point of death he lieth prostrate on the ground covered
with his bed, and hath seene all our doings, and hopeth
to escape scot-free from my hands, but I will cause
that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay rather
forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and
his present curiosity. Which words when I heard
I fell into a cold sweat, and my heart trembled with
feare, insomuch that the bed over me did likewise
rattle and shake. Then spake Panthia unto Meroe
and said, Sister let us by and by teare him in pieces
or tye him by the members, and so cut them off.
Then Meroe (being so named because she was a Taverner,
and loved wel good wines) answered, Nay rather let
him live, and bury the corpse of this poore wretch
in some hole of the earth; and therewithall shee turned
the head of Socrates on the other side and thrust her
sword up to the hilts into the left part of his necke,
and received the bloud that gushed out, into a pot,
that no drop thereof fell beside: which things
I saw with mine own eyes, and as I thinke to the intent
that she might alter nothing that pertained to sacrifice,
which she accustomed to make, she thrust her hand
down into the intrals of his body, and searching about,
at length brought forth the heart of my miserable companion
Socrates, who having his throat cut in such sort, yeelded
out a dolefull cry, and gave up the ghost. Then
Panthia stopped up the wide wound of his throat with
the Sponge and said, O sponge sprung and made of the
sea, beware that thou not passe by running river.
This being said, one of them moved and turned up my
bed, and then they strid over mee, and clapped their
buttocks upon my face, and all bepissed mee until I
was wringing wet. When this was over they went
their wayes, and the doores closed fast, the posts
stood in their old places, and the lockes and bolts
were shut againe. But I that lay upon the ground
like one without soule, naked and cold, and wringing
wet with pisse, like to one that were more than half
dead, yet reviving my selfe, and appointed as I thought
for the Gallowes, began to say Alasse what shall become
of me to morrow, when my companion shall be found
murthered here in the chamber? To whom shall
I seeme to tell any similitude of truth, when as I
shall tell the trueth in deed? They will say,
If thou wert unable to resist the violence of the
women, yet shouldest thou have cried for help; Wouldst
thou suffer the man to be slaine before thy face and
say nothing? Or why did they not slay thee likewise?
Why did they spare thee that stood by and saw them
commit that horrible fact? Wherefore although
thou hast escaped their hands, yet thou shalt not escape
ours. While I pondered these things with my selfe
the night passed on, and so I resolved to take my
horse before day, and goe forward on my journey.