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When he had said this, and the multitude had openly applauded
him for what he had said, he took some of the armed men, and made
haste away to the house in which I lodged, as if he would kill me
immediately, while I was wholly insensible of all till this
disturbance happened; and by reason of the pains I had been
taking, was fallen fast asleep. But Simon, who was intrusted with
the care of my body, and was the only person that stayed with me,
and saw the violent incursion the citizens made upon me, awaked
me, and told me of the danger I was in, and desired me to let him
kill me, that I might die bravely and like a general, before my
enemies came in, and forced me [to kill myself], or killed me
themselves. Thus did he discourse to me; but I committed the care
of my life to God, and made haste to go out to the multitude.
Accordingly, I put on a black garment, and hung my sword at my
neck, and went by such a different way to the hippodrome, wherein
I thought none of my adversaries would meet me; so I appeared
among them on the sudden, and fell down flat on the earth, and
bedewed the ground with my tears: then I seemed to them all an
object of compassion. And when I perceived the change that was
made in the multitude, I tried to divide their opinions before
the armed men should return from my house; so I granted them that
I had been as wicked as they supposed me to be; but still I
entreated them to let me first inform them for what use I had
kept that money which arose from the plunder, and, that they
might then kill me if they pleased: and upon the multitude's
ordering me to speak, the armed men came upon me, and when they
saw me, they ran to kill me; but when the multitude bade them
hold their hands, they complied, and expected that as soon as I
should own to them that I kept the money for the king, it would
be looked on as a confession of my treason, and they should then
be allowed to kill me.
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