This done, he withdraws and leaves them there to condole their
misery and to mourn under their distress. So all that day they
spent the time in nothing but sighs and bitter lamentations. The
next night, she, talking with her husband about them further, and
understanding they were yet alive, did advise him to counsel them
to make away themselves. So when morning was come, he goes to them
in a surly manner as before, and perceiving them to be very sore
with the stripes that he had given them the day before, he told
them, that since they were never like to come out of that place,
their only way would be forthwith to make an end of themselves,
either with knife, halter, or poison, for why, said he, should you
choose life, seeing it is attended with so much bitterness? But
they desired him to let them go. With that he looked ugly upon
them, and, rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them
himself, but that he fell into one of his fits, (for he sometimes, in
sunshiny weather, fell into fits), and lost for a time the use of
his hand; wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before, to consider
what to do. Then did the prisoners consult between themselves
whether it was best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began
to discourse: --
{285} CHR.
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