husband, whereupon she prepared a dinner with her owne hands, and
empoysoned both the wife of the Physitian and her owne daughter: The
child being young and tender dyed incontinently by force of the drinke,
but the Physitians wife being stout and strong of complexion, feeling
the poison to trill down into her body, doubted the matter, and
thereupon knowing of certainty that she had received her bane, ran
forthwith to the judges house, that what with her cryes, and
exclamations, she raised up the people of the towne, and promising them
to shew divers wicked and mischievous acts, caused that the doores and
gates were opened. When she came in she declared from the beginning to
the end the abhomination of this woman: but shee had scarce ended her
tale, when opening her falling lips, and grinding her teeth together,
she fell downe dead before the face of the Judge, who incontinently to
try the truth of the matter, caused the cursed woman, and her servants
to be pulled out of the house, and enforced by paine of torment to
confesse the verity, which being knowne, this mischievous woman farre
lesse then she deserved, but because there could be no more cruell a
death invented for the quality of her offence, was condemned to be
eaten with wild beasts. Behold with this woman was I appointed to have
to doe before the face of the people, but I being wrapped in great
anguish, and envying the day of the triumph, when we two should so
abandon our selves together, devised rather to sley my selfe, then to
pollute my body with this mischievous harlot, and so for ever to
remaine defamed: but it was impossible for me so to doe, considering
that I lacked hands, and was not able to hold a knife in my hoofes:
howbeit standing in a pretty cabin, I rejoyced in my selfe to see that
spring time was come, and that all things flourished, and that I was in
good hope to find some Roses, to render me my humane shape. When the
day of triumph came, I was led with great pompe and benevolence to the
appointed place, where when I was brought, I first saw the preamble of
that triumph, dedicated with dancers and merry taunting jests, and in
the meane season was placed before the gate of the Theater, whereas on
the one side I saw the greene and fresh grasse growing before the entry
thereof, whereon I greatly desired to feed: on the other side I
conceived a great delectation to see when the Theater gates were
opened, how all things was finely prepared and set forth: For there I
might see young children and maidens in the flowre of their youth of
excellent beauty, and attired gorgiously, dancing and mooved in comely
order, according to the order of Grecia, for sometime they would dance
in length, sometime round together, sometime divide themselves into
foure parts, and sometime loose hands on every side: but when the
trumpet gave warning that every man should retire to his place, then
began the triumph to appeare. First there was a hill of wood, not much
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account