Note 7. Ch. XVIII.--DR. JULIO.

The Earl of Leicester's Italian physician, Julio, was affirmed by his

contemporaries to be a skilful compounder of poisons, which he applied

with such frequency, that the Jesuit Parsons extols ironically the

marvellous good luck of this great favourite in the opportune deaths of

those who stood in the way of his wishes. There is a curious passage on

the subject:-"Long after this, he fell in love with the Lady Sheffield, whom I

signified before, and then also had he the same fortune to have her

husband dye quickly, with an extreame rheume in his head (as it was

given out), but as others say, of an artificiall catarre that stopped

his breath.

"The like good chance had he in the death of my Lord of Essex (as I have

said before), and that at a time most fortunate for his purpose; for

when he was coming home from Ireland, with intent to revenge himselfe

upon my Lord of Leicester for begetting his wife with childe in his

absence (the childe was a daughter, and brought up by the Lady Shandoes,

W. Knooles, his wife), my Lord of Leicester hearing thereof, wanted not

a friend or two to accompany the deputy, as among other a couple of the

Earles own servants, Crompton (if I misse not his name), yeoman of his

bottles, and Lloid his secretary, entertained afterward by my Lord of

Leicester, and so he dyed in the way of an extreame flux, caused by an

Italian receipe, as all his friends are well assured, the maker whereof

was a chyrurgeon (as it is beleeved) that then was newly come to my Lord

from Italy---a cunning man and sure in operation, with whom, if the good

Lady had been sooner acquainted, and used his help, she should not have

needed to sitten so pensive at home, and fearefull of her husband's

former returne out of the same country......Neither must you marvaile

though all these died in divers manners of outward diseases, for this

is the excellency of the Italian art, for which this chyrurgeon and

Dr. Julio were entertained so carefully, who can make a man dye in what

manner or show of sickness you will--by whose instructions, no doubt;

but his lordship is now cunning, especially adding also to these the

counsell of his Doctor Bayly, a man also not a little studied (as he

seemeth) in his art; for I heard him once myselfe, in a publique act

in Oxford, and that in presence of my Lord of Leicester (if I be not

deceived), maintain that poyson might be so tempered and given as it

should not appear presently, and yet should kill the party afterward,

at what time should be appointed; which argument belike pleased well his

lordship, and therefore was chosen to be discussed in his audience, if

I be not deceived of his being that day present. So, though one dye of a

flux, and another of a catarre, yet this importeth little to the

matter, but showeth rather the great cunning and skill of the

artificer."--PARSONS' LEICESTER'S COMMONWEALTH, p.23.




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