Page 414 - The Grotesque Children's Book

“If any one would form an opinion or judgment either out of his own
observation, or out of the crowd of authorities, or out of the forms of
demonstration (which have now acquired a sanction like that of judicial laws),
concerning these speculations of mine, let him not hope that he can do it in
passage or by the by; but let him examine the thing thoroughly; let him make
some little trial for himself of the way which I describe and lay out; let him
familiarize his thoughts with that subtlety of nature to which experience bears
witness; let him correct by seasonable patience and due delay the depraved and
deep-rooted habits of his mind; and when all this is done and he has begun to be
his own master, let him use his own judgment to pass judgment upon me.

“The charge against me is that of poisoning her Grace.

“Gentlemen of the court, I charge that as you hold this man’s life in your
hands, your opinion should not depend on belief, but upon observable, verifiable
and repeatable facts. Let me lay them out for you now.

Pandolfo took a brief pause, and said, “And if anyone in the court is still awake, I’ll
continue.” There was a gentle laughter throughout the courtroom. “I will take that as an
indication that at least a small percentage of you are still awake, so...the testimony of
Dr. Ludovico Valerius continues.

“I had prescribed liniment of theriac, because there is a certain scientific
validity to the notion that introducing very small traces of poison, such as can be
found in theriac, ought not be harmful. I am exploring the ideas put forth by
Bernard de Gordon of France, including the notion that increasing dosages of
traces of poison can strengthen a body over time, and there have been some
doctors reporting positive results in some of their patients.”

Pandolfo paused here in the testimony and addressed the court as a bit of an aside, “May I
remind the court that these are the words of the accused himself. My role here is as his defender.
And I want it to be clear, abundantly clear, that my client admitted to prescribing arsenic to Her
Eminence Lady Bianca. Let the record show this in no uncertain terms!” Pandolfo pounded the
table for increased effect, certain of the victory he had scored on behalf of his client.
Dr. Ludovico continues:

“May I remind the august members of the court of the careful analysis
demanded by a scrupulous, scientific doctor such as stands before you now.”

Pandolfo interjected his own reading. “Oh. That would, of course, be clearer, if Valerius
were doing the reading. We’re understanding, aren’t we, that I’m not calling myself scrupulous
and scientific? It’s the doctor calling himself that. Good. Carrying on. The doctor says to you:

“Gentlemen of the court, it is a far greater evil that practitioners make the
quiescent principles, wherefrom, and not the moving principles, whereby, things

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