ROGERO

My Lord. Smell? not any thing my Lord to offend my nostril. Faith my Lord, they say that you are— A noble gentleman, a just and discreet Lord, and one that deserved to have his honours without money. I whisper? Not I good faith my Lord. Your Lordship has a pair on. How sir? Heaven defend. Good my Lord, you brought to the bar? Well sir. I accuse your good honour? for what I beseech you? I must be acquainted with some particulars first. Good my Lord it will not become me, being your hum ble servant. Why then have at you, first Signior Depazzi, thou art indicted of high Treason, hold up thy hand, guilty, or not guilty? Nay, very bade sir, answer I say, guilty or not guilty? 'Tis your best course to say so, well imagine Irise up the Duke's most learned in the Laws, and his nimble tongued Orator, have at your Signior. I will prove thou liest in thy throat, if thou deniest thy Treason, and so I address my self to the most understanding seats of Justice most wise, most honourable, and most in corrupt Judges, sleep not I beseech you, my place ath called me to plead in the behalf of my Prince and Country against this notable, this pernicious, and impudent Traitor, who hath plotted and contrived such high, heinous, and horrible treasons as no Age nor History hath ever mentioned the Like. Here he stands, whose birth I will not touch, because its altogether un known who begotten him: He was brought up among the small wares in the City, became rich by sinister and indirect practi ses, married a Merchant's wife at adventures, and was soon after advanced to be a Head-officer. Peace sirrah, peace, nay your Lordship's shall find him very audacious: This fellow not content to have his branches spread within the City, I speak it to his face, let him deny it, was afterwards by the corruption of his confederate, and the mere grace of his highness raised to honour, received infi nite favours from his Prince of blessed memory, yet Like a wretch, a villain, a viper, a Rat of Nilus, he hath practised Treasons against the sacred person of the Duke, for which he de serves not only to die, but also to suffer tortures, whips, racks, strappadoes, wheels, and all the fiery brazen bulls that can be in vented, as I shall make it appear to this honourable and ill lustrious Court. With all my heart I obey your Lordship's—thus then I pass from these circumstances, and proceed to the principal villainies that we have to lay to his charge. Imprimis thou Signior Depazzi didst offer to a groom a 100 crowns to poison his highness hunting saddle. Do not interrupt me varlet I will prove it, his hunting saddle, and woe shall be unto thy breech therefore, and finding this serpentive treason broken in the shell, do but lend your reverend ears to his next designs I will cut em off presently. This irreligious nay Atheistical Traitor, did with his own hands poison the Dukes prayer book, o impiety! and had his highness as in former times, he accustomed but prayed once in a month, which by special grace he omitted, how fatal had it been to Florence? but as by justice his excellence did then, and by his own want of devotion, prevent this assassinates purpose, so we hope in his own discretion, and the council of his state, he will take heed how he prays hereafter while he lives, to which every true subject will say Amen. Thou impudent brazen faced Traitor, wilt thou deny it? more over, and Like your good Lordship's, he hath for this fort night or three weeks before his apprehension, walked up and down the Court with a case of pistols charged wherewith, as he partly confessed, he intended to send the Duke to heaven with a powder. These are but sprinklings of his treason. Hold your self contented my Lord, he that is brought to the bar in case of treason, must look to have more objected then he can answer, or any man is able to justify. Mark, he will confess. That that my Lord hath overthrown him, he sayeth he never sought the princes life, ergo he sought his death, beside he hath herd of treason, now he that hears and discovereth not is equally guilty in fact: for in offences of this nature there are not accessaries, ergo he is a principal, and being a principal Traitor, he deserveth condemnation. No, traitors must not be suffered to speak, for when they have leave, they have liberty, and he that is a Traitor deserveth to be close Prisoner. I will speak truth, and I will be herd, and no man else in this place. You fit hear to do justice, I speak for the Duke and the safety of the common wealth. I defy all the world that will hear a Traitor speak, for him self, 'tis against the Law which provids that no man shall defend treason, and he that speaks for himself being a Traitor, does de fend his treason, thou art a Capital obstreperous malefactor. Go to you have played the fool too much. The pox wonot serve your turn. Hold, hold good my Lord, I am sensible, I would done, imagine I would done, I but obeyed your Lordship, whose batoone I find stronger then my imagination, my Lord you will answer this to strickei'th Court thus? Petruchio my Lord, Pisanoes Secretary. My Lord. Indeed my Lord J love a little honesty, 'tis his Lordship's bounty, it will be a stock to set me up, for my self at Court, when your Lordship is retired into the Country, I humbly thank your Lordship: and take my leave of yours.