The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol. 11 | Page 3

warlike sort, with a mighty army by sea, that
honourable Kneuet the kings ambassadour, Thomas Chaloner, Henry
Knolles, and Henry Isham, right worthy persons, of their owne accord
accompanied him in that expedition, and serued him in that warre,

wherin Thomas Chaloner escaped most wonderfully with his life. For
the galley wherein he was, being either dashed against the rockes, or
shaken with mighty stormes, and so cast away, after he had saued
himselfe a long while by swimming, when his strength failed him, his
armes and hands being faint and weary, with great difficulty laying
hold with his teeth on a cable, which was cast out of the next gally, not
without breaking and losse of certaine of his teeth, at length recouered
himselfe, and returned home into his countrey in safety.
* * * * *
The woorthy enterprise of Iohn Foxe an Englishman in deliuering 266.
Christians out of the captiuitie of the Turkes at Alexandria, the 3 of
Ianuarie 1577.
Among our Merchants here in England, it is a common voiage to
traffike into Spaine: whereunto a ship, being called The three halfe
Moones, manned with 38. men, and well fensed with munitions, the
better to encounter their enemies withall, and hauing wind and tide, set
from Portsmouth, 1563. and bended her iourney toward Siuill a citie in
Spaine, intending there to traffique with them. [Sidenote: Iohn Foxe
taken 1563.] And felling neere the Streights, they perceiued themselues
to be beset round with eight gallies of the Turkes, in such wise, that
there was no way for them to flie or escape away, but that either they
must yeeld or els be sunke. Which the owner perceiuing, manfully
encouraged his company, exhorting them valiantly to shew their
manhood, shewing them that God was their God, and not their enemies,
requesting them also not to faint in seeing such a heape of their
enemies ready to deuour them; putting them in mind also, that if it were
Gods pleasure to giue them into their enemies hands, it was not they
that ought to shew one displeasant looke or countenance there against;
but to take it patiently, and not to prescribe a day and time for their
deliuerance, as the citizens of Bethulia did, but to put themselues vnder
his mercy. And againe, if it were his mind and good will to shew his
mighty power by them, if their enemies were ten times so many, they
were not able to stand in their hands; putting them likewise in mind of
the old and ancient woorthinesse of their countreymen, who in the
hardest extremities haue alwayes most preuailed and gone away
conquerors, yea, and where it hath bene almost impossible. Such (quoth
he) hath bene the valiantnesse of our countreymen, and such hath bene

the mightie power of our God.
With other like incouragements, exhorting them to behaue themselues
manfully, they fell all on their knees making their prayers briefly vnto
God: who being all risen vp againe perceiued their enemies by their
signes and defiances bent to the spoyle, whose mercy was nothing els
but crueltie, whereupon euery man tooke him to his weapon.
Then stood vp one Groue the master, being a comely man, with his
sword and target, holding them vp in defiance agaynst his enemies. So
likewise stood vp the Owner, the Masters mate, Boateswaine, Purser,
and euery man well appointed. Nowe likewise sounded vp the drums,
trumpets and flutes, which would haue encouraged any man, had he
neuer so litle heart or courage in him.
Then taketh him to his charge Iohn Foxe the gunner in the disposing of
his pieces in order to the best effect, and sending his bullets towards the
Turkes, who likewise bestowed their pieces thrise as fast toward the
Christians. But shortly they drew neere, so that the bowmen fel to their
charge in sending forth their arrowes so thicke amongst the Gallies, and
also in doubling their shot so sore vpon the gallies, that there was twise
so many of the Turkes slaine, as the number of the Christians were in
all. But the Turks discharged twise as fast against the Christians, and so
long, that the ship was very sore stricken and bruised vnder water.
Which the Turkes perceiuing, made the more haste to come aboord the
Shippe: which ere they could doe, many a Turke bought it deerely with
the losse of their liues. Yet was all in vaine, and boorded they were,
where they found so hote a skirmish, that it had bene better they had
not medled with the feast. For the Englishmen shewed themselues men
in deed, in working manfully with their browne bils and halbardes:
where the owner, master, boateswaine, and their company stoode to it
so lustily, that the Turkes were halfe