Abandon mistress, friend, relative--all who are
near and dear to you--if they would bring you within its grasp."
"And do you venture to give me this shameful council? Do you think I
will attend to it?" cried Sir Jocelyn.
"I am sure you will, if you hear me out--and you _shall_ hear me," the
promoter exclaimed with so much authority that the young man, however
impatient, could not refuse attention, to him. "Look me in the face, Sir
Jocelyn! Regard me well! Behold these ineffaceable marks made by the
heated iron, and the sharpened knife! How came they there? From a
sentence of the Star-Chamber. And as my offence was the same as yours,
so your sentence will correspond with mine. Your punishment will be the
same as mine--branding and mutilation. Ha! I perceive I have touched you
now."
"What was your offence, unhappy man?" asked Sir Jocelyn, averting his
gaze from the hideous aspect which, now lighted up with mingled emotions
of rage and despair, had become absolutely appalling.
"The same as your own, as I have said," replied the other;--"a few hasty
words impugning the justice of this vindictive court. Better had I have
cut out my tongue than have given utterance to them. But my case more
nearly resembled yours than I have yet explained, for, like you, I had
incurred the displeasure of Sir Giles Mompesson, and was by him
delivered to these hellish tormentors. Acting under cover of the
Star-Chamber, and in pursuance of its iniquitous decrees, he nailed me
to the pillory, and so fast, that the ears through which the spikes were
driven were left behind.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149