AS all Relations of any goodnesse that befals to men, or of any euill that they are defended or deliue­red from, are manifest declarations of Gods power in mans weaknes, and the richnesse of the Almigh­ties mercy gratiously extended to our pouertie and miserie, wherein from time to time [Page]in all ages the omnipotencie of the Creator hath pro­tected and regarded the impotencie of his creatures, thereby to stirre vs vp to the loue, feare and obedi­ence of his eternall Maiestie.

Omitting therefore to fill vp this discourse with many old examples, or to delay the Readers expecta­tion with impertinent stuffe, I will here relate briefly and in succinct and plaine manner, the strange and true deliuerance of a ship and foure English Mari­ners: in which report I doubt not, but God will be glorified, and those that reade or heare it well satisfied.

Neere the latter end of October last, 1621. a ship belonging to the Citie of Bristoll, being about the bur­den of 120. Tunnes, was met withall and set vpon by Turkes or Pirats of Argier, where after a long and sharpe fight (being in the mouth of the Straits of Gibraltar) the English ship being opprest with the multitude of their enemies, was taken, their Ord­nance, Cables, Anchors, Sailes, Ship and men pil­lag'd, ransack'd, and at the mercy of the insulting Bar­barians, who to make their worke the surer, tooke all the Englishmen out of the ship, except foure youthes, whose names were Iohn Cooke, William Ling, Dauid Iones, and Robert Tuckey, into which ship the Turkes did put thirteene of their owne men to command the English, and to bring the ship as a prize to Argier; amongst which one of the Pirats was appointed Captaine, being a strong, able, sterne, and resolute fellow.

These foure poore youthes being thus fallen into the hands of mercilesse Infidels, began to studie and [Page]complot all the meanes they could for the obtaining of their freedomes: First they considered the lamen­table and miserable estates that they were like to be in, as to be debard for euer from seeing their friends and Countrey, to be chained, beaten, made slaues, and to eat the bread of affliction in the Galleyes all the remainder of their vnfortunate liues, to haue their heads shauen, to feed on course diet, to haue hard boords for beds, and which was worst of all, neuer to be partakers of the heauenly word and Sacraments. These and the like heauie and sad cogitations were like so many whetstones to sharpen their wits, to de­uise meanes for their deliuerance, and withall their de­sperate cases were spurres to rowse their courages to attempt any dangerous exploit for their enlargement, for they did consider wisely that death was better then bondage, and that noble resolutions were the begetters or fore-runners of worthy actions, which made them resolue rather then they would suffer a slauish life, to trie the hazard of a memorable death.

Thus being quite hopelesse, haplesse, and for any thing they knew, for euer helplesse, they sailed fiue dayes and nights vnder the command of the Pirates, when on the fift night, God in his great mercy shewed them a meanes for their wished-for escape, for in the dead of the night the winde began to rise, and in short space it blew so stiffe that they were enforced to strike both their top sailes; and at last it encreased to such a gust or storme, that they must take in their maine Saile, and being vnable to doe it themselues, Iohn Cooke and William Ling did call to the Turks for helpe: whereupon the Captaine himselfe came to help them; [Page]who standing by the ships side, betweene the aforesaid Iohn and Dauid Iones, lending his hand to hale in the saile, the said Iohn and Dauid suddenly tooke him by the breech and threw him ouer boord, but by fortune he fell into the bunt of the saile, where quickly catch­ing hold of a rope, hee (being a very strong man) had almost gotten into the ship againe: which Iohn Cooke perceiuing, leaped speedily to the Pumpe, and tooke off the Pumpe brake or handle, and cast it to William Ling, bidding him knocke him downe, which he was not long in doing, but lifting vp the woodden weapon hee gaue him such a palt on the pate, as made his braines forsake the possession of his head, with which his body fell into the Sea.

An Obiection may be made heere, why the Turke cried not to his fellowes at first for helpe, or how these things could be done but the rest of his company must either see or heare it: to which I answer, that at Sea a Gust, Flaw, or Storme, hath many times a louder voice then a man; besides when Mariners doe hale or pull any thing, they doe make a noyse, as it were crying ha woet hale men hale, which with the noyse of the wind whizzing and hizzing in the shrowdes and cordage, would ouercome and drowne the voice or crie of any man whatsoeuer. Besides, his companions were all busie, some at the mizen, some at the sprit­saile, some to trim the fore-saile, and the night excee­ding darke, all these things concurring, and chiefly God graciously assisting, thus these braue Lads be­gan the businesse luckily.

Nor must I forget Robert Tuckey, who was imployd all this while in a place of maine importance, for hee [Page]stood at the Helme, and in all the weather guided the ship; now after the Captaine was thus cashierd, Iohn Cooke ran hastily vp the halfe decke to the Masters Cabbin, neere which were standing six or seuen Turks, but hee being nothing daunted or discouraged for them, slipt roughly by them, and gat out two good cuttleaxes, or short swords, one of which he deliuered to William Ling, withall saying, Courage my fellowes and countrey men, God strengthen and assist vs; with that they laid about them so manfully, that they droue the Turkes from place to place in the ship, and ha­uing coursed them from the Poope to the Forecastle, they there valiantly killed two of them, and gaue ano­ther a dangerous wound or two, who to escape the further fury of their swords, leap't suddenly ouer­boord to goe seeke his Captaine. Thus foure of the thirteene Turkes being made sure for doing any harme, they chased and followed the other nine so close, that they (to saue themselues) being also ma­ny of them sore hurt and wounded, ran betweene the ships decks; whereupon the English men fastned the decks to keepe them vnder: the Turkes, not knowing how to be reuenged, ran aftward toward the helme, and vnshipt their whipstaffe, or as some call it a whip­stocke, (which is the staffe that a Mariner holds in his hand, when hee guides or steeres a ship) by which meanes the English men were in some distresse, by reason the ship lay tumbling and rowling vnguided in the raging and boystrous billowes of the Sea: at last Iohn Cooke and William Ling got each of them a Mus­ket, which they quickly charged, and went downe where the nine Turkes were, making offers to shoote [Page]at them, at which they were much terrified; where­upon they quickly ship'd their whipstocke againe, deliuering the helme to Robert Tuckey, and then pre­sently they stowed all the Turkes vnder the hatches, where they kept them close till the next morning, and then as they had occasion to vse them, they would call vp two or three of them at a time, to hale and pull sheetes, tacks, braces, and boleins, to hoyse and strike sayles, or any such necessary and laborious im­ployments, in all which the English made the Turkes attend them, and directing their course for the Port of Saint Lucas in Spaine, they in short time (by Gods ayde) happily and safely arriued at the said Port, where they sold the nine Turkes for Gally-slaues, for a good summe of money, and as I thinke a great deale more then they are worth.

Thus haue I set downe a true relation and descripti­on of these mens Captiuity, and ioyfull deliuerance, in which the Reader may see the instability of humane accidents, and that the supernall power and proui­dence hath a ruling hand to dispose all the purposes of men to his owne glory, and the good of those that de­pend vpon him. For what expectation of redresse or comfort could these distressed youths haue, they be­ing but foure in number, their enemies being their ma­sters, and thirteene to the dozzen, strong, lusty, able, and mercilesse Turkes: In the reason of man, the poore mens case was desperat and past recouery; but see, Gods arme is not shortned, hee that ouercame Pharaoh with Lice, Grashoppers, Froggs, and Cater­pillers, to make Gedeon victorious with the breaking of Earthen Pitchers, to cause Foxes with fire-brands to [Page]consume the Corne of the Philistims; to make Samp­son kill a thousand men, with a silly Asses saw bone, to strengthen Dauid (being but a young Lad, and a Shepherd) that with his owne hands he slew a raging Lyon, and a rauening Beare, and after that with a sling and a stone, to conquer and kill a mighty Gyant: Innumerable are the examples that I could recite in this kinde, but they are so manifest and frequent, that with admiration and adoration, our humane reason is strooke blinde and dumbe, whil'st our faith with thankfulnesse should ascend to the author of our hap­pinesse.

Nor can I forget to commend vnto memory the good and well bestowed courage of these foure young men, for as a wise man said, the talke of a souldier ought to hang vpon the point of his sword, and courage cannot iustly be called courage but where the cause is iust, and their cause being good, they thought it more courage to dye free, then to liue slaues, they contemned all dangers, they despised all miseries, and they with for­titude conquered their Conquerors: How many de­iected slaues would haue sate whining like whelpes, and like vassals haue put their necks into the noose of perpetuall seruitude, crying onely, God helpe, but ne­uer endeuouring to vse the meanes that God hath gi­uen them, whilst these braue sparks and spirits, the darlings of valour, to their owne long lasting fame and their countreys neuer dying honour, makes Bristoll famous, Britaine glorious, their reputations pretious, and the Turkes contemptuous.

Had Iohn Cooke beene some Collonell, Captaine, or Commander, or William Ling, some nauigating [Page]Lord, or Dauid Iones some gentleman of land and ri­ches, or had Robert Tuckey beene one of fortunes mi­nions, to haue had more mony then wit, or more wealth then valour, oh what a triumphing had heere beene then, what rare Muses would haue toyld like Mules, to haue gallopt with their flattering encomi­ums, beyond the 32. points of the compasse; whilst these 4 rich caskets of home-spun valour and courage, haue no pen to publish their deserued commendati­ons, no inuention to emblazon their saltwater honour, but the poore lines and labours of a freshwater Poet.

Nor doe I write this to the intent that any man should presume that their owne strengths, valour, or courage is sufficient to doe these or the like actions, for they are not ordinary, and therefore man is but made the ordinary instrument of an extraordinary power, and hee that shall attribute such things as these to the arme of flesh and bloud, is forgetfull, ingratefull, and in a manner Atheisticall.

One Iohn Fox an expert Mariner, and a good appro­ued and sufficient Gunner, was (in the raigne of Qu. Elizabeth) taken by the Turkes, and kept eighteene yeeres in most miserable bondage and slauery, at the end of which time, he espied his opportunity, (and God assisting him withall) that he slew his keeper, and fled to the seas side, where he found a Gally with one hundred and fifty captiue Christians, which he speedi­ly waying their Anchor set saile, and fell to worke like men, and safely arriued in Spaine, by which meanes he freed himselfe and a number of poore soules from long and intolerable seruitude, after which the said Iohn Fox came into England, and the Queene (being [Page]rightly informed of his braue exploit) did graciously entertaine him for her seruant, and allowed him a yeerely pension.

Captaine Nicolls with a ship of London called the Dolphin, fought a long and bloudy fight, with many of the Turkish men of warre at one time, at which time he sunke some of them, slew many of their men, and hauing his owne ship exceedingly rent and torne with the enemies great shot, yet at last it pleased God to deliuer him from them, so that he safely arriued at home.

Master William Malam of Rotherhith, within these three yeeres was set vpon by these Rouers, and after a long fight, being much hurt by the Ordnance of the Turkes, (the night comming on) which made the fight to cease, when the Generall of the Pirats past his word, and bound it with an oath, that if M. Malam would come aboord his ship all night, that he should well and safely be set aboord againe his owne ship the next morning, vpon which word and oath M. Ma­lam went aboord the Turke and a Merchant with him; but first before hee went commanded his Mate to watch his opportunity, and steale away with the ship in the night if he could, which fell out as he wish­ed, whereby all the Merchants goods were saued, and the ship safely arriued heere at London: but in the morning, when the Turkes did perceiue the English ship was gone, then would they haue put M. Malam and the Merchant that was with him to death, where­upon he vrged him with his oath and promise, which was that he should come and goe safely, and that if a Christian had made him or any man such a promise, [Page]and bound it with a vow, hee would haue kept his word. And that (for any thing he knew) his ship be­ing so dangerously hurt by them might bee sunke in the night, and not escaped away as he imagined. Now whilst they were in this discourse, presently came a saile in sight, which afterwards they found to bee a small Scottish ship bound for England, whom the Turkes quickly tooke, and pillag'd at their pleasure, taking from them their Sailes, Cables, Anchors, and all things necessary for their vse or preseruation, and hauing rob'd and rifled the poore Scot in that man­ner, they put M^r. Malam and the Merchant into her to try their fortunes, either to sinke or swim, but it plea­sed God they safely arriued in the west part of En­gland, where they came home by land sad and dis­consolate because they could not heare any newes of the ship: but the same night that he came home, be­fore day there was happy tidings brought of the ships safe arriuall into the riuer of Thames.

All these things are true vpon mine owne know­ledge, and these worthy Mariners that haue beene so deliuered, doe, and euer did, attribute all the meanes of their deliuerance to the mighty hand of God; and they are so far from taking any of these things to their owne prayse or glory, that some of them haue euer done their best to suppresse them from being printed. But as it were a meere vanity to boast or brag, so I hold it a great pitty, that either Gods mercies, or mans benefits receiued, should be concealed.

Here is matter sufficient related, to perswade men that as they should not presumptuously ascribe Gods honour to themselues, so on the other side here are [Page]maine motiues and examples to keepe men from de­spaire in their greatest distresses: for as you see heere when all mans helpe failed, then Gods helpe preuailed, to whom alone, as it is due, bee ascribed all the honour.