribunall of Iustice bringing these bloudy evidences with them which Berinthia mought all this while have removed if God to his glory and her shame had not all this time purposely blinded the eyes of her judgement to the contrary At the sight hereof shee without any torment confesseth the
depriving him of his O extreme ingratitude O uncharitable and base resolution Yea hee is so devoyd of reason and the purity of his soule and conscience so contaminated and vilified with the contemplation and object of bloud as hee gives way thereto and resolves thereon yea permits it to forsake God of purpose wilfully to follow the Devill yea his thoughts are so surprised and taken up with this execrable and hellish resolution of Murther as hee thinkes of nothing else but of the meanes and manner how to dispatch Sturio and so to send him in a bloudy winding-sheet from this life to another To fight with him againe in the field hee dares not to assassinate and murther him in his bed he cannot sith he must passe five or sixe severall chambers ere hee can come at his and to pistoll him in the open street though it be lesse difficult yet hee findes it most dangerous sith hee sees Sturio still went better followed and accompanyed then himselfe as indeed being more eminent of birth and noble of extraction then himselfe But hee shall want no invention to accomplish and bring this his bloudy resolution to passe for if hee faile thereof the Devill is still at his elbow to prompt and instruct him therein yea his impiety is growne so strong with the Devill and his faith so weake with God as now having turned over the records of his revenge hee at last resolves to shoot Sturio from a Window with a Petronell as he passeth the street and upon the attempt and finishing of this hellish stratagem and bloudy Tragedy the Devill and he strike hands and conclude it the contriving and perpetrating where of shal in the end strangle him because he was so prophane and gracelesse as he would not strangle the first conceit thereof in their births and conceptions But leave wee here Bertolini ruminating on his intended bloudy crime of Murther and come wee a little to speake of poore unfortunate Sturio who not dreaming of his malice much lesse of his ungratefull and bloudy revenge intended against him like a mournful and disconsolate constant Lover is thinking on nothing so much as on the living beauty and Idea of his dead Paulina and although he knew it as palpable folly to bewray his immoderate sorrowes as discretion to conceale them yet their impetuosity and fervencie give such a predominating law to his resolutions as hee cannot refraine from often stealing into Sancta Maria de Rotunda's Church where shee was buryed and there secretly bedewes her Tombe and washes her Sepulcher with his teares an act and ceremony of Lovers which though affection authorize yet Religion doth neither justifie nor can approve All the care of his father and friends is to seek how to purge his pensivenesse and to wipe off his melancholy sorrowes and sorrowfull melancholinesse to which end they proffer him great variety of noble and beautifull Ladies in Marriage hoping that the sight and presence of a new beauty would deface the memory and absence of an old but their policie proves vaine for Sturio will bee as constant in his sorrowes for his sweet Paulina's death as hee was in his affection to her whiles shee lived and therefore although their power inforce him to see diverse yet his will can never bee drawne or inforced to love any as having inviolably contracted himselfe to this definitive resolution that sith he could not be Paulina's husband he will never wed himselfe to any other wife then his Grave And here I beginne to write rather with teares then Inke when I apprehend and consider how soone our poore and innocent Sturio shall â—…ee by the bloudy hand of Bertolini layd in his unfortunate and untimely Grave Ah Sturio Sturio hadst thou been more vindictive and lesse generous and compassionate thou hadst prevented thy death by killing Bertolini when thy valour in Caprea formerly reduced and exposed him to the mercie of thy Sword or if thou hadst believed this Maxime that dead men can never offend or hurt thou needst not have relyed and trusted upon the false promises of an incensed and irreconciliable enemy but what shall I say It was not thy honour but Bertolini's infamy which hasteneth and procureth thy death O that thou shouldest bee so true a friend to thine enemy and hee proove so deadly an enemy to thee his true friend Sturio gave Bertolini his life and Bertolini in requitall will give Sturio his death but such monstrous and bloudy ingratitude will never goe unpunished of God for as it is odious to Earth so it is execrable to Heaven But I must bee so unfortunate to bring this deplorable Tragedy upon the Theater of this History A misery of miseries that wee are many times neerest our ends when wee thinke our selves farthest from them and not to rush into the sacred and secret closet of Gods inscrutable providence I can finde no other pregnant reason thereof either in Divinity or Nature but that at all times and in all places wee should bee still prepared and ready for death e're death for us and not protracting or procrastinating the houre thereof but that whensoever it shall please God to call us to him or himselfe to us that like good Christians death may still finde us alwayes arm'd to meet never unprovided to incounter it But Bertolini is so obstinate in his malice and so wretchedly implacable in his revenge as understanding that Sturio is accustomed to goe to his mornings Masse at the English Colledge hee provides both himselfe and his Petronell charged with a brace of Bullets or rather the Devill provides both the Bullets the Petronell and himselfe and so watching the advantage of his houre and time on a Monday morning a little after the Cardinalls Farnesi and Caponius were ridden with their traines to the Consistory putting himselfe into an unknowne house betwixt the sayd English Colledge and the Palace of Farnesi hee having his Cocke bent and seeing Sturio comming in the streete upon his prauncing Barbary Horse and Foot-cloth like a gracelesse and bloudy villaine having neither the feare of God nor the salvation or damnation of his soule before his eyes nor once imagining that hee shootes at the Majesty of God the Creatour in killing and defacing Man his Image and Creature le ts flye at him and the Devill had made him so curious and expert a Marke-man as both the Bullets pierce the trunke of his brest with which mortall wounds our innocent Sturio no longer able to sit his Horse tumbles downe dead to the ground without having the power to utter a word but onely to breathe foorth two or three lamentable and deadly groanes And this was the unfortunate and mournefull end of this noble Gentleman Sturio which I cannot relate without sighes nor remember without teares This bloudy Tragedy acted on so brave a Gallant in the very bowels and heart of Rome doth extreamely amaze and draw all the Spectatours to lamentation and mourning and his two servants who
by his lust as that was likewise by the Devill hee rides over to her Fathers house and alighting from his horse cals there for some wine but with his Hauke on his fist and his laquay and dogs at his heeles thereby the better to over-vaile and colour out his lascivious designe and inâ—…ent And that the Reader may the better and apparantly behold this countrey Virgin Marieta shee was aged of some sixteene yeares and towards her seventeenth tall and straight and rather a little endining to fatnesse then to leanesse her haire was of a bright flaxen colour and she of so fresh a beauty and sweet and delicate complexion that her eyes were capable to inflame desire and her cheeks to engender and exact affection so that as it was a wonder among many to find so delicate a Countrey-lasse it was also many wonders in one to see how sweetly her rich beauty graced her poore clothes whiles they though in vaine endeavour to disgrace it Quatbrisson no sooner sees Marieta but she is so faire and amiable in his eyes as they informe him that report comes infinitely short of her beauty when burning in the flames of his beastly concupiscence towards her his lust so exceedingly out braves his reason that his eyes and heart doe already doe homage to hers and he is so farre caught and insnared in the contemplation of her fresh youth and beauty as hee vowes to leave no art unattempted to obtaine his lustfull desires in enjoying of her virginity To which end hee very often and secretly visiteth her discovereth her his lewd desires and affection gives her Gloves Bonlace Lawne woorsted Stockings and the like trifles thereby the sooner to prevaile with her when God knowes this faire poore maiden was so chaste as yet shee knew not what belonged to unchastity such was her obscure dwelling and innocent education and yet behold the Devill was so busie with her and Quatbrisson with the Devill to draw and prostitute her to sinne as she was so farre in love with his gay clothes sugred speeches and faire promises rich gifts and especially because hee was a Gentleman that in a few weekes shee had hardly the power or will to deny him any thing no not her selfe But whiles thus Quatbrisson laies close siege to the chastity of the daughter her Mother Iane Chaumett being of a quicke wit and sharpe apprehension measuring his youth by her Daughters beauty begins to mistrust and feare that by his often visits he endeavored to put a rape on her vertue in seeking to inrich himselfe with the losse of her maiden-head the which to prevent she forbids him her house shewing him that she had rather dye then live to see her Daughter made a Strumpet adding farther that if hereupon he did not forbeare her house and her daughters company shee would forthwith acquaint his Father Monsieur de Caerstainge therewith alleadging that how close so ever hee bore himselfe shee knew him to be his Sonne and heire and termed Quatbrisson which crosse speeches of hers doe much afflict and perplexe him and the more because hee sees he cannot now approach Marieta and which is worst of all in regard he knowes not whom to employ towards her to win her to his desires But at length remembring that hee was well acquainted with an old Franciscan Frier of Auroy named Father Symplician who many yeares begged the Countrey for the repairing of their Monastery and with whom he had often caroused and beene merry He therefore holds him a fit Instrument and Agent for his purpose and so rides over to Auroy and sends for him to his lodging where giving him good cheere and well heating his head with wine he there from point to point discovereth this secret and laies open himselfe to him So this old Frier loving his cups better then his beads and Monsiâ—… de Quatbrisson better then his Guardian because hee had twice formerly expelled him the Monastery for some of his dishonest and debauched prancks hee freely engageth himselfe to him affirming that he well knew both Father Mother and Daughter having heretofore many times layen in their house when hee hath beene over taken either by night or raine Hypocrisie is the Devils Maske or Visard and there is no way so subtle or sinful to deceive as under the Cloake and Colour of Religion and therefore it is a most pernitious and odious shame to Christians that those who professe piety should prophane it This good fellow Frier Symplician taking the tide of time and the wind of opportunity under the pretext of visiting some of his kinsfolkes leaves Auroy repaires to Vannes and so to Malliots house in the countrey where purposely faigning himselfe sicke thereby to procure himselfe the better colour for his stay and the better meanes for the dispatch of this love busines for Monsieur Quatbrisson there Malliot and his wife Iane Chaumet out of their respect to Religion and reverence to Church-men entertaine him lovingly and attend him carefully and diligently thinking no cost too much nor any meat care or labour enough which they spent and bestowed on him But we shall see him requite this Hospitality and repay this courtesie of theirs with a base ingratitude For in the absence of the Father and Mother this deboshed Fryer teacheth their faire Daughter Marieta a new Catechisme hee tells her that Monsieur Quatbrisson is deeply in love with her that if shee will hearken to his Affection and so become flexible to his desires hee will shortly steale her away from her Parents and either maintaine her Gentlewoman-like in brave apparell or els marry her to some rich Serving-man or Farmers Sonne with whom she might live merrily and at her hearts content all the dayes of her life adding withall that it was pitty 〈◊〉 delicate fresh beauty should bee so strictly and obscurely mewed up in her Fathers poore Cottage and that it was a shame to her to prove an enemy to Nature who had beene so bountifull and so true a friend to her with many more obsceâ—… reasons and deboshed speeches looking that way the which in modesty I cannot remember without shame nor relate without detestation So this pandâ—…rising old Fryer degenerating from his habit profession and name what with the honey or rather indeed the poyson of his speeches and promises and the sugar of some gifts and tokens which he delivered her from Quâ—…brisson he drawes this harmlesse and innocent poore Countrey mayd so farre to forget her selfe her Parents and God that in hope of rich apparell and a good husband shee tells Father Symplician that she is wholly Quatbrissons aâ—… command and that for his sake and love she is absolutely resolved to forsake her Father and Mother and to goe away with him any night or day when he pleaseth to fetch her the which he shortly doth and shee accomplisheth And thus was the odious ingratitude of this Fryer Sympâ—…cian towards honest Malliot and his Wife for his good cheere lodging
of Piracquo might receive a more honourable and Christian like Sepulchre and if these crimes of his be not capable to deserve revenge and chastisement Loe hee is entring into a new wilfull and premeditated Murther and doth so dishonourably and treacheroubly performe it as we shall shortly see him lose his life upon an infamous Scaffold where hee shall finde no heart to pitty him nor eye to bewaile him If we would be so ignorant wee cannot be so malicious to forget that loving and courteous Letter which Don Thomaso Piracquo wrote his Brother Alonso Piracquo from Alicant to Briamata to with-draw himselfe from his suite to Beatrice-Ioana and although his affection and jealousie to prevent his Brothers disgrace was then the chiefe occasion of that his Letter yet sith he was since disastrously and misfortunately bereaved of him of that deare and sweet Brother of his whom he ever held and esteemed farre dearer then his life his thoughts like so many lines concurre in this Centre from whence hee cannot bee otherwise conceited or drawne but that Beatrice-Ioana and Absemero had a hand and were at least accessaries if not authours of his losse upon the foundation of which beliefe hee rayseth this resolution that hee is not worthy to bee a Gentleman nor of the degree and title of a Brother if hee crave not satisfaction for that irreparable losse which hee sustayneth in that of his Brother and the sooner is hee drawne thereunto because hee believes that as Alsemero was ordayned of old to chastize Beatrice-Ioana so hee was by the same Power reserved to bee revenged of Alsemero Whereupon although it bee not the custome of Spaine to fight Duels as desiring rather the death of their enemies then of their friends he resolves to fight with him and to that end understanding Alsemero to be then in Alicant sends him this Challenge THOMASO PIRACQVO to ALSEMERO IT is with too much assurance that I feare Beatrice-Ioana's vanity and your rashnesse hath bereaved mee of a Brother whom I ever esteemed and prized farre dearer then my selfe I were unworthy to converse with the World much lesse to beare the honour and degree of a Gentleman if I should not seeke satisfaction for his death with the hazard of mine owne life for if a Friend be bound to performe the like courtesie and duety to his Friend how much more a Brother to his Brother Your Sword hath chastized Beatrice-Ioana's errour and I must see whether mine be reserved to correct yours As you are your selfe meet mee at the foot of Glisseran hill to morrow at five in the morning without Seconds and it shall be at your choyce either to use your Sword on Horse-backe or your Rapier on foot THOMASO PIRACQVO Alsemero accepts this Challenge and promiseth that hee and his Rapier will not faile to meete him yet as hee one way wondereth at Piracquo's valour and resolution so another way he considereth the great losse hee hath received in that of his Brother and the justnesse of his quarrell against him who although hee were not accessary to his Murther yet he is in concealing the cruelty thereof and indeed this villany makes him lose his accustomed courage and thinke of a most base cowardize and treacherous stratagem But this dishonourable resolution and designe of his shall receive an infamous recompence and a reward and punishment as bitter as just They meet at the houre and place appointed Piracquo is first in the Field and Alsemero stayes not long after but hee hath two small Pistols charged in his pockets which in killing his enemy shall ruine himselfe They draw and as they approach Alsemero throwes away his Rapier and with his hat in his hand prayes Piracquo to heare him in his just defence and that hee is ready to joyne with him to revenge his Brothers Murtherers Piracquo being as courteous as couragious and as honourable as valiant likewise throwes away his Rapier and with his Hat in his hand comes to meet him but it is a folly to unarme our selves in our enemies presence for it is better and fitter that hee stand to our courtesie then we to his when Piracquo fearing nothing lesse then Treason Alsâ—…mero drawes out his Pistols and dischargeth then the first thorow his head and the second thorow his brest of which two wounds he speaking onely thus O Villaine O Traytour falls downe dead at his feet Loe here the third bloudy part of this History It is a lamentable part for any one to commit Murther but for a Gentleman to destroy another in this base and cruell manner this exceedes all basenesse and cruelty it selfe yea it makes him â—…s uâ—…worthy of his honour as worthy of a Halter The newes of this bloudy â—…ct rattles in the streets of Alicant as Thunder in the Firmament Piracquo's Chiâ—…gion being an eye-witnesse hereof reports the death of his Master and the treachery of Alsemero all Alicant is amazed hereat they extoll Thomaso Piracquo's valor and his singular affection to his dead Brother and both detest curse the treachery and memâ—…ry of Alsemero The criminall Iudges are advertized hereof who speedily send poast after him but hee is mounted on a swift Genner and like Bellerophon on his winged Pegasus doth rather flie then gallop but his hast is in vaine for the justice of the Lord wil both stop his Horse and arrest him He is not recovered halfe way from Alicant towards Valentia but his Horse stumbles and breakes his fore-leg and Alsemero his right arme hee is amazed perplexed and inraged hereat and knowes not what to doe or whither to flie for safety for hee sees no bush nor hedge to hide him nor lane to save him and now he repents himselfe of his fact but it is too late his Horse fayling him he trusteth to his legs and so throwing off his cloake runnes as speedily as hee may but the foulenesse of his fact doth still so affright him and terrifie his conscience as hee is afrayd of his owne shaddow lookes still backe imagining that every stone he sees is a Sergeant come to arrest him yea his thoughts like so many Bloud-hounds pursue and follow him swearing exceedingly partly through his labour but especially through the affliction and perturbation of his mind yea every poynt of a minute hee both expecteth and feares his apprehension Neither is his feare or expectation vaine for loe hee at last perceives foure come galloping after him as fast as their Horses can drive So they finding first his poore Horse and now espying his miserable selfe hee sees hee is invironed of all sides and thinkes the earth hath brought forth Cadmean men to apprehend him yet remembring himselfe a Gentleman and withall a Souldier hee resolves rather to sell his life dearely in that place then to be made a Spectacle upon an infamous Scaffold but this courage and resolution shall neither prevaile or rescue him Hee to this effect drawes his Rapier the which the foure Sergeants will him to
as I grieve at that so I sorrow at this for although â—…ee dyed mine enemy yet in despight of his malice and death I will live his friend and if thou lovedst him as I thinke thou didst I wish I might fight with his Murtherer for his owne sake and kill him for thine I may say thy affection and beauty deserved his better though dare not affirme I am reserved to bee made happy in injoying of either much lesse of both and least of all of thy selfe and yet I must confesse that if our births and qualities were knowne I should goe as neere to bee thy equall as hee infinitely came short of being mine What or what not I have performed for thy sake is best knowne to myselfe sith thou disdaynest to know it but if thou wilt please to abandon thy disdaine then my affection and the truth will informe thee that I have ever constantly resolved to dy thy Servant though thou have sworne never to live my Mistresse So that could I but as happily regaine thy affection and favour as I have unjustly and unfortunately lost it Belluile would quâ—…ckely forsake Paris to see Avignion and abandon all the beauties of the world to continue his homage and service to that of his onely faire and sweet Laurieta BELLVILE With this his Letter hee sends a Diamond Ring from his finger and so dispatcheth his Lackey who is not long before hee arrive at Avignion where very secretly he delivers Laurieta his Masters Token and Letter and treacherous fury as shee is shee kisseth both and breaking off the Seales reades the contents whereat she infinitly seemes to rejoyce and so questioneth with the Lackey about his Masters returne who being taught his Lesson told her that that depended on her pleasure sith hers was his and withall prayes her for an answer for that two dayes hence hee was againe to returne to his Master for Paris the which shee promiseth The Lackey gone she cannot refraine from laughing yea she leaps for joy to see how Belluile is againe so besotted to throw himselfe into her favour and mercy and to observe how willing and forward he was to runne hoodwink'd to his untimely death and destruction for the Devill hath fortifyed her in her former bloudy resolution so that hap what will shee vowes she will not faile to kill Belluile because hee had slaine her Poligny and already she wisheth him in Avignion that she might see an end to this her wished and desired Tragedy In the meane time she prepares her hypocriticall and treacherous Letter and a rich Watchet Scarfe imbroydered with flames of silver So his Lackey repayreth to her to whom she delivereth both with remembrance of her best love to his Master and that shee hoped shortly to see him in Avignion The Lackey being provided of his Masters Gold and this Scarfe and Letter trips away speedily for Lyons where hee findes his Master privatly husht up in a friends house expecting his returne he is glad of his owne gold but more of Laurieta's Letter when thinking every minute a yeare before he had read it he hastily breaking off the seales findes these lines therein contayned LAVRIETA to BELLVILE AS I acknowledge I loved Poligny so I confesse I never hated thee and if his treacherous insinuation were too prevalent with my credulity I beseech thee attribute it to my indiscretion as being a woman and not to my inconstancie as being thy friend for if he dyed thine enemy let it suffice that I live thine hand-mayd and that as he was not reserved for me so I hope I am wholly for thy selfe How farre he was my inferiour I will not inquire onely it is both my content and honour that thou please vouchsafe to repute mee thy equall I am so farre from disdayning as I infinitely desire to know what thou hast done for my sake that I may requite thy love with kisses and make my thankes wipe off the conceipt of my ingratitude As for my affection it was never lost to thee nor shall ever bee found but of thee To conclude I wish that our little Avignion were thy great Paris and if â—…y love be as unfeigned as mine is firme let my Belluile make hast to see his Laurieta who hath vowed to rejoyce a thousand times more at his returne then ever shee grieved at Poligny's death LAVRIETA At the reading of this her Letter hee is beyond himselfe yea beyond the Moone for joy so as hee wisheth nothing so much as himselfe in her armes or shee in his So hee fits himselfe with a couple of good horses puts his Lackeyes into new Sutes and knowing that time and his absence had washed away the remembrance of Poligny's murther he speeds away for Avignion where the first night of his arrivall he privately visiteth Laurieta 'twixt whom there is nothing but kisses and imbracings yea shee so treacherously and sweetly lulles him â—…leepe with the Syren melody of her deceiptfull speeches as she prayes him to visit her often and that a little time shall crowne him with the fruits of his desire so for that night they part The nâ—…xt day he repaires to her againe when amidst the confluence of many millions of kisses shee prayes and conjures him to discover her what hee hath done for her sake when he tying her by oath to secrecie and she swearing it he relates her that it was himsâ—…fe that in affection to her had slaine Poligny as he issued forth her lodging when having wrested and extorted this mystery from him it confirmes her malice and hastneth on her resolution of his death which his lascivious thoughts have neither â—…he grace to foresee nor the reason to prevent shee espyes hee hath still a Pistoll with him and desires to know why hee beares it who answereth her it is to defend himselfe from his enemies and that hee will never goe without it So againe they fall to their kisses and hee to his requests of a further and sweeter favour of her which shee for that time againe denyes him adding withall that if hee will come to her after dinner to morrow shee will so dispose of matters as his pleasure shall be hers and she will not be her owne but his So being surprised and ravishâ—…d with the extasie of a thousand sweete approaching pleasures hee returnes to his Chamber and shee to her malice where whiles he gluts himselfe with his hope of delight shee doth no lesse with her desire of revenge And now ruminating on the manner of his death she thinkes nothing so fit or easie to dispatch him as his owne Pistoll and so thinking shee should need her Wayting-mayd Lucilla's assistance of whom this our History hath formerly made mention shee acquaints her with her purpose the next day to murther Belluile in her Chamber and so with the lure of gold and many faire promises drawes her to consent hereunto and injoines her to be provided of a good Ponyard under her gowne for the same
with many fearefull imprecations and asseverations stands peremptorily in her innocencie and out of the heat of her malice and choller termes them devills or witches that are her accusers But her Iudges who can no longer be deluded with her vowes nor will no more give eare to her perfidious oaths command to have her Paps seared off with hot burning Pincers thereby to vindicate the truth of her cruell murther from the falsehood of her impious and impudent denyall thereof Whereat amazed and astonished and seeing this cruell torment ready to bee inflicted and presented her God was so indulgent to her sinnes and so mercifull to her soule as the devill flying from her and she from his temptations shee rayning downe many rivolets and showres of teares from her eyes and evaporating many volleyes of sighes from her heart throwing her selfe downe on her knees to the earth and lifting up her eyes and handes unto Heaven with much bewayling and bitternesse shee at last confesseth to her Iudges that shee and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla were the murtherers of Belluile and for the which shee sayd that through her humble contrition and hearty repentance shee hoped that God would pardon her soule in the life to come though shee knew they would not her body in this Whereupon the Iudges in horrour and execration of her inhumane and bloudy crime pronounce sentence of death upon her and condemne her the next day after dinner first to be hanged then burnt in the same street right against her lodging Monsieur de Richcourts house and likewise sith Lucilla was both an accessary and actour in this bloudy Tragedy that her body should be taken up out of her Grave and likewise burnt with hers in the same fire which accordingly was executed in the presence of an infinite number of people both of the Citizens and adjacent neighbours of Avignion Laurieta uttering upon the Ladder a short but a most Christian and penitent speech to the people tending first to disswade them all by her example from those foule and crying sinnes of whoredome revenge and murther and then to request and perswade them that they would assist her with their religious and devout prayers in her soules passage and flight towards Heaven yet adding withall that as her crime so her griefe was redoubled because as she had killed Belluile for Poligny's sake so she was sure that Belluile had killed Poligny for hers And thus Christian Reader were the dissolute lives and mournefull deaths of these two unfortunate Gentlemen Poligny and Belluile and of this lascivious and bloudy Curâ—…izan Laurieta and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla A tragicall History worthy both of our observation and detestation and indeed these are the bitter fruits of Lust Whoreâ—…ome and Revenge and the inseparable companions which infallibly awayt and attend them the very sight and consideration whereof are capable not onely to administer consolation to the righteous but to strike terror to the ungodly O therefore that wee may all beware by these their fatall and dangerous sinnes for this is the onely perfect and true way to prevent and avoyde their punishments GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE IX Iacomo de Castelnovo Iustfully falls in love with his daughter in law Perina his owne sonne Francisco de Castelnovo's Wife whom to injoy he causeth Ierantha first to poyson his owne Lady Fidelia and then his said son Francisco de Castelnovo in revenge whereof Perina treacherously murthereth him in his bed Ierantha ready to dye in travell of child confesseth her two Murthers for the which she is bang'd and burnt Perina hath her right hand cut off and is condemned to perpetuall imprisonment where she sorrowfully languisheth and dyes WEe need not send our curiosity or our curiosity us to seek Tygers and Monsters in Africa for Europe hath but too many who are so cruell and inhumane not only to imbrue but to imbath themselves in the innocent bloud of their Christian brethren And as Religion prohibites us to kill and commands us to love our enemies with what audacious and prophane impiety dare wee then murther our friends nay those of our owne bloud and who are the greatest part of our selves And although Italy have lately afforded many tragicall presidents and fearefull Examples of this nature wheâ—…of I have given some to my former and reserved others to my future bookes yet in my conceipt it hath produced none more bloudy and inhumane then this whether we respect the Murthers or the persons For here wee shall see a wretched and execrable old man so besotted in lust and flaming in malice and revenge as being both a husband and a father hee by a hellish young Gentlewoman his strumpet poysonâ—…th both his owne wife and his owne sonne It was his vanity which first inkindled the fire of his lust it is then his Impiety which gives way to the Devill to blow the coales thereto and so to convert it into Murther O that Sinne should so triumph o're Grace and not Grace o're Sinne O that Age and Nature should not teach us to bee lesse bloudy and more compassionate and charitable And alas alas by Poyson that drug of the Devill who first brought the damnable invention thereof from hell to be practised here on earth onely by his agents and members Wee shall likewise see him killed by his daughter in law for formerly poysoning of her husband Lust seduced him to perpetraâ—…e those Affection or rather bloudy Revenge drew her on to performe this and consequently to her punishment due for the same Had they had more Grace and Religion they would not have beene so inhumane but falling from that no marvell if they fell to be so wretched and miserable for if we die well we seldome live ill if live ill we usually never die well for it is the end that crowns the beginning not the beginning the end Therfore if we will be happy in our lives and blessed in our deaths we must follow Vertue and flie from Vice love Chastity and Charity and hate Lust and Envie preferre Heaven before Earth our Soules before our Bodies and defie Satan with a holy resolution both to feare and love God SAvoy is the Countrey and Nice the City seated upon the Mediterraneâ—…m Sea being the strongest Bulwarke against France and the best Forâ—…resse and Key of Italy where the Scene of this insuing Tragicall History is layd the which to refetch from the Head-spring and Fountaine of its originall it must carry our curiosity and understanding over those famous Mountaines the Alpes and from thence to the City of Saint Iohn de Mauriena where of late and fresh memory dwelt an aged Gentleman of rich revenues and great wealth named Seignior Antonio de Arconeto who had newly by his deceased Wife the Lady Eleanora de Bibanti two Children to wit a Son and a Daughter that named Seignior Alexandro and this the Lady Perina a little different in yeares for he was eighteen and
desire so I can receive no other satisfaction but this whereunto thy malice invites and my honour obligeth mee BRELLATI Valerio performes his part well and fairely working and screwing himselfe into Bertolini's presence very secretly delivers him his Masters challenge Bertolini not ignorant but conjecturing what it meanes breakes off the Seales and at the perusall therof though his cause bee unjust and dishonourable yet in his countenance and speeches hee shewes much constancie fortitude and resolution when considering they were to fight single and that therefore Valerio could bee no second hee deeming his Master had concealed this secret businesse from him contents himselfe to give him onely this answer Tell your Master Seignior Brellati from mee that I will not faile to meet him according to his desire and appoyntment And so Valerio takes his leave and departs when finding out his Master he reports him Bertolini's answer whereat hee is so farre from being any way appald or daunted as hee infinitely rejoyceth thereat In the meane time hee is curious in preparing two singular good Rapiers and Ponyards of equall length hilts and temper And thus with much impatient patience as Revenge is an enemy to sleepe they not out-sleepe but out-watch the night So the morne and day stealing and breaking into their windowes they are no sooner out of their beds but into the field their Chirurgions awayting their arrivals by the Pyramides in the place of Populi by which of necessity they were to passe when tying up their horses to the hedges like resolute Gentlemen they throw off their doublets commanding their Chirurgions not to stir from their stations when disdaining words they both draw and fall to deeds thus Brellati presenteth the first thrust and Bertolini gives him the first wound in his left shoulder whereat hee is inflamed and so returnes Bertolini the interest of a most dangerous one on his right side but it toucht neither his bowels nor quayse They cry againe so Brellati againe wounds Bertolini in his left hand when his Rapier running thorow his sinewes and Arteries he is no longer able to hold his Ponyard but despight his resolution and courage it fals out of his hand which unlookt for disaster doth much perplexe and afflict him But Brellati is two generous and noble to blemish or taint his honour by taking any advantage of this his adversaries misfortune and so to cleere his doubts and scruples very valiantly and bravely throwes away his owne Ponyard to the hedge that they might bee as equall in weapons as courage But Bertolini will basely requite this courtesie They retire and take breath and so traversing their grounds thereby to take the benefit of the Sunne they againe joyne at the first close of this second meeting Brellati runnes Bertolini into the right flanke when withdrawing his Rapier and leaping backe to put himselfe upon his defensive guard and posture his foot slipping hee could not prevent falling to the ground when Bertolini following him close and being eager in his pursuit and bloud-thirsty in his revenge hee forgetting Brellati's former courtesie and working upon the fortune of his misfortune right then and there nayled him to the ground and so redoubling his thrust acted a perpetuall divorce betwixt his body and soule when Brellati's Chirurgian shedding teares on his dead Master and beginning to take order for his decent conveyance into the City Bertolini takes up his Chirurgian behinde him and so with all possible speed and celerity the better to avoyd the danger of the law poasts o're the fields and comes into Mount Cavallo Gate and so husheth himselfe up privately in a friends house of his neere his fathers All Rome beginnes to eccho forth and resound this Murther and farre the more because Bertolini and Brellati were so deare and intimate friends but as good newes comes alwayes lame and bad rides poast so within one houre of Brellati's Murther the newes thereof is brought first to his Father then to his Sister Paulina whereat hee grieves and shee stormes hee sorroweth and shee weepes and laments and in a word the Father would but cannot and the Daughter can but will not bee comforted at this sad and mournefull Tragedy Neither must wee forget but remember Seignior Paulus Sturio who loving Paulina a thousand times dearer then his owne life is no sooner acquainted but afflicted with this newes of Brellati his death as being his deare friend and which is more the onely brother of his dearest and onely Mistris Paulina so as Lovers and friends being best knowne and discerned in calamities and afflictions hee repaires to her condoles with her and useth his chiefest art and zeale not onely to participate but wholly to deprive her of her sorrowes yea to proove himselfe a constant friend and a faithfull lover to her hee proffereth her not onely his service but his life as well to right her honour as to revenge her brothers death on Bertolini but this affection and perswasion of Sturio is not capable to wipe off or exhale his Lady Paulina's teares But againe to Bertolini who is so farre from contrition and repentance of this his bloudy fact as like a prophane miscreant and debausht and dissolute Gentleman hee triumphs and glories therein yea his impudencie is become so ignorant and his ignorance so sottish as hee beganne to enter into a resolution againe to court and seeke Paulina for his wife without respecting or regarding either the publike danger of the Law or that of Paulina's private revenge for sure her brothers death had throwne her into such violent passions of griefe and extremities of sorrow as if his folly had made her so happy doubtlesse her revenge would have made him more miserable but God had taught her rage more reason and her malice and cruelty not so much impiety yea it pleased his Divine Majesty not so soone to call him to an accompt and punish him for this his bloudy fact but reserving him for a future shame and punishment being affrighted with a tumultuous rumour and alarum of a generall search to bee made that night for his apprehension hee very subtilly in a Capuchins habit passeth Saint Iohn de Laterans Gate and there having Poast-horses layd for him hee as swift as the winde gallops away for Naples and imbarking himselfe for Sicilie passeth the Pharre of Messina lands at that City and so rides up for Palermo where he thinkes himselfe safe But having not made his peace with God where ever he flie God will in due time find him out when he least dreames thereof â—…ut although the power and influence of time bee so predominate to deface the actions and accidents of time yet 〈◊〉 can give no truce to her teares nor will shee administer any consolation to her sorrowes for her brothers death And if ever now it is that Sturio resembling himselfe beginnes to make her sorrowes his for having deepely rooted and setled his affection on Paulina and naturally ingraven her beauty and picture
her resolution Whiles thus Albemare in the way of marriage seekes our faire and sweet Clara publikely no lesse doth Baretano privately and although with lesse vanity and ostentation yet hee hopes with farre more fortunacie and successe as grounding his hopes upon these reasons That in heart and soule Clara is onely his as both in soule and heart he is hers so hee entertaines her many times with his Letters and yet not to shew himselfe a novice in discretion or a coward in affection hee makingher content his commands as shee did his desires her felicity hee in remote Churches and Chappels for whose number Millan exceeds Rome hath both the happinesse and honour privately to meet her where if they violate the sanctity of the place in conferring and cherishing their affections yet they sanctifie thir affections in desiring that some Church or Chappell might invest and crowne them with the religions honour and holy dignitie of marriage For having jested of Love heretofore now like true Lovers they henceforth resolve to love not in jest but in earnest and as of their two hearts they have already made one so now they meane and intend to dispose of their bodies thereby to make one of two And this is their sole desire and this and onely this is their chiefe delight and most pleasing'st desires and wishes But as it is the nature of Love for Lovers to desire to see none but themselves and yet are seene of many so this their familiarity and frequent meeting is againe reported to her father and mother whereat they murmure with griefe and grieve with discontent and affliction and now not to substract but to adde to their vexation it is resolved betweene our two yong amorous Turtle Doves Baretano and his faire Clara that he should publikely motion them for her in marriage which he in wonderfull faire tearmes and orderly Decorum as well by his friends as himselfe performeth When contrary to his wishes but not his expectation they give him so cold entertainment and his suite such poore and sharpe acceptance as they in affection and zeale to Albemare not onely deny him their daughter but their house an answer so incivill and therfore so injust as might give a testimony of some way of their care yet no way of their discretion to themselves or affection to their daughter And here I must confesse that I can difficultly define whether this resolution and answer of Capello and Castiana more delighted Albemare discontented Baretano or afflicted Clara who although in the entrance of their Loves their hopes seem'd to be nipt and their desires crost by the frownes of their parents yet they love each other so tenderly and dearly as these discontents notwithstanding they will not retire but are resolute to advance in the progresse of this their chast and servent affections and although their commands endevour to give a law to her obedience in not permitting her to be frequented of Baretano yet her obedience is so inforced to take a more stronger of her affection as dispight her parents malice and jelosie towards them when they are sweetly sleeping in their beds then is their daughter Clara waking with Baretano and he with her oftentimes walking and talking in the Arboures and many times kissing and billing in the close galleries of the garden which they cannot conceale or beare so closely but her father and mother have exact notice and intelligence thereof by some of their trusty servants whom they had purposely appointed as Sentinels to espie and discover their meetings Whereupon as much in hatred to Baretano as in affection to Albemare knowing that if the cause be once removed the effect is subject soone to follow and ensue they very suddenly and privately send away their daughter from Millan to Modena by Coach there to be mewed and pent up with the Lady Emelia her Aunt and besides her waiting Gentlewoman Adriana none to accompany and conduct her but only Albemare hoping that a small time his presence and importunate solitations would deface the memorie of Baretano to engrave his owne in the heart and thoughts of his sweet Clara. Who poore soule seing her selfe exiled and banished from the society of her Baretano's sight and company wherein under heaven shee chiefly and onely delighted she hereat doth as it were drowne her selfe in the Ocean of her teares storming as well at the cruelty of her parents as at her owne affliction and misfortune and no lesse doth her Baretano for the absence of his sweet Saint and deare Lady Clara for as their affection so their afflictions is equall now mourning as much at each others absence as formerly they rejoyced and triumphed in their presence But although the jealousie of Capello and Castiana were very carefull to watch and observe Baretano in Millan and the zeale and affection of Albemares safety to guard and sweetly to attend on Clara and Modena Yet as fire surpressed flames forth with more violence and rivers stopped overflow with more impetuosity so despight of the ones vigilancie and the others jealousie though Baretano cannot be so happy and blessed to ride over to Modena to see and salute his Clara yet love which is the refiner of inventions and wit and the polisher of judgement cannot yet deraine him from visiting her with his letters the which in respect of the hard accesse and difficult passage to her hee is enforced to send her by subtill meanes and secret messengers and the better to overshadow the curiosity of his Arts and the Art of his affection herein hee among many others makesuse of a Frier and a Hermite for the conveyance of two letters to Modena to his Lady which as fit agents for such amorous employments they with more cunning and fidelity than zeale and Religion safely delivered her and likewise returned him her answers thereof And because the servency of their affections and constancies each to other are more lively depainted and represented in these two than in any other of their letters therefore I thought my selfe in a manner bound here to insert them to the end to give the better spirit and Grace to their History and the fuller satisfaction and content to the curiosity of the Reader That which Baretano sent Clara upon her departure from Millan to Modena by the Frier spake thus BARETANO to CLARA HOw justly may I tearme my selfe unfortunate Sith I am enforced to bee miserable before I know what belongs to happinesse For if ever I found any content or Heaven upon Earth it was onely in thy sweet presence which thy sudden abscence and unexpected exile hath now made at least my Purgatory if not my Hell Faire Clara judge of thy Baretano by thy selfe what a matchlesse griefe it is to my heart and a heart-killing terrour to my thoughts to see thee made captive to my rivall and that the Fates and thy Parents seeme to bee so propitious to his desires and so inexorable and cruell to mine That I must
in all outward appearance I thinke he neither loves thee for my sake nor my selfe for thine Live thou as happy as I feare I shall die miserable FIDELIA What a fearefull Letter is this either for Fidelia to send or Carpi to receive but her distempered and distracted spirits can afford no other and therefore shee dispatcheth away the Laquay with this And now as if her thoughts transported her to hell shee cannot bee alone for the Deuill is still with her hee appeares to her in the shape of an Angell of Light and profers her mountaines of Wealth and Worlds of Honour if shee will fall downe and adore him To rebell against God is a sinne but to perseuere in our rebellion is not onely a contempt but a treason in the highest degree against God The best of Gods people are commonly tempted but those are and prove the worst who are overcome with temptation Fortitude is a principall and soueraigne vertue in Christians and if wee vanquish the Deuill it is good for vs that he assaulted us sith those Victories as well spirituall as temporall are ever most glorious and honourable which are atchieved with greatest danger Had Fidelia followed the current of this counsell and the streame of this advise shee had never beene so weake with God nor so unfaithfull to her selfe as to destroy her selfe but forsaking God and contemning prayer which is the true way to the truest felicity what can shee hope for but despaire or expect but destruction Her brother Alcasero and many of her kinsfolks neighbours and friends with their best zeale and possible power endevour to perswade and comfort her they exhort her to read religious bookes and continually to pray Shee hearkneth to both these counsels but neither can or will not follow either Her sleepes are but broken slumbers and her slumbers but distracted dreames and ever and anon it seemes to the eyes of her minde and body that the Captaine her father doth both speake to her and follow her In a word she is weary both of this world and of her life yea despaire or rather the Devill hath reduced her to this extreme misery and miserable extremity that she is ready to kisse that hand that would kill her or that Death which would giue her death Shee never sees a knife in the hands of another but shee wisheth it in her owne heart her Conscience doth so terribly accuse her and â—…r thoughts give in such bloudy evidence against her conscience and selfe for occasioning her fathers murther that she resolves she must die and therefore disdaines to live And now comes her sister Celestina to her to perswade and conferre with her but she will prove but a miserable comforter Fidelia sees her with hatred and detestation and when shee begins to speake very peremptorily and mournfully cuts off her speeches thus Ah sister would we had slipt when wee plotted our fathers death for in seeking his ruine we shall assuredly finde out our 〈◊〉 Provide you for your safety for I am past hope of mine and so get you out of my sight I know not whether the beginning of this her speech savoured more of Heaven then the end thereof doth of Hell for sure If we passe hope we come too short of salvation and if we forsake that this infallibly will forsake us This poore or rather this miserable Gentlewoman having alwayes her murthered father before her eyes which incessantly haunts her as a ghost and yet shee enforced to follow it as her shaddow is powerfully allured and provoked by the instigation of the Devill in what manner or at what rate soever to dispatch her selfe being so wretchedly instructed in faith and piety and shee addes and beleeves that the end of her life will prove not onely the end of her afflictions but the beginning of her joyes But O poore Fidelia with a thousand pities and teares I both pitie and grieve to see thee beleeve so infernall an Advocate for what joyes either will he or can he give thee Why nothing but bondage for liberty torments for pleasures and tortures for delights or if thou wilt have me shew thee whereat his flattering oratory or sugred insinuation tendeth it is onely to have thee destroy thy body in earth that as a triumph and Trophee to the enlargement of his obscure kingdome he may dragge thy body and soule to hell fire But Fidelia is as constant in her sinne as impious in her resolution and so all delayes set apart shee seekes the meanes to destroy her selfe shee procures poyson and takes it but the effect and operation thereof answers not her desires I know not whether shee be more impatient to live than willing to die We never want invention seldome meanes to doe evill a little pen-knife of hers shall in her conceit performe that which poyson could not shee seeks it and now remembers it is with her paire of knives in the pocket of her best gowne she flies to her Ward-robe and so to her pocket but finds not her knives onely she finds her Naples silke girdle in stead thereof The Devils instruments are never farre to seeke she thinks it as good to strangle her throat as to cut it And here comes her mournfull and deplorable Tragedy she returnes swiftly to her chamber bolts the doore and so which I grieve and tremble to relate fastens it to the reaster of her bed and there hangs her selfe and as it is faithfully reported at that very instant and for the space of an houre it thundred and lightned so cruelly as if Heaven and Earth were drawing to an end that not onely the chamber where she hung but the whole house shaked thereat The thunder being past and the skies cleared dinner is served on the Table and Alcasero and Caelestina ready to sit they call for their sister Fidelia but she is not to be found One goes to her chamber and returnes that her key is without side and the doore bolted within and yet shee answers not They both flie from the Table to her chamber and call and knocke but no answer Alcasero commands his men to breake open the doore which they doe and there sees his sister Fidelia hanging to the bed-steed starke dead They cry out as affrighted and amazed at this mournfull and pitifull spectacle and with all speed take her downe but she is breathlesse though not cold and they see all her face and body which were wont to be as white as snow now to be coale blacke and to stinke infinitely These are the wofull effects and lamentable fruits both of Despaire and Murther O may Christians of all ranks and of hoth sexes take heed by Fidelia's mournfull miserable example and withall remember that murther will still be revenged and punished especially that which is perpetrated by Children towards their Parents a sinne odious both to God and man sith it not onely opposeth Nature but Grace Earth but heaven No sooner with griefe and mourning
swinish sinne which inevitably drawes after it these threefold diseases and miseries The poyson of our bodies the consumption of our purses and the Moath and Canker of our reputations or if you will these three not farre different from the three former The bane of our wits the enemie of our health and life and the consumer of our Estates and friends And within the compasse of one whole yeare to all those diseases and miseries doth the drunkennesse of our deboshed young Scholler Maurice subject and reduce him so as it being the nature of sinne not checked and vanquished with repentance rather to grow than wither to flourish than fade or decay with our age the longer Maurice lived in Losanna the deeper root this beastly vice of drunkennesse tooke in him and he the dearer affection to it so as that competent exhibition which his mother yearely allowed him became incompatible with this his excessive prodigality and intemperancie Yea his extreame superfluity in this kinde was without intermission so frequent as three quarters of his yeares pension could not discharge one of his expences and debts so strong a habit converted now to a second Nature had this bewitching beastly sinne of drunkennesse exacted and gotten of him as if this were his felicity and that hee onely triumphed to become a slave to this his slavish appetite and swinish profession which to support and maintaine he not onely feeds but surfets his mother wirh variety of subtill and insinuating Letters thereby to draw divers summes of moneyes from her as indeed he doth some under pretext of his necessitie to buy new bookes which hee affirmed hee wanted others under pretence of his weaknesse and sicknesse and such like colourable excuses which unthrifty prodigality of his doth as fast empty her purse and store as her industrious frugality can possibly fill them whereof having all the reasons of the world to become sensible shee at last making her judgement consult with her affection begins now to feare that her sonne was become lesse vertuous and more deboshed than shee hoped of and that these his letters and petitions for money were but onely tricks to deceive the hopes and betray the confidence shee reposed in his vertuous carriage and godly inclination whereof being in fine enformed and certified from such Students and Burgers of Losanna whom shee had set as Sentinels to have Argus yea 〈◊〉 eyes over his actions and deportments shee at last with few thanks to his Tutor Varesius many complaints and exclamations to her sonne and inexpressable griefe and sorrow to her selfe calâ—… and commands him home from Losanna to Morges where with much bitternesse and secrecy shee taxes and rates him for his drunkennesse and prodigality in that he had vainly spent in one yeare more than either his father or her selfe could collect or gather up in many But see the lewd subtilty and wretched deceit fulnesse of this dissolute sonne towards this his deare and tender mother for then and there seasoning his speeches with vertue and his behaviour with obedience â—…nd â—…iety he modestly seemes not onely to tax her credulity conceived against the candeur and integrity of his actions but also with a kinde of â—…acite choller to maligne and traâ—…ce those who unjustly and falsly had cast so foule an aspersion on his vertues and innocency and the better to make those his speeches and this his Apologiâ—… and Iustification passe current with his mother his discretion now prescribes so faire a Law to his â—…ty and his reason to his intemperâ—…te irregular desires as to the eye of the world and to her more curious and observant â—…udgement he seemes to be the very picture and statue of Vertue although God and his soule soule and conscience well knowes that hee is the true essentiall and reall 〈◊〉 of Vice and the better to cloake and overvaile this his dissimulation from the eyes of God and his mother although he continue to take his Cups by night yet in Morgâ—… and especially in his mothers house and sight hee casts them off by day and the better and more firmly to reintegrate himselfe into her approbation and â—…aw oâ—… he mornings and evenings is seene at his prayers and spends the greatest part of his time in hearing and frequenting of Sermons the which affords such sweet content to her conceits and thoughts as shee repents herselfe of her unkindnesse towards him and not onely acquits him of his drunkennesse prodigality and dissolutenesse but also accuseth his accusers whom she now as much condemnes for Envy and Malice towards her Sonne as she highly and as she thinks justly applaudâ—… him for his religious piety towards God But sith Hypocrisie is worse than Prophanenesse as making us rather Devilâ—… than Saints or indeed not Saints but Devils and that no sacrifice is so odious nor object so hatefull to God as hee who denies and dissembleth it in his lookes and yet professeth and practiseth it in his heart and soule so wee shall see to ouâ—… griefe and this wretched Hypocritâ—… finde to his misery that thinking to deceive God he shall in the end deceive himselfe and in attempting to betray his mother through his false Vertue his true Vice will at last betray him and make him as miserable as he flattereth himselfe it will make him fortunate Now the better to root and confirme this opinion of his temperancy in his mothers conceits and minde and so the more secretly to overvaile his excessive affection and addiction to Drunkennesse hee under the pretence of some necessary and profitable occasions gets leave of her sometimes to ride over to Berne Soâ—…ure Fribourge Apensall and other capitall townes of the Cantons where hee fals afresh to his cups and there continually both day and night swils his braines and stuffes up his belly with wine as if hee tooke no other delight or glory but to drowne his wit and learning with his money and his health with both and yet againe when hee returnes to Morges hee makes such faire weather with his mother and casts so temperate a cloake and colour on his speeches and actions as if it were impossible for him to drinke more than would suffice Nature or to desire more than would meerely quench his thirst And thus by his hypocriticall policy having againe wrought himselfe into his mothers good opinion and favour as also some store of money out of her purse and coffers he with a fained shew of Humility and discretion takes leave of her and to perfect his studies and learning returnes againe to Losanna where he is no sooner arrived but upon his new returne hee findes out his old carrowsing companions who like so many pestilent Vipers and contagious Moaths and Caterpillers are vitiously and therefore fatally resolved not only to eat out the bottome of his pâ—…se but also the heart of his happinesse and as I may justly terme it to devoure the very foule of his felicity and with these tippling brats of
Lillie-rose at complexion of a milde nature and sweet disposition respectfully courteous to all the world and exceedingly devout and religious towards God as perpetually making it her practise delight and glory to consume a great part both of her time and of her selfe in prayer and in the service of God And although she were formerly sought for in mariage by many as good Gentlemen as Harcourt yet she could fancie none nor affect any man for her husband but himselfe Never wife was more carefull or more desirous to please a husband than she and as for one whole yeare it was her former content and joy to see him to be a provident kinde and loving Husband to her so now it is her matchlesse griefe and calamity to see his good nature perverted his resolutions transported and his affections drowned in deboshed and vitious company She leaves no sweet advice nor courteous requests and perswasions unattempted to reclaime him from these his foule vices of drunkennesse swearing dicing evill company and whoredome for of no lesse sinnes in quality nor fewer in number she with extreame griefe and sorrow sees him to be guilty But all this will not prevaile no nor her infinite teares and sighs which many times she spends and sheds to him both at boord and bed yea and sometimes on her knees but still with a wretched violence and sinfull impetuosity he goes on in his vitious courses and ungodly life and conversation neither caring for his health or his estate and meanes but wilfully neglects the first and prodigally wastes and consumes the second whereat she wonderfully grieveth and lamenteth She often requesteth Vimory his brother and La Vaquery her father to perswade and divert him from these his ungodly Courses and enormous vices which threatens no lesse than the vtter ruine and inevitable shipwracke of all their fortunes but they likewise cannot preuaile although his Brother Vimory with whom they live and sojourne every houre and time he sees him doe strongly deale and labour with him to that effect For now he giving no limits to his vices and prodigalities he sels away his lands peece-meale whereat his brother Vimory stormeth and rageth against him and his vertuous sweet wife most pitifully weepeth and lamenteth But as a base Gentleman and a most unkinde and ungrateful Husband he laughs at her teares smileth at hersighes and contemneth scorneth both them and her selfe And it nowfalling out that La Vaquery her father losing both of his Law suits at Diion where they by the votes sentence of that Court of Parliament are adjudged against him wherby he was utterly ruined both in his hopes and estate for ever Harcourt hereat soslights neglects his wife as he tearmes her beggers brat threatneth to send her home to Troyes to her Father and setting all at randome cares not what becomes either of himselfe or her who poore sweet Gentlewoman is so extreamely afflicted and as it were weighed downe with all these calamities and miseries especially with the vices and discourtesies of her husband as in her heart she daylywisheth and in her soule hourely prayeth unto God that she were out of this life and in Heaven infinitly lamenting and a thousand times a day repenting that ever it was her hard fortune to see her Husband and her woefull chance to marry him But how to remedie or redresse these her miseries shee knowes not For now doe her Husbands vices and prodigalities make him daily grow poorer and poorer in so much as in lesse than three yeeres hee is become the shame of himselfe the contempt of his enemies the pittie of his friends and Kinsfolkes and the extreame griefe of his sweet and deare wife so that hee hath well neerâ—… spent all and almost left nothing to maintaine himselfe much lesse to maintaine her whose griefes are so great and sorrowes so infinite as her roseat cheekes now looke thinne and pale her sweet eyes are become obscure and dim yea and in so pitifull and lamentable a manner that she fals exceedingly sicke and her discontent and disconsolation is almost so remedilesse as she would but cannot be comforted for that her Husband whom she thought would have proved the argument of her joy and prosperity is now become the cause of her endlesse griefe and the object of her matchlesse calamity and misery Thus leaving her sorrowes sighs and teares to bee diminished through time or dissipated and defaced by God The order of our History invites and conjures me now againe to speake of this her base and deboshed Husband who hath many beastly and bloudy parts to act herein Whose lewd life and prodigalities enforcing him now to behold poverty because heretofore he disdained to looke on frugality and providence Seeing his wealth wasted his lands either sold or morgaged himselfe forsaken of his brother and friends his reputation lost his debts great his creditors many and who now began to grow extreame clamorous and scandalous to him Hee knowes not which way to looke or how or where to turne himselfe to finde out some invention and meanes to repaire the decayes and ruines of these his miserable fortunes and so to beare up and screw himselfe againe into the eye and repute of the world When his necessity gaining upon his heart and nature and Satan upon his Conscience and Soule he knowing his brothers wife Masserina to be rich â—…nd wanton hee will become so unfaithfull to his owne wife so ingratefull and treacherous to his owne brother and so dishonourable and ignoble to himselfe as to attempt to gaine her affection from him and to draw her to his owne lewd and lascivious desires whereon his irregular hopes did more than partly grow confident because he flatters himselfe with this true yet foolish beleefe that as he was seven yeares the younger so hee was twice seven times a properer man than his brother When taking time at advantage as his brother and her husband Vimory were rid to Diion he finding her in a wonderfull pleasant humour and exceedingly disposed to be merry when God knowes his owne sweet and sorrowfull wife was according to her frequent custome disconsolately at her prayers and booke in her owne chamber and her doore shut to her then then I say hee taking his said sister in law Masserina to a window in a private Parlor hee there for himselfe or the devill for him breaks his minde to her and is so farre from shame as he glories to make her acquainted with his deepe affection lascivious suit to her Neither doth he faile of his hopes or they of his voluptuous desires for he findes this his sister in law so dishonestly prepared and so lustfully resolved and disposed to grant him his desires that sealing her affection to him with many smiles as he did his to her with more kisses she is so impudent so gracelesse as at this his very first motion she vowes to him she hath not the power to deny him any thing and
in his resolutions that his lust ecclipsing his judgement and outbraving his disdiscretion he cannot he will not refraine to trie if he can yet procure and get her to be his friend though not his wife and so futurely to obtaine that curtesie from her by the eye which formerly he knew it impossible for him to get by the maine To which end his affection or rather his folly giving no truce to his thoughts nor peace to his minde because both the one and the other were still ranging and ruminating on Felisannaes sweet Idea and delitious feature Hee enters into a consideration and consultation with himselfe whether hee should bewray his amorous flame to her by himselfe or by some other or either by his penne or his tongue when after hee had proposed and exchanged many poore reasons and triviall Motives Pro and Con hee at last resolves on the last which is to doe it by letters when hying himselfe to his closet he traceth her these lines which by a confident friend of his he forth with sends her BORLARY to FELISANNA I Will crave no other witnesse but thy selfe of my fervent love and constant affection to thee for none can better testifie how I alwaies made it my chiefest Care and Ambition to make the dignity of my zeale answerable to that of thy beauty and that this mought be as truely Immortall as that is devinely rare and rarely excellent which to confirme I have sealed it with some bloud but with more teares so that although thou hast given thy affection from mee to Planeze yet my heart and soule tells me it is impossible to give mine to any but to the Lady Felisanna And because thou canst not bee my wife therefore I pray be pleased to resolve to live my friend as in requitall I doe dye thy Servant I confesse I am not worthy of thy affection much lesse to enjoy the sweet fruit thereof thy sweet selfe yet because I cannot be more thine then I am therefore I pray thee make thy selfe as much mine as thou mayest be Thy heart shall not be a truer Secretary to our affections then my tongue and for the times and places of our meetings I wholly referre it to thy will and pleasure which mine shall ever carefully attend and religiously obey I send the my whole heart inclosed in this Letter and if thou vouchsafe to returne me a peice of thine in exchange Heaven may but Earth cannnot crosse our affection BORLARY The Lady Flisanna receives this letter with much wonder and ore reades it with more Contempt and Choller for if she disdained Borlari and his affection when she was a maid much more doth shee now when God and her Husband have made her a wife Once shee was of opinion to have throwne this his Letter into the fire and have answered it with disdaine and silence But then againe considering the vainity of his thoughts and the obscaenity of his desireâ—…â—…hee conceived he mought peradventure repute her silence to a degree of consent and therefore though not in affection to him yet in discretion and love to her honour she resolves to returne him an answer when knitting her browes with anger dipping her pen in gall and vinegar and setting a sharp edge of contempt and Choller on her resolutions she hastily frame her Letter and gives it to his owne Messenger to deliver it to Borlari whose heart steering his course betwixt hope and feare till hee receive it he first kissing it and then hastily breaking up the seales thereof findes that it speakes this language FELISANNA to BORLARY IF thou want any witnesses of thy folly not of thy affection thy obstinate and vaine perseverance herein of one makes me capable to serve for many And if thou hadst beene as truely carefull and ambitious of thine owne honour as thou falsâ—… pretendest to be of my poore beauty thou wouldest not so often have sacrificed thy shame to my glory nor so sottishly have cast away thy bloud or teares on my contempt How thou intendest to dispose of thy self I neither desire to know nor care to understand But as I have given my soule to God so God hath given my heart to my husband Planeze from whom neither the malice of Sathan or power of hell shall withdraw it and therefore as I am Felisanna I detest thy lustfull sute and as Planezes wife I deâ—…ie both it and thy selfe And thus to bee thy friend thou shalt finde mee thy friend but for such servants as thy selfe I leave them to their owne proper Infamy and Repentance I make God the Secretary of my â—…ctions and my husband of my affections therefore it shall please me well when I understand that thy tongue wil recant thy folly I repent thy indiscretion towards me in seeking to erect the Trophees of thy lascivious lust upon the ruines of my pure and candid honour And I assure thee that if hereafter thou inspire and fortifie not thy heart with more religious and lesse sinfull desires and affections that Earth can and Heaven will make thee as truely miserable as now thou falsly thinkest thy selfe fortunate FELISANNA Borlari at the reading of this Letter of Felisanna is so galled with griefeand netled with sorrow to see his refusall sent him in her disdaine as he knows not to what passion to betake himselfe for ease or to what Saint for comfort for the consideration of her coynesse and cruelty makes his dispaire to gaine so much on his hopes that once he was minded absolutely to forsake her and to court her affection no more but then againe his lustfull heart and desires remembring the freshnesse of her beauty and the sweetnesse of her youth hee held himselfe a coward every way unworthy to enjoy so faire a Lady and so sweet an Angell if hee retyred upon her first denyall especially because as those Citties and Castles so those Ladies and Gentlewomen who entertaine a pearle are already halfe wonne In which consideration because it many times proves an errour in Nature but still in judgement to flatter our selves most with that which we most hope for and desire He therefore once more resolves to hazard another letter to her as having some reasons to beleive that his second may perchance obtaine that from her which his first could not for that he knowes that most ladies and gentlewomen pride themselves with this felicity to be often sought and importunately sued unto by their lovers wherfore resolving once more to try his fortune and her courtesie hee by his former messenger greets her with these lines BORLARY to FELISANNA THy sweet and excellent beautie hath enkindled so fervent a flame in my heart that thy late disrespect and contempt of me in thy Letter is not sufficiently prevalent to make mee or so soone or so sleightly forsake thee For although thou terme my loue folly and my affection obstinacy yet untill thou cease to bee faire finde it â—…t strange if it be impossible for
some other remedy and requitall towards his Sonne the which hee promiseth her and seales it with some oathes and many kisses stayes and dines with her and immediatly takes horse and rides homewards His Sonne George finding his Father ridden forth and being ascertained that hee was gone to Cleraux to his strumpet Salyna where she would acquaint him at full with his beating of her he fearing his choller holds it more discretion then disobedience in him to take his sword with him for his defence when choosing a good horse out of the stable â—…d deemes it more secure and lesse dangerous to meet his Father â—…alfe way betwixt Cleraux and Fribourg and there in the open field to expect and attend what he had to say to him Vasti seeing his Sonne George a farre off come riding towards him with his sword by his side hee much marvelleth thereat when well knowing his courage and valour and that as young as hee was he had lately at â—…fouse acquitted himselfe of a Duell to his honour and reputation hee therefore resolves to make it a tongue and not a sword quarrell with him and so they meet George doing his duty to his Father with his hat off and his Father speaking not angerly but mildly to him Their meddow conference which they then and there had betwixt them was thus Fa. What reason hadst thou so cruelly to beat poore Salyna So. A thousand times more then you have to beat my Mother Hester Fa. Tell me why So. The reason is just and pertinent because that is your lascivious whore and this your chaste and vertuous wife Fa. What hast thou gotten by this thy rash choller in beating her So. Not by farre so much as you have lost by your sottish lust in kissing her Fa. It is thy Mothers jealousie which hath sowne and scattered these untruths in thy beliefe So. I pray excuse me for they are palpable and apparant truths and such as it is wholly impossible either for your hypocrisie or policie to root thence Fa. Since when becamest thou so sawcie and peremptory So. From that very time I first understood you were become so vicious Fa. I have a mad Sonne in thee So. It were a great happinesse both for my Mother and my selfe if you proved a tamer Husband to her and an honester Father to me Fa. If thou follow those courses to love thy Mother better then my selfe I vow I will wholly disinherit thee So. If you follow these courses to love Strumpets better then my Mother I sweare you will shortly consume all your estate and disinherit your selfe first Fa. This word Strumpet is very rife in thy mouth So. I wish to God that the thing were not so frequent in your heart Fa. Wilt thou be friends with Salyna and reconcile thy selfe to her So. Yes when I see you become an enemy to her and a friend to my Mother and your selfe but not before Fa. Why Charity is the true marke of a Christian. So. But I assure you so is not Adultery and Cruelty Fa. Shall I make peace betwixt thee and Salyna So. No but I would make it the joy of my heart and the glory of my life if I might be so happy to knit confirm a good peace betwixt your self my Mother Fa. Wilt thou attempt it if I request thee So. I will if you please to command me Fa. I pray thee George doe So. My best indeavours shall herein wayt on your desires and dutifully follow your commands Fa. But be carefull to make my reconciliation with thy Mother eternall So. It can never subsist nor prosper if you henceforth resolve to make it temporary because affection and amity which once receives end had never beginning Fa. Here I vow constantly a reformation of my life from all other women and a perpetuall renovation of my affection to my Wife thy Mother So. God and his Angels blesse this your conversion and confirme this resolution in you Fa. And God blesse thee my Sonne for wishing and desiring it So. I thanke you Sir but I humbly pray you likewise to forgive and forget this my boldnesse to you in my Mothers behalfe Fa. George here in presence of God I cheerfully freely doe it from my heart So. Amen Amen Sir This meddow conference thus ended betweene them they ride home towards Fribourg and by the way Vasti willeth and prayeth his Sonne to finish this peace betweene him and his mother that very night and to dispose her so effectually thereunto as that they may make a merry supper of it and all former differences betweene them to be then and there ended and for ever trampled under foot the which George his Sonne to the best of his possible power cheerefully and joyfully promiseth him So home they come Vasti walkes in his Garden and George finds out his Mother in her own Chamber being newly risen from her prayers wherin she was so zealous and religious as shee spent the greatest part of her time Here George informes his Mother Hester at full what conference had now past in the open fields betwixt him and his Father And in a word he here acts his part and duty so well and discreetly as hee leaves no art nor perswasions unattempted to draw her to this attonement with his Father When shee at first considering the nature and quality of her husbands unkind and cruell usage to her shee found an opposition hereof in her mind a resistance in her will and a reluctancy in her nature and judgement But at last giving now her former discontent to charity her passions to peace her sorrowes to silence her resolutions to religion her anger to affection her malice to oblivion and her griefe unto God she after a briefe consultation and a short expostulation hereof betweene them with a cheerefull countenance thankes her Sonne for his care of her and his affection to her herein and so informes him That shee having never justly offended her husband in thought word or deed is as willing of peace and reconciliation with him as he can possibly desire or wish and here to testifie it to her Sonne as well in action as words shee would then have gone downe with him to her husband there privately to have concluded this Christian busines betwixt them had her Sonne not diverred her from it For being exceeding carefull to preserve his Mothers right and reputation he prayes her to stay alleadging that he would presently fetch and conduct his Father to her Chamber to her as holding it more requisite and just that the delinquent should first see and seeke the party wronged before the party seeke the delinquent whereat she cannot refraine from smiling and then bids him goe So George descends to the Garden and acquaints his Father with his Mothers free disposition and cheerefull resolution to a perpetuall peace with him whereat he seemes infinitly glad and joyfull and so ascends her Chamber and having saluted her tells her that hee is