by Thomas Nash
nayles theyhalfe raised vp, and then vnderpropt them with Sharpe prickes like ataylers shop windowe halfe open on a holiday: euerie one of his fingersthey rent vp to the wrist: his toes they brake off by the rootes, andlet them still hang by a little skinne. In conclusion, they had a smalloyle fire, such as men blow light bubbles of glasse with, and beginningat his feet, they let him lingringly burne vp limme by limme, till hishart was consumed, and then he died. Triumph women, this was the endof the whipping Jew, contriued by a woman, in reuenge of two women, herselfe and her maid.
I haue told you or should tell you in what credit _Diamante_ grew withher mistres. _Iuliana_ neuer dreamed but she was an authenticall maide:she made her the chiefe of her bed chamber, she appointed none but herto looke into me, and serue me of such necessaries as I lacked. You mustsuppose when wee met there was no small reioycing on either part, muchlike the three Brothers that went three seuerall wayes to seeke theirfortunes, and at the yeres end at those three crosse waies met againe,and told one another how they sped: so after we had been long asunderseeking our fortunes, wee commented one to another most kindly, whatcrosse haps had encountred vs. Nere a six houres but the Countesse cloydmee with her companie. It grew to this passe, that either I must findeout some miraculous meanes of escape, or drop away in a consumption, asone pin'd for lacke of meate: I was cleane spent and done, there was nohope of me.
The yere held on his course to domes day, when Saint _Peters_ daydawned. That day is a day of supreme solemnitie in _Rome_, when theEmbassador of _Spaine_ comes and presents a milke white iennet to thepope, that kneeles downe vppon his owne accord in token of obeisaunceand humilitie before him, and lets him stride on his backe as easie asone strides ouer a blocke: with this iennet is offered a rich purse ofa yard length, full of Peter-pence. No musique that hath the gift ofvtterance, but sounds all the while: coapes and costly vestments deckethe hoarsest and beggerliest singing man, not a clarke or sexten isabsent, no nor a mule nor a foote-cloth belonging to anie cardinall, butattends on the taile of the triumph. The pope himselfe is borne in hispontificalibus thorough the _Burgo_ (which is the cheefe streete in_Rome_) to the Embassadors house to dinner, and thether resorts all theassembly: where if a Poet should spend all his life time in describing abanquet, he could not feast his auditors halfe so wel with words, as hedoth his guests with iunkets.
To this feast _Iuliana_ addressed her selfe like an Angell: in a littourof greene needle-worke wrought like an arbor, and open on euerie sidewas she borne by foure men, hidden vnder cloth rough plushed and wouenlike eglantine and wood-bine. At the foure corners it was topt withfoure round christall cages of Nightingales. For foote men, on eitherside of her went foure virgins clad in lawne, with lutes in their handsplaying. Next before her two and two in order, a hundred pages in sutesof white cipresse, and long horsemens coates of cloth of siluer: whobeing all in white, aduanced euery one of them her picture, enclosedin a white round screene of feathers, such as is carried ouer greatPrincesses heads when they ride in summer, to keepe them from the heateof the sun. Before the went a foure-score bead women she maintaind ingreene gownes, scattring strowing hearbs and floures, After her followedthe blinde, the halt and the lame sumptuously apparailed like Lords: andthus past she on to Saint _Peters_.
_Interea quid agitur donti_, how ist at home all this while. My curtizanis left my keeper, the keyes are committed vnto her, she is mistres _factotunt_. Against our countesse we conspire, packe vp all her iewels,plate, money that was extant, and to the water side send them: toconclude, couragiously rob her, and run away. _Quid non auri sacrafames_? What defame will not golde salue. Hee mistooke himselfe thatinuented the prouerbe, _Dimicandum est pro aris & fama_: for it shouldhaue been _pro auro & fama_: not for altares and fires we must contend,but for gold and fame.
Oares nor winde could not stirre nor blow faster, than we toyld out of_Tiber_; a number of good fellowes would giue size ace and the dice thatwith as little toyle they could leaue Tyburne behinde them. Out of kenwe were ere the Countesse came from the feast When she returned andfound her house not so much pestred as it was wont, her chests herclosets and her cupbords broke open to take aire, and that both I and mykeeper was missing: O then shee fared like a franticke Bacchinall, shestampt, she star'd, shee beate her head against the walls, scratcht herface, bit her fingers, and strewd all the chamber with her haire.None of her seuants durst stay in her sight, but she beate them outin heapes, and bad them goe seeke search they knew not where, and hangthemselues, and neuer looke her in the face more, if they did not huntvs out. After her furie had reasonably spent it selfe, her breast beganto swell with the mother, caused by her former fretting & chafing, andshe grew verie ill at ease. Whereuppon shee knockt for one of her maids,and had her run into her closet, and fetch her a little glasse thatstood on the vpper shelfe, wherein there was _spiritus vini_. The maidwent, & mistaking tooke the glasse of poyson which _Diamante_ had giu'nher, and she kept in store for me. Comming with it as fast as her legscould carrie her, her mistres at her returne was in a swound, and layfor dead on the floore, wherat she shrikt out, and fel a rubbing &chafing her very busily. When that would not serue, she tooke a keye andopened her mouth, and hauing heard that _spiritus vini_ was a thing ofmightie operation, able to call a man from death to life, shee tooke thepoyson, and verely thinking it to be _spiritus vini_ (such as she wassent for) powrd a large quantitie of it into her throate, and iogd onher backe to disgest it. It reuiu'd her with a merrie vengeance, for itkilde her outright: only she awakend and lift vp her hands, but spakenere a word. Then was the maid in her grandames beanes, and knew notwhat should become of her: I heard the Pope tooke pitie on her, andbecause her trespasse was not voluntary but chancemedly, he assigned herno other punishment but this, to drinke out the rest of the poyson inthe glasse that was left, and so goe scot-free. We carelesse of thesemischances, helde on our flight, and saw no man come after vs but wethought had pursued vs. A theefe they say mistakes euerie bush for atrue man, thewinde ratled not in anie bush by the way as I rode, but Istraight drew my rapier. To _Bolognia_ with a merrie gale wee posted,where wee lodged our selues in a blinde streete out of the way, and keptsecret manie dayes: but when we perceiued we saild in the hauen, thatthe winde was layd, and no alarum made after vs, we boldly came abroad:& one day hearing of a more desperat murdrer than _Cayn_ that was tobe executed, we followed the multitude, and grutcht not to lend him oureyes at his last parting.
Who should it bee but one _Cutwolfe_, a wearish dwarfish writhen fac'dcobler, brother to _Bartoll_ the Italian, that was confederate with_Esdras_ of _Granado_, and at that time stole away my curtizan, when herauisht _Heraclide_.
It is not so naturall for me to epitomize his impietie, as to heare himin his owne person speake vppon the wheele where he was to suffer.
Prepare your eares and your teares, for neuer till this thrust I anietragicall matter vpon you. Strange and wonderfull are Gods iudgements,heere shine they in their glory. Chast _Heraclide_ thy bloud is laidvp in heauens treasurie, not one drop of it was lost, but lent out tovsurie: water powred forth sinkes downe quietly into the earth, butbloud spilt on the ground sprinkles vp to the firmament. Murder iswide-mouthd, and will not let God rest till he grant reuenge. Not onelythe bloud of the slaughtred innocent but the soule ascendeth to histhrone, and there cries out & exclaimes for iustice and recompence.Guiltles soules that liue euerie houre subiect to violence, and withyour despairing feares doo much empaire Gods prouidence: fasten youreyes on this spectacle that will adde to your faith. Referre all youroppressions afflictions and iniuries to the euen ballanced eye of theAlmightie, hee it is, that when your patience sleepeth, will bee mostexceeding mindfull of you.
This is but a glose vpon the text: thus _Cutwolfe_ begins his insultingoration.
Men and people that haue made holy-daie to behold my pained flesh toileon the wheele. Expect not of me a whining penitent slaue, that shal donothing but crie and saie his praiers, and so be crusht in peeces. Mybodie is little, but my minde is as great as a Giants:
the soule whichis in mee, is the verie soul of _Iulius Cosar_ by reuersion. My name is_Cutwolfe_, neither better nor worse by occupation, than a poore coblerof _Verona_, coblers are men and kings are no more. The occasion of mycomming hether at this present, is to haue a fewe of my bones broken(as we are all borne to die) for being the death of the Emperour ofhomicides _Esdras of Granado_. About two yeares since in the streetesof _Rome_ he slew the onely and eldest brother I had named _Bartoll_, inquarrelling about a curtizan. The newes brought to me as I was sittingin my shop vnder a stall knocking in of tackes, I think I raisd vp mybristles, solde pritchaule, spunge, blacking tub, and punching yron,bought mee rapier and pistoll, and to goe I went. Twentie monthstogether I pursued him, from _Rome to Naples, from Naples to Caietepassing ouer the riuer, from Caiete to Syenna, from Syenna to Florence,from Florence to Parma, from Parma to Pauia, from Pauia to Syon, fromSyon to Geneua, from Geneua backe againe towards