f my Infamy.'

She ended as she began, with a thousand Sighs and Tears; and received
from the Provincial all Assurances of Revenge.

The innocent betray'd Victim, all the while she was speaking, heard her
with an Astonishment that may easily be imagined; yet shew'd no
extravagant Signs of it, as those would do, who feign it, to be thought
innocent; but being really so, he bore with an humble, modest, and
blushing Countenance, all her Accusations; which silent Shame they
mistook for evident Signs of his Guilt.

When the Provincial demanded, with an unwonted Severity in his Eyes and
Voice, what he could answer for himself? calling him Profaner of his
Sacred Vows, and Infamy to the Holy Order; the injur'd, but innocently
accus'd, only reply'd: 'May Heaven forgive that bad Woman, and bring her
to Repentance! For his Part, he was not so much in Love with Life, as to
use many arguments to justify his Innocence; unless it were to free that
Order from a Scandal, of which he had the Honour to be profess'd. But as
for himself, Life or Death were Things indifferent to him, who heartily
despis'd the World.'

He said no more, and suffer'd himself to be led before the Magistrate;
who committed him to Prison, upon the Accusation of this implacable
Beauty; who, with so much feign'd Sorrow, prosecuted the Matter, even to
his Tryal and Condemnation; where he refus'd to make any great Defence
for himself. But being daily visited by all the Religious, both of his
own and other Orders, they oblig'd him (some of 'em knowing the
Austerity of his Life, others his Cause of Griefs that first brought him
into Orders, and others pretending a nearer Knowledge, even of his Soul
it self) to stand upon his Justification, and discover what he knew of
that wicked Woman; whose Life had not been so exemplary for Virtue, not
to have given the World a thousand Suspicions of her Lewdness and
Prostitutions.

The daily Importunities of these Fathers made him produce her Letters:
But as he had all the Gown-men on his Side, she had all the Hats and
Feathers on her's; all the Men of Quality taking her Part, and all the
Church-men his. They heard his daily Protestations and Vows, but not a
Word of what passed at Confession was yet discover'd: He held that as a
Secret sacred on his Part; and what was said in Nature of a Confession,
was not to be revealed, though his Life depended on the Discovery. But
as to the Letters, they were forc'd from him, and expos'd;