fickle staye: whych if fortune's darlings would
regarde in time, they would foresee theyr slippery holde.

THE NYNTH NOUELL.

_A straunge and maruellous vse, which in old time was obserued in
Hidrvsa, where it was lawfull, with the licence of a magistrate
ordayned for that purpose, for euery man, and woman that list, to
kill them selues._

Bandello amonges the company of hys Nouels, telleth this
history: and in his own person speaketh these words. If I should
begin to tell those things which I saw in the tyme that I sayled
alongs the Leuant seas, very tedious it would be for you to
heare, and I in reporting could not tell which way to ende,
bicause I saw and heard thynges ryght worthy to bee remembred.
Notwythstandinge, for satisfaction of dyuers that be my frendes,
I will not sticke to reherse some of them. But first of all one
straunge custome, whych in the Romayes tyme was vsed in one of
the Ilandes of the sea Aegeum, called Hidrusa, in these dayes by
the trauaylers called Cea or Zea, and is one of the Ilandes
named Ciclades, whilome full of Populous and goodly Cities, as
the ruins therof at this day do declare. There was in olde time
in that Iland a yery straunge lawe and ordynaunce, which many
hundred yeares was verye well and perfectly kept and observed.
The Law was, that euery person inhabitant within the sayd Isle,
of what sexe and condition so euer, being throughe age,
infirmity, or other accidents, weary of their lyfe, might choose
what kind of death that liked them best: howbeit it was prouyded
that the partye, before the dooing of the same, should manifest
the cause that moued him therevnto, before the Magistrate
elected by the people for that speciall purpose, which they
constituted because they sawe that diuers persons had
voluntarily killed themselues vpon trifling occasions and
matters of little importance: according to whiche lawe very many
Men and Women, hardily with so merry chere went to theyr Death,
as if they had gone to some bankette or mariage. It chaunced
that Pompeius Magnus the dreadfull Romane, betwene whom and
Iulius Caesar were fought the greatest battailes for superiority
that euer were, sailing by the Sea Aegeum, arriued at Hidrusa,
and there goynge a land vnderstoode of the inhabitantes the
maner of that law and how the same day a woman of great worship
had obteined licence of the Magistrate to poyson hir selfe.
Pompeius hearing tell hereof, was driuen into great a