"Such," Quoth He, "Hath Been The Valiantness
Of Our Countrymen, And Such Hath Been The Mighty Power Of Our God."
With such other like encouragements, exhorting them to behave
themselves manfully, they fell all on their knees, making their prayers
Briefly unto God; who, being all risen up again, perceived their
enemies, by their signs and defiances, bent to the spoil, whose mercy
was nothing else but cruelty; whereupon every man took him to his
weapon.
Then stood up one Grove, the master, being a comely man, with his sword
and target, holding them up in defiance against his enemies. So
likewise stood up the owner, the master's mate, boatswain, purser, and
every man well appointed. Now likewise sounded up the drums, trumpets,
and flutes, which would have encouraged any man, had he never so little
heart or courage in him.
Then taketh him to his charge John Fox, the gunner, in the disposing of
his pieces, in order to the best effect, and, sending his bullets
towards the Turks, who likewise bestowed their pieces thrice as fast
towards the Christians. But shortly they drew near, so that the bowmen
fell to their charge in sending forth their arrows so thick amongst the
galleys, and also in doubling their shot so sore upon the galleys, that
there were twice so many of the Turks slain as the number of the
Christians were in all. But the Turks discharged twice as fast against
the Christians, and so long, that the ship was very sore stricken and
bruised under water; which the Turks, perceiving, made the more haste
to come aboard the ship: which, ere they could do, many a Turk bought
it dearly with the loss of their lives. Yet was all in vain; boarded
they were, where they found so hot a skirmish, that it had been better
they had not meddled with the feast; for the Englishmen showed
themselves men indeed, in working manfully with their brown bills and
halberds, where the owner, master, boatswain, and their company stood
to it so lustily, that the Turks were half dismayed. But chiefly the
boatswain showed himself valiant above the rest, for he fared amongst
the Turks like a wood lion; for there was none of them that either
could or durst stand in his face, till at last there came a shot from
the Turks which brake his whistle asunder, and smote him on the breast,
so that he fell down, bidding them farewell, and to be of good comfort,
encouraging them, likewise, to win praise by death, rather than to live
captives in misery and shame, which they, hearing, indeed, intended to
have done, as it appeared by their skirmish; but the press and store of
the Turks were so great, that they were not long able to endure, but
were so overpressed, that they could not wield their weapons, by reason
whereof they must needs be taken, which none of them intended to have
been, but rather to have died, except only the master's mate, who
shrunk from the skirmish, like a notable coward, esteeming neither the
value of his name, nor accounting of the present example of his
fellows, nor having respect to the miseries whereunto he should be put.
But in fine, so it was, that the Turks were victors, whereof they had
no great cause to rejoice or triumph. Then would it have grieved any
hard heart to see these infidels so violently entreating the
Christians, not having any respect of their manhood, which they had
tasted of, nor yet respecting their own state, how they might have met
with such a booty as might have given them the overthrow; but no
remorse hereof, or anything else doth bridle their fierce and tyrannous
dealing, but the Christians must needs to the galleys, to serve in new
offices; and they were no sooner in them, but their garments were
pulled over their ears, and torn from their backs, and they set to the
oars.
I will make no mention of their miseries, being now under their
enemies' raging stripes. I think there is no man will judge their fare
good, or their bodies unloaden of stripes, and not pestered with too
much heat, and also with too much cold; but I will go to my purpose,
which is to show the end of those being in mere misery, which
continually do call on God with a steadfast hope that He will deliver
them, and with a sure faith that He can do it.
Nigh to the city of Alexandria, being a haven town, and under the
dominion of the Turks, there is a road, being made very fencible with
strong walls, whereinto the Turks do customably bring their galleys on
shore every year, in the winter season, and there do trim them, and lay
them up against the spring-time; in which road there is a prison,
wherein the captives and such prisoners as serve in the galleys are put
for all that time, until the seas be calm and passable for the galleys,
every prisoner being most grievously laden with irons on their legs, to
their great pain, and sore disabling of them to any labour; into which
prison were these Christians put and fast warded all the winter season.
But ere it was long, the master and the owner, by means of friends,
were redeemed, the rest abiding still in the misery, while that they
were all, through reason of their ill-usage and worse fare, miserably
starved, saving one John Fox, who (as some men can abide harder and
more misery than other some can, so can some likewise make more shift,
and work more duties to help their state and living, than other some
can do) being somewhat skilful in the craft of a barber, by reason
thereof made great shift in helping his fare now and then with a good
meal. Insomuch, till at the last God sent him favour in the sight of
the keeper of the prison, so that he had leave to go in and out to the
road at his pleasure, paying a certain stipend unto the keeper, and
wearing a lock about his leg, which liberty likewise five more had upon
like sufferance, who, by reason of their long imprisonment, not being
feared or suspected to start aside, or that they would work the Turks
any mischief, had liberty to go in and out at the said road, in such
manner as this John Fox did, with irons on their legs, and to return
again at night.
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