"My Good Cousin:--You whom I hold as dearest to me in the world, being
ready through unjust judgment, to be put to a death such as no one of
our race, thanks be to God, has ever suffered, still less one of my
quality; but my good cousin, praise God for it, as I was useless in the
world, for the cause of God and His Church in the state I was, and I
hope my death will testify to my constancy in the faith, and my
readiness to die for the upholding and restoration of the Church in this
unhappy island. And, although no executioner has ever before dipped his
hand in our blood, be not ashamed of it my dear friend, for the
condemnation of heretics and enemies of the Church (and who have no
jurisdiction over me, a free queen) is profitable before God for the
children of His Church. If I would belong to them I should not receive
this blow. All those of our house have been persecuted by this sect;
for example, your good father, with whom I hope to be received by the
mercy of the just Judge. I recommend to you, then, my poor servants,
the discharge of my debts, and I beg you to have some annual obit
founded for my soul, not at your expense, but please make the necessary
solicitations and give the orders which shall be required. And you
shall understand my intention by these, my poor desolate servants,
eye-witnesses of my last tragedy.
"May God prosper you, your wife, children, brothers and cousins, and
above all our chief, my good brother and cousin, and all his. May the
blessing of God and that which I would give to children of my own, be on
yours, whom I recommend no less to God than my own unfortunate and
ill-advised child.
"You will receive some token from me, to remind you to pray for the soul
of your poor cousin, destitute of all aid and advice but that of God,
which gives me strength and courage to resist alone so many wolves
howling after me. To God be the glory.
"Believe, in particular, all that shall be said to you by a person who
will give you a ruby ring from me, for I take it upon my conscience that
the truth shall be told you of what I have charged her with, especially
of what touches my poor servants, and regarding one of them in
particular. I recommend you this person on account of her
straightforward sincerity and goodness, and so that she may be placed in
some good situation. I have chosen her as being most impartial and the
one who will the most simply convey my orders. I beg of you not to make
it known that she has said anything to you in private, as envy might
harm her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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