Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/13

of Poland. From thence, keeping the Vistula upon the left hand, I went to Warsaw, and saw there the Court of King Sigismund, which is a noble and splendid Habitation.

From Warsaw I return'd to Breslaw, taking the Road toward the Lower Silesia, designing to visit one of the principal Officers of the Emperours Houshold, who was my particular acquaintance. But about two Leagues from Glogaw, meeting with Colonel Butler, a Scotch Gentleman, Colonel of one of the Emperours Regiments of Horse, who afterwards kill'd Walesteyne in pursuance of the Orders he receiv'd, I gave over my first intended journey. His Wife was a great lover of the French, so that being earnestly obliged by both together, I could not withstand the testimonies of their kindness. There I understood that the Emperour was going to Ratisbone with his Son Ferdinand the Third, to Crown him King of the Romans; so that I, who had seen the Coronations of the Kings of Hungary and Bohemia, being desirous to see the third Solemnity also, took leave of my Colonel, and hasted to Ratisbone.

At that time arriv'd to Ratisbone several Jewellers, one of which came to his end by an accident so tragical, that all the whole Court pity'd his untimely fate. He was the only Son of one of the richest Merchants of Europe, that liv'd in Frankfort, whose Father had sent him with Jewels to sell at the Coronation. For fear of being Robb'd he had convey'd them before into the hands of a Jew in Ratisbone, his Correspondent, to be deliver'd to his Son at his coming. This young man arriving at Ratisbone, went to the Jew, who told him that he had receiv'd a small Casket of Jewels from his Father, which he might take away, when he pleas'd. At the same time the Jew invited the young man to drink, and carry'd him to a publick House upon the Key of the City, where they continu'd 'till about an hour after day was shut in. At this time, both going out together, the Jew led the young man through a private Street where few people pass'd by, and there having stab'd him five or six times in the Belly with a Dagger, left him wallowing in his Blood. A while after, one of the Emperour's Trumpets going that way in the dark, stumbl'd at the Legs of the unfortunate youth, who still breath'd, and fell upon his Body. At first feeling his hands wet, he thought it had been some drunken fellow that had eas'd his stomach; but upon second thoughts, imagining it might be some wounded person, he ran and call'd the Officers, who coming with Lanthorns, beheld the tragick spectacle of a young man weltring in his own gore. Thereupon the Officers carrying the Body to the same publick House, as being next at hand, his face was no sooner wash'd, but the Woman and Maid of the House knew him to be the same young man that had been there drinking with the Jew not long before. But as for the young man he presently expir'd, without being able to make the least discovery. However the Jew was seiz'd that evening, and being seiz'd, confess'd the Crime. The Imperial Laws ordain, that a Jew for killing a Christian should be hung upon a Gibbet by the Heels, and that two fierce Dogs should be hung by him in the same manner, to the end, that the Dogs in their madness should tear out his Bowels. But the Jews made such presents to the Empress that the Sentence was chang'd, though the punishment was not much less rigorous. For his flesh was torn with red hot Pincers from severalparts