It happen’d, not long after this, there came to the Town a _French_
Gentleman, who was taken at the Siege of _Candia_, and was Fellow-Slave
with _Henault_, for seven Years, in _Turky_, and who had escap’d with
_Henault_, and came as far as _Liege_ with him, where, having some
Business and Acquaintance with a Merchant, he stay’d some time; but when
he parted with _Henault_, he ask’d him, Where he should find him in
_Flanders_? _Henault_ gave him a Note, with his Name, and Place of
Abode, if his Wife were alive; if not, to enquire at his Sister’s, or
his Father’s. This _French_ Man came at last, to the very House of
_Isabella_, enquiring for this Man, and receiv’d a strange Answer, and
was laugh’d at; He found, that was the House, and that the Lady; and
enquiring about the Town, and speaking of _Henault’s_ Return, describing
the Man, it was quickly discover’d, to be the same that was in the Sack:
He had his Friend taken up (for he was buried) and found him the same,
and, causing a _Barber_ to Trim him, when his bushy Beard was off,
a great many People remember’d him; and the _French_ Man affirming, he
went to his own Home, all _Isabella’s_ Family, and her self, were cited
before the Magistrate of Justice, where, as soon as she was accus’d, she
confess’d the whole Matter of Fact, and, without any Disorder, deliver’d
her self in the Hands of Justice, as the Murderess of two Husbands (both
belov’d) in one Night: The whole World stood amaz’d at this; who knew
her Life a Holy and Charitable Life, and how dearly and well she had
liv’d with her Husbands, and every one bewail’d her Misfortune, and she
alone was the only Person, that was not afflicted for her self; she was
Try’d, and Condemn’d to lose her Head; which Sentence, she joyfully
receiv’d, and said, Heaven, and her Judges, were too Merciful to her,
and that her Sins had deserv’d much more.
While she was in Prison, she was always at Prayers, and very Chearful
and Easie, distributing all she had amongst, and for the Use of, the
Poor of the Town, especially to the Poor Widows; exhorting daily, the
Young, and the Fair, that came perpetually to visit her, never to break
a Vow: for that was first the Ruine of her, and she never since
prosper’d, do whatever other good Deeds she could. When the day of
Execution came, she appear’d on the Scaffold all in Mourning, but with a
Meen so very Majestick and Charming, and a Face so surprizing Fair,
where no Languishment or Fear appear’d, but all Chearful as a Bride,
that she set all Hearts a flaming, even in that mortifying Minute of
Preparation for Death: She made a Speech of half an Hour long, so
Eloquent, so admirable a warning to the _Vow-Breakers_, that it was as
amazing to hear her, as it was to behold her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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