A Spectacle for Vsurers and Succers of poore folkes bloud.
Whereby they may see, Gods iust dislike and reuenge, vpon their vncharitable and Vnciuill oppression.
With a horrible murther committed by a young man, that hanged his owne Mother in August last. 1606.
Imprinted at London for Iohn Wright, and are to be sold at his shop neere Christs-Church gate. 1606.
A true treatise, declaring how miraculously an Vsurer was deuoured by Rats, at Charret neere to the citty of Aix in Prouence, within the Kingdome of France, on the second day of August. 1606.
According to the French Copie, printed at Lions, by Leger Bonhomme.
AH, what a world is this, when we must haue amongest vs, who are baptised in the name of Christ Jesus, and doe carry the names of Christians, men so voyde of all charity, and so without all humanity towards their neighbours, that they are not ashamed by all forts of greedy couetousnesse and extortions, as by vnreasonable enhaunsing the price of victualls, and all other cruell and vnkind meanes, to oppresse and vtterly vndoe their poore Christian brethren and sisters, without any remorse or pitty to the fatherlesse children, or distressed widowes, as I may say, that we seeme rather to liue among Jewes, than Christians? Yea, it may be auouched, that the Turkes and Saracins, I had almost said, the very sauage and brutish Americanes, would be ashamed to plot and practise such horrible and accursed meanes, for the spoyling and pining of poore Christians, as is daily practised among vs, who make, profession to haue beene trayned in Christ his schoole. Which might iustly make to blush for shame our Vsurers, [Page 2] and vnsatiable greedy minded men, who care for nothing but inriching themselues: although it be with the ruine and vtter vndoing of infinite poore people, whō they suffer, yea cause to perish. Whose cries vndoubtedly do ascend vnto theeares of the Lord, and he being a iust Iudge, will be auenged thereon. And though he punish not visibly in this life alwayes the vnmercifulnesse of wicked worldlings: yet hath he sundry times shewed fearefull tokens of his displeasure against such dealings: Among which, marke this notable example following.
Vpon the second day of August last past, in the yeare of Grace 1606, at Charret, a little towne nere to the Citty of Aix in Prouence, within the Kingdome of France, there dwelt a rich Vsurer, named George Rolet, of the age of about fifty yeares. Hee had three Graniers full of Corne, and two cellars full of wine, and much cattell of his owne, feeding on both sides of Aix: besides great store of money that was owing him. And he neuerlent any money, or money worth, to any, without sufficient pawnes, or else to men that were wealthy. And he so dealt by lending, as euery six moneths he would commonly double his principall: so vngraciously had he hardened his heart by wicked vsuryes and extortions to inrich himselfe.
His wife was dead, hauing left him no childe neyther had he any body, for whom he might thus miserably strape these goods together, but one Neece: for to inrich whom, and to fulfill his owne vnsatiable couetousnesse, hee omitted no vile, [Page 3] and abhominable practises of vsury vnassaied, neuer regarding how wretchedly his soule were left quite abandoned of charity and al piety, wherby it became a bondslaue to the Deuill, who as a hangman or executioner of Gods iust wrath against the wicked, pay those their hire in the ende, that are ruled by him.
Now it so fel out, that this wretched Vsurer had not sold any of his corne or wine that yeare, staying vntill a time should come when he might sell it deerer. but when he saw the yeare so farre past, as he could hope for no greater price, he thought it best to set open his Graniers, and to sell his corne: which he did vpon a Market day. And forthwith came hasting thether, manye people of sundry sexes & ages, for to buy Corne. Amongst others came a poore woman a Widow, from a Village called Montalien, beeing a little league distant from thence. The womans name was Claudia Balme: who meaning to buy corne, asked him, how hee sold a bushell? He answered, fiue shillings. What (sayd she) fiue shillings? Now that God bestoweth such plenty on vs, you might wel affoard it for three shillings. I had rather (sayd he) be eaten vp with Rats, then I would let it go for lesse then fiue.
There withall, at the same instant, comes another poore woman, from another Village not far off, called Werre in, to whom this Vsurer had lent foure crownes-worth of cor [...]e, vppon condition, that she must pay him a third partmore then the price of the Market, and besides, to pay six pence a [Page 4] moneth vsury for euery crowne: for assistance whereof, he had receyued of the sayd woman, named Margaret Paschall, seuen rings in pawne. This foresaid day, came the said Margaret Paschall, and sayd vnto him, Mayster George Rolet, I haue brought you the money which I owe you, and I pray you giue mee my rings againe, He answered her, yes Gossip, you shall. Then she telling him out first the principall, and then the interest, demaundeth agayne ver rings. The Vsurer taketh her money and locketh it vp, & opening a cupbord▪ taketh out a folded paper, and deliuereth it vnto her, saying: Lo Gossip, there be your goodes. She opening the paper, ands one of her rings wanting, where at being much grieued, she sayd vnto him. I haue payd you your full asking. and yet I misse here one of my rings: I beseech you deale not so hardly with met, as to keepe it, but let me haue it agayne. He denyed, that he had any mo of her then the sixe. The woman, contrariwise auouched, that shee had deliuered to him seuen, describing vnto him what manner of one it was, saying, that it was the first that euer her deceassed husband had giuen her. He still denyed it. The poore woman fell on weeping, and still affirmed, that he had her sayd ring. Hee after many other oathes and protestations, did in the ende (according to his vsuall manner of swearing, or rather of cursing himselfe) beseech God, for to suffer the Rats to eate and deuour him vp, if euer he had, or receiued any such ring. This poore woman sel on her knees, saying: I pray and most humbly beseech [Page 5] God Almighty, that it may so come to passe, and that he shew some wonderfull token vpon you or mee, to make manifest whether of vs doo sweare falsly: and I verily trust, that God who is most iust, will declare miraculously, which of vs holdeth the trueth, and which the contrary.
She had scarce made an ende of her prayer, but immediatly there came (a wonderfull thing to teh an innumerable sort of Rats, which set vpon this Vsurer, some on one part of him, some on another. And albeit his seruants sought by all meanes to driue them a way, they laboured in vaine: for the more they hunted them away, the mo in multitudes came still, more and more assayling him.
His friends and kinsfolke caused him to bee stripped, and so to bee wrapped in a cleane cloth, and to be carried a way into another lodging. But he was no sooner brought thether, but these vermin Rats (as iust executors of Gods will) came running thether in flockes, and gnawed his body, who had miserably sucked, gnawed and deuoured the goods of very many poore people. And apply what remedies those that were about him could doe by any meanes, yet could they not stay these Rats, but that in twenty & foure houres they had depriued him of his life. So he died the second of August, in the yeare of our Lord 1606. about foure of the clocke in the afternoone. His friends and kinsfolke thought to make some funerall or buriall of the remainder of his body, which these little creatures had left: whereof they were deceyued, for before midnight, they had scarfe left him [Page 6] the least shew of a body, but had carried all away: so as no man can tell what became thereof.
Thus may wee learne by this wicked mans miserable ende, that wee are not created for our selues alone, but to be helpers and comforters one to another: and that we ought not by vsury, oppression, and such vniust meanes, to catch away, from others vncharitably and vnconscionably, that which is not our owne. And much lesse, that we should in any wise sweare by his name rashly and falsely, who is a iust iudge and almighty. Neyther to curse our selues but rather to pray for Gods dayly blessing. God for his mercyes sake amend vs all.
A Treatise most true, of a cursed young youth of Remilly in Sauoy, who miserably and shamefully strangled and hanged his owne mother.
With his punishment for the same, on Satterday the 19. of August. 1606.
According to the French Copie printed at Tholouse by Peter Chantenefue.
NOtwithstanding that the cruell murther, committed by that first murtherer Cain on the person of his brother, be left vnto all posterityes mentioned, as a haynous wickednesse much displeasing to God, and abhominable before men: yet haue there beene some found so inhumane and cruell, as they haue imitated, if not surpassed him in such villany. For what shall we say of Nero, who most vnnaturally caused his owne mother to bee slaine, and her wombe to be ripped vp, that he might see the place where he lay during the time that his mother bare him? And not much lesse detestably performed, will this treatise shewe a parricide.
At Remilly, a little towne of Sauoy, there dwelt a woman named Gasparde Brisin, widow to one Anthony Moillon deceassed, and she had a sonne called George Moillon, now come to the age of neere twenty yeares. Her deceassed husband, knowing her to be a thrifty howswife, had by will certayne yeeres before, left her mistresse and gouernesse of [Page 8] all his goods, without yeelding account thereof to any, before her sonne were come to the age of twenty yeares: and then, if she and he did not like to dwell together any longer, she to haue her part of the land, with halfe of the goods, and a thousand Florins ouerplus.
The sonne now seeing himselfe almost twenty yeeres old, kept ruffian like & disordered company, which is too cōmon a thing now a dayes. He then must haunt tauerns, play, dance, and ryot lustily. The mother, on the other side sought to bridle this young colt, and would not let him haue too much money, for feare hee should spoile himselfe, with voluptuousnes.
He still was vrged by those that kept him company, to force his mother to feede him with money, or else to sel her yarne, linnen cloth, plate, or whatsoeuer else he could catch, & to make money therof. He, as pliable as waxe, to take any impression, following their counsayle, was dayly at his mother for money. She, (though hardly) would now and then giue him a little: which not so soone receiued, but it was presently spent. He then commeth for more, which not obtayning, he falls to threatning and to offer fowle speeches vnto her.
At whitsontide last, the wake being at that place then when many youthes should assemble, this yong man, among all other, would bee stored with money & spend prodigally among his cōpanions, tooke sixe of the best wether sheepe that were in his mothers pasture, and sold them to the butcher. Then during the merriment, who but hee at dansing, banketting and play: so as the last of the [Page 9] three holidaies he had not a penny left him of sixe crownes that he had receiued, and of whatsoeuer else he could steale from his mother. The same day commeth the shepheard, and his mistris, enquiring of her sheepe, and the number of her wethers, vnderstood how her sonne had sold sixe of them, comming in an euening where they were Shee asked her sonne, what he had done with the money that he had receiued for the wethers. He answered, that he had what to doo therwith, & that he would sell many mo of them, giuing her sundry bad words. She takes vp a cudgell to strike him. But he, being wickedly bent, can to her, and did wring it out off her hands. Herevpon, shee being very angry, goeth out into the streete to his companions that brought him to disorder, willing thē not to maintaine her sonne any more in his lewdnes, nor to cal him out to go with thē henceforth, & to cause him so fondly to spend his money. Her son very angry to see that his mother had vttered his faults in the open street, and that before yong maides, who mocked him therewith, hatcheth within his mind a mische euous imaginatiō, & being tempted by the Deuill who watcheth how he may allure vs to yeeld vnto that which may worke our endles wo, so possessed this yong mans mind, that he purposed one night to kil his own mother. He vsed to lie in a bed by himselfe in his mothers chamber. This poore mother being in bed, sighed much for grief at her sons ill husbandry & cariage. He then watcheth & attendeth his time vntil shee was a steep: & in the end perceiuing her fast a sleep, takes a cord, which hee had prepared of purpose, [Page 10] and hauing made a noose, hee comming neere his mothers bed, had at first some remorse of conscience, as he was about to put the cord about her neck: but remembring how the day before she had shamed him openly, and that before young wenches, whom he esteemed more then his mother, this accursed sonne, possessed with the Deuil puts the cord about her necke and strangleth her. And when he saw that she had no longer any breath left in her, he hoyseth her neck vp by the cord, making it fast to the vpper part of the bedsteed and so left her hanging. Then hee takes her keyes, which were vnder the boister of her bed, & opens all her chests, finding there about two hundred crownes, with rings, borders and other iewels: trusseth vp altogether, and assoone as the Cocke had crowed, he commaunded to haue a horse sadled, ryseth, putteth on his clothes, his boots and spurres, and hauing shut fast the chamber doore, where his mother was, goes to horsebacke, and told the man seruant that he had appointed with his mother to go to Chambery.
This new Orestes, or killer of his mother, being on his way, euery step that he set forward, seemeth to behold burning firebrands before him: feare followed him at the heeles, and a guilty conscience of that he had done affrighted him: the least noyse that he heard, was euer and anon as an alarum vnto him, so as he knew not which wayes to turne him.
In the meane time, when the morning was well vp, his mothers maydes, wondring that their [Page 11] mistresse rose not, knocked at her chamber doore, calling her, but in vaine, for no body answered. At length they call in the neighbours, and brea [...]e open the doore, and finde the woman there hanging. they fetch the Castle keeper of the place, and straight way it is suspected to bee her sonnes doing. Then he was sent after in hast, and beeing knowne all the way he went, was taken at Marches, and so carried safe to Chambery, where hee freely confessed this wicked and horrible fact, and was there condemned by the Senate, to bee pin [...]hed his flesh off vnder the paps in three places of the towne with pincers red hot, and afterward to be burned to death in the market called Vernay. And so was he executed on Satterday the nineteenth of August 1606. At his execution he willed all youth to take example by him, and to be obedient to their fathers and mothers, and to beware of haun [...]ing lewd company. When the fire was burning about him, he cryed vnto God for mercy vntill the last gaspe.
This may serue an example both for parents, to be carefull how they bring vp their children in the feare of God. and in good nurture betimes, while they are vnder their gouernement: and for youth, to take heed that they eschew riotous and lewd company, least thereby the Deuill procure them to the like desperate and damnable attempts. And so God guide vs in the right way.