ELISE OR Innocencie Guilty A NEW ROMANCE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY JO JENNINGS Gent. DVM PRâ—MOR â—Tâ—Oâ—â—O LONDON Printed by T. Newcomb for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Prince's Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1655. TO THE Right Honourable and truly Noble and most Vertuous Lady FRANCES COVNTESS of DORSET MADAM HAving by a strange fortune lighted on this Book which to me appeared so pleasing and fit for your entertainment in that your retired solitary life I think it cannot be displeasing to any being raised with the glory of your Name that is this History of Elise In which Madam you shall find Vertue suffering under the weight of afflictions that end it and an innocence made guilty more by the inadvertencie of the Parties then the malice of the Judges Yet it may be esteemed a Tragick history not so fit for your persent disposition to whom nothing ought to be presented but of pleasure and content But to judg so is to be ignorant of your worth which like the Dolphin is most pleased in the roughest waters And as nothing gives more content to those that have passed dangers then to speak of the perils they have been in both by sea and land who can better judge then you that have found by experience the truth of this saying of a grave Writer That it is very hard amongst so much malignity as hath infected the world to live under the support of innocence But when posterity shal read your history which deserves the writing of the most able and curious pen they will then hold for a vanity that of the Romans which is a truth in your history that hath shewed us a vertue without second in the first and most glorious from of our dayes One may see a patience without example a mildness unbelievable a fidelity inviolable a chastity invincible and lastly a constancie founded on eminent piety that can know nothing greater then it self All this Madam is exempt from flattery since as many places as the Sun shines on are as many Eccho's of your praises But what eccho's or what voice can worthily shew your merits being raised to that height that they can no way be presented but imperfectly none can undertake without express boldness were they never so eloquent in language to praise them but imperfectly But as our eys have a natural sympathie with the elements of fire and water which proceeds from their composition and make us willingly contemplate the bright liveliness of the one and the chrystal running of the other Even so I hope be it that your eys descend to the reading of this Peece or that your ears may but hear it recited your thoughts may meet with consolation seeing in the misfortunes of others a feeble Idea of these disasters whose blackness will raise the height of your glories as the obscurity of the Night sets off the brightness of the Moon whose roundness is accomplished It is for weak spirits to faint at sight of one let blood Generous hearts laugh at the attaints of fortune and how can they look pale at the reading of calamities that have so far surmounted the greatest And then Madam the honour you have gained in bringing to the world so many Males for the maintaining of the Honorable and Noble house of the Saâ—kviles will inspire you with a new strength to pass over without apprehension the sad and tragick events of this Deduction Which hath no other end but to bring you some divertisement and consolation and to let you see the lively affection I have ever had to honour and esteem according to my power so many Vertues as crown you and tie me Madam to be ever Your most humble and obedient Servant JO. JENNINGS To the Reader THe little time I lived in France and the small skill I attained in the language should have diverted me from the undertaking of a Transtation but the content I took in the reading of this Tragick History of Eliza made me rather venture the censure of Detractors then not to publish a Story of so much pitty and example In which thou shalt see that suffering is not always for the offenders as for the unfortunate and that want of Consideration is many times cause of as great accidents as Malice It will teach thee to fear God and to think of thy ways that is to govern thy actions with wisdom and circumspection Love and Death are the two principal Actors in this Scene and as in an Embleme they change their from Thou wilt see strange effects of both the one and the other For certainly it is very hard in this lamentable Age in which we live as in that of the Prophet and it may be said after him That Murder and Adultery make a prodigious inundation over the face of the earth and that blood craves blood Who hath ever heard that true Love was inconsistent with piety For truly the profane and the vertuous cannot be joyned with devotion as those that be governed by wisdom and discretion As the contrary I know by its opposite even so how can I make known the beauty of the one if I set not forth the deformity of the other and yet in so pleasing a manner as may not cause in the weakest Judgments any dangerous thoughts or strange elusions But as it is certain that they are the wicked that give scandals by raising false reports of others so they are but the weak that apprehend them I will not touch the particularities contained in this following History not to take from thee the pleasure of the reading desiring it may satisfie thy expectation And will rest thine in all love to serve thee JO. JENNINGS ELISE OR Innocencie guilty IN the beginning of the reign of that famous Henry whose merits brought from France and seated in the throne of Poland before a legitimate succession placed the royal Diadem of St. Lewis on his head it appeared the Golden age which is but a vanity boâ—â— in the brains of Poets yet seemed like a truth in France For Peace coming with golden wings after the furious torments it had suffered during the reign of generous Charls his predecessor brought the vessel of this Estate within two fingers of her utter loss and destruction but now returned in all abundance of joy and tranquillity contentment and all the pleasures which are to be imagined And truly this world can no way be pleasing but in variety nor harmonious according to the imaginations of the Platonicians As for example we must yield that the darkness of the night makes us think the day more fair and as sad colours set off the light with greater lustre and as the blacks and sullied colours contribute to the sweetness and whiteness of the lilly and as the thorns serve for an ornament to the roses as a calm appears never so pleasing as after a fearfull tempest as wines are never so sweet as when the taste hath
of the walls of Vaupre He returns again to Philippin and after having conferred with his sister told him he should come in the night and promised him to speak with his sister Isabella at a window in her house provided that it might be in his presence The which Philippin who had no ill intent yielded to very voluntarily There is preparation for hunting the Bore Herman is there in company of a Gentleman of the Country a neighbour which was invited by Timoleon and Philippin There are toils pitched in divers places where they think the horrible beast should pass the word is given between Herman and Philippin for to retire themselves they are trusted through many woods at last their hunting is ended without ever once getting the prey into their tolls At their return Philippin is not to be found they hold him lost in the woods but this cunning old man doubting of the cause of his absence was very angry with this old Gentleman whom he had commanded not to let him go out of his sight commanding him to go watch all night at Vaupre to see if he were not gone thither for if he were lost in the woods it was an accident which often happens to Huntsmen but if he were in the place he had forbidden him he had prepared a rude reprehension He was but too good a Diviner For Scipion so was this Gentleman called which had this charge of him failed not to meet with the encounter For coming to Vaupre just at midnight where the neighing of a horse gave him sufficiently to understand there were Sentinels which watched without he left his horse tyed to a tree far enough from being seen and came himself stealing softly neer the place and had the pastime to hear the discourse of this young couple which cut their own throats with their own knives But he was most troubled to hear the verbal contracts of marriage which past between them in the presence of Herman taking God and the heavens to witness of their constant resolutions adding to that by the hands of her brother he received promises reciprocally in writing to the end that the reproach of Infidelity might rest upon the foreheads of those that should upon any occasion be the breakers protesting solemnly that neither the violence of their parents nor any other humane power should ever break this knot but it should be inviolably kept and maintained just unto death And after some rings given and received in sign of this alliance they parted with much joy of that which they had promised and sworn and with grief to break off this sweet company A hundred times Scipion was just at the point to discover himself to have broken this business which infinitely displeased him but for fear to put this young Gentleman into a despair he durst not for if he had found himself discovered his love would have kindled such a choler in him as he would have kill'd this Spy in the field who rather chose to serve himself with the Foxes skin then the Lyons esteeming that wisdom would find easier wayes to remedy these follies then force certainly follies by the fashion of their carriage which were neither unlawfull nor dishonourable in their affections all that was being in the unequality of their conditions Timoleon is advertised of all this business by Scipion and falls into such a fury as he was very cholcrick that there wanted not much without saying any thing else to his son to have shut him up in a prison for a long time intending to use him so severely as he would make him repent of his youthfull inconsiderateness Besides knowing that these secret promises are not to be esteemed by divine nor humane laws so as he jested at this promising to break them as chains of glass but he means to teach this Gallant to play him no more of these tricks in this kind He comes home the next morning to Bellerive feigning to have been lost in the woods and to have been all night on horse-back and in that he spake but truth But cunning Timoleon bridled his anger at his first sight to the end to make his correction more penetrating being done in cold blood and withall thinking by deferring his displeasure to get into his hands those writings which had passed between them which should have been returned of Herman the which Scipion had advertised him of He corrupts all his sons Foot-men to the end to discover this business but in vain for the business was already done For at break of day Herman coming out of Vaupre and having brought to Philippin that of his sister and receiving of Philippin his which he would have signed with his blood an ordinary ferventness in young men in the like occasions if Herman had not hindred him In vain did Timoleon hope to surprise that which was already received But understanding by the treason of a Lacquay that Herman and Philippin did meet in many places but with such artificious subtilty as the eyes of Scipon were still deceived At this Timoleon lost all sort of patience and taking his son aside after having dimmed his eyes with flashes of his own full of anger made him understand and should feel the thunder of his threats if he left not the conversation of Herman and the foolish love to his sister so far unfit for his quality At which this young Courage was like to have fallen down at this so sudden fright For searching excuses the best coloured he could he found himself so taken that the more he sought to cover the more he dishonoured his passion and the more he spake the less made himself understood Timoleon judging by the often changing of his colour and alteration of his discourse so far from purpose the confusion of his thoughts and the apprehension of his soul yet redoubled this perplexity of relating the particularities of these meetings with Herman he found certainly he was betrayed But more following this discourse by discovering of his speech with Isabella and Herman neer the walls of Vaupre the night he feigned to be lost with the same words and promises and those also in writing which should be put into the hands of his pretended brother-in-law this frighted him in such sort as thinking for certain it had been his Father which had heard this Comedie he fell down at his feet craving a thousand pardons beseeching him to attribute this to the excess of his passion which may well bring Youth to these strange courses being Age it self when it is touched is subject to commit many the like follies Timoleon made tender by these submissions and believing he had applied the iron to the fire of this ulcer in such manner as it was healed promised him to forget what was passed so that hereafter he would carry himself with obedience to his commands and discretion in his actions so that he might believe certainly that arrow was out of his flanks and this vain affection quite
to outrage and full of confidence flatters himself with some aiery hope by these words If Heaven on my forsaken head The influence of his Grace shall shed In melting showrs and once more shine Vpon this drooping soul of mine From gray I shall grow green each night shall bring The morn and turn my winter into spring But why do I delay so long to let you see the rock of precipitation the end of scandal and shelf of shipwrack of these souls in effect innocents yet in appearance will become horrible guilty Alas the bird which produces the feather is taken and the Eagle oftentimes furnishes the feather which makes the arrow that wounds her to death After they had long fighed in one anothers ears their griefs and cursed their miserable condition which had hindred their being one anothers after having many times desired that Philippin had been Isabels and Andronico Elise's the laws which are not always conformable to the desires of Lovers were found to contradict these alliances for the knot which God ties cannot be cut but by the axe of death After many reciprocal words of good will followed with a thousand protestations to enjoy one another in marriage if death in punishing the perfidies of Philippin would give way to their loves after many Letters which contained the same language coming so forward falling by little and little into pits which in stead of snaring drew them out at length to strangle them that they made reciprocal promises one to the other which could have no other ground but the death of Philippin which neither the one nor the other had any thought to procure by any way but to attend it by the hand of God Here is all their fault And certainly 't is true vertuous Elise that by a vain assurance of fidelity which will be as strongly tied to your heart as to the paper you put in great hazard both your honour and life This was the highest degree and end of Andronico's designs for he knew too well the humour of Elise to pretend of her any thing which was not honorable nothing passing between them of that which this honest wife ought to her legitimate although barbarous husband for she had her purity in such a recommendation that modesty ruled not only her actions and words but also her thoughts O must she to prevent the title of ingratitude which could not have been given but by the mouth of Andronico fall into such an imprudence which will make her die in the sight of all the world in quality of an infamous adulterer and bloody homicide of her own husband although in effect or in will she was no ways guilty Thus a sparkle sometime blown far increases to a great fire and a small hurt neglected becomes an incurable ulcer a little spring increasing to a flood runs with a large compass into the salt sea But how shall this Promise be discovered which should not see the day but when the sun should leave to see Philippin on earth Yet you will understand it by a means that will force you to cry with the great Apostle O height of riches of the wisdom of God whose judgments are incomprehensible and his wayes unsearchable The whilst Philippin is at Gold-mount in Possession of the body of Isabel with whom he consumes his days in abominable and unlawfull delights gilding his evils with the fair name of marriage and by a false malicious conscience esteeming her his wife Andronico is in the town in possession of the heart of Elise who laments no more the absence of Philippin by enjoying the presence of Andronico their conversations all pure and spiritual have nothing that the most severe censurers can justly blame and living under the eye and discipline of a Sophie who trusted not so much her daughter as that she had not always an eye on her conversation Thus whilst the Process of Philippin for dissolving his marriage is drawn out still longer 't is a web cannot be untangled Pyrrhe enraged by these dalays murmurs and threatens to kill Philippin if he pursues it not to an issue as he had promised him So that the sollicitation of this business calls Philippin to town having many points in his cause which could not be decided but in his presence besides that he could have no better Sollicitor then himself Being thus imployed in all companies wheresoever he came he was still speaking invective words against Scevole and his daughter which made him odious to all that heard him For wronging her whom all held his wife was it not to gather filth to cover his head and to throw hot burning coals in his own face He was then doubly blamed and mocked of those which knew the integrity of the father and worth of the mother of vertuous Elise who attributed all these words to the lightness of his understanding nourished in vice and rotten in his debauches But when many times his wisest friend would reproach him with his inconstancie presenting to him the ill opinion which was spread in the world of this vile life he lived with Isabel in stead of taking these admonitions with the right hand he receives them with the left is displeased with these truths or turns them to laughter rejoicing in his misfortune and vice and glorying in his ills For many time in the company of Ladies where he was for this most persecuted in a vain humour he describes the graces of his Diana and deciphers what shall I say rends the ill form of poor Elise He makes them see that all the precepts of the art of well-speaking have nothing that gives greater eloquence then passion For as love made him fruitfull in one subject hatred makes him as wild in the other having a voice equally strong to praise and blame excessive in both Andronico frequents as well as he these companies welcomed wheresoever for being full of worthy parts that made him commendable which he accompanied with as much wisdom and staidness as Philippin shewed lightness He hears sometimes recited the indiscreet discourse of this Lord who spake without punishment what he pleased And being pricked in the tendrest part of his affection knowing the vertues of Elise could not suffer they should be so cruelly defamed by the tongue of Philippin But as then fearing to discover his love in sustaining this innocence finds himself reduced into strange agonies Nevertheless at the assault of these reports which took him sometimes on the sudden he could not contain himself from replying as sharp and biting words against Philippin as he received sweet from Elise sometime accusing him of backbiting and indiscretion and often of falshood saying that Scevole wanted not friends to sustain the contrary of that he so unworthily sought to advance sometimes affirming it was a shame for a Cavalier to have to do with one of the Gown and more to tail against a Woman who had no other arms but her tears many times for mirth makes Satyrs
pain yields to this advice to And having acquainted an antient Servant whom they trusted stout of his hands whom we will call Râ—boaldo he 's ready to assist Herman in this enterprise They come to the town well mounted with arms necessary to execute it and being hid in the day not going out but by night hoping to entrap Philippin returning from some company the occasion of this Wedding-supper seems fit to bâ—ing to pass their vengeance Whilst Philippin and Andronico are in feasting dancing mirth and joy with pleasant jests and gallantries their looks are always at'on'side not speaking but with eyes whose sparkles in stead of love threaten death yet do they contain themselves to maintain their promise Not but that they said what they pleased for in those corners separated it was impossible to joyn not holding themselves to have power to speak without being moved and once moved to strike it was very hard to discourse and not betray their passions Here are wars made at Philippin upon the subject of his Amazon but he raises her merits with such art as his eloquence blinds the judgments of all those that hear him and those who accused him in the beginning excuse him in the end At another corner Andronico being persecuted in jest and sport as Elise's Knight what says he not in the praise of this vertuous woman And that he says in honour of her could not but turn to the disadvantage of him that used her with so much in justice And as he was founded in a truth he he sustains it with so good terms that there was not any of those which heard him that had not their eyes fixed on his good fashion and ears on his tongue Many times he unfortunately happened to say That if Philippin were dead which might shortly be expected by the justice of heaven he would esteem himself much honoured to marry Elise as widow to a Knight and one of the honestest women on earth But Isabel could not say so much For if Philippin lived she was dishonored He being dead she durst not appear in the eyes of the world From thence his passion carried him to say that Elise deserved better fortune then Philippin who in truth without the express commandment of her parents would never have married him And after this falls to other particularities which had not fallen to the ground though they had not been gathered up by the ears of Philippin Many times those which heard them speak so disgracefully one of the other would fain have broken off this discourse But as there is nothing that tickles the ears more then detraction by a natural malice which inclines us to ill all give way to their discourse And that which at last lost Andronico was a word that slipt from him unawares as reproaching Philippin of the assassination of Valfran although he were innocent by the oath of the delinquent It might have been easie and it may be permitted says he by the course of the world to return a treason by another but I hate too much such base unworthiness Andronico this will cost you very dear It is now time to conduct the new married pair to bed where being arrived all this fair company are separated In the great number of Caroches and horses which waited at the gates it was easie for Herman and Roboald to stand in the darkness of the night amongst this press from the midst of which comes Philippin slightly accompanied and on foot by reason of the neerness of his lodging As he drew neer Roboald who stroke down the Page that carried the torch Herman on horsback comes upon Philippin like thunder presenting the mouth of his pistol to his forehead with a steel-bullet which strikes out his brains on the stones Philippin seeing him come believed it was Andronico and cryed O Traitor O Elise thou mak'st me be murdered And so dyed After this blow Herman and Roboald retire by favour of the night to their lodgings from whence they went next morning by break of day arriving at Vaupre with an assurance as if they had done nothing for they were certain not to have been perceived But let 's return to the City where in an instant all was in rumor and alarm Many fled others more valiant went to behold this tragick spectacle of Philippin spread stark dead on the pavement Andronico who was no way guilty comes on hors-back with others He laments as Caesar did Pompey the death of his enemy nevertheless with a certain fashion mingled with joy which gives an entrance to suspision if it were not himself that after so detestable a deed comes to counterfeit the innocent Many circumstances seem to accuse him as the discourse he had held in the Wedding-hall and 't was a man on hors-back that kill'd Philippin Many said aloud that if he did it not he had made it to be done which he denies with as much constancie as truth There were other testimonies of some that had seen him take horse at the very time that Philippin was shot giving assurance that he could not have committed an action so base but that he was of the plot there was place for suspition leaving all these groundless reports He raising his head strengthened with his own innocence retires confidently to his house believing already to be in possession of his Elise Who had no sooner understood the bloody murder of her husband with this miserable circumstance of Andronico's being suspected but changing the love she had for Philippin into pitty and the good will so worthy which she had born Andronico into a mortal hatred she takes this conjecture for a truth and upon this first impression no way doubts it whether it was to have her in possession according to the promise she had given him or to be revenged for the attempt of Valfran he had done this base act himself or made it be done And even as that friendship which is grounded on vertue swouns before its contrary the same doth charity in the soul encountring vice like the stone called Prassuâ— that loses its lustre at the approach of any poyson Here is she for the loss of Philippin filled with grief not to be comforted her affection is redoubled by this cruel and dangerous trespass and so void of good will for Andronico that she hath his name in horror and the thought of him is an abomination insupportable Philippin is conveyed to Bellerive to the sepulchre of his fathers whither couragious Elise had the strength to accompany him Her mourning and tears as sincere as her love was true moved more pitty in those that saw her thus living then for her dead husband For all saw by the misgovernment of this young Lord a just punishment from heaven the hand of God lay heavy on his head that had been dashed in peeces according to that word of David A perfidious man given to flesh and blood never sees the days of half the course his life Scevole
Strange quality of confession that makes the innocent guilty The resistance that our Patients made in not avowing that which truly they had not committed made them odious in the eyes of the malicious world that esteemed them so much the more guilty Neither their youth quality blood freedom and courage nor the other testimonies of piety that they shewed in this action was capable to draw any sorrow from the spectators but all gave blessings on the Justice that purged the world of such plagues The Confessors imploy their utmost endeavours to draw this thorn from their hearts by their mouths and used the most pressing and earnest reasons they could from divine inspiration But how could that come from their mouths that was not entred into their thoughts They died praising God that was pleased to draw them to him by so rough and hard a way The whilst the world enemy to heaven and father of rash judgments curses them God blesses them in giving them an invincible courage and fearless in this inevitable danger Elise pardons all the world and asking a thousand pardons of Andronico as cause of his suffering her head flew off in uttering these words Jesus be with me Lord Jesus And Andronico incontinently after with these words that his Confessor put in his mouth My God I remit my spirit into thy hand The opinions upon this Execution were very different The Judges themselves whilst the world praised their equity were not well satisfied in their souls although their hearts felt nothing So much force hath truth that those that see it not are nevertheless constrained by a secret vertue to have a feeling of it But as the Seed-corn thrown into the earth that one would think should rot is nourished taking root raises his head loaden and crowned with fruit out of the earth even so this innocence for some time hidden and lost by death having gotten the victory by suffering shall appear like a Palm so much the more strait and high by how much it had been overcharged it will come from the midst of hot burning coals as pure as gold from a fornace But Sophie in stead or being comforted by the Letter of her daughter finds herself so full of grief that not being able to support the greatness of her sorrow she was constrained to yield to her tomb that which all flesh owes it which she did three days after the death of her daughter for to outlive such a disgrace was a thing impossible to her Scevole being in the Country assailed with this new grief for the death of his wife experimented the proverb that says One misfortune goes always accompanied with another The Town begins to be odious to him as a prison or rather the sepulchre of his honour and glory This solitude appears a paradise to him of sweet repose How late said he have I known thee The sweetness of this tranquile life begins to flatter his thoughts and to resolve him to quit the inseparable unquietness of affairs and businesses which are so annexed to great dignities that it is not without reason they are called Charges under which lies many times the rack and makes the strongest judgments suffer He will deliver himself from the torment of Ambition and make himself invisible to the eyes of Envy that doth nothing but murmur at his great wealth And what shall he do in a place where all present him with the infamie of his house by the death of his daughter and its desolation by the loss of his wife He goes meditating of the Country-solitude of the antient Courtier called Similis who of an hundred years of life having passed foâ—â— in the Country made it to be written on his â—omb That he had lived but time happily that he had been delivered from the troubles of Court The Muses came to receive Scevole and to sweeten this solitary residence Sâ—udy is all his enteâ—tainment Those Verses that Socrates loved even to his death recreate him and much please him to recite thus Scevole thou must shortly 〈◊〉 the Stage Of humane frailty since incroaching Age Insensibly appears t'eccliâ—se thy light And masque thy â—ay up in â—ieâ—nal 〈◊〉 Hast thou not see on this vast Seâ—â—'â—h ' world How Life 's poor Barque to 〈◊〉 est-â—ost and hurl'd O guâ—de her stedâ—y then if thou 〈◊〉 steere By Jâ—ys true Compass and cast anchor there Frail is the bliss of Fortâ—â—â— which still sâ—ands On slippery â—ills like hâ—uses builâ— on 〈◊〉 Their hâ—ighth procures their greater ruineâ— tall And â—owring Cedars have the sadder fall Great Fortunes are unsafe proud Palacâ—s find A dangerous fate and the lâ—nd blustring wind Confronts high hills whiâ—st vallies safely stand Free from the fury both of sea and land Most blest is he that can blot out the story And short-hand character of all humane glory That can retire from the tumultuous crowd Of business and in a calm air uncloud His earth-ecclipsed mind and thence dispose His soul to th' solace of a sweet Repose He like to some Recluse will strive to bless His soul with silence of an home-recess Having 〈◊〉 long a follower been of those Vain empty Gâ—gas which so discompose And mock our sense to which they appear like Apes Drâ—st and disguised in their â—â—tick so apes What Ptots are Envy proof which undermines The low'st foundation of the high'st designes And as the smoke so flits Earths proudest Power The hottest Sun shine's subject to a shower And those fair Springs the Gardners hopes confute Which pay him blossoms where they promis'd fruit Sweet Innocence which from the least degree Of popular greatness is secure and free Vales Rivers Rocks with the blest shades appear And whisper solitude in my slumbring ear You that have seen my Affliction come and raise Your selves as witness of my better dayes Whilst Scevole goes tempering his afflictions by these sweet entertainments and conforming himself to the examples of so many great and grave Personages that crowned a fair course of life by a sweet and happy retreat seeing the Emperors Dioclesian among the Pagans and Charls the Fifth among the Christians retired and did prefer a Rustick life to their Crowns Kingdoms and so many more of all sorts of eminent qualities had so followed this happy trace as much for that they were out of all necessity as not to commit any thing willingly in an age so advanced as his He pretends to leave his Office although he was sollicited from divers places Happy in leaving this trouble if he had with full sails arrived at the Port of peace now met withall in saying with an Antient Fortune adieu All worldly hopes surcease I 'm anchor'd now i' th' harbour of true Peace But it will take him as the Mariners that are accustomed with the tossing of the sea and breaking of the waves and to long navigations yet in horrible tempests they commend the firmness of the earth and tranquillity of the port but no sooner arrived but
revenge to the hands of her Lover the innocence of Elise and unfortunate Andronico and to render by this means the honour to Scevole making him of an enemy her protector against the insolent sollicitations of Roboald to whom she fains to be much bound for the revelation of this secret She promises him that she means not to hold knowing that will being forced is no will and that the oaths of Lovers and Prisoners do not serve but to deceive Methinks I see in this History that of Sampson renewed by the treachery of Dalilah which had no sooner discovered the truth in what consisted the strength of this inconsiderate Amorous but she advertises the Philistines his enemies who came upon him and bound him covering him with a thousand reproaches For faining she would give an affright to her Father and brother to the end that thinking of their flight they might leave her at liberty and in full possession of their lands she finds means by the diligence of Roboald that like another Vriah carries the pacquet of his own death to write to Scevole this Letter GOD which draws the light of truth from the thickest darkness of calumny and that imploys things most dark to bring the most hidden to evidence is served with the darkness of my dungeon to make you know how much unjustly the honour of your house hath been engaged by a shamefull suffering And although innocence hardly appears in the deep blackness of a prison yet it is so that that of your Elise shall come forth of mine if you please to take the pains to inviron this house by the authority and hand of Justice where you will find as in the depth of a Well the light of a truth that will be as pleasing as falshood hath covered you with sadness The recovering of your honour will be worth the pains you shall take in causing to be apprehended the true Murderers of Philippin which will justifie the innocence of Andronico and your Daughter falsly made guilty For recompence of this service I ask you but my liberty and your protection in quality of Your Servant This writing found Scevole retired in his solitude and plunged into the profoundest melancholy that he had ever felt For on one side the dishonours of the world made the sweetness of this life unpleasing on the other the tediousness began to take him for there is nothing so sharp as idleness to him that had always spent his days in the managing of business It seemed when he saw these lines that it was some Letter fallen from heaven for his consolation and for the re-establishing of his fortune And then returning into his memory the furious assaults and long pursuits of Pyrrhe and Herman against the life of Philippin the pain he had to dissolve those clouds and to defer their revenge at last having long consulted with himself he thinks it fitter to receive then to neglect this advice doubting that this smoak could not be without fire He assembles the Provosts and in a fair night invirons the house of Vaupre The Break of day forerunner of the Sun had no sooner discovered to the world the divers colours of his breast when Pyrrhe and Herman saw themselves besieged and summoned to yield They whose consciences served for a thousand testimonies and as many hangmen believed themselves accused and condemned and resolved rather to bury themselves under the ruines of their Castle then to dye shamefully on a Scaffold At this their refusal Scevole conjectures them guilty their rebellion accuses them and makes them doubly Criminals and as Murderers and revolted against the Justice of the Prince a crime irremissible This Castle is weak and rather built for the pleasure of the eye then for the shot of Cannon They are charged on the sudden unprovided of provisions defensive and offensive the gates are broke open and what shall two men do against so many for Roboald and the rest of the servants were rather a hindrance then any assistance In the end they are taken Herman being sore hurt and shot through the side with a bullet Pyrrhe uses his sword with incredible valour crying So strong is the love of a father that they should pardon his son being innocent he only being guilty of the death of Philippin Wounded in divers places he is rather seised and oppressed by the multitude then vanquished Scevole having that he desired makes their wounds be dressed which were found not mortal Pyrrhe tells freely all excusing his son as much as it was possible for him Roboald is accused as having been an actor and sees himself bound with his masters and conducted to the prison of the City Isabel the Accusatrix is in full liberty Scevole takes her with him in taking on him her protection The process was soon ended for the guilty confessed their fault without other rack but their consciences Roboald which saw cleerly the act and could not deny it repents too late to have trusted this secret to a woman His marriage-hopes are loaden with a funeral-despair and his love rewarded with a shamefull death For his two Masters being condemned to lose their heads after having made an honorable amends publikely to the memory of miserable Andronico and unfortunate Elise He was condemned to lose his life on the gibbet seeing himself bound and drawn by the neck rather for a punishment of the folly of his tongue then the excution of his hands for he had not lent to Herman in the murder of Philippin more then his presence being he was shot on the ground ere he had need to give any help to his Master Thus God admirable in his judgments punishes this Traitor by the same treason he designed for his masters and gives him his end under the ruines of a house of which he intended to be master like Icarus and Phaeton in the fable which made their fall more heavy as their flight had been presumptuons It is not my design to relate the particularities of this Execution which may make all the world admire the heighth and depth of the judgments of God which had permitted that Innocence made guilty suffered a death undeserved by reasons unknown to humane understanding and then that investigable truth had brought the guilty to the same place where innocence for their misdeeds had suffered the grief of a shameful pain The honour of Scevole is seen entirely restituted the memory of Elise honoured as also that of Andronico Scevole returns to the exercise of his charge Pyrrhe and Herman amidst their sufferings testified so much of repentance and resignation that all were edified at their end and praised God that can so wisely bring all unto their end drawing from the evil of pain the health of him was hurt as the theorick of the serpent Isabel sees herself at liberty but by the confiscation of their goods despoiled of all means to live and reduced to an extreme misery And here the piety and pitty of Scevole shews it self that with a courage worthy of his name and truly Christian having already taken the Children she had by Philippin during the repudiation of Elise takes also the Mother into his house promising to use her not as an enemy and one that had been a flaw to his house but as his own daughter and to give her a portion as rich and more as her father could have done in case any occasion did present it self suitable to her condition Which made Scevole esteemed of all the world and almost adored by Isabel who coming to herself and considering with how many murders she was soiled her ill life having made void the earth not only of Philippin but also of innocent Andronico and Elise and which was more her unnatural accusation had brought her own father and brother to an ignominious death that made her besides her own carriage infamous for ever Touched with a just grief and lively repentance she renounces freely the world wherein she had known so many miseries experimented so many outrages to retire to the tranquile port of Religion which was into a Monastery of the Repentants where she 's confined interring alive her beauties under a vail consecrating her eyes to continual tears her body to healthfull mortifications her breast to perpetual strokes her mouth to sighs her tongue to confession of her faults and to ask pardon for them of God There of a falling stone full of scandal she becomes a stone of edification making appear the abundance of grace where sin had abounded there she spent the rest of her time religiously there she dyed holily The mercies of God are pleased to be magnifi'd in the conversion of sinful souls that fly for refuge to the haven of grace and assured port of a healthful penitence FINIS