When he was well enough to speak, we talked to him, and asked him
some questions about his wife, and the reasons why he killed her;
and he then told us what I have related of that resolution, and of his
parting, and he besought us we would let him die, and was extremely
afflicted to think it was possible he might live: he assured us, if we
did not dispatch him, he would prove very fatal to a great many. We
said all we could to make him live, and gave him new assurances; but
he begged we would not think so poorly of him, or of his love to
Imoinda, to imagine we could flatter him to life again: but the
chirurgeon assured him he could not live, and therefore he need not
fear. We were all (but Caesar) afflicted at this news, and the sight
was ghastly: his discourse was sad; and the earthy smell about him was
so strong that I was persuaded to leave the place for some time (being
myself very sickly, and very apt to fall into fits of dangerous
illness upon any extraordinary melancholy). The servants, and
Trefry, and the chirurgeons, promised all to take what possible care
they could of the life of Caesar; and I, taking boat, went with
other company to Colonel Martin's, about three days' journey down
the river. But I was no sooner gone than the Governor, taking
Trefry, about some pretended earnest business, a day's journey up
the river, having communicated his design to one Banister, a wild
Irishman, and one of the council, a fellow of absolute barbarity,
and fit to execute any villainy, but rich; he came up to Parham, and
forcibly took Caesar, and had him carried to the same post where he
was whipped; and causing him to be tied to it, and a great fire made
before him, he told him he should die like a dog, as he was.
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