But marry, counsel her we might, as I told
you before, to refrain and amend that malicious devilish intent.
VINCENT: Verily, that is truth. But such as are well willing to
do any purpose that is so shameful, they will never tell their
intent to nobody, for very shame.
ANTHONY: Some will not, indeed. And yet are there some again who,
be their intent never so shameful, find some yet whom their heart
serveth them to make of their counsel therein.
Some of my folk here can tell you that no longer ago than even
yesterday, someone who came out of Vienna told us, among other
talking, that a rich widow (but I forgot to ask him where it
happened), having all her life a high proud mind and a malicious
one--as those two virtues are wont always to keep company
together--was at dispute with another neighbour of hers in the
town. And on a time she made of her counsel a poor neighbour of
hers, whom she thought she might induce, for money, to follow her
intent. With him she secretly spoke, and offered him ten ducats
for his labour, to do so much for her as in a morning early to
come to her house and with an axe unknown privily strike off her
head. And when he had done so, he was to convey the bloody axe
into the house of him with whom she was at dispute, in such manner
as it might be thought that he had murdered her for malice.
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