Rail backward, while the Head's-man pulled
forward, he threw himself quite over the Rail, by Chance, and not
Design, and fell upon the Heads and Shoulders of the People, who were
crying out with amazing Shouts of Joy. The Head's-man leap'd after him,
but the Rabble had lik'd to have pull'd him to Pieces: All the City was
in an Uproar, but none knew what the Matter was, but those who bore the
Body of the Prince, whom they found yet living; but how, or by what
strange Miracle preserv'd, they knew not, nor did examine; but with one
Accord, as if the whole Crowd had been one Body, and had had but one
Motion, they bore the Prince on their Heads about a hundred Yards from
the Scaffold, where there is a Monastery of Jesuits; and there they
secur'd him. All this was done, his beheading, his falling, and his
being secur'd, almost in a Moment's Time; the People rejoiceing, as at
some extraordinary Victory won. One of the Officers being, as I said, an
old timorous Man, was so frighten'd at the Accident, the Bustle, the
Noise, and the Confusion, of which he was wholly ignorant, that he dy'd
with Amazement and Fear; and the other was fain to be let blood.
The Officers of Justice went to demand the Prisoner, but they demanded
in vain; the Jesuits had now a Right to protect him, and would do so.
All his overjoy'd Friends went to see in what Condition he was, and all
of Quality found Admittance: They saw him in Bed, going to be dress'd by
the most skilful Surgeons, who yet could not assure him of Life. They
desired no body should speak to him, or ask him any Questions. They
found that the Head's-man had struck him too low, and had cut him into
the Shoulder-bone. A very great Wound, you may be sure; for the Sword,
in such Executions, carries an extreme Force: However, so great Care was
taken on all Sides, and so greatly the Fathers were concern'd for him,
that they found an Amendment, and Hopes of a good Effect of their
incomparable Charity and Goodness.
At last, when he was permitted to speak, the first News he ask'd was
after the Princess. And his Friends were very much afflicted to find,
that all his Loss of Blood had not quenched that Flame, not let out that
which made him still love that bad Woman. He was sollicited daily to
think no more of her: And all her Crimes are laid so open to him, and so
shamefully represented; and on the other Side, his Virtues so admir'd;
and which, they said, would have been eternally celebrated, but
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