RIght worshipfull, to write you the many wrongs offered my Captaine, your worshipful good friend, in this place (where nei­ther lawes of Christians or conscience is re­garded) might rather cumber you than any way mooue your content, wherefore I o­mit them, not doubting, but by his owne re­ports you haue long sithence beene aduerti­sed of each perticular accident, for that I heare to all our great comforts, by Master Spencer of London, who arriued here with a ship of the Thames, that he was met out of the Straits long since: which newes (I may well say) was ioyfull vnto vs, for that it was verily thought, yea, and spoken ex­presly, [Page 2] that he was deade, so credibly belee­ued by the sodaine going hence of his ship: But blest bee God for his safetie, for by his welfare our hopes are made the greater, his care wil be the more of vs his poore follow­ers, & we shall the more patiently beare this discontent, liuing here amongst those which holde vs in no more regarde than they doo beastes, but onely in regarde of the league betweene our gratious Queene and the graund Seigniory, as hath appeared by their indirect dealings with vs, not only the Gentleman beeing present, but with vs in his absence, especially, so long as the olde Bashaw continued here, which stomacked vs greatly, the more for our Captaines de­parture, of whom he thought if he once a­gain got him in his possession to haue made a great gaine: But he is now gone to Con­stantinople, where it is said he is very hard­ly thought of, not only for abusing my Cap­taine and vs, but also for forcing Master Poynes his man the Purser of the Mary to [...]u [...]ne Turke, who is prosecuted hardly by the English men there for the same, so that for the loue the Emperour beareth to our Nation, they say he is like to loose his head, since whose departure, and the comming of this newe Vice-Roy wee haue beene very [Page 3] wel intreated, and with such fauour, as we cannot bee better with our nearest friends, being not of our owne Nation, which kind­nes is by the expresse command of the great Turke, whom he dares not offend, dread­ing his life.

But for all their shows of loue; God send vs the company of our good friends in Eng­lande, for our owne extreamity is not such, as is the griefe and discontent of minde, to see what numbers of Christians daily are brought hither: And not long since there was brought by Meryteroyze the Admirall 1000. able men prisoners, besides slaues which were taken by fowre small Gallies of the Turkes, going in course on the Chri­stian shore, where they met the the two chief Gallies of the Duke of Florence his Admi­rall with his lanthorne, and one other, the least hauing twenty eight bankes on a side, and sixe men at euery Oare. These Gallies when they saw, first the Turkes gaue them chase, and the Turkes comming with them likewise, came sodainely in sight to discrie what one the other were.

The Florentines perceiuing them to bee Turkes, were amazed what to doo, some would fight, others gaue counsel to be gone: Growing into mutinies within themselues [Page 4] the guider of the Christian Admirall cried out to the Captaine, to free his slaues, and let them fight for their liberty: But he cried to be gone, and caused them to row all they could. But his slaues being many of them Turkes would not worke, but gaue ouer their labor in hope that they should be freed by those Gallies. How so euer it chaunced, they assured them selues worse than they were, they could not be: if taken, they were sure of livertie: if not, they coulde bee no worse.

The companies as is saide, being at this ods within themselues, vp came the Gal­lies, and discharged their Prowes and smal shot vpon them, doing much spoile vnto thē and killed many of the men, yet were most brauely answered of the Florentines, who spared neither powder nor shot, but in rea­sonable sort bestowed them both. But in the ende, hauing small hope to escape being so fiercely assailed, their stomacks quailed, the Turkes boorded them. In the entry, they murthered as many with their Curtleaxes as stoode in their waies, forcing diuers to leape ouer boord, making such massacre a­mongst them, that might grieue any Chri­stian heart to heare it. In this conflict was the Christian Generall slaine, and many of [Page 5] the better sort, who if they had beene men, as they be prowd cowards, might as well haue taken the Turkes.

Thus the poore Christians being subdu­ed, such of the Turks which in the fight had their friends slaine, did in reuenge they so abuse them as they wished they had all leapt ouer boord to escape their tyrranny, in which fight, there perished many Christi­ans, and not aboue foure score Turkes in the whole: with this bootie they returned to Argiere againe, after they had been from thence some eighteene daies, bringing with them of Captaines Christians nine hundred and ninetie, & released threo hundred Turks and more which were slaues with them.

Amongst which was one Englishman who was Gunner in one of the Gallies, whose fauor was more than all the others, yet was he chained with the rest, vntill the Admirall Meryteroyze had examined him, who finding as well by others reportes as his owne, that he was taken at Genoway, comming Pilot [...]ha Flemming to serue a­gainst his will, he was set at libertie.

Whiles these Gallies were abroad, there ariued a Frigot heere from Constantinople with Letters, commaunding as well Ar­giere, as all other Portes in Barberie by a [Page 6] day [...] [...]d, with such Gallies as they could make to meete the Admirall of Tur­key, who came with a great Fleete to range the [...]eas, [...] [...]w [...] the forces of the Christi­ans [...] commanding them to put o [...]er to the Christian shore, and learne by such meanes as they coulde what forces the Christians had, who they were informed had one hun­dred and fiftie Sailes reads to encounter them, and in the vale of Messina to meete them, to giue intelligence what they heard.

For this seruice, seauen Gallies from Argiere was appointed foure, of them be­ing Meryteroyze who was Admirall: Manny Ro [...]zus vice Admirall: Manny Prechinel [...], and Manny Spaniola, the chiefe of the other best Gallies, who were not long in prouiding, but hastned to meete the Basha we as they were commaunded, and putting ouer to the Christian shore, in the [...]e of Venice, they gaue chace to a tall ship of Venice, with whom they came and haled them, but the Venetians woulde not suffer them to come a boord but most couragiously resisted them, doing great spoile, yet in the ende were en­forced to yeeld, and being taken and deman­ded how they durst breake the League be­tweene them and the State whom they answered in such manner, that they were [Page 7] for their labour chained and made slaues, and their ship which was loden with great welth, bound for Marcellus was before their faces without any remorse fired.

From thence they bore to Calabria, an I­land scituate betweene Christendome and Barbarie where they gaue chace to a grea [...] [...]e-boat loden (as they say) with English­mens goods▪ These Flemings seeing the Gallies giue them chace, & doubting they had beene the Spanish Gallies, fearing if they were taken they should be ill entreated for wearing the english colour in their top, heaued the same ouer boorde, with their Charti [...] Partie bills of lading and all let­ters that might giue them any show to bee, or haue to doo for England: for which their rashnes when the Turkes had boorded and taken them, they were all made prisoners and chained, and their ship fired & burned, notwithstanding all their entreaties, dila­ting truely what they were, and what they entended: Soone after this mischiefe was ended, the Turkish Gallies had sight first of two Gallies then three then foure more, so that they had discried nine Sayles in sight, all tall Gallies far bigger than the Turks, which being well percei [...]ed [...] was suspec­ted by the Turkes, they were part of that [Page 8] Fleete of one hundred and fiftie which was said to be made out for them, and thereon re­solued not to stay, dreading the rest was not far, and they too weake to encounter them, & therefore made from them all they could: But the Christian Gallies hauing had sight of them, gaue them chase, but winde failing them, and the Turkes Galies being light & nimble, towed away from them and so es­caped.

This hazard past, they plied to meete the Fleet as they had directions, of whom by o­ther small Gallies which were sent for spies they had intelligence, th [...]ther they made, & in the vale of Messina met them, at which, such generall reioysing after these maner was made that the noyse of their Cannons and small shot was heard tumbling in the aire by report neere twenty Leagues. This triumph past, Meryteroyze & his three com­panions were sent for to the Bashaw, who gaue them great entertainement, and ma­ny welcomes: To him when they had at large discoursed what had hapned them with all their fortunes in their voyage, the night growing on, they take their leaues for that time, each one going to his charge. The next morning a flag of parley was put out in the Admirall, to summon all Com­manders [Page 9] to come [...] where of [...] [...]me par [...]ey, they had [...] their intended action, each one [...]ng [...]s charge deliuered, as will those for the ser­uice by sea, as those appointed for the land: To Sicilia they come, and rowed close aboord the shore, banking brest and brest, and on the Ile where they were most sure their force was least; they landed: at whose so­dain cōming, the people such as could make shift for themselues, fled into the mountains leauing fewe others but aged and weake people, with yong children, which those cru­ell people made no conscience to kill in most brutish and vile maner, seauen seuerall vil­lages they thus surprised: Carried their or­dinance from their Ports, spoiled and rifled their goods, burned their townes and hou­ses, sacked their holds & places of defence, leauing many man wiueles, and many a wife husbandles, the parents lamenting their children lost, led by these merciles peo­ple into captiuitie, and the children crying for the parents who were murthered, their vineyards burned in like maner, and what mischief was there which they did not per­forme? Thus by the force of those merciles people are many beggered which were of wealth and vtterly spoiled. And it is greatly [Page 10] feared in all Christian Regions in these partes, that with greater forces they will make their repaire into those Confines: and by the Merchants of Marcellus it is com­monly spoken heere, that hee gathereth a great power pretending to come for Na­ples: To rebate whose furious pride in con­quering, the Spanish King hath sent to the State of Venice for aide against them, which the Duke will not grant in regarde of the League betweene them, without great matters bee accomplisht which is re­quired: It is saide, he requireth Sicilia be assured to the State of Venice. But how true the report of these Princes doinges is, I cannot say, for the rest I haue certaine knowledge to be true, as well by that En­glishman, which was present at all the ser­uice, which was taken in the Duke of Flo­rence Gallies, as also by diuers other which were eye witnes to the same and returned hither with great spoile.

God of his great mercie vnite the hearts of all Christian Princes, that they louing faithfully, may ioyne themselues and their Forces, to relieue those miserable afflicted people, which groue vnder the burthen of their miseries: So shall God bee glorified by them, and the oppressed comforted.

[Page 11] Thus sir I haue beene ouer bolde with your Worship, which I hope you will par­don, and remember my suite to my friendly Captaine, whome I hope shortly to see.