MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 
broke in upon their conjugal union. 
Valentina, according to the ordinary 
course of things, became sullen, aad 
Adelaide imperious. One day they 
quarrelled so violently, that Valen- 
tina turned the old housekeeper, 
with ter daughtery out of doors, 
Fazio, on returning bome, took this 
procedure very much amiss, grew 
so much the fonder of Adelaide, 
and hired a suitable lodging for her. 
Valentina, who was very violent 
by nature, could no longer mode- 
rate her fury. 
Fazio, having in vain tried every 
method to pacify or to deceive her, 
retired to his estate in the country, 
and had Adelaide brought to him. 
This no sooner reached the ears of 
Valentina, who in her jeabousy was 
more like a fury than a woman, 
than she meditated the most horrid 
revenge. Without once reflecting 
on the melancholy consequences, 
she resolved to impeach her hus- 
band, before the magistrate, as the 
mourderer of Grimaldi. She put her 
dreadful scheme in execution on 
thespot; and Fazio, who was dream- 
ing away delicious moments in the 
company of his fair one, never 
thought ef the storm that was ga- 
thering over his head. 
The judge, in the first place, exa- 
mined into the circumstances deli- 
vered in by the informant, and then 
dispatched person’s to dig up the 
ground in Fazio’s cellar; where 
finding the remains of Grimaldi’s 
body, Fazio was seized in the arms 
of Adelaide, and carried to prison, 
At first, he denied the charge ; but 
on being confronted with his ‘wife, 
and she appearing as his accuser, he 
immediately exclaimed: ‘ Wretch 
as thou art, had I loved thee less, 
thou wouldst not have been en- 
trusted with my secret; 1 was weak 
, 4143 
from my love towards thee, and thou 
hast brought me hither.”” The tor- 
ture, which at that time was so dane 
gerous to accused innocence, exe 
torted from Fazio a confession of 
all he had done, and even of what 
hehad not. He accused himselfas 
the murderer of Grimaldi, although 
he wasnot; and was sentenced to 
forfeit his possessfns, and to suffer 
death, at the place’of public execu- 
tion. 
Valentina, on being dismissed, 
would have returned home to her 
habitation, but was not a little Sure 
prised at finding it beset with officers 
of justice, who had qven turned her 
children out of it. “No more: was 
wanting than this fresh misfortune 
for completely rendering her a prey 
todespair. The stings of conscience 
already wrung her heart: for, her 
revenge being satiated, she had 
opened her eyes, saw the rashness 
of her conduct inf all its extent, and 
had a full presentiment of ber future 
misery. Pain and remorse now 
arose to their height. In frantic 
mood she ran about with dishevelled 
hair, and implored the judge to set 
free her husband, whom she herself 
had delivered up to the hangman. 
The sight of her children redoubled 
the pangs of her soul. 
The whole city resounded with 
this melancholy event. Valentina, 
who was a horror to herself, had 
not even the poor consolation of 
exciting compassian. Relations and 
acquaintance hated and avoided her 
like a ravening beast, 
Fazio, in the mean time, was 
awaiting his deplorable doom. He 
was led to the place of execution ‘ 
along the principal streets. He as- 
cended the scaffold with great com- 
posure, avouched his innocence, and 
cursed the impetuous jealousy of 
his 
