The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. More examples of the same argument.
I Cannot passe over in silence a history truly tragicall, touching the death of many men, who by reason of an Adultery slew one another in most strange and cruell manner, and indeed so strangely, that (as far as I ever read or knew) there was never the like particular deed heard of, wherein God more evidently poured forth the streame of his displeasure, turning the courage and valour of each part into rage and fury, to the end that by their owne meanes he might be revenged on them. In the Dukedome of Spaleto, which is the way from Ancona to Rome (of the antient Latines called Umbria) there were three brethren, who kept in their possession three Cities of the said Dukedome, namely Faligno, Nocera, and Trevio: the eldest of whom, whose sirname was Nicholas, as he passed from one town to the other, being at Nocera, lodged divers times in the Castle in the keepers and Captaines house, whom he had there substituted to defend the place with an ordinary band of souldiers. Now as he made his abode there a few dayes, he grew to cast a more lascivious eye upon the Captaines wife than was meet, and from looking fell to lusting after her; in such sort, that in short space he got very privy and familiar acquaintance with her, and oftentimes secret and suspitious meetings: which being perceived by her husband, he after watched so narrowly their haunts, that once he spyed them together without being seen of them: neverthelesse, digesting and swallowing up this sorrow with silence, and without giving forth any tokens thereof, he consulted in himselfe to revenge the injury by the death and rasing out, not only of the Adulterer, but also of the whole race and fraternity. Now when he had hampered this enterprise, and layed forth the plot thereof in his head, he dispatched presently a messenger to the three Gentlemen brethren, to invite them against the next day to the hunting of the fairest wilde Bore that was this many a day seen in the forrests of Nocera. Seignior Nicholas failed not to come at the time appointed, accompanied with Duke Camerino, who desired to be one of this jolly crue: they supped in the towne, but lodged in the castle, where being at rest, about midnight the Captaine rushed into his chamber with the greatest part of his guard, and there handled Seignior Nicholas on this manner; he first cut off his privy members, as being principall in the offence, then thrust him through on both sides with a speare, next pluckt out his heart, and lastly, tore the rest of his body into a thousand pieces. As for the Duke Camerino, he shut him up in a deep and dark dungeon with all the strangers of his retinue. At day breake another of the brethren called Caesar, that lay that night in the town, was sent for to come and speake with his brother, and as soone as he was entered into the Court of the Castle, seven or eight of the guard bound him and his followers, and carried him into the chamber where his dead brother lay chopt as small as flesh to the pot, and there murdered him also. Conrade the third brother, being by reason of a Marriage absent from this feast, when he received the report of these pittifull news, gathered together a band of men from all quarters, and with them (assisted with the friends and allies of the Duke Camerino then prisoner) layed siege to the Castle, they battered the walls, made a breach, and gave the assault of enterance, and were manfully resisted five houres long, till the defendants being but thirty or forty men at the most, not able to stand any longer in defence, were forced to retire and lay open way of enterance to the enemy: then began a most horrible butchery of men; for Conrade, having woon the fort, first hewed them in pieces that stood in resistance, then finding the Captaines father, slew him, and cast him piece-meale to the dogs; some he tyed to the tailes of wilde horses, to be drawne over hedges, ditches, thornes, and bryers; others he pinched with hot Irons, and so burnt them to death: which when the Captaine from the top of the dungeon where he had saved himselfe, beheld, he tooke his wife whom he held there prisoner, and binding her hand and foot, threw her headlong from the top of the tower upon the pavement: which the souldiers perceiving, put fire to the tower, so that he was constrained through heat and smoke (himselfe, his brother, and his little child) to sally downe the same way which he had taught his wife a little before to goe, and so all three broke their necks: their carkasses were cast out to bee meat for Wolves, as unworthy of humane sepulture. And this was the catastrophe of that wofull tragedy, where by the occasion of one Adultery (so heavy is the curse of God upon that sin) a number of men came to their ends.
In the histories of our time we finde recorded a fearefull story of many murders springing from one Adultery, together with the hand of God upon the Adulterers themselves; the story is this: an Advocate of Grasse in Provence, called Tolonio, that having the managing of the affaires of the Seignior of Chabrye, and by that meanes familiar accesse to him and his Lady, by this familiarity allured the Lady, who was then forty yeares old, and had foure children, to his filthy lust: and being plunged into this gulfe, Satan did thrust them headlong into others: for first they practised and performed the massacre of her husband, walking in his Warren, by two murderers suborned to that end: and secondly, when her eldest sonne seemed to dislike her wicked behaviour with the Advocate, they also wrought his death, by loosing certaine boords in a gallery, where he used ordinarily to walk, so that as soone as he set his foot on these disjoynted boords, he fell downe headlong, and had his braines beaten out. And thirdly, when her younger son shewed his discontent to their brutish conversation, yet nothing misdoubted them to be guilty of the former parricides, these wicked wretches resolved to prevent him also, lest he should interrupt their resolved filthinesse. Wherefore they hired a murderer to make him away; who watching his opportunity, thrust him headlong downe a steep rock, so that he was at the bottome sooner slaine then he felt the murderer. After all this, these two miserable wretches, finding that they were observed by all men, and noted, did practise to marry together: but there was one betwixt them, namely the Advocates wife; wherefore they conspired her death to make up the messe, and indeed the villanous lecher, her husband, lying one night by her, strangled her with a napkin; and then cryed out with a loud voice for help, pretending that a catarre had suffocated her in her sleep. But for all his cunning, the father of his wife mistrusted her death to be violent, and caused him to be strictly examined upon the same; who presently by silence bewrayed his guilty conscience, and after without torture confessed both his fact, and all the murders before mentioned: for which he was condemned to be quartered alive in the market place of Grasse, where he dwelled, and where his murders were committed. As for that cruell Lady his associate, because she could not be found, being fled the countrey, she was condemned by contempt, and executed in picture. But though she escaped the hand of justice among men, yet the hand of God pursued her: for flying to Genoa, she was first robbed by a servant of all she had, and after being constrained to serve an olde widdow, and to teach her daughters, being tormented with the sting of her owne conscience, within short space dyed in great misery.
In the time of Pope Stephen the eighth, there was a varlet Priest that was Chaplaine in the house of a Marquesse of Italie, who although he was very Luth. prand. lib. 5. cap. 15.mishapen and evill favoured, yet was entertained of the Lady Marquesse his mistresse to her bed, and made her paramour: upon a night as he was going to lie with her according to his wont (his Lord being from home) behold a dog barked so fiercely, leaping and biting at him, that all the servants of the house being awaked ran thitherward, and finding this gallant in the snare, took him, and for all his bauld crowne stripped him naked, and cut off cleane his privy and adulterous parts: and thus was this lecherous Priest served.
Pope Iohn the thirteenth, a man as of wicked conversation in all things▪ Luth. prand. lib. 6. cap. 6.so especially abominable in whoredomes and adultery, which good conditions whilest he pursued, he was one day taken tardy in the plain fields, whither he went to disport himselfe; for he was found in the act of adultery, and slaine forthwith: and these are the godly fruits of those single life-lovers, to whom the use of marriage is counted unlawfull, and therefore forbidden, but Adultery not once prohibited nor disallowed.