ABSTRACT
THE fair Lavinia no sooner heard the Prince was missing, but she fell into great Sorrow and Lamentation, her Heart misgiving her of some Treachery, and thereupon she entreated her Brothers to go in search of him, which they did with all speed; but being dogged by the Moor and the Queen of Goths two Sons, they unluckily coming in the Way where the Pit was digged, they fell both in upon the dead Body, and could not by reason of the great Depth, get out'; their cruel Enemies no sooner saw this, but they hasted to the Court, and sent the Guards in search of the murdered Prince, who found Andronicus's two Sons with the dead Body, which they drew up, and carried Prisoners to the Court, where the Moor and the other two falsely swore against them,5 that they had often heard them threaten Revenge on the Prince, because he had put them to the Foil, in a Turnament at Justing. This, and the Circumstances of their being found, with the vehement Aggravation, was a sufficient Ground to the Emperor to believe, who loved his Son entirely, and was much grieved for his Death, and tho' they denied it with all the
Protestations imaginable, and pleaded their Innocence, demanded the Combat against their Accusers,l which by the Law of Arms they ought to have been allowed, they were immediately loaden with Irons, and cast into a deep Dungeon among noisome Creatures, as Frogs, Toads, Serpents, and the like, where notwithstanding all the Intercessions that were made, they continued eating the filth that they found in that Place.
