In This Chamber Was A Chest Wherein Was A Rich Treasure, And
All In Ducats, Which This Peter Vuticaro And
Two more opening, stuffed
themselves so full as they could between their shirts and their skin;
which John Fox would
Not once touch and said, "that it was his and
their liberty which he fought for, to the honour of his God, and not to
make a mart of the wicked treasure of the infidels." Yet did these
words sink nothing unto their stomachs; they did it for a good intent.
So did Saul save the fattest oxen to offer unto the Lord, and they to
serve their own turn. But neither did Saul scape the wrath of God
therefor, neither had these that thing which they desired so, and did
thirst after. Such is God's justice. He that they put their trust in
to deliver them from the tyrannous hands of their enemies, he, I say,
could supply their want of necessaries.
Now these eight, being armed with such weapons as they thought well of,
thinking themselves sufficient champions to encounter a stronger enemy,
and coming unto the prison, Fox opened the gates and doors thereof, and
called forth all the prisoners, whom he set, some to ramming up the
gate, some to the dressing up of a certain galley which was the best in
all the road, and was called "The Captain of Alexandria," whereinto
some carried masts, sails, oars, and other such furniture, as doth
belong unto a galley.
At the prison were certain warders whom John Fox and his company slew,
in the killing of whom there were eight more of the Turks which
perceived them, and got them to the top of the prison, unto whom John
Fox and his company were fain to come by ladders, where they found a
hot skirmish, for some of them were there slain, some wounded, and some
but scarred and not hurt. As John Fox was thrice shot through his
apparel, and not hurt, Peter Vuticaro and the other two, that had armed
them with the ducats, were slain, as not able to wield themselves,
being so pestered with the weight and uneasy carrying of the wicked and
profane treasure; and also divers Christians were as well hurt about
that skirmish as Turks slain.
Amongst the Turks was one thrust through, who (let us not say that it
was ill-fortune) fell off from the top of the prison wall, and made
such a groaning that the inhabitants thereabout (as here and there
stood a house or two), came and questioned him, so that they understood
the case, how that the prisoners were paying their ransoms; wherewith
they raised both Alexandria, which lay on the west side of the road,
and a castle which was at the city's end next to the road, and also
another fortress which lay on the north side of the road, so that now
they had no way to escape but one, which by man's reason (the two holds
lying so upon the mouth of the road) might seem impossible to be a way
for them.
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