stolen. These four persons being
together, and debating how and by what meanes the cup should be
taken away, were at their wittes ende. At length one of them
saide: "Let vs consider whether ther bee anye comminge into the
Chamber besides the doore." And viewinge it they coulde not
perceiue anye entrie at all. And to proue the same more
effectuallye, they strawed the chamber aboute with fyne fifted
chaffe, setting the same on fier, which done, they shutte fast
the windowes and doores, that the smoke and smoulder might not
goe out. The force of which smoke was sutche as it issued
through the hole that Bindo made, whereby they perceiued the way
howe the robbery was committed, and went to the Duke to tell him
what they had done. The duke vnderstanding the fact, wylled them
to saye nothing, for that he woulde deuise a pollicie how to
take the theefe: who caused to be brought into the chamber a
caldron of pitche, and placed it directly vnder the hole,
commaunding that a fyre should be kept daye and night vnder the
caldron, that the same might continually boyle. It come to passe
that when the money was spent which the father and sonne had
receiued for the cup, one night they went agayne to the hole,
and remouing the stone, the father went in as he did before, and
fell into the caldron of pitche (which continually was boyling
there) vp to the waste, and not able to liue any longer, he
called his sonne vnto him, and fayde: "Ricciardo myne owne
sweete sonne, death hath taken me prysoner, for halfe my body is
dead, and my breath also is ready to departe. Take my head with
thee, and burie it in some place that it be not knowen, which
done, commend me to thy mother, whome I pray thee to cherishe
and comforte, and in any wyse take hede that warely and
circumspectlye thou doe departe from hence: and if any man do
aske for me, say that I am gone to Florence about certaine
businesse." The sonne lamentably began to lament his father's
fortune, saying: "Oh deare father, what wicked furie hath thus
cruelly deuised sodaine death." "Content thy selfe, my sonne,"
sayd the father, "and be quiet, better it is that one should
dye, than twoo, therefore doe what I haue tolde thee, and fare
well." The sonne tooke vp his father's head, and went his waye,
the reste of his bodye remayned in the caldron, like a block
without forme. When Ricciardo was come home, he buried his
father's head so well as he could, and afterwardes tolde his
mother what w