_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 Ægeum, 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 Cæsar were fought the greatest battailes for superiority
that euer were, sailing by the Sea Ægeum, 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 admiration,
and thought it very straunge, that a woman which al the dayes of
hir life had liued in great honour and estimation, shoulde vpon
light cause or occasion poyson her selfe sith it was naturally
giuen to ech breathyng wyght to prolong theyr liuing dayes with
the longest threede that Atropos could draw out of dame Nature's
webbe. Whervpon he commaunded the said matrone to be brought
before hym, whose Death for hir vertue was generallye lamented
by the whole Countrye. When the gentlewoman was before hym, and
had vnderstanding that she was fully resolued and determined to
dye, hee began by greate persuasions to exhort hir, that she
should not wilfully cast hir selfe away, vpon consideration that
she was of lusty yeares, riche and welbeloued of the whole
countrey: and how greate pitye it were but shee shoulde renue
hir Mynde and gyue hir selfe still to lyue and remayne, till
Natural course dyd ende and finysh hir life: howbeit his graue
and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intended
purpose. But Pompeius loth to haue hir dye, ceassed not styll to
prosecute hys former talke with newe reasons and stronger
arguments. All which shee paciently heard with fixed
countenaunce, til at lengthe with cleare voyce and smiling
cheere she answered him in this maner: "You be greatly deceyued
(my lord Pompeius) if you do beleeue that I wythout very great
prouidence and mature aduise goe about to ende my dayes: for I
do know and am fully persuaded, that eche creature naturally
craueth the prolongation and lengthninge of lyfe, and so mutch
abhoreth to die, as the desirous to lyue detesteth the poyson
whych I haue prepared for consumation of my lyfe. Whereupon as I
haue diuers times thought, considered and discoursed with my
selfe, and amongs many considerations oftentimes debated in my
minde, there came into the same the instability and fickle
change of Fortune, whose whirling wheele neuer ceasseth, ne yet
remayneth stedfast. It is dayly seene how she doth exalte and
aduaunce some man from the lowest and bottomlesse Pit, euen to
the top of high Heauens, endowinge him with so mutch Substaunce
as he can desire. An other that was most happy, honoured in this
world lyke a God, vnto whom no goods and welfare were wantinge,
who might wel haue bene called in his lyfe, a three times happy
and blessed wyght, sodaynly from his honour and state depriued
and made a very poore man and begger. Some man also, that is
both riche and lusty, accompanied with a fayre wyfe and goodly
Children, lyuinge in great mirth and ioylity, this wicked Lady
Fortune, the deuourer of all our contentations, depriueth from
the inestimable treasure of health, causeth the fayre Wyfe to
loue an other better than hir husbande, and with hir venomous
Tooth biteth the children, that in short space myserable death
catcheth them al within his dreadfull Clouches whereby he is
defrauded of those children, whom after his death he purposed to
leaue for hys Heyres. But what meane I to consume tyme and words
in declaration of Fortune's vnsteady stay, which is more cleare
than the beams of the Sunne, of whom dayly a Thousande thousande
examples be manifest: all histories be full of theym. The mighty
countrey of Græcia doth render ample witnesse wherein so many
excellent men were bred and brought vp: who desirous with their
finger to touch the highest heauen, were in a moment throwen
downe: and so many famous Cities, which gouerned numbers of
people, now at this present day we see to be thrall and obedient
to thy City of Rome. Of these hurtfull and perillous mutations
(O noble Pompeius) thy Romane City may be a most cleare glasse
and Spectacle, and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme
past and present, may geeue plentifull witnesse. But to come to
the cause of this my death, I say, that fyndyng myself to haue
liued these many yeares (by what chaunce I can not tell) in very
great prosperity, in al which tyme I neuer did suffer any one
myssehappe, but styll from good to better, haue passed my time
vntil thys daye: nowe fearyng the frownynge of Ladye Fortune's
face, and that she will repente hir long continued fauour,
I feare, I say, least the same Fortune should chaung hir stile,
and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir
poysoned bitternesse, and make mee the Receptacle and Quiuer of
hir sharpe and noysome arrowes. Wherefore I am nowe determined
by good aduyse, to rid my selfe from the captivity of hir force,
from all hir misfortunes, and from the noysom and grieuous
infirmities, which miserably be incident to vs mortall
Creatures: and beleeue me (Pompeius) that many in theyr aged
dayes haue left their life with little honour, who had they bene
gone in their youth, had dyed Famous for euer. Wherefore
(my lord Pompeius) that I may not be tedious vnto thee, or
hinder thyne affayres by long discourse, I besech thee to geeue
me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition, that frankely and
freely I may be vnburdened of all daunger: for the longer the
life doth grow, to the greater annoysaunce and daunger it is
subiect." When she had so sayd, to the great admiration and
compassion of all those which were present, with tremblinge
handes and fearefull cheare, she quaffed a great Cup of poysoned
drynke, the which she brought with hir for that purpose, and
within a while after dyed. This was the straunge vse, and order
obserued in Hidrusa. Which good counsel of the Dame had the
noble and valiaunt captayne followed, no doubt he would haue bin
contented to haue bin brought to order: and then he had not lost
that bloudy battel atchieued agaynst hym by Iulius Cæsar at
Pharsalia in Ægypt. Then hee had not sustayned so many
ouerthrowes as he did, then had hee not ben forsaken of his
frendes, and in the ende endured a death so miserable. And for
so mutch as for the most part hitherto we haue intreated of many
Tragicall and bloudy chaunces, respyring now from those, let vs
a little touch some medicinable remedies for loue, some lessons
for gouernment and obedience, some treaties of amorous Dames,
and hauty Gestes of Prynces, Queenes and other persons, to
variate the chaungeable diet, wherewyth dyuers bee affected,
rellishinge their Stomackes wyth some more pleasaunt Digestions
than they haue tasted.