the cenci-第5章

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vaulted　ceiling；　the　other　end　being　attached　to　a　windlass；　by

turning　which　he　could　be　hoisted；　into　the　air；　and　dropped　again；

either　slowly　or　with　a　jerk；　as　ordered　by　the　judge。　　The

suspension　generally　lasted　during　the　recital　of　a　Pater　Noster；　an

Ave　Maria；　or　a　Miserere；　if　the　accused　persisted　in　his　denial；　it

was　doubled。　　This　second　degree；　the　last　of　the　ordinary　torture；

was　put　in　practice　when　the　crime　appeared　reasonably　probable　but

was　not　absolutely　proved。



The　third；　or　very　severe；　the　first　of　the　extraordinary　forms　of

torture；　was　so　called　when　the　sufferer；　having　hung　suspended　by

the　wrists；　for　sometimes　a　whole　hour；　was　swung　about　by　the

executioner；　either　like　the　pendulum　of　a　clock；　or　by　elevating　him

with　the　windlass　and　dropping　him　to　within　a　foot　or　two　of　the

ground。　　If　he　stood　this　torture；　a　thing　almost　unheard　of；　seeing

that　it　cut　the　flesh　of　the　wrist　to　the　bone　and　dislocated　the

limbs；　weights　were　attached　to　the　feet；　thus　doubling　the　torture。

This　last　form　of　torture　was　only　applied　when　an　atrocious　crime

had　been　proved　to　have　been　committed　upon　a　sacred　person；　such　as

a　priest；　a　cardinal；　a　prince；　or　an　eminent　and　learned　man。



Having　seen　that　Beatrice　was　sentenced　to　the　torture　ordinary　and

extraordinary；　and　having　explained　the　nature　of　these　tortures；　we

proceed　to　quote　the　official　report：



〃And　as　in　reply　to　every　question　she　would　confess　nothing；　we

caused　her　to　be　taken　by　two　officers　and　led　from　the　prison　to　the

torture　chamber；　where　the　torturer　was　in　attendance；　there；　after

cutting　off　her　hair；　he　made　her　sit　on　a　small　stool；　undressed

her；　pulled　off　her　shoes；　tied　her　hands　behind　her　back；　fastened

them　to　a　rope　passed　over　a　pulley　bolted　into　the　ceiling　of　the

aforesaid　chamber；　and　wound　up　at　the　other　end　by　a　four　lever

windlass；　worked　by　two　men。〃



〃Before　hoisting　her　from　the　ground　we　again　interrogated　her

touching　the　aforesaid　parricide；　but　notwithstanding　the　confessions

of　her　brother　and　her　stepmother；　which　were　again　produced；　bearing

their　signatures；　she　persisted　in　denying　everything；　saying；　'Haul

me　about　and　do　what　you　like　with　me；　I　have　spoken　the　truth；　and

will　tell　you　nothing　else；　even　if　I　were　torn　to　pieces。'



〃Upon　this　we　had　her　hoisted　in　the　air　by　the　wrists　to　the　height

of　about　two　feet　from　the　ground；　while　we　recited　a　Pater　Noster；

and　then　again　questioned　her　as　to　the　facts　and　circumstances　of

the　aforesaid　parricide；　but　she　would　make　no　further　answer；　only

saying；　'You　are　killing　me！　　You　are　killing　me！'



〃We　then　raised　her　to　the　elevation　of　four　feet；　and　began　an　Ave

Maria。　　But　before　our　prayer　was　half　finished　she　fainted　away；　or

pretended　to　do　so。



〃We　caused　a　bucketful　of　water　to　be　thrown　over　her　head；　feeling

its　coolness；　she　recovered　consciousness；　and　cried；　'My　God！　　I　am

dead！　　You　are　killing　me！　　My　God！'　　But　this　was　all　she　would　say。



〃We　then　raised　her　higher　still；　and　recited　a　Miserere；　during

which；　instead　of　joining　in　the　prayer；　she　shook　convulsively　and

cried　several　times；　'My　God！　　My　God！'



〃Again　questioned　as　to　the　aforesaid　parricide；　she　would　confess

nothing；　saying　only　that　she　was　innocent；　and　then　again　fainted

away。



〃We　caused　more　water　to　be　thrown　over　her；　then　she　recovered　her

senses；　opened　her　eyes；　and　cried；　'O　cursed　executioners！　　You　are

killing　me！　　You　are　killing　me！'　　But　nothing　more　would　she　say。



〃Seeing　which；　and　that　she　persisted　in　her　denial；　we　ordered　the

torturer　to　proceed　to　the　torture　by　jerks。



〃He　accordingly　hoisted　her　ten　feet　from　the　ground；　and　when　there

we　enjoined　her　to　tell　the　truth；　but　whether　she　would　not　or　could

not　speak；　she　answered　only　by　a　motion　of　the　head　indicating　that

she　could　say　nothing。



〃Seeing　which；　we　made　a　sign　to　the　executioner；　to　let　go　the　rope；

and　she　fell　with　all　her　weight　from　the　height　of　ten　feet　to　that

of　two　feet；　her　arms；　from　the　shock；　were　dislocated　from　their

sockets；　she　uttered　a　loud　cry；　and　swooned　away。



〃We　again　caused　water　to　be　dashed　in　her　face；　she　returned　to

herself；　and　again　cried　out；　'Infamous　assassins！　　You　are　killing

me；　but　were　you　to　tear　out　my　arms；　I　would　tell　you　nothing　else。'



〃Upon　this；　we　ordered　a　weight　of　fifty　pounds　to　be　fastened　to　her

feet。　　But　at　this　moment　the　door　opened；　and　many　voices　cried；

'Enough　！　　Enough！　　Do　not　torture　her　any　more！'



These　voices　were　those　of　Giacomo；　Bernardo；　and　Lucrezia　Petroni。

The　judges；　perceiving　the　obstinacy　of　Beatrice；　had　ordered　that

the　accused；　who　had　been　separated　for　five　months；　should　be

confronted。



They　advanced　into　the　torture　chamber；　and　seeing　Beatrice　hanging

by　the　wrists；　her　arms　disjointed；　and　covered　with　blood；　Giacomo

cried　out：



〃The　sin　is　committed；　nothing　further　remains　but　to　save　our　souls

by　repentance；　undergo　death　courageously；　and　not　suffer　you　to　be

thus　tortured。〃



Then　said　Beatrice；　shaking　her　head　as　if　to　cast　off　grief



〃Do　you　then　wish　to　die？　　Since　you　wish　it；　be　it　so。〃



Then　turning　to　the　officers：



〃Untie　me；〃　said　she；　〃read　the　examination　to　me；　and　what　I　have　to

confess；　I　will　confess；　what　I　have　to　deny；　I　will　deny。〃



Beatrice　was　then　lowered　and　untied；　a　barber　reduced　the

dislocation　of　her　arms　in　the　usual　manner；　the　examination　was　read

over　to　her；　and；　as　she　had　promised；　she　made　a　full　confession。



After　this　confession；　at　the　request　of　the　two　brothers；　they　were

all　confined　in　the　same　prison；　but　the　next　day　Giacomo　and

Bernardo　were　taken　to　the　cells　of　Tordinona；　as　for　the　women；　they

remained　where　they　were。



The　pope　was　so　horrified　on　reading　the　particulars　of　the　crime

contained　in　the　confessions；　that　he　ordered　the　culprits　to　be

dragged　by　wild　horses　through　the　streets　of　Rome。　　But　so　barbarous

a　sentence　shocked　the　public　mind；　so　much　so　that　many　persons　of

princely　rank　petitioned　the　Holy　Father　on　their　knees；　imploring

him　to　reconsider　his　decree；　or　at　least　allow　the　accused　to　be

heard　in　their　defence。



〃Tell　me；〃　replied　Clement　VIII；　〃did　they　give　their　unhappy　father

time　to　be　heard　in　his　own　defence；　when　they　slew　him　in　so

merciless　and　degrading　a　fashion？〃



At　length；　overcome　by　so　many　entreaties；　he　respited　them　for　three

days。



The　most　eloquent　and　skilful　advocates　in　Rome　immediately　busied

themselves　in　preparing　pleadings　for　so　emotional　a　case；　and　on　the

day　fixed　for　hearing　appeared　before　His　Holiness。



The　first　pleader　was　Nicolo　degli　Angeli；　who　spoke　with　such　force

and　eloquence　that　the　pope；　alarmed　at　the　effect　he　was　producing

among　the　audience；　passionately　interrupted　him。



〃Are　there　then　to　be　found；〃　he　indignantly　cried；　〃among　the　Roman

nobility　children　capable　of　killing　their　parents；　and　among　Roman

lawyers　men　capable　of　speaking　in　their　defence？　　This　is　a　thing　we

should　never　have　believed；　nor　even　for　a　moment　supposed　it

possible！〃



All　were　silent　upon　this　terrible　rebuke；　except　Farinacci；　who；

nerving　himself　with　a　strong　sense　of　duty；　replied　respectfully　but

firmly



〃Most　Holy　Father；　we　are　not　here　to　defend　criminals；　but　to　save

the　innocent；　for　if　we　succeeded　in　proving　that　any　of　the　accused

acted　in　self…defence；　I　hope　that　they　will　be　exonerated　in　the

eyes　of　your　Holiness；　for　just　as　the　law　provides　for　cases　in

which　the　father　may　legally　kill　the　child；　so　this　holds　good　in

the　converse。　　We　will　therefore　continue　our　pleadings　on　receiving

leave　from　your　Holiness　to　do　so。〃



Clement　VIII　then　showed　himself　as　patient　as　he　had　previously　been

hasty；　and　heard　the　argument　of　Farinacci；　who　pleaded　that

Francesco　Cenci　had　lost　all　the　rights　of　a　father　from；　the　day

that　he　violated　his　daughter。　　In　support　of　his　contention　he

wished　to　put　in　the　memorial　sent　by　Beatrice　to　His　Holiness；

petitioning　him；　as　her　sister　had　done；　to　remove　her　from　the

paternal　roof　and　place　her　in　a　convent。　　Unfortunately；　this

petition　had　disappeared；　and　notwithstanding　the　minutest　search

among　the　papal　documents；　no　trace　of　it　could　be　found。



The　pope　had　all　the　pleadings　collected；　and　dismissed　the

advocates；　who　then　retired；　excepting　d'Altieri；　who　knelt　before

him；　saying



〃Most　Holy　Father；　I　humbly　ask　pardon　for　appearing　before　you　in

this　case；　but　I　had　no　choice　in　the　matter；　being　the　advocate　of

the　poor。〃



The　pope　kindly　raised　him；　saying：



〃Go；　we　are　not　surprised　at　your　conduct；　but　at　that　of　others；　who

protect　and　defend　criminals。〃



As　the　pope　took　a　great　interest　in　this　case；　he　sat　up　all　night

over　it；　studying　it　with　Cardinal　di　San　Marcello；　a　man　of　much

acumen　and　great　experience　in　criminal　cases。　　Then；　having　summed

it　up；　he　sent　a　draft　of　his　opinion　to　the　advocates；　who　read　it

with　great　satisfaction；　and　entertained　hopes　that　the　lives　of　the

convicted　persons　would　be　spared；　for　the　evidence　all　went　to　prove

that　even　if　the　children　had　taken　their　father's　life；　all　the

provocation　came　from　him；　and　that　Beatrice　in　particular　had　been

dragged　into　the　part　she　had　taken　in　this　crime　by　the　tyranny；

wickedness；　and　brutality　of　her　father。　　Under　the　influence　of

these　considerations　the　pope　mitigated　the　severity　of　their　prison

life；　and　even　allowed　the　prisoners　to　hope　that　their　lives　would

not　be　forfeited。



Amidst　the　general　feeling　of　relief　afforded　to　the　public　by　these

favours；　another　tragical　event　changed　the　papal　mind　and　frustrated

all　his　humane　intentions。　　This　was　the　atrocious　murder　of　the

Marchese　di　Santa　Croce；　a　man　seventy　years　of　age；　by　his　son

Paolo；　who　stabbed　him　with　a　dagger　in　fifteen　or　twenty　places；

because　the　father　would　not　promise　to　make　Paolo　his　sole　heir。

The　murderer　fled　and　escaped。



Clement　VIII　was　horror…stricken　at　the　increasing　frequency　of　this

crime　of　parricide：　for　the　moment；　however；　he　was　unable　to　take

action；　having　to　go　to　Monte　Cavallo　to　consecrate　a　cardinal

titular　bishop　in　the　church　of　Santa　Maria　degli　Angeli；　but　the　day

following；　on　Friday　the　10th　of　September　1599；　at　eight　o'clock　in

the　morning；　he　summoned　Monsignor　Taverna；　governor　of　Rome；　and

said　to　him



〃Monsignor；　we　place　in　your　hands　the　Cenci　case；　that　you　may　carry

out　the　sentence　as　speedily　as　possible。〃



On　his　return　to　his　palace；　after　leaving　His　Holiness；　the　governor

convened　a　meeting　of　all　the　criminal　judges　in　the　city；　the　result

of　the　council　being　that　all　the　Cenci　were　condemned　to　death。



The　final　sentence　was　immediately　known；　and　as　this