other busines rides over to Stremos and acquaints the Corigidores herewith and taking Roderigo likewise along with him hee also failes not very resolutely to affirme and most constantly to confirme it to them which these wise and grave judges understanding they in honour to Gods service and glory and in true obedience to his sacred justice without any delay or procrastination take Don Gasper de Mora the old Souldiour Roderigo and some three or foure expert Swimmers along with them and with hast and secresie speed away to the pond wherein after those Swimmers had beene a quarter of an houre and curiously busked and dived in most places thereof to find out this cloath at lâ—… by the mercy and providence of God one of them diving far better than the rest sees and finds it and swimming with his left hand brings it a shore in his right hand to the Corigidores who much admiring and rejoycing thereat cause it presently to bee opened where contrary to all their expectations they find no dead child but as wee have formerly understood a cambricke smocke as yet all spotted and stained with blood and tyed fast with a blew silke garter and in it a very sharp and bloody razor with a brasse weight tyed in all this purposely to sinke it in the pond The Corigidores Gaspar De Mora and all the rest are amazed and astonished at the sight of these bloody evidences when Roderigo againe constantly swearing to them that hee saw the Lady Bellinda with her owne hands throw this little linnen fardell into that pond the verie same morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and the malitious curiosity of Gaspar De Mora here finding the very two first and last letters of her name in the cambricke smocke the Corigidores then concurre in one opinion as so many lines which terminate in one Centre that yet infalibly it was shee and no other who had so cruelly murthered her husband Ferallo in his bed Whereupon taking this bloody smocke razor and garter with them they with much zeale and speed poast away to the Lady Bellinda's house to apprehend her for this her foule and lamentable murther where cruell hearted and lascivious Lady shee is so far from the consideration of grace or the thought and apprehension of any feare as shee feares none and which is worst of all not the power and justice of God himselfe for shee is so immodest in her heart so lustfull in her conversation as notwithstanding her blacke mourning attire and apparell that her first husband was but lately dead and now her second not as yet cold in his grave yet with great variety of musicke shee is here now in her house singing dancing and revelling with divers young Cavalliers and Gallants both of the cittie country as if she had no other care thought or busines but how to make choyce of a third husband who might amorously please her lustfull eye and heart and of no lesse than a paire of Paramours and favorites who should lasciviously content her wanton desires and affections But these wanton vanities and vaine and lascivious hopes of the Lady Bellinda will now deceive her for now the Lords appointed due time is come wherein for these her two horrible murthers committed on the persons of her two husbands his divine sacred Majestie is resolved to powre downe his punishments and to thunder forth his judgements upon her to her utter shame and confusion The Corigidores resolutely enter her house then and there cause the Sergeants to apprehend her prisoner whereat being suddainly amazed and infinitely terrified shee weepes sighes and cries extremely But those Cavalliers I meane those her supposed lovers and pretended favorites who were there singing and dancing with her neither can or dare either affist or rescue her Now the plumes of her pride and jollity are suddainly dejected and fallen to the ground yea her musicke is turned to mourning her singing to sighes and her dancing triumphâ—… to teares The enormity of her crime cause these officers of justice to see her conveyed to prison without any respect of her beauty or regard of her sex and quality where shee hath more leisure given her to repent than meanes how to remedy these her misfortunes The next morning shee is sent for before her judges who roundly charge her for cruelly murthering her husband Don Ferallo in his bed the which with many teares and oathes shee stoutly denies then they shew her those bloody evidences â—…er cambricke smocke the razor her blew garter and the brasse weight and also produce and confront Roderigo with her who as before hee had affirmed now hee swears hee saw her throw this bloody linnen fardell into the pond the verie morning that her husband Don Ferallo was found murthered in his bed and although at the sight and knowledge hereof shee is at first wonderfully appalled and daunted therewith yet her courage is so stout as shee againe denies it with many prophane and fearefull asseverations and delighteth to heare her selfe make a tedious justification and a frivolous apologie to her judges for her innocency But those grave and prudent Magistrates of justice who in zeale to Gods glory have eyes not in vaine in their heads will give no beleife either to the sweetnes of the Lady Bellinda's youth or to the sugar of her speeches and protestations but for the vindication of this crime and of this truth they adjudge her the very next morning to the racke where such is her female fortitude as shee permits suffers her selfe to bee fastned thereunto with infinite constancy and patience as disdaining that the torments thereof should extort any truth from her tongue to the prejudice of her reputation and to the shipwracke of her safety and life but herein she reckons too short of God and beyond her selfe for shee considereth not that these torments are truly sent her from God and this her courage falsly lent and given her from Sathan for at the very first wrench of the racke and touch of the cord finding it impossible that her tender body and dainty limbs can endure the cruelty of those tortures God puts this grace into her heart that with many sighes and teares shee prayes her judges and tormentors to desist and so publikely confesseth that it was shee and only shee who had murthered her husband Ferallo and cut his throat in his bed with that very same razor Upon which confession of hers her judges glorifiing God for the detection of this cruell murther they for expiation thereof doe forthwith adjudge and sentence this wretched and bloody Lady Bellinda to bee the next morning burnt alive without the walles of Stremos at the foot of the castle which is the destined place of death for the like crimes and offendors so she being by them then againe returned to prison that night in Christian charity they send her some Priests and Nunnes to direct and prepare her soule
as also to cast a mist before peoples conceits and judgements she bids him by some secret meanes to cause reports to be spread first that Piracquo was seene gone foorth the Castle gate then that in the City he was seene take boate and went as it was thought to take the ayre of the sea But this wit of theirs shall prove folly for though men as yet see not this Murther yet God in his due time will both detect and punish it By this time Piracquo is found wanting both in the City and Castle so these aforesaid reports runne for currant all tongues prattle hereof Vermandero knowes not what to say nor Piracquo's brother and friends what to doe herein they every houre and minute expect newes of him but their hopes bring them no comfort and amongst the rest our devillish Beatrice-Ioana seemes exceedingly to grieve and mourne hereat Don Thomaso Piracquo with the rest of his friends search every corner of the City and send scouts both by land and sea to have newes of him Vermandero the Captaine of the Castle doth the like and vowes that next his owne sonne he loved Piracquo before any man of the world yea not onely his friends but generally all those who knew him exceedingly weepe and bewaile the absence and losse of this Cavalier for they thinke sure he is drowned in the sea Now in the middest of this sorrow and of these teares Beatrice-Ioana doth secretly advertise her Lover Alsemero hereof but in such palliating tearmes that thereby she may delude and carry away his judgement from imagining that shee had the least shaddow or finger herein and withall prayes him to make no longer stay in Valentia but to come away to her to Alicant Alsemero wonders at this newes and to please his faire Mistresse believes part thereof but will never believe all but hee is so inflamed with her beauty as her remembrance wipes away that of Piracquo when letting passe a little time hee makes his preparations for Alicant but first hee sends the chiefest of his parents to Vermandero to demand his daughter Beatrice-Ioana in marriage for him and then comes himselfe in person and in discreete and honourable manner courts her Parents privately and makes shew to seeke her publikely In fine after many conferences meetings and complements as Alsemero hath heretofore wonne the affection of Beatrice-Ioana so now at last hee obtaines likewise the favour and consent of Vermandero her father And here our two Lovers to their exceeding great content and infinite joy are united and by the bond of marriage of two persons made one their Nuptialls being solemnized in the Castle of Alicant with much Pompe State and Bravery Having heretofore heard the conference that past betwixt Alsemero and Beatrice-Ioana in the Church having likewise seene the amorous Letters that past betwixt them from Alicant to Briamata and from Briamata to Alicant and now considering the pompe and glory of their Nuptialls who would imagine that any averse accident could alter the sweetnesse and tranquillity of their affections or that the Sunne-shine of their joyes should so soone be eclipsed and overtaken with a storme But God is as just as secret in his decrees For this marryed couple had scarce lived three moneths in the pleasures of Wedlocke which if vertuously observed is the sweetest earthly joy but Alsemero like a fond husband becomes jealous of his wife so as hee curbes and restraines her of her liberty and would hardly permit her to conferre or converse with yea farre lesse to see any man but this is not the way to teach a woman chastity for if faire words good example and sweete admonitions cannot prevaile threatnings and imprisoning in a Chamber will never yea the experience thereof is daily seene both in England France and Germany where generally the Women use but not abuse their liberty and freedome granted them by their husbands with much civility affection and respect Beatrice-Ioana bites the lip at this her husbands discourtesy shee vowes she is as much deceived in his love as hee in his jealousie and that shee is as unworthy of his suspicion as hee of her affection hee watcheth her every where and sets Spyes over her in every corner yea his jealousy is become so violent as hee deemes her unchast with many yet knowes not with whom but this tree of Iealousie never brings forth good fruite Shee complaines hereof to her father and prayes him to be a meanes to appease and calme this tempest which threatens the Ship-wracke not onely of her content but it may be of her life Vermandero beares himselfe discreetly herein but he may as soone place another Sunne in the Firmament as roote out this fearefull frenzie out of Alsemero's head for this his paternall admonition is so farre from drawing him to hearken to reason as it produceth contrary effects for now Alsemero to prevent his shame and secure his feare suddenly provides a Coach and so carries home his wife from Alicant to Valentia This sudden departure grieves Vermandero and galles Beatrice-Ioana to the heart who now lookes no longer on her husband with affection but with disdaine and envie Many dayes are not past but her father resolves to send to Valentia to know how matters stand betwixt his daughter and her husband hee makes choyce of De Flores to ride thither and sends Letters to them both De Flores is extreamely joyfull of this occasion to see his old Mistresse Beatrice-Ioana whom hee loves dearer then his life hee comes to Valentia and finding Alsemero abroad and she at home delivers her her fathers Letter and salutes and kisseth her with many amorous imbracings and dalliances which modesty holds unworthy of relation she acquaints him with her husbands ingratitude he rather rejoyces then grieves hereat and now revives his old sute and redoubleth his new kisses shee considering what hee hath done for her service and joyning therewith her husbands jealousie not onely ingageth herselfe to him for the time present but for the future and bids him visite her often But they both shall pay deare for this familiarity and pleasure Alsemero comes home receives his fathers Letter sets a pleasing face on his discontented heart and bids him welcome And so the next day writes backe to his father Vermandero and dispatcheth De Flores who for that time takes his leave of them both and returnes for Alicant He is no sooner departed but Alsemero is by one of his Spies a Wayting gentlewoman of his Wifes whom hee had corrupted with money advertised that there past many amorous kisses and dalliances betweene her Mistresse and De Flores yea she reveales all that ever shee saw or heard for shee past not to bee false to her Lady so she were true to her Lord and Master And indeede this Wayting-gentlewoman was that Diaphanta of whom wee have formerly made mention for conducting of Alsemero to her Ladies chamber at Briamata Alsemero is all fire at this newes he consults not with
then and there dreamt that her Mistris Christina was cast into the well and drowned the which shee affirmed with many words and more sighes out-cries and teares which piercing into the eares and thoughts of the Bayliffe and Servants and into the very heart and Conscience of this our execrable Maurice they looke pale with griefe and amazement and he straineth the highest key of his Art and pollicy to keepe his cheekes from blushing for shame thereat and the better to hood winke their eyes and judgements from the least sparke or shaddow of this his guiltinesse herein he with many showres of hypocriticall teares prayes the Bayliffe that upon Hesters dreame and report the Well may be searched adding withall that it was more probable then impossible that those theeves who robbed his Mothers house might likewise bee so devillishly malicious to murther her and throw her into the Well which the Bayliffe seriously considering as first the maides dreame then the Sonnes request and teares hee instantly in presence of all those of the house as also of many of the next neighbours whom hee had purposely assembled Caused the Well to bee searched and sounded where the hooke taking hold of her cloathes they instantly bring up the dead body of his Mother and their Mistris Câ—…ristina the skull of whose head was lamentably broken and her braines pittifully dashed out with her fall All are amazed her servants greeve and her hellish Sonne Maurice weepes and cryes more then all the rest at this mournefull spectacle The Bayliffe carefully and punctually againe examines Hester if God in her dreame revealed her not the manner how and the persons who had thus throwne her Mistris into the Wel She answereth negatively according to the truth that she had already delivered as much as shee knew of that mournefull businesse When Maurice to shew his forwardnesse and zeale for the detection and finding out of his Mothers murtherers he pretends that he suspects Hester to be accessary and to have a hand herein But the Bayliffe common Councell of Morges having neither passion nor partiality to dazle and inveagle the eyes of their judgement finding no reason or ground of probability to accuse her or which might tend or coâ—…duce that way They free herwithout farther questioning her and so as it hath beene formerly remembred they all concurring in opinion that the theeves who robbed her had undoubtedly throwne her into the Well They give leave to Maurice to bury his breathlesse mother which hee doth with the greatest pompe and decency requisite as well to her ranke and quality as to his affection and duty and the better to fanne off the least dust or smoake of suspition which might any way fall upon the lustre of his Innocency hee at her Funerall to the eye of the world sheds many rivolets of teares But alas what is this to this his foule and execrable sinne of murthering his mother for although it bleere the eyes and inveigle the judgements of the Bayliffe and his associates the Criminall Judges of Morges yet God the Great and Soveraigâ—…e Judge of Heaven and Earth will not bee thus deluded cannot be thus deceived herein No no for albeit he be mercifull yet his Divine Majesty is too Just to let crimes of this hellish nature goe either undetected or unpunished We have seene this execrable sonne so bloudy hearted and handed as with a devillish rage and inhumane and infernall fury to drowne his owne deare and tender Mother and with as much cruelty as ingratitude to throw her from the world into a Well who with many bitter gripes and torments to the hazard and perill of her life threw him from her wombe into the world and the providence and Justice of God will not lead the curiosity of the Reader farre before we see this miserable miscreant overtaken with the impetuous stormes of Gods revenge and the fiery gusts and tempests of his just indignation for the same notwithstanding that his subtill malice and malicious subtilty have so cunningly contrived and so secretly acted and compacted it with the devill that no earthly person or sublunary eye can any way accuse much lesse convict him thereof as marke the sequell and it will briefly and truly informe thee how As soone as he hath buried his Mother his blacke mourning apparell doth in his heart and actions worke such poore and weake effects of repentance and sorrow for her untimely death as where divers others lament and grieve he contrariwise rejoyceth and triumpheth thereat and by her decease being now become Lord and Master of all he like a gracelesse villaine fals againe to his old carrowsing companions and veine of drunkennesse wherein hee takes such singular delight and glory as he makes it not onely his pastime and exercise by day but his practise and recreation by night And as God hath infinite meanes and wayes to scourge and revenge the enormity of our delicts and crimes so we shall shortly see for our instruction and observe for our reformation that this ungodly and beastly vice of drunkennesse of his which is his most secret bosome and darling sinne will in the end prove a ravenous Vulture to devoure and a fatall Serpent to eat out the bowels first of his wealth and prosperity and then of his life for it not onely takes up his time but his studie in so much as I may as truly averre to my griefe as affirme to his shame that hee levelleth at nothing more than to make it his felicity which swinish excesse and intemperancy as a punishment inseparably incident infallibly hereditary to that sin doth within three months make him sell away all his Lands yea and the greatest part of his plate and houssholdstuffe so his drunkennesse first but then chiefly Gods Justice and revenge pursuing his foule and inhumane crime of drowning his Mother makes him of being left rich by her within a very short time become very extreame poore and miserable so as he runnes deeply into debts yea his debts are by this time become so exceedingly urgent and clamorous as contrary to his hopes and feares when hee least dreames thereof hee is imprisoned by his Mercer and Draper for the blacks of his Mothers Funerall to both whom he is indebted the summe of three hundred crownes which is farre more than either his purse can discharge or his credit and Estate now satisfie When abandoned of all his friends his meanes spent and consumed and nothing left him to exercise his patience in Prison but Despaire nor to comfort him but the â—…rrours of his bloudy and guilty Conscience Hee is 〈◊〉 into a stinking Vault or 〈◊〉 where in horrour and detestation of his bloudy criâ—… the gloriâ—… 〈◊〉 of Heaven the Sun disdaines to send his radiant and glittering beames to comfort him so as he who was before accustomed to faâ—…e deliciously and as it were to swill and drowne himselfe in the best and most curious Wines now hee must content himselfe
of his sweetest Joy which is his wifes affection and shee of her most pretious Iewell her chastity And although both in reason and religion he had farre more cause to rejoyce then to grieve at this accident in regard hee was both assured and confident that his wifes chastity triumphed ore Borlaries lust and her glory was apparant in his shame for as objects so actions being best distinguished by their contraries therefore through the obscure clouds of Borlari his obscaene concupiscence that of Felisâ—…as Angelicall chastity as a bright relucent Sunne shined forth most radiâ—…tly and sweetly with farre more vigour and glory yet Planeze being a man composed of corrupt flesh and bloud and therefore subject to passions and those passions to errours and imperfections So he takes a course and resolution herein contrary to all Iudgement and to all reason yea diametrically opposite to the rules of Nature and precepts of Grace For although his heart bee upright in the opinion of his wifes chastity and honour yet as the deerest and purest affections cannot be exempted of some shadow or spice of feare so although his heart looked directly on Borlari with malice hee cannot possibly â—…aine nor retaine his thoughts from glancing squint-eyed on his wife with â—…lousie And although he knowes it to be a most ignoble ingratitude and irreligious impiety in him thus to call her honour in question on in the best â—…ce to revoke it to doubt by making any puplike shew of suspition or 〈◊〉 to her or by seeking any private revenge on Borlari yet because her beauty and vertue is a thousand times deerer to him then his life and the puâ—…ty and integrity of her affection to him as deere as his soule Hee therefore thinkes she shall not prophane his good opinion of her noâ—… offer her merits 〈◊〉 his owne reputation any wrong if he resolve to right both her and himselfe on Borlari when consulting not with reason or charity but with their opposites malice and revenge hee will not bee at peace with his heart nor at â—…ce with his thoughts before he have fought with Borlari albeit indeed his â—…lict and offence towards him more deserved his scorne then his Care and was every way farre more worthy of his oblivion then of his remembrance To which end by a Chirurgion which he had made choice of he sends him this challenge PLANEZE to BORLARY THy crime is so foule and so apparent to mee in seeking by thy two lascivious Letters to distaine my honour in that of my wifes chastity as nothing but thy life is capable to expiate it or 〈◊〉 to desace and forget it wherefore if thou have 〈◊〉 much courage 〈◊〉 thou wantest grace bring thy self â—… thy â—…upier and thy Chirurgion with thee to morrow at six a clocke in the morning in the City Ditch without the utter Gate which lookes towards Brescia and there my selfe and my Chirurgion who is the bearer hereof will silently and honourably wait for thee And if thy obscene heart retaine yet any sparke of generosity or thy vitious braine of judgement thou wilt resolve to performe this my request and to excuse my resolution herein sith it is wholly derived from thy lasciviousnesse and receives its life and birth from thy treachery PLANEZE Borlary receiving and perusing this Challenge of Planeze he is much grieved and sorrowfull to see that Felisanna had so little discretion for her felfe and so much hatred against him to shew her husband these his Letters and except she meant to make her selfe the present authour and the cause of her future affliction and misery he knowes not else what she intends hereby But for Planeze his spleene and resolution against him Borlaâ—…y knowes it to be both just and well grounded in the best sense and in the worst to be yet a requitall of that Challenge and Duell which he formerly sent and presented him Onely he doth a little admire if not wonder that he should now againe make triall of his valour and courage whereof he so lately had experience and tasted And although he had farre more reason to rest assured than doubtfull that this second Duell of theirs would not prove so fortunate as their first but would rather terminate in one if not in both of their lives He yet loves Felisanna so dearly albeit she hate him extreamly that he will by no meanes refuse to fight with her husband once againe for her sake yea and to kill him for his owne if possible he can the devill making him strong in the vanitie of this beleefe and confidence that if it prove now his good fortune to kill Planâ—… that he can then requite and limit his victory with the reward of no lesse happinesse and felicity by his death to obtaine his widdow for his owne wife But this is to write upon the water and to build Castles of vaine hopes in the ayre which the least breath of Gods mouth or wind of his nostrils will easily reverse and blow away For this is to consult and resolve with Satan and not with God and therefore no marvell if he see his lascivious desires to come too short of his ridiculous hopes and both his hopes and desires herein to end in as much true misery as they beganne in false hope of felicity and joy So Borlari having made a turne or two in his Garden to resolve upon this businesse which so much imported both his honour and life Hee at last with joy in his lookes and courage in his countenance turnes to Planeze his Chirurgâ—…on whom after he used respectfully and courteously hee secretly rounds him thus in his eare Tell Seignior Planeze from me that I will not faile to meet him to morrow morning according to his request and expectation and so he dismisseth him who as soone returnes this answer of Borlari to Planeze whom he now findes staying for him in the Church of the Augustine Fryers but God knowes with no intent or devotion to pray or to invoke his Divine and Sacred Majestie to divert him from this his intended bloudy enterprize but rather to reconduct home the Lady Felisanna his wife who harmlesse sweet Gentlewoman was there in that Church upon the Altar of her heart proffering up the most religious prayers and zealous Orisons of her soule unto God without once surmising or thinking what a mournfull and dangerous part her husband was resolved to act the next morning to the prejudice of her content if not to the utter dissolution and ruine of her Matrimoniall joy and felicity But her husband Planeze beares this businesse and these his intentions so secretly from his wife as it was impossible for her to have any suspition much lesse knowledge of this his next dayes intended Duell The night which brings rest to others hath not power to give it to our two inflamed Duelists For the consideration of their honours and their lives of their quarrell and the cause thereof doth equally possesse their braines
Here they cease to pursue the Wolfe and because neither of them knew this poore and miserable dead carkase they therefore step to the other end of the Orchard and there consult what is fit to bee done in this lamentable businesse and accident But their opinions as so many lines concur and terminate in this centre that absolutely this dead body was cruelly murthered and there by the murtherers privately and silently buried They farther vehemently suspect and beleeve that because it was buried in Adrians Orchard that therefore it was apparantly probable it was hee with his wife and Servants who had murthered and buried him there wherefore to keepe these suspected bloody birdes in their Cages they as wise and juditious Gentlemen place a strong guard of their Servants and Peasants to watch the doores and windowes of Adrians house that none issue forth thence and they themselves goe presently to the Criminall judges of the Towne and acquaint them with this lamentable object and accident In the mean our harmelesse and vertuous Isabella hearing these loud shouts and outcries at her doores so soone in the morning shee in the absence of her Husband who lay forth of his house that night deboshing and revelling with his cups and Queanes fearing that all was not well and therefore her amazed and sorrowfull heart not willing to know that whereof shee was infinitely desirous to bee ignorant shee lay still bitterly sighing and weeping in her bed because her thoughts and mind her suspitions and feares told her that this unseasonable alarum and noise might descend and reflect from some fatal newes which had betided De Laurieâ—… and if this storme and tempest fell not on her yet alas shee extreamely feares and doubts it would fall on Adrian her husband whom shee vehemently thought and feared had imbrued and imbathed his hands in the innocent blood of this honest man As for Thomas her Ostler and Gracetta her maid although this unaccustomed noise made them sodainly forsake their beds and apparell themselves to receive their mistris commands how they should beare themselves in this hurly burly yet because they were white with innocency yea so innocent as they knew no hurt or thought of danger they only deemed that it was either some unlawfull assembly of Peasants or else some cast and disbanded souldiers from Flanders who came to rob their masters house or poultry in his absence wherfore meere feare hereof kept them from either opening the doores or looking out at windowes By this time the Gentlemen hunters bring the criminall Iudges on the place to view this dead body and with them come a great number of the Neighbours and Inhabitants of Salynes to doe the like and amongst the rest the Physitian La Motte of whom this History hath already made mention and he of all the rest knowes the dead body and therefore with much passion and sorrow cries out that it was a Gold-smith of Dijon named Monsieur De Laurier who lay long sicke in Adrians house and that hee had formerly given him Physicke there and so hee said and affirmed that hee perfectly knew him to be the same and verily imagined that he was brought to some untimely end and so buried there but by whom he knew not The Iudges therefore beleeving the report of this honest Physitian La Motte they cause the remainders of the flesh of this dead body to be searched and visited the which they finde without any wounds And yet neverthelesse deeming both Adrian his wife Isabella and their Servants to bee the murtherers of this honest man they breake open the doores and missing Adrian they seize on his wife Isabella as also on her Ostler Thomas and his maide Graceta and then bring them to the sight of this dead body with whose murther they flatly charge them and enquire what is become of Adrian himselfe At this unexpected sorrowfull newes and object Isabella is all in Teares yea shee is so extreamly perplexed and afflicted as wanting all other assistance and comfort shee implores that of God Shee tells them that her Husband Adrian lay not at home with her the last night and freely and plainely affirmes to them that that dead body was Monsieur De Laurier a Gold-smith of Dijon who lay long sicke in her house as he came from Frankford Mart but how he came to his end or by whom shee takes heaven and earth to witnesse shee knowes not and with this her deposition doe her Ostler and maid concurre and agree in all proofes and circumstances The Iudges likewise causing a curious search to be made in Salynes for Adrian it was found out that that night he lay in father Iustinians house the Priest and two whores in their Company drinking and revelling all night and upon the very first report they heard of De Lauriers unburiall by a Wolfe they both galled with guilty consciences betake themselves to their heeles and left both their two Strumpets to their repentance Their flight proclaimes their guiltinesse of this murther to all the world especially to the Iudges Who upon knowledge thereof to finde out the truth of this deplorable disaster they adjudge Isabella Thomas and Graceta to the racke As for Thomas and Graceta their innocency makes them brooke their torments with admirable patience and constancy for they can never bee drawne to reveale that of which they are ignorant not to accuse themselves of that wherof they are not guilty But for Isabella the incessant prayers and importunate requests and solicitations of many of her honest neighbours doth ingrave such deep impressions of her vertues and piety and of her sweet inclination and disposition in the hearts of the iudges as they change their resolutions against her and so dispence with her for that torture When sending every way abroad to pursue Adrian and father Iustinian they content themselves to keepe the Mistris the man and the maid close prisoners They are so advised in their iudgments and so juditious in their advise as they speedily send away Poast to Dijon to acquaint Du Pont the Sonne with this disasterous accident which had betided his father De Laurier here in Salynes who at the first alarum of this sad unexpected newes seemes now to drowne himselfe in his teares thereat and so thereupon rather to flye than poast away from Dijon to Salynes where hee confers with the criminall Iudges of that Town who report to him the flight of father Iustinian and Adrian as also of their imprisoning of his wife Isabella of her maid Graceta and her Ostler Thomas in whose house his father lay sick So Du Pont visits the dead stinking mangled body and findes it to be that of his father wherat nature and duty prescribe him so powerful a Law as at the sight thereof he bursts forth into many bitter teares and lamentable cries and passions When giving him a decent and solemn burial in the next Church he then informes the Iudges that to his knowledge his father