The girl being a virgin was still more strongly protected by law. There was no precedent for executing a virgin whose only crime was being her father’s daughter. When she was carried off to prison she did not understand what was happening and called out: ‘Don’t take me to prison! Whip me if you like and I won’t do it again!’ She apparently had some girlish naughtiness on her conscience. Macro gave orders that, to avoid the ill-luck that would befall the City if they executed her while still a virgin, the public executioner should outrage her. As soon as I heard of this, I said to myself:
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