Voyagers Tales | Page 6

else doth bridle their
fierce and tyrannous dealing, but the Christians must needs to the
galleys, to serve in new offices; and they were no sooner in them, but
their garments were pulled over their ears, and torn from their backs,
and they set to the oars.
I will make no mention of their miseries, being now under their
enemies' raging stripes. I think there is no man will judge their fare
good, or their bodies unloaden of stripes, and not pestered with too
much heat, and also with too much cold; but I will go to my purpose,
which is to show the end of those being in mere misery, which
continually do call on God with a steadfast hope that He will deliver
them, and with a sure faith that He can do it.
Nigh to the city of Alexandria, being a haven town, and under the
dominion of the Turks, there is a road, being made very fencible with
strong walls, whereinto the Turks do customably bring their galleys on
shore every year, in the winter season, and there do trim them, and lay
them up against the spring-time; in which road there is a prison,
wherein the captives and such prisoners as serve in the galleys are put
for all that time, until the seas be calm and passable for the galleys,
every prisoner being most grievously laden with irons on their legs, to
their great pain, and sore disabling of them to any labour; into which
prison were these Christians put and fast warded all the winter season.
But ere it was long, the master and the owner, by means of friends,
were redeemed, the rest abiding still in the misery, while that they were
all, through reason of their ill-usage and worse fare, miserably starved,
saving one John Fox, who (as some men can abide harder and more
misery than other some can, so can some likewise make more shift, and
work more duties to help their state and living, than other some can do)
being somewhat skilful in the craft of a barber, by reason thereof made
great shift in helping his fare now and then with a good meal. Insomuch,
till at the last God sent him favour in the sight of the keeper of the
prison, so that he had leave to go in and out to the road at his pleasure,
paying a certain stipend unto the keeper, and wearing a lock about his

leg, which liberty likewise five more had upon like sufferance, who, by
reason of their long imprisonment, not being feared or suspected to
start aside, or that they would work the Turks any mischief, had liberty
to go in and out at the said road, in such manner as this John Fox did,
with irons on their legs, and to return again at night.
In the year of our Lord 1577, in the winter season, the galleys happily
coming to their accustomed harbourage, and being discharged of all
their masts, sails, and other such furnitures as unto galleys do appertain,
and all the masters and mariners of them being then nested in their own
homes, there remained in the prison of the said road two hundred three
score and eight Christian prisoners who had been taken by the Turks'
force, and were of fifteen sundry nations. Among which there were
three Englishmen, whereof one was named John Fox, of Woodbridge,
in Suffolk, the other William Wickney, of Portsmouth, in the county of
Southampton, and the third Robert Moore, of Harwich, in the county of
Essex; which John Fox, having been thirteen or fourteen years under
their gentle entreatance, and being too weary thereof, minding his
escape, weighed with himself by what means it might be brought to
pass, and continually pondering with himself thereof, took a good heart
unto him, in the hope that God would not be always scourging His
children, and never ceasing to pray Him to further his intended
enterprise, if that it should redound to His glory.
Not far from the road, and somewhat from thence, at one side of the
city, there was a certain victualling house, which one Peter Vuticaro
had hired, paying also a certain fee unto the keeper of the road. This
Peter Vuticaro was a Spaniard born, and a Christian, and had been
prisoner above thirty years, and never practised any means to escape,
but kept himself quiet without touch or suspect of any conspiracy, until
that now this John Fox using much thither, they brake one to another
their minds, concerning the restraint of their liberty and imprisonment.
So that this John Fox, at length opening unto this Vuticaro the device
which he would fain put in practice, made privy one more to this their
intent; which