And There Was An Order Taken That None Should Go On Shore Until He Had
A Licence; As For Me,
I was known by one in the ship, who told the
master that I was an Englishman, which (as God
Would) was my good hap
to hear; for if I had not heard it, it had cost me my life.
Notwithstanding, I would not take any knowledge of it, and seemed to be
merry and pleasant that we were all come so well in safety. Presently
after, licence came that we should go on shore, and I pressed to be
gone with the first; howbeit, the master came unto me and said,
"Sirrah, you must go with me to Seville by water." I knew his meaning
well enough, and that he meant there to offer me up as a sacrifice to
the Holy House. For the ignorant zeal of a number of these
superstitious Spaniards is such that they think that they have done God
good service when they have brought a Lutheran heretic to the fire to
be burnt; for so they do account of us. Well, I perceiving all this,
took upon me not to suspect anything, but was still jocund and merry,
howbeit I knew it stood me upon to shift for myself. And so waiting my
time when the master was in his cabin asleep, I conveyed myself
secretly down by the shrouds into the ship boat, and made no stay, but
cut the rope wherewithal she was moored, and so by the cable hailed on
shore, where I leapt on land, and let the boat go whither it would.
Thus by the help of God I escaped that day, and then never stayed at
St. Lucar, but went all night by the way which I had seen others take
towards Seville.
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