of
_Tiber_; a number of good fellowes would giue size ace and the dice that
with as little toyle they could leaue Tyburne behinde them. Out of ken
we were ere the Countesse came from the feast When she returned and
found her house not so much pestred as it was wont, her chests her
closets and her cupbords broke open to take aire, and that both I and my
keeper was missing: O then shee fared like a franticke Bacchinall, she
stampt, she star'd, shee beate her head against the walls, scratcht her
face, bit her fingers, and strewd all the chamber with her haire.
None of her seuants durst stay in her sight, but she beate them out
in heapes, and bad them goe seeke search they knew not where, and hang
themselues, and neuer looke her in the face more, if they did not hunt
vs out. After her furie had reasonably spent it selfe, her breast began
to swell with the mother, caused by her former fretting & chafing, and
she 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 that
stood on the vpper shelfe, wherein there was _spiritus vini_. The maid
went, & mistaking tooke the glasse of poyson which _Diamante_ had giu'n
her, and she kept in store for me. Comming with it as fast as her legs
could carrie her, her mistres at her returne was in a swound, and lay
for 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 and
opened her mouth, and hauing heard that _spiritus vini_ was a thing of
mightie operation, able to call a man from death to life, shee tooke the
poyson, and verely thinking it to be _spiritus vini_ (such as she was
sent for) powrd a large quantitie of it into her throate, and iogd on
her backe to disgest it. It reuiu'd her with a merrie vengeance, for it
kilde her outright: only she awakend and lift vp her hands, but spake
nere a word. Then was the maid in her grandames beanes, and knew not
what should become of her: I heard the Pope tooke pitie on her, and
because her trespasse was not voluntary but chancemedly, he assigned her
no other punishment but this, to drinke out the rest of the poyson in
the glasse that was left, and so goe scot-free. We carelesse of these
mischances, helde on our flight, and saw no man come after vs but we
thought had pursued vs. A theefe they say mistakes euerie bush for a
true man, thewinde ratled not in anie bush by the way as I rode, but