the cenci-第6章

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〃Charcoal！　　charcoal！〃　Then；　whilst　all　the　detectives　were　hunting

high　and　low　for　him；　he　got　out　of　the　city；　met　a　company　of

merchants　under　escort；　joined　them；　and　reached　Naples；　where　he

embarked。　　What　ultimately　became　of　him　was　never　known；　it　has　been

asserted；　but　without　confirmation；　that　he　succeededin　reaching

France；　and　enlisted　in　a　Swiss　regiment　in　the　pay　of　Henry　IV。



The　confession　of　the　sbirro　and　the　disappearance　of　Monsignor

Guerra　left　no　moral　doubt　of　the　guilt　of　the　Cenci。　　They　were

consequently　sent　from　the　castle　to　the　prison；　the　two　brothers；

when　put　to　the　torture；　broke　down　and　confessed　their　guilt。

Lucrezia　Petroni's　full　habit　of　body　rendered　her　unable　to　bear　the

torture　of　the　rope；　and；　on　being　suspended　in　the　air；　begged　to　be

lowered；　when　she　confessed　all　she　knew。



As　for　Beatrice；　she　continued　unmoved；　neither　promises；　threats；

nor　torture　had　any　effect　upon　her；　she　bore　everything

unflinchingly；　and　the　judge　Ulysses　Moscati　himself；　famous　though

he　was　in　such　matters；　failed　to　draw　from　her　a　single

incriminating　word。　　Unwilling　to　take　any　further　responsibility；　he

referred　the　case　to　Clement　VIII；　and　the　pope；　conjecturing　that

the　judge　had　been　too　lenient　in　applying　the　torture　to；　a　young

and　beautiful　Roman　lady；　took　it　out　of　his　hands　and　entrusted　it

to　another　judge；　whose　severity　and　insensibility　to　emotion　were

undisputed。



This　latter　reopened　the　whole　interrogatory；　and　as　Beatrice　up　to

that　time　had　only　been　subjected　to　the　ordinary　torture；　he　gave

instructions　to　apply　both　the　ordinary　and　extraordinary。　　This　was

the　rope　and　pulley；　one　of　the　most　terrible　inventions　ever　devised

by　the　most　ingenious　of　tormentors。



To　make　the　nature　of　this　horrid　torture　plain　to　our　readers；　we

give　a　detailed　description　of　it；　adding　an　extract　of　the　presiding

judge's　report　of　the　case；　taken　from　the　Vatican　manuscripts。



Of　the　various　forms　of　torture　then　used　in　Rome　the　most　common

were　the　whistle；　the　fire；　the　sleepless；　and　the　rope。



The　mildest；　the　torture　of　the　whistle；　was　used　only　in　the　case　of

children　and　old　persons；　it　consisted　in　thrusting　between　the　nails

and　the　flesh　reeds　cut　in　the　shape　of　whistles。



The　fire；　frequently　employed　before　the　invention　of　the　sleepless

torture；　was　simply　roasting　the　soles　of　the　feet　before　a　hot　fire。



The　sleepless　torture；　invented　by　Marsilius；　was　worked　by　forcing

the　accused　into　an　angular　frame　of　wood　about　five　feet　high；　the

sufferer　being　stripped　and　his　arms　tied　behind　his　back　to　the

frame；　two　men；　relieved　every　five　hours；　sat　beside　him；　and　roused

him　the　moment　he　closed　his　eyes。　　Marsilius　says　he　has　never　found

a　man　proof　against　this　torture；　but　here　he　claims　more　than　he　is

justly　entitled　to。　　Farinacci　states　that；　out　of　one　hundred

accused　persons　subjected　to　it；　five　only　refused　to　confessa　very

satisfactory　result　for　the　inventor。



Lastly　comes　the　torture　of　the　rope　and　pulley；　the　most　in　vogue　of

all；　and　known　in　other　Latin　countries　as　the　strappado。



It　was　divided　into　three　degrees　of　intensitythe　slight；　the

severe；　and　the　very　severe。



The　first；　or　slight　torture；　which　consisted　mainly　in　the

apprehensions　it　caused；　comprised　the　threat　of　severe　torture；

introduction　into　the　torture　chamber；　stripping；　and　the　tying　of

the　rope　in　readiness　for　its　appliance。　　To　increase　the　terror

these　preliminaries　excited；　a　pang　of　physical　pain　was　added　by

tightening　a　cord　round　the　wrists。　　This　often　sufficed　to　extract　a

confession　from　women　or　men　of　highly　strung　nerves。



The　second　degree；　or　severe　torture；　consisted　in　fastening　the

sufferer；　stripped　naked；　and　his　hands　tied　behind　his　back；　by　the

wrists　to　one　end　of　a　rope　passed　round　a　pulley　bolted　into　the

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