Voyagers Tales | Page 5

must yield or else be sunk, which the
owner perceiving, manfully encouraged his company, exhorting them
valiantly to show their manhood, showing them that God was their God,
and not their enemies', requesting them also not to faint in seeing such a
heap of their enemies ready to devour them; putting them in mind also,
that if it were God's pleasure to give them into their enemies' hands, it
was not they that ought to show one displeasant look or countenance
there against; but to take it patiently, and not to prescribe a day and
time for their deliverance, as the citizens of Bethulia did, but to put
themselves under His mercy. And again, if it were His mind and good
will to show 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 worthiness of their countrymen,
who in the hardest extremities have always most prevailed, and gone
away conquerors; yea, and where it hath been almost impossible.
"Such," quoth he, "hath been the valiantness of our countrymen, and
such hath been the mighty power of our God."
With such other like encouragements, exhorting them to behave
themselves manfully, they fell all on their knees, making their prayers
briefly unto God; who, being all risen up again, perceived their enemies,
by their signs and defiances, bent to the spoil, whose mercy was
nothing else but cruelty; whereupon every man took him to his weapon.
Then stood up one Grove, the master, being a comely man, with his
sword and target, holding them up in defiance against his enemies. So

likewise stood up the owner, the master's mate, boatswain, purser, and
every man well appointed. Now likewise sounded up the drums,
trumpets, and flutes, which would have encouraged any man, had he
never so little heart or courage in him.
Then taketh him to his charge John Fox, the gunner, in the disposing of
his pieces, in order to the best effect, and, sending his bullets towards
the Turks, who likewise bestowed their pieces thrice as fast towards the
Christians. But shortly they drew near, so that the bowmen fell to their
charge in sending forth their arrows so thick amongst the galleys, and
also in doubling their shot so sore upon the galleys, that there were
twice so many of the Turks slain as the number of the Christians were
in all. But the Turks discharged twice as fast against the Christians, and
so long, that the ship was very sore stricken and bruised under water;
which the Turks, perceiving, made the more haste to come aboard the
ship: which, ere they could do, many a Turk bought it dearly with the
loss of their lives. Yet was all in vain; boarded they were, where they
found so hot a skirmish, that it had been better they had not meddled
with the feast; for the Englishmen showed themselves men indeed, in
working manfully with their brown bills and halberds, where the owner,
master, boatswain, and their company stood to it so lustily, that the
Turks were half dismayed. But chiefly the boatswain showed himself
valiant above the rest, for he fared amongst the Turks like a wood lion;
for there was none of them that either could or durst stand in his face,
till at last there came a shot from the Turks which brake his whistle
asunder, and smote him on the breast, so that he fell down, bidding
them farewell, and to be of good comfort, encouraging them, likewise,
to win praise by death, rather than to live captives in misery and shame,
which they, hearing, indeed, intended to have done, as it appeared by
their skirmish; but the press and store of the Turks were so great, that
they were not long able to endure, but were so overpressed, that they
could not wield their weapons, by reason whereof they must needs be
taken, which none of them intended to have been, but rather to have
died, except only the master's mate, who shrunk from the skirmish, like
a notable coward, esteeming neither the value of his name, nor
accounting of the present example of his fellows, nor having respect to
the miseries whereunto he should be put. But in fine, so it was, that the
Turks were victors, whereof they had no great cause to rejoice or

triumph. Then would it have grieved any hard heart to see these infidels
so violently entreating the Christians, not having any respect of their
manhood, which they had tasted of, nor yet respecting their own state,
how they might have met with such a booty as might have given them
the overthrow; but no remorse hereof, or anything