Page:History of the two children in the wood (1).pdf/17

17 VII.

What thought Androgus had about putting to death his brother’s children, but could not put it in practice himself.

HE children being in the possession of Androgus, he for a while committed them to the care of Timesia, his wife, who had likewise children of own, took nevertheless great delight  those of her brother in law’s, and would be often commending them for their beauty, pretty discourse, and the great hopefulness she saw in them to her husband, who gave her the hearing, although he began to look upon them with an envious eye, yet it hid from her, who was a woman of good nature, design he had to make them away, which wickedness the devil put into his head, and now how to compass it was his chief study, many times he debated  himself to drown them or smother with pillows, and had attempted had not his heart smote him, and  innocent smiles  his wicked purposes, nor was the fear he had of  murder being discovered less terrible,  that continuing for some days in a melancholy dump, his wife reasoned