ABout a seauen yeares since, I Iohn Bilbrough the son of Richard Bilbrough, Citizen and Marchant Taylor of London, toke my aduenture to the seas, where in short space afterwards I was be­trayed into the enemies hands by the treacherie of a renegat English, not worthy the name of my Countreyman; which villanie of his extended not to mee alone, but to seauē other of my companions; amongst whom, my selfe and a Skot, remaining aliue, were carri­ed captiues to the towne of New-hauen in Nor­mandie: [Page 2] where being condemned into the Gal­leyes in the moneth of September, 1584. and there hauing remained the space of sixe yeares, enduring exceeding miserie, as hunger, colde, stripes, with many violent torments; bereft of all hope for euer to behold my parents, friends, or natiue countrey againe; by reason that hauing foure times in my captiuitie attempted the brea­king of my chaines, I was foure times crost with contrarie fortune, my purpose discouered, and being taken, my sorrowfull wretchednes aggra­uated.

Thus increasing cares with dayes, euery daye being sharper than the sharpest sting of death; it chanced that Duke Mercurie the gouernour of Naunts in Britaine caused the Galley Royall of that Citie to be rigged and victualled to the seas, with commission to take all those that held with the League, aswell English. Scots, Flemmings as their owne nation on the Kings part. Thus floa­ting on the seas, and rowing on the seas, now he­ther, now thether, expecting some prize worthy the attempting, it chaunced that the first daye of October 1590. being at anker in the Isle of Vse attending some ships passing either from Rochel, Burwage, or Burdeaux, we discouered early in the morning a great hulke of Flanders, which tooke her course for the Bay of Bornefe, on the coast of Poytours, not far from the riuer of Naunts, wher­vpon rowing to the windward of the said hulk, [Page 3] wee did beare after her: against whome our Gunner made diuers shootes, but could neuer hit her.

Then I ashamed at the vntowardnes of the saide Gunner, saide openlie, hee was vnwor­thie of his office, and that I durst lay my life to hit her the first shot, which the Captaine hearing, demaunded if I would vndertake to shoote at her, I answered him, that albeit I was a stranger, and had long continued in misera­ble captiuitie, yet if hee would accept of my seruice, I would performe the best that in mee lay. The Captaine vpon my answer, comman­ded my chaines to bee taken off, promising if I did hit her, to giue mee my libertie.

Being in hope of freedome from this wret­ched seruitude, I tooke the Gonners charge in hand, and did my endenour so well (through Gods assistance) that of eleuen shots, which I did make at her, I hit her with nine, but the hulke by the greatnes of the winde, escaped from out our danger.

The next day the Captaine called mee vnto him, saying, if I would willinglie serue as a Gunner, for the space of one whole yeare in the Galley, I shoulde, vpon his credit, haue li­bertie: which (seeing no remedie) I condis­cended vnto.

Being thus at libertie, I was by the Captaine [Page 4] vrged often to goe to Masse, of whome I re­quested pradon; protesting that if I might bee perswaded by sufficient reason, and proofe from the Word of GOD, that the Romish religi­on were the true doctrine of Christ, I would gladlie embrace it: in the meane time (seeing I was yet vtterlie of another opinion) I besought him to haue patience, for that a settled Religion, could not so slightlie bee remoued; which hee in hope of my conuersion (as hee termed it) in the ende granted.

Within three dayes after, wee met three En­glish ships to the sea-boord of Bel-yle, hauing in our companie a Man of Warre, so wee bare both of vs after these three ships, where I was commanded to make a shot, but perceiuing, that I went vnwillinglie to worke, they came about mee with their swords drawne, threatning if I would not shoote, they would kill me present­lie; so I shot at them, but neuer hit them, and the English ships discharged so couragiouslie at vs, that they compelled vs to recoyle.

After that time, abhorring to bee made the butcher of my natiue countreymen, I attempted all possible meanes of escape, either to the Kings side, or into England, but fearing to bee ta­ken, I discouered my intent to a Captine, being before his thraldome a Captaine, called Le pine, desiring him to lend mee his boy for my [Page 5] conduct to the Castle of Blyn, seauen leagues distant from Naunts: but Le Pyne answered, that his father would shortlie bring his ran­some, and then promised to conuey mee with him: otherwise (saith hee) if you should es­cape by the conduction of my boy, my mize­rie should be encreased, and my ransome dou­bled; with whose perswasions, for that time satisfied, I waited fitter opportunitie.

Within foure dayes after, there arriued at the Riuer of Naunts two & thirtie ships, and foure Gallyasses, which brought three thou­sand and fiue hundred Spanyards vnto the Duke of Mercurie; amongst whome manie (being sick) were sent vp to Naunts to be relie­ued, we also thinking to haue wintered there with the Galley: but there came presentlie commandement shee should be rigged, to car­rie munition and money to the armie. So departing from Naunts, we came to the har­bor of Morbien, thinking to haue founde the armie, but wee vnderstood the whole fleete were returned to Spaine, foure Fly-boates, and two Gallyasses onelie excepted, which were gone to Blewet, to take the towne of Hensbon.

Our Captaine hearing these newes, went ashore the next morning, taking all the mu­nition, and two hundred Spanish souldiers [Page 6] with him, whom he conducted to the towne of Vannes. When they were departed, the Lieutenant being left to keepe the Galley, with no more than seauen and twentie, or thirtie souldiers, I came vnto the captiued Captaine Le Pyne, and assured him, if he could finde meanes to breake or widen his mana­cles, there was now great likely-hoode of his escape, with the rest of the slaues. Le Pyne hearing my words, askt counsell of a souldier in the Galley, who affected him dearely, and for his sake willingly consented to our enter­prise, appointing in his watch to put tallow into the touch-holes of all the Calyuers, and after prime them; and I in my watch should widen Le Pynes manacles, which accordingly I did, purposing that wednesday morning, being the seauenth of Nouember last, to put our pretence in execution; but the wind being contrarie, wee referred it, till the next night: which sorted (through Gods suffe­rauce) to an happy end.

Vpon thursday morning, at three of the clock, I arose and called my other compani­on; being the Prouansal, with whome hauing counselled of the matter, I came to a Marri­ner, which was in the watch, saying, I could not sleepe, being shaken with an ague, there­fore, if he pleased, I would watch for him till [Page 7] day; to which he gladly consented, the Pro­uansall did the like by the souldier which watched in the poope, so staying till wee thought euery man was a sleepe, I came vnto Le Pyne bidding him dispatch, and percei­uing there was but one rapier for vs, I fained my selfe to be verie sick, and came to a cham­ber in the middest of the Galley, and demaun­ded a little Aqua Vitae; from whence I secret­ly conueyed the Carpenters axe, and hid it in the poope, and comming to Le Pyne said, now dispatch come away or neuer, hee followed presently, and I going before, blew out all the Lampes in the Galley, that none might per­ceiue him pace: so comming to a Scotshman, who was appoynted to aduertize the other slaues his companions, they should suffer no souldiers that were in the prowe to passe in­to the poope. But as we passed into the poope, Le pine not being perfect in the way, stumbled at an Italian called Nicolau, who sodainely waking, demaunded who was there? It is your friend said I. And being further que­stioned, whether I did watch, I answered yea, and that I came to see, if it were faire weather. So comming into the poope, Le Pyne tooke the rapier, and I the axe, the Pro­uansall hauing nothing, and so I stept vnto the Lieutenant and killed him: Nicolau the I­talian [Page 8] awaking, and seeing how I stroke at his fellowes, caught me in his armes; saying, English traytor yeeld, or thou shalt dye, I cal­led Le Pyne to help; who thrust at him: which he seeing, left me, thinking to haue caught Le Pyne, but I followed him so hard, that at two blowes wee feld him ouer bord. Then wee set vpon the rest, and slew thirteene of them; some lept into the water, and foure or fiue getting into a boate, called aboord a ship which was at an ancker before vs, saying, shoote, shoote, the slaues rebell against vs.

But I perceiuing their purpose, and fearing that the ship would haue shot at vs, I got the yrons wherewith they binde and vnbinde the poore slaues, and gaue them to the Skot, saying, vnloose thy selfe, and light mee two Lynt-stocks and bring them forward; so ma­king the slaues haile forward the great can­non, and priming the rest of the peeces, I hal­lid to the ship, and swore, if they in any wise attempted to hinder our libertie, I would pre­sentlie sinke her, and with that shewed them my lynt-stockes light.

They of the ship hearing this, and the ter­rible noyse that the slaues made in breaking off their chaines, answered they woulde not hinder vs: so I cutting one of our cables, and weying another ancher, made the slaues [Page 9] rowe out of the hauen, and being at sea vn­loosed them all: and that night by the help of God came to Bel-Ile, where hauing but 24. loaues of bread, and small store of other vit­tailes, being 153. slaues besides the Prouan­sall, Le Pyne, and my selfe, wee passed the time as well as wee could. The next mor­ning wee set sayle, and on Sunday the xi. of Nouember brought her into the towne of Rochel: where shee dooth remaine for the Kings vse.

Captaine Le Pyne, being at Rochel, was perswaded to goe to the King for a recom­pence, and in going was taken by the Lea­guers of Poyters, and my selfe being sore hurt returned to Rochel, and afterwards came in­to England, hauing the Maior and gouernors hands to their great Seale.

Thus did I, by the help of God, escape the Spanish slauerie, the very Frenchmen them­selues bearing no rule where the Spaniard is in presence: they vse them as Dogges, the Captaines of the galley haue beene Italians, and other officers Spaniards, the most of their galley-slaues haue beene Frenchmen, Flem­mings, Scots, and English. Thus wishing vnto my countri-men, to be warned by other mens harmes, I end.