Of Captain Mission and His Crew | Page 5

support
'em, in the oppressing the People, and aggrandizing their Families.
What their Morals are, you may read in the Practice of their Lives, and
their Sentiments of Religion from this Saying of a certain Cardinal,
_Quantum Lucrum ex ista fabula Christi!_ which many of 'em may say,
tho' they are not so foolish. For my Part, I am quite tir'd of the Farce,
and will lay hold on the first Opportunity to throw off this
masquerading Habit; for, by Reason of my Age, I must act an under
Part many Years; and before I can rise to share the Spoils of the People,
I shall, I fear, be too old to enjoy the Sweets of Luxury; and, as I am an
Enemy to Restraint, I am apprehensive I shall never act up to my
Character, and carry thro' the Hypocrite with Art enough to rise to any
considerable Post in the Church. My Parents did not consult my Genius,
or they would have given me a Sword instead of a Pair of Beads.
Misson advised him to go with him Voluntier, and offer'd him Money
to cloath him; the Priest leap'd at the Proposal, and a Letter coming to
Misson from his Captain, that he was going to Leghorn, and left to him
either to come to Naples, or go by Land; he chose the latter, and the
Dominican, whom he furnish'd with Money, clothing himself very
Cavalierly, threw off his Habit, and preceeded him two Days, staying at
Pisa for _Misson_; from whence they went together to Leghorn, where
they found the Victoire, and Signor Caraccioli, recommended by his
Friend, was received on Board. Two Days after they weigh'd from
hence, and after a Week's Cruize fell in with two Sally Men, the one of
twenty, the other of twenty four Guns; the Victoire had but thirty
mounted, though she had Ports for forty. The Engagement was long
and bloody, for the Sally Man hop'd to carry the _Victoire_; and, on the
contrary, Captain Fourbin, so far from having any Thoughts of being
taken, he was resolutely bent to make Prize of his Enemies, or sink his
Ship. One of the Sally Men was commanded by a Spanish Renegade,
(though he had only the Title of a Lieutenant) for the Captain was a

young Man who knew little of Marine Affairs.
This Ship was called the _Lyon_; and he attempted, more than once, to
board the Victoire, but by a Shot betwixt Wind and Water, he was
obliged to sheer off, and running his Guns, &c. on one Side, bring her
on the careen to stop his Leak; this being done with too much
Precipitation, she overset, and every Soul was lost: His Comrade seeing
this Disaster, threw out all his small sails, and endeavour'd to get off,
but the Victoire wrong'd her, and oblig'd her to renew the Fight, which
she did with great Obstinacy, and made Monsieur Fourbin despair of
carrying her if he did not board; he made Preparations accordingly.
Signior Caraccioli and Misson were the two first on board when the
Command was given; but they and their Followers were beat back by
the Despair of the Sally Men; the former received a Shot in his Thigh,
and was carried down to the Surgeon. The Victoire laid her on board
the second time, and the Sally Men defended their Decks with such
Resolution, that they were cover'd with their own, and the dead Bodies
of their Enemies. Misson seeing one of 'em jump down the Main-Hatch
with a lighted Match, suspecting his Design, resolutely leap'd after him,
and reaching him with his Sabre, laid him dead the Moment he going to
set Fire to the Powder. The Victoire pouring in more Men, the
Mahometans quitted the Decks, finding Resistance vain, and fled for
Shelter to the Cook Room, Steerage and Cabbins, and some run
between Decks. The French gave 'em Quarters, and put the Prisoners
on board the Victoire, the Prize yielding nothing worth mention, except
Liberty to about fifteen Christian Slaves; she was carried into and sold
with the Prisoners at _[text unreadable]_. The Turks lost a great many
Men, the French not less than 35 in boarding, for they lost very few by
the great Shot, the Sally Men firing mostly at the Masts and Rigging,
hoping by disabling to carry her. The limited Time of their Cruize
being out, the Victoire returned to Marseilles, from whence Misson,
taking his Companion, went to visit his Parents, to whom the Captain
sent a very advantageous Character, both of his Courage and Conduct.
He was about a Month at home when his Captain wrote to him, that his
Ship was ordered to Rochelle, from whence he was to sail for the
_West-Indies_ with some Merchant