SO prone are the generality of Mankind to Impie­ties, that rather than not commit them, they will do it on an Element which seems as unna­tural as incommodious for them to effect their horrid Villanies upon. Who would imagine that men who live in those fleeting Houses, called Ships, who are daily subject to be destroy'd by every blast or Hur­ricane, and every minute ride within three Inches of their liquid Grave, should extract from the fear of mor­tality so much leisure as serves them for the plotting their wicked Designs? Who would conceit they could have while to think on any thing but mortality? and since they lye liable to so many Accidents, which they have no security from, but that they may even the very next minute tumble them into Eternity? I say upon these Considerations who can imagine they should pon­der any thing but their latter Ends? or ought contem­plate, but their everlasting Happiness or Misery in the World to come? and yet we hear there are every day as many Outrages committed at Sea as Land: Pyrats on the Ocean, like Pick-pockets near the Gallows, forfeit their lives even in the sight of death; when every [Page 4] Rock with its craggy Brow seems to scold them into Piety, and every Storm with majestick Eloquence to drive them into the security of an honest life.

Nor are we in Reason to blame that Monarchy or Go­vernment, to which these excursive Sea-Robbers owe their Nativities, and consequently ought to do their obe­dience and subjection, any more than we would sensure a wholsom Law or Constitution, because some incorri­gible Malefactors will forfeit their lives in breaking it. Though Maritine Laws are in all Nations very severe, yet the main Ocean affords so large a Scene, that it is impossible for any Magistrate, though never so inspe­ctive or circumspect, to behold every Action that is done thereon. There is no Kingdom so vertuous but there are some vicious in it, nor no Constitutions so firm, as to constrain every one to Obedience; where­fore since we see by daily Experience, That there is no Nation free from Malefactors at Land, we may reaso­nably imagine, none are clear from Pyrates at Sea; the nice distinction betwixt a Pyrate and Thief, being so lit­tle, that we may not altogether improperly term the first a Sea-Thief, and the latter a Land-Pyrate, especially since the Laws of Nations run as strict against the one as the other.

It being therefore granted, that every Country is in­cident too much to abound with these Caterpillers, I hope I shall be thought free from all Reflections, when I have related a Passage which lately happened. In the Chanel betwixt Callis and Dover, where a small Pink of ours then riding, ken'd at a distance a Sail which made [Page 5] swiftly up towards her, which caus'd our Sea-men to make all the Sail they could before her, hoping to gain some Port, or meet with some Assistance before they could be overtaken: But these hopes were altogether fruitless, for the Py­rate which pursued them was so swift of sail, that in five or six Leagues she overtook them; and af­ter she had thrown off her Chain, and lockt them fast together, presently boarded our little Pink, who though not man'd for such an Assault made some Resistance; in which Contest her Surgeon was slain by an accidental blow from one of the contrary Party, whom the English perceived by this time to be French-men, by whom being over­power'd with number, they were forced to see their Ship robbed without any hopes of re­dress.

After these cruel Pyrates had carried off all they thought valuable out of this little Pinck they left her to the merciless Ocean; but she ma­king all the sail she could towards the Downs, made her Complaint to Sir Iohn Holms, Admi­ral, who was riding there at that time; and he according to the usual Civility which he daily dispences to all his injured Country-men; order­ed forthwith the Castle Frigot and the Soldody, to go a cruising for the aforesaid French Pyrates; and not only so, but hearing that there were o­thers abroad, which used the same cruel, illegal, [Page 6] and wicked employment, gave the Comman­ders of those Ships Orders to bring in not only any that were to be suspected for Pyrates, but any Privateer belonging to the French. Whereup­on it was their fortune to light upon two little French Vessels, which they suspected to be con­cerned in the aforesaid Pyracy, or robbing the English Pinck: One of these which was the lesser of them had about 50 men in her; and the other about seventy or eighty.

Both these Vessels were after some small Re­sistance taken by the English, and having no good Commissions to shew for their sailing, were on suspicion of being Pyrates brought to the Downs before the Right Honourable Sir Iohn Holms, who upon mature Examination, thought fit to send up both their Vessels into the River, where they now lye over against Wapping Stairs; and after he had heard the Captains of both Ships what they could say in their own defence, thought fit likewise to order them to be sent to the Mar­shalsees, there to have their Tryals according to Law in those Cases: Which the Reader, I sup­pose, may hear at the Sessions held there about five weeks hence, as I remember beginning the Twelfth day of August next.

[Page 7] Any one who will take so much pains as to go as far as the Marshalsees in Southwark may see these two Captains, being both very brisk men to look on, and the one of them very gallant; but, if I were ca­pable of guessing a Mans mind by his Countenance, I should be perswaded they are somewhat discon­tented, whether by reason of their Confinement, or Guilt, I am not able to resolve.

I suppose it is in the hubbubs of War, as at the lamentable exigent of a great Fire, where many Rascally Fellows, who have no Habitations of their own to gratifie the Ravenous Appetite of those devouring Flames, forget all Humanity, and under pretence of helping their distressed Brethren, by carrying away and securing to them­selves their Neighbours Goods, become a greater Judgment, than those Flames they would be thought to oppose.

How easie is it for a base spirited Seaman, to be guilty of resembling such Knavery? who hav­ing either by direct, or indirect means, made him­self Master of a convenient Vessel, calls to his Assistance a Company of Vagabonds, Men of desperate resolutions and fortunes like himself, and with these under pretences of opposing his Countrys Enemies, falls promiscuously either up­on them or her Friends, not spairing upon oc­casion [Page 8] the Merchant-men of his own Nation, if he light on them in a place convenient to secure their Cargo to his own secular use. Thus are the Leagues and Contracts of Princes often in dan­ger to be unrivited, by a company of impious wretches, whose Souls are as narrow as their For­tunes, and their Births if it were possible more ab­ject than either.