Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

DEATH OF A MOUNTEBANK
cheaters as the world termes them, they go to all the Phisitians,
Apothecaries and Chiurgions of the tonne and proferes to
drink any poison that they like to mix him, since he hath a
antidote against any poison whatsoever.
A mountebank at Montpeliers having made this overture,
the potingers1 most unnaturally and wickedly made him a
poisonable potion stuffed wt sulfre, quick silver, a vicked thing
they cal Veau Jorte, and diverse others burning corrasive
ingredients to drink. He being confident in his antidote, he
would drink it and apply his antidote in the view of all the
peaple upon the stage. He had not weill drunk it when by
the strenth of the ingredients he sunk all most dead upon the
scalfold or stage; he suddenly made his recourse to his antidote
which he had in his hand; but all would not do, or halfe a
hower it bereaved him of his life.
Their are also some of them that by litle and litle assuesses
themselfes to the drinking of poison, so that at lenth by
a habit they are able to take a considerable draught wt
out doing themselfes harme. Historians reportes this also
to have bein practicate by Mithridates, King of Persia
[Parthia].2
Upon the founding of the Jesuits Colledge at la Fleche on
made thir 2 very quick lines:
Arcum dola dedit patribus Gallique sagittam,
Quis funem autem quem meruere dabit.3
In many places of Germany their growes wery good wines,
in some none at all. The Rhenish wine which growes on the
renouned Rhein, on which standes so many brave tounes, is
weill enough knowen. They sometymes sell their wine by the
weight as the livre or pound, etc., which may seime as strange
as the cherries 2 tymes a year in France. Thus they ar
necessitate to do in the winter, when it freizes so that they
most break it wt great mattocks and axes, and sell it in the
faschion we have named.
Adultery, especially in the women, is wery vigorously
1 Apothecaries. ! Interlined.
3 Dola is a mistake for dona. The pentameter does not scan. It might be
emendpd, Die mihi quis funem.