d. His schoolemaster seeing his suddaine
change, called his mother, and all the servants of the house with a lowd
voyce. Incontinently every man declared his opinion, touching the death
of the child: but the cruell woman the onely example of stepmothers
malice, was nothing moved by the bitter death of her sonne, or by her
owne conscience of paracide, or by the misfortune of her house, or by
the dolour of her husband, but rather devised the destruction of all her
family. For by and by shee sent a messenger after her husband to tell
him the great misfortune which happened after his departure. And when
lie came home, the wicked woman declared that his sonne had empoysoned
his brother, because he would not consent to his will, and told him
divers other leasings, adding in the end that hee threatned to kill her
likewise, because she discovered the fact: Then the unhappy father was
stroken with double dolour of the death of his two children, for on the
one side he saw his younger sonne slaine before his eyes, on the other
side, he seemed to see the elder condemned to dye for his offence:
Againe, where he beheld his wife lament in such sort, it gave him
further occasion to hate his sonne more deadly; but the funerals of his
younger sonne were scarce finished, when the old man the father with
weeping eyes even at the returne from the grave, went to the Justice and
accused his sonne of the slaughter of his brother, and how he threatned
to slay his wife, whereby the rather at his weeping and lamentation, he
moved all the Magistrates and people to pitty, insomuch that without any
delay, or further inquisition they cryed all that hee should be stoned
to death, but the Justices fearing a farther inconvenience to arise by
the particular vengeance, and to the end there might fortune no sedition
amongst the people, prayed the decurions and other Officers of the City,
that they might proceed by examination of witnesses, and with order of
justice according to the ancient custome before the judging of any hasty
sentence or judgment, without the hearing of the contrary part, like as
the barbarous and cruell tyrants accustome to use: otherwise they should
give an ill example to their successours. This opinion pleased every
man, wherefore the Senatours and counsellors were called, who being
placed in order according to their dignity, caused the accuser and
defender to be brought forth, and by the example of the Athenian law,
and judgement mate