A Book of Voyages
One side of the court of the palace hath cloisters, and in the middle is a fountain.
The exchange or hall is a large and high roof’d place, where are many little shops. Before the entrance into the palace is a piazza environed with stone pillars, whereon are placed but five statues yet.
We endeavoured to see the galleries of pictures in the palace; but meeting with the marquis Carraceni (the king of Spain’s governor of the Low-Countries) he commanded us away, and in French bid us go out.
We saw the stable, and therein six mules, and two English horses much valued. The manger is of free-stone. One of the grooms wip’d our shoes; which ceremony was requited with a piece of money. Here we took notice of a sheep brought either out of Armenia or Africa; it was of a good stature; the tail was as broad as the buttocks, and hung divided, the weight whereof was between 15 and 20 lib.
Over the stable is an armory, where we saw Charles V. his armour inlaid with gold, his baston, sword wherewith he used to knight men, coat of mail, gun with seven barrels in it, his shield which he used when he visited his mistress in the night; a spear came out of the side of it, besides that in the middle; if any thrust were made at the shield, the sword’s point was catch’d in it and broken; his hunting sword with a point like a spear; another rich suit of armour of his, curiously carved into figures of horsemen, worth 100,000 florins; archduke Albert’s rich armour, and his fighting armour, his spear, standard and sword; the sword Henry IV. of France sent him as a challenge to war, which was requited with a suit of armour which the archduke sent Henry IV.; the skin of the horse which brought the archduke out of the battle of Nieuport. This horse was then shot thro’ the neck, and the mark may be still seen; a year after, on the same day the fight was, this horse died, and hath a Latin epitaph, which we observ’d to be as Golnitz hath transcrib’d it. The perspective the archduke us’d to view the enemy thro’; the armour, spear, and lance of Philip le Bon, two suits of armour of prince Ernest’s, two of duke d’Alva’s, and two suits of armour of prince Parma; one hath five shots in it; the armour of Leopold, prince cardinal, and Don John of Austria; the armour of one of the house of Lorrain shot thro’ and kill’d; 36 suits of armour of several princes; the effigies of Isabella in armour on the horse she rode on when she entred her Brussels; her stirrup. The history of Pyrrhus is curiously carved with a diamond on a shield. A gun that will kill 600 foot distance, the length whereof is indifferent, which was presented by the king of Hungary to the prince cardinal; a spear-head with two little pistols; Indian armour made of whale-bone, and cover’d with fine work; Indian bow and arrows; the great Turk’s quiver; a great sword sent from Nurenburgh, from whence, they say, is sent one every year to the magistrates of Brussels.
INEFFICIENT PIRATES
Sir William Monson’s Tale.
Everard’s Encounter.
From
SIR WILLIAM MONSON’S
NAVAL TRACTS
Sir William Monson, to quote Churchill’s preface, “was a gentleman well descended, but of small fortune, as he confesses, which made him take to the sea, where he served many years in several capacities, till merit raised him to the degree of an admiral, first under Queen Elizabeth, and then under King James and King Charles the first; for he lived till the civil wars, with an untainted reputation for conduct and bravery.”
He was born in 1569, and went up to Balliol in 1581: he was a lieutenant in the fleet that defeated the Armada; Essex knighted him for his conduct in the expedition to Cadiz in 1596, and in 1604, having had several independent commands, he was made Admiral of the Narrow Seas. Among his duties was that of suppressing the pirates of Broad-Haven in Ireland, and it is from his remarks on piracy that this extract is taken.
His manuscript Naval Tracts were first published in Churchill; those of the tracts which deal with naval administration have been republished, a recent reprint being in volumes 22, 23, 43, 45 and 49 of the Navy Records Society, 1902–4.
I AM at last arrived in a safe and secure port, where I have leasure to recollect my self, and think of my errors past, in taking so great pains to so little purpose, as to write so many lines and leaves of the sea only, few gentlemen delighting in it, or making profession of it: but before I end, as in my former navigation I have spoke of the profit of fishing, I will set down the enemy to fishermen and fishing in this that followeth.
There is no action at sea, be it great or small, that brings not with it both charge and danger; nor no business so easy that can be done, without pains and difficulty: and this subject we are now upon, that is, fishing, the only thing that is required in it, is labour and pains; for danger is little to be regarded, considering it is not far from home we are to seek our profit, nor our harbours so few, but they may be entered for our safeties both day and night, by erecting lights.
But indeed the greatest danger that may be feared to our fishermen, is interruption of pirates, who are the very scum of a commonwealth and people to be abhorred by all honest and laborious men. It is usual, when these miscreants fail of relief of victuals, and are made desperate by want of it, to place all their hopes of food upon the poor painful fishermen, who, we may truly say, get their living with more hazard, with more pains, with more cold and watching, than any other trade or people whatsoever: their labour produces nothing that is ill, but the best help for man, which is food to live on.
Husbandmen and fishermen are the upholders of commonwealths; all other people live by their labours. They are stewards to provide sustenance to feed on; and yet comparing them together, there is great difference betwixt their lives and pains: the husbandman’s work is without danger or hazard; and if he be wet, he has present help of fire to dry him; he is allowed a bed instead of the other’s board to lie on; his diet is certain, and in a quiet manner, when the others are tost to and fro without a stedfast standing: if the one be cold, he may recover himself with exercise and work; if the other be cold, he is made colder, his labour being in the cold water; the one keeps his certain hours for sleep, the other has no certain time to rest, but must attend his danger, which he is never free from: every hour he must be ready to look out for his shoal of fish, and watch his opportunity of weather and tide to take them: the one has pleasure on holidays, and is free from labour; all days are alike to the other; and the Sunday can give no more content or comfort, than the rest of the week.
What heart can be so hardened, or pirate so pitiless, as to disturb those harmless and innocent creatures, that make pains their pleasure, and labour their countries plenty, procuring good for it by their own toils. And because such wickedness will never escape unpunished or unavenged, as these pirates commit upon such harmless people, I will a while digress from the subject I have in hand, and relate a strange and tragical accident that deservedly befel two pirates that were disturbers of the innocent fishing.
A STORY OF TWO PIRATES
After my return from Ireland, in 1614, where I had been imploy’d to suppress the arrogance and insolence of pirates, and where I punished the conniving that was betwixt those people and the inhabitants of that kingdom, I once again sent a bark for that coast, to be informed how things stood after I left them, and whether the severe course I had taken against them, in doing justice by death upon one of them, wrought better effect than before.
The first harbour my bark arrived in, she met a pirate named Tucker, a seaman bred from his youth, and continual practice made him excellent in his art and profession: he was very glad upon this occasion of meeting my bark to insinuate into my man’s acquaintance, thinking thereby it would be a means for him to bewail himself to me, and to obtain the thing next to life he desired which was his pardon, though he departed with the best part of his spoils, which were things of good value.
His persuasion prevailed so far with my servant, that though his directions were to view the northern parts of Ireland, where I had lately been, and there to inquire after the behaviour of pirates, and the entertainment the country gave them; yet, as I have said, by the
importunity of Tucker, my man was diverted from his imployment, and persuaded to return with his letter of submission to me, on whom he wholly cast himself to dispose of, with promise there to stay a certain time to expect my answer; and to sweeten me the more, he presented me with a token worth accepting, but that I was always cautious in such cases how to connive with pirates, as in my letter I expressed. I mistrusted, before he could receive my answer, the winds then hanging contrary, he would depart from Ireland; whereupon I directed divers letters to one effect, and sent them by several ships, if they should chance to meet Tucker upon their way in their voyages. But as I have shewed the last refuge pirates have for victuals, is to feed upon the fishermen; and Tucker finding that Ireland could not supply him, by the strict course I had formerly taken, was forced to go to the northward, to seek succour of the poor fishermen, a contrary course to the ships that carry’d my letters: and coming the north Farro, there he met with another pirate of the same sort, but far less honest, as it proved. These two concerted together, as thieves use to do in mischief.
The islands of Farro are dangerous, by reason of the great tides and their setting; and it happened that Tucker’s ship was wrecked upon one of them, in company of his companion, the other pirate; who seeking it, did not degenerate from his kind, for all spoils were alike to him, friend or foe; instead of help in that case of distress, play’d the part of a hawk over his prey, and had no more pity of him than of a Spaniard, who were most obnoxious to pirates in those days.
To be short, this pirate, who falsly called himself Monnocho, suddenly possessed himself of Tucker’s ship, himself, his wealth and company; and used them with that rigorous cruelty, as though his action had been lawful, and allowed by authority to punish delinquents and offenders, and rather out of fear than pity, he shewed mercy to their lives; and mistrusting if he should detain them in his own ship, they might make a party and faction; for the conditions of such people, is never to be constant, or honest, no longer than their devilish humours hold; therefore to avoid any such tumult, Monnocho seized upon an English fisherman, amongst many others he had taken, and put Tucker and his company into her, to seek a new fortune; which you must think was like to thrive, if you consider their course of life. And here they parted company like two wolves that should separate themselves to seek their prey, they care not where, nor of whom, purposing never to see one another, unless the gallows gave them a meeting. Monnocho was a fellow of as base a condition as his present profession made him, being not long before a surgeon’s mate, in a pinnace serving under me. And now hovering about those islands, it was his hap to meet a ship of the king of Denmark’s, to whom the islands belong: this ship, after a little encounter, apprehended him, and knew well what to do with him, so just that nation is to the detestable course of sea-rovers.
Here Monnocho found worse usage than he gave Tucker; for the time was not long before his ship made a return into Denmark, and in as short a while after he tasted deserved death upon the gallows; where he hung a spectacle for all men to behold.
Now Monnocho is brought to the destiny by right due to him; I will go scour the seas, and look if I can spy Tucker, being out of hope to find his ship put to that use for which she was first designed; I mean fishing.
After Tucker had spent some time at sea, domineering over the poor fishermen; they now tired with the usurping tyranny of the pirates, and being desirous to live by honest labour, rather than by evil pains, privately practised, and watching their opportunity, effected that they had determined to put in execution; which was, suddenly to surprize and seize upon the pirates persons, when they should least suspect it.
The attempt proved fortunate; for some they slew, and others they hurt; and Tucker they took prisoner, and insulted over him, as he had done before over them.
This lucky accident made the fishermen repair to shore, to supply their wants, their provisions being consumed by the pirates; as also to deliver the men, as delinquents, into the hands of justice, who were after conveyed to the Marshalsea in Southwark, where they daily expected the doom of death.
The poor man, captain Tucker, being hopeless and friendless, sent me word of his misfortunes after his departure from Ireland, bewailing his hard hap and heavy chance, not to meet with any of my letters, written to him as aforesaid; He shewed the comfort of life was taken from him, and confessed his offences were above satisfaction; and that I was the only sheet-anchor he was to rely on; otherwise he was to perish.
I confess I was much moved and grieved with his calamity, when I remember’d how his penitency appeared in his former letter to me, repenting his misdoings, and detesting his kind of life, with a desire of pardon and forgiveness of his offences past.
This complaint came at an unlucky hour, both for him and me, it being in the midst of the time that malice set herself against me; for in a few days after I was unjustly committed to the Tower; and yet I thank God by his providence, not an hour before I was imprisoned, I had finished and ended his pardon, that I might say the ending of his trouble was the beginning of my own; but not through his cause or occasion.
Tucker being set at liberty, was to dispose of himself as he should be guided by grace. And to give some sign of his thankfulness for the favour I did him, he resolved not to depart London, what shift soever he made to live, till he had acknowledged his life from me; and though at that time there was a general restraint of all people’s resorting to me in the Tower, yet that prohibition was no sooner taken off, but Tucker was one of the first that repaired to visit me, with that protestation of thankfulness, and vows of amendment of his life, that he gave me satisfaction it proceeded from a penitent heart. It joy’d me much to see his reformation, and I held myself happy for the deed I had done in regaining a lost sheep that had stray’d out of the flock.
His credit being lost, which made him unfit for employment, moved pity in me what course to put him into; for no beginner can set up a trade without a stock to enable him: and to requite his remembrance of me, by the token he sent me from Ireland, I returned him the better part of that gift, wishing that good fortune would attend his happy beginning.
He was not long determining with himself, but immediately took a voyage to Denmark, whither he had often before traded. Arriving there, and having occasion to go about his affairs, it happened, that passing a river, the ferryman of the boat knew him by an infallible token; for not long before the man was taken by Tucker at sea. The fellow had no sooner landed him and his fare, but speedily he hastened to the magistrate, requiring a warrant for his apprehension, alledging the cause; which was no sooner demanded than granted, all people of that country being naturally bent to revenge themselves upon offenders in that kind.
Being thus arrested, he was carried to prison, where he received the rigour of justice; and upon trial, by the witness of the ferryman was sentenced to die. The gibbet was erected near joining to that where Monnocho, his former companion, was still hanging for him to behold, which was very odd; for it is not the greatness of the person, nor of the accident, makes a wonder the greater; for all things, be they great or little, are at the disposal of God alone, who many times advances the mean, and casts down the mighty. And it is worthy of observation, how in many cases he gives light to men, to discern his just punishment to some, for example of amendment of life to others.
And amongst the rest, this accident of these mean and ungodly pirates is no less strange, if we call to mind God’s justice towards them, if you will consider the first progress of their beginning, till death cut them off, as it does all people that commit unnatural crimes; for such men never escape without cruel revenge; for a father of the church saith, He ceases to be a man, and becomes a brute beast, that leaves the rules of reason and honesty, and gives his mind to mischief and sensuality.
These two mens cursed courses are not unlike a novel; first in their unexpected meeting in remote islands, where they were both strangers; secondly, that upon their meeting they protested and vowed friendship, though I must
say, that the agreement of ill men in mischief cannot be called friendship: but call it what you will, it did not long continue; for there was a bone cast betwixt them, as it were, betwixt two ravenous mastiffs, to strive for, and the stronger to carry it away.
After these two pirates had parted company, the one stood to the northward, the other to the southward, a quite opposite course to one another, and where there was never likelihood of meeting more; but rather to avoid and eschew each other, their quarrel was so mortal: and yet both of them tasted one fortune alike; first in their apprehension, and after in their manner of execution; but above all, the place never doubted or feared by them; and where perhaps, in many ages the like will not happen again, it being out of the road-way for such people to resort to.
This shall suffice for God’s justice by example of these two miscreant pirates, and his detestation to their wicked courses against the silly and innocent fishermen, who, we may truly affirm and say, of all other people, get their living with the painful sweat of their brows.
From
ROBERT EVERARD’S
RELATION OF THREE YEARS SUFFERINGS UPON THE ISLAND OF ASSADA NEAR MADAGASCAR IN A VOYAGE TO INDIA IN THE YEAR 1686
MY FATHER, Mr. William Everard, put me an apprentice to Capt. John Crib, by my consent, in the ship Bauden, bound for Bombay in India, and from thence to Madagascar for blacks to Achin, back to India.
I departed from London August the 5th, 1686, and we sail’d out of the Downs the same month for the Madeira. In the channel we met with a small pink, from which we receiv’d aboard M. Salway a merchant, and then we proceeded on our voyage, till we arrived and anchor’d in Madeira road; and from thence sail’d for the isle of May, where we took in salt, and bought five or six beasts. The blacks told us there had been there a pirate, who had taken away some of their cattle.