⟨a⟩ great rage, 'That she, and the bastard brat she had should die, though the Gods themselves said no.' Believing the child was begot by Egistus, ⟨and⟩ not that himself was the father or it.
Bellaria was, some time after brought to bed ⟨of⟩ a fair and beautiful daughter, the news ⟨whereof⟩ being carried to Pandosta, he, instead of ⟨rejoicing⟩ thereat, determined, that both the child ⟨and⟩ the mother should be burnt. To prevent ⟨him⟩ from which his nobles laid before him the ⟨apparent⟩ innocency of the infant princess, and the ⟨unblemished⟩ character of her royal mother, who ⟨had⟩ always obeyed him with that respect, and ⟨loved⟩ him with that tenderness, that left her without ⟨the⟩ least shadow of a crime. And that even tho' ⟨she⟩ had been guilty (of which there appeared not ⟨the⟩ least proof) yet, to be banished from his bed, was a sufficient punishment, seeing it was more ⟨like⟩ the Gods, to be pitiful and forgive, than to ⟨punish⟩ offenders with extreme rigour, especially ⟨those⟩ of reason, whatever were in these ⟨allegations⟩. All the answer that Pandosta returned was, ⟨that⟩ Bellaria, being an adulteress, the child was a ⟨bastard⟩ and he would not permit so infamous a ⟨brat⟩ to call him father. Yet, he so far yielded to ⟨the⟩ importunity of his nobles, as not to lay ⟨violent⟩ hands on the child, though, at the same time, ⟨he⟩ designed to expose it to a more cruel death, and ⟨therefore⟩, ordering a little cock-boat to be made, ⟨he⟩ caused the infant to be put therein, and ⟨committed⟩ to the mercy of the sea. We cannot ⟨express⟩ the grief and lamentation of Bellaria, for the ⟨cruel⟩ sentence passed on her innocent babe, and ⟨that⟩ by its own father. But neither prayers nor ⟨tears⟩ could prevail: the little infant was committed ⟨to⟩ the mercy of the merciless waters. Bellaria was ⟨brought⟩ upon her trial; and Pandosta, not satisfiedwith
