Part 37

So Rome foure hundred yeares and upward, was the true Church; but afterward falling in apostacy by meanes of her corrupt leaders, wee have left her in nothing, but what shee hath left her former selfe. Universall no; although shee assumeth a Catholicke name, was not the Church in the East, a greater Church than yours in the West for hundreds of yeares, and I pray you what are now the Orientall Churches in Asia, (besides the Greeks) and the Æthiopian Affricans that doe not so much as know, or heare of your Pope, far lesse his profession.

With no small adoe, Boniface the third, obtained of Phocas the Emperour to be called universall Bishop: which was asisted afterward by Puppin the French King, and ratified by Paleologus, the father of Constantine who lost Constantinople: [The Romish Church falls short of true antiquity, universality, and uniformity.] And what long contraversies about this new power, was betweene your Popes, and the counsells of Carthage, Calcedon, Ephesus, Alexandria, and Nice. Uniformable no; some of your Priests give the Sacrament onely in Bread, for reall flesh and blood, some in Wine without Bread, and some in both.

The Bavarians in their owne language sing the Psalmes in prose at their Masses, and not else where done: The second Commandement goeth current amongst some of your Catholicks in France, yet not in Bretagne, nor Provance; so doth it in Austria and Bavaria, but not in Italy and Spaine.

It is most evident, what your former Popes have confirmed, the succeeding Popes have disanulled, and dayly doe, as their present lives, and your auncient Histories beare a true record.

And was there not at one time, three Popes in three severall places? and oftentimes two at once: One professing one Heresie, and another Atheisme: What mutinies and malice, are dayly among your Monasteries, each envying anothers priviledge, anothers preferment, anothers wealth: And your order (father) by all the other Monasticks, is hated and vilipended to death; besides diversities of Doctrine, betweene your professors and the Dominicans: and hundreds of like disunities you have both in ceremony and order which now I suspend: So I pray you (father) where your uniformity, much lesse your universality, and worst of all your antiquity.

Having thus concluded, the fiery fac'd Jesuits, with boisterous menacings left mee; and the eight day thereafter, being the last day of their Inquisition, they returned againe, in a more milder disposition: where after divers arguments on both sides, the two Jesuits with teares distilling from their eyes, solidly protested, they were sorry from their heart, for that terrible death I was to undergo, and above all the loosing of my soule: [The Jesuits last allurements for my conversion to their sect.] And falling downe on their knees, cryed, convert, convert, O deare brother! for our blessed Ladies sake convert: To whom I replyed, that neither death nor fire I feared; for I was resolved for both, yet thinking my selfe unworthy to suffer for Christ and the Gospells sake, considering my vildnesse and my owne unworthinesse: yet the Spirit of God assureth my faith, it is his divine pleasure it should be so that I must suffer. Wherefore if I should divert, trust mee not, for I would but dissemble with you (through feare, flattery, or force) to shunne present death.

Whereupon they called the Governour, and after their privy consulting, hee thus spoke; Deare brother, my greatest desire is, to have thee a good Christian, a Romane Catholick, to which if thy conscience will yeeld, I will shew thee as great courtesie, as thou hast receaved cruelty: for pitty it were, that such an invincible spirit, and endued with so many good parts, should perish in both worlds for ever. Plucke up thy heart, and let the love of our blessed Lady enter in thy soule: Let not thy former sufferings dismay thee, (for thy sores being yet greene and curable) I shall transport thee to a fine Chamber, and there thou shalst have all needfull things for the recovery of thy health and strength. Thy money and Patents shall be refounded, but thy hereticall Bookes are already burned: And lastly sayd he, I will send thee with my owne Servant to Court, Counsel, and King, with letters from the holy Inquisition, and from mee, faithfully promising thou shalt enjoy a Pension of three hundred Duccats a yeare.

But having satisfied his bewitching policy with a Christian constancy; they all three left mee in a thundering rage; vowing, I should that night have the first seale of my long sorrowes: And directing their course to the Bishop and Inquisitor (for the Governour had wrested the Inquisition upon mee, to free him of his former aspersion layd upon the English Fleet, and my tryall therefore, converting it all to matters of Religion) the Inquisition (I say) sat forthwith, [A condemnatory sentence to death by the Inquisition.] where first I was condemned to receave that night eleven strangling torments in my Dungeon: and then after Easter Holy dayes, I should be transported privatly to Grenada, and there about mid-night to be burnt body and bones into ashes, and my ashes to be flung into the ayre: Well, that same night the Scrivan, Sergeants, and the young English Priest entered my melancholly staunce: where the Priest in the English tongue urging mee all that he could (though little it was hee could doe) and unprevailing, I was disburdened of mine irones, unclothed to my skin, set on my knees and held up fast with their hands: where instantly setting my teeth asunder with iron Cadges, they filled my belly full of water, even gorgeing to my throat: Then with a garter they bound fast my throat, till the white of mine eye turned upward; and being laid on my side, I was by two Sergeants tumbled to and fro seven times through the roome; even till I was almost strangled: This done, they fastned a small cord about each one of my great toes, and hoysing me therewith to the roofe of a high loft (for the cords runne on two rings of iron fastned above) they cut the garter, and there I hung, with my head downward, in my tormented weight, till all the gushing water dissolved: This done, I was let downe from the loft, quite senslesse, lying a long time cold dead among their hands: whereof the Governour being informed, came running up stayres, crying, Is he dead, O fie villanes goe fetch me Wine, which they powred in my mouth, regayning thereby a slender sparke of breath.

[A Turkish slaves charity in the bowels of compassion.] These strangling torments ended, and I reclothed, and fast bolted againe they left mee lying on the cold floore praysing my God, and singing of a Psalme. The next morning the pittifull Turke visiting mee with bread and water, brought me also secretly in his shirt sleeve, two handfull of Rasins and figges, laying them on the floore amongst the crawling vermine, for having no use of armes nor hands, I was constrayned by hunger and impotency of time, to licke one up with another with my tongue: This charity of figs the slave did once every weeke or fortnight, or else I had long or then famished.

After which sorrowfull distresse, and inhumane usage, the eye-melting Turke taking displeasure, fell five dayes sicke, and bedfast: but the house Spaniards understanding his disease made him beleeve I was a Divell, a Sorcerer, a Nigromancer, and a blasphemous miscreant, against their Pope, their Lady, and their Church; giving him such a distast, that for thirty dayes, he never durst looke me in the face, being affraid of witchcraft.

All this time of his absence, one Ellinor the Cooke, an Indian Negro woman, attended mee, for she being a Christian drudge, had more liberty to visit mee, than the slavish Infidell: who certainly (under God) prolonged then my languishing life, conveighing me for foure weekes space, once a day some lesse or more nourishment, and in [The deceitfulness of female inconstancies.] her pocket a bottle glasse of Wine. Being no wayes semblable to the soule betraying teares of her Crocodilean sex which the Spanish Proverbe prettily avoucheth: las mugeres, engannan a los hombres, dellas lastimandoles, con sus lagrimas fingidas; dellas hallagandoles, con Palabras lesongeras: to wit, Women deceave men, some of them, grieving them with their fayned teares, and other fawning on them with flattering words. But;

Kind Ellenor though blacke by nature borne, Made bounty (not her beauty) to adorne Her new chang'd Pagan life (though vail'd by night Of Romish shades) to shine on mee more bright, Then Sun scorched Æthiope beames; Art-glancing spangles: Or that Ægyptian Bird, mans sight intangles With rarest colours: for her loving sight Though black as pitch, gave me transparent light: Food, and stolne-food, though little, yet enough; (The finer soile, the ebber tilles the Plough,) Second with Wine, a mutchkin, thrice a weeke Pack'd in her pocket, for it might not speeke: Thus Females have extreames, and two we see, Eyther too wicked, or too good they be; For being good no Creature can excell them, And being bad, no ill can paralell them: But sure this gift, from course of nature came, Rais'd up by Heaven to be my nursing Dame; For she a Savage bred, yet shew more Love And humane pitty, then desert could moove: Wherein shee stain'd the Spaniards; they did nought But what revenge, on slaughter'd sorrow wrought: Thus, they who turn'd her, went themselves astray, And shee though ignorant, trac'd the Christian way: For which great God reward her make her Soule As white within, as she without is foule; And if I might, as reason knowes I would Her love, and praise, my deeds should crowne with gold.

Now about the middle of Lent, Hazier, my former Friend, was appoynted to attend me agayne, suspecting Ellenors compassion; but as my miseries were multiplied, my Patience in God was redoubled: For men are rather killed with the impatience they have in adversity, then adversity it selfe: And of all men, that man is most [An impatient man in trouble is a triple torture.] unhappy, to whom God in his troubles hath not given Patience; for as the violent enemy of age is griefe, so is the mindes impatiency, the arch-corruptor of all our troubles: But indeede in the weakenesse of judgement, when men seeme lost by long affliction to themselves, then they are often and ever neerest to God: for who would have thought, that I who had seene so many sects and varieties of Religion, dispersed over the face of the earth, could have stucke fast to any religion at all; Travailers being reputed to be Ubique et omnibus parati. But I will tell thee Christian, it was the grace of God in me, and not mine: For as fire lying hid under ashes, and touch'd will flame; so I seeming to my selfe carelesse of Christianity, then God pricking my Conscience made tryall of my Faith: For Christ forbid, that every Shippe which coasteth the rockey shoare, should leave her ruines there.

This I speake not for any selfe-prayse, but to glorifie God, and to condemne the rash censures of opinion, and with Phocion, I mistrust my selfe, because of popular applause: Erubuit quasi peccasset quod placuerit: But now to abbreviate a thousand Circumstances of my Lamentable sufferings, which this Volume may not suffer to containe: By Gods great providence, about a fortnight before Easter, Anno 1621. there came a Spanish Cavaliere of Grenada to Malaga, whom the Governour one night invited to Supper, being of old acquaintance: where after Supper to intertayne Discourse, the Governour related and [Gods great mercy in my first discovery by a stranger.] disclosed to the stranger (God working thereby my discovery and deliverance) all the proceedings and causes of my first apprehending, my Confessions, Torments, starvings, their mistaking of the English Fleete, and finally the wresting of the Inquisition upon me, and their Condemnatory Sentence seeming also much to Lament my mis-fortunes, and praysing my Travailes and Deserts.

Now all this while, the Gentlemans servant, a Flandrish Fleming, standing at his Maisters backe, and adhering to all the Governours Relations, was astonished, to heare of a sakelesse Stranger, to have indured, and to indure such damnable Murther and Cruelty. Whereupon, the Discourse ending and mid-night past, the stranger returned to his Lodging; where the Fleming having bedded his Maister, and himselfe also in another Roome, he could not sleepe all that night, and if hee slumbered, still hee thought hee saw a man Torturing, and burning in the fire: which hee confessed to M. Wilds when morning came.

Well, he longed for day, and it being come, and hee cloathed, hee quietly left his Lodging, inquiring for an English Factor, and comming to the House of M. Richard Wilds, the chiefe English Consull: Hee told him all what hee heard the Governour tell his Master, but could not tell my name: only Maister Wilds conjectur'd it was I, because of the others report of a Traveller, and of his first and former acquaintance with me there.

[These are the English Factors which first wrought my reliefe.] Whereupon the Fleming being dismissed, he straight sent for the other English Factors, Mr. Richard Busbitche, Mr. John Corney, Mr. Hanger, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Rowley, and Mr. Woodson: where advising with them, what was best to be done for my reliefe; they sent letters away immediatly with all post dilligence, to Sir Walter Aston, his Majesties Ambassadour lying at Madrile: Upon which hee mediating with the King and Counsell of Spaine, obtained a strait warrant to command the Governour of Malaga, to deliver mee over in the English hands: which being come, to their great disliking, I was released on Easter-satturday before midnight, and carryed uppon Hazier the slaves backe to Master Busbitches house, where I was carefully attended till day light.

Meanewhile (by great fortune) there being a Squader of his Majesties Ships lying in the Road, Sir Richard Halkins came earely a shoare, accompanied with a strong trayne, and receaved mee from the Merchants: Whence I was carryed on mens armes in a payre of blanquets, to [I durst not stay a shoare for feare of the Inquisition.] the Vangard his Majesties ship. And three dayes thereafter, I was transported to a ship bound for England, the Fleets victualler, named the goodwill of Harwich; by direction of the Generall Sir Robert Maunsell: where being well placed, and charge given by Sir Richard Halkins to the ships master William Westerdale, for his carefulnes toward the preservation of my life, which then was brought so low & miserable. The foresaid Merchants sent mee from shoare (besides the ships victuals) a sute of Spanish apparrell, twelve Hennes, a barrell of Wine, a basket full of Egges, two Roves of Figges and Rasins, two hundred Orenges and Lemmons, eight pounds of Sugar, a number of excellent good Bread, and two hundred Realls in Silver and Gold; besides two double Pistolls Sir Richard Halkins sent mee as a token of his love.

The kindnesses of whom to bury in oblivion, were in me the very shame of ingratitude, I being then a lost man and hopelesse of life, which argued in them a greater singularitie of kindnesse and compassion. Yet I remember [Religious Sir Richard Halkins my speciall friend.] for all my lamenes and distraction, I intreated Sir Richard Halkins to goe a shoare to the Governour, and demand him for my gold, my eight Patents, my Booke of Armes, and his Majesties Letters and Seales; the which he willingly obeyed, (being accompanied with Captaine Cave, and Captaine Raymond) but could obtaine nothing at all, save blandements and leying excuses.

And now on the twelfth day of our lying in the Road, our ship weighing her Anchors, and hoysing her Sailes, wee passed through the straits of Gibelterre, or fretum Herculeum; for this was the furthest Land that Hercules could attayne unto; which made him erect a Pillar, and indent thereon, nil ultra; but when Charles the fift, returned from that untoward voyage of Algier, hee caused to set up in the same place, Plus ultra.

Here in this Channell, I remarked a perpetuall current; flowing from the Ocean to the Mediterrene Sea without any regresse: which indeed is admirable the Mediterranean Seas being hembd in, and environed with the mayne Continent of South Europe; the North and North west coasts of Asia, and the Northerne parts of Affricke; save onely the narrow passage of Hellespont, which from Mare Propontis bendeth his course to Mare Euxinum: And yet the Euxine, or blacke Sea, hath no affinity with any other moving waters, being likewise incompassed with the mayne continent: And from it also runneth a continuall current, through Bosphorus Thraicus, to the Mediterraneum.

[The strait of Gibelterre five leagues broad.] This narrow Sea on Affricke, or side of Fez, consisteth betweene Cap di Sprat, and the Promontore of Sewty, and upon the coast of Spayne, betweene Cap de Trafolger, and the butting forehead-land of Gibelterre, or Jubile Tauro; the passage being five leagues broad, and nine in length.

And to be briefe, upon the fifty day after my departure from Malaga, I arrived at Datford upon Thames; whence the next morning I was carried to Theoballs on a feather-bed, and brought to the privy Gallery, for the Kings comming from Parke. Witnesse all the Court of England, even from the King to the Kitchin, what a martyrd anatomy I was, at then of me their first sight; and what small hope was either expected of my life or recovery.

Where, when immediatly having made my most humble and grievous complaints unto his sacred Majesty, his gracious consideration (in the meane time) was such, for the recovery of my health, that I was twice sent to the Bath at the charges of his Royall love, during the space of twenty seven weekes, where by the Divine providence, and his Princely clemency, I have recovered for the time in a large measure, the health and strength of my body, although my left Arme, and crushed bones be incurable.

Meane while, in the first Weeke of my Arrivall in England, I was conveyed from Theobalds (by his Majesties direction) to Don Diego Surmento de Gundamore, the Spanish Ambassadour, then Resident in Holborne. [A false promise unperformed.] Where he votally undertooke, before then the two Lord Marquesses, Hammilton and Buckingham, (confirming it the day following to his Majesty at Greenewich) that after a condigne tryall had from Spaine, concerning my grievances: I should have all my money, Cloathes, Observations, Testimoniall Patents, and his Majesties Seales restored me agayne, with a thousand pound sterling also, (beeing modified by his Royall pleasure) of the Governour of Malagaes meanes, for the maintayning of my Lame and Racked body.

These promises were made the sixt of June 1621. and were to be performed againe Michaelmasse day insuing: But this day come, hee continued his drifts to the Prima vera; and it also arrived, he deferred time, with new protestations, onely to Easter or Pascua: And that Season come, he turned my Pascua to Prison: For a little before his departure (seeing his policy too strong for mine oppressed patience) I told him flatly in his face, from the griefe of my soule, what he was, and what he went about; which afterward proved true: Whereupon in the Chamber of Presence, before the Emperours Ambassadour, and diverse Knights and Gentle-men, his Majesties servants: [A single combat betweene a Spanish Earle and a Scottish Traveller.] he rashly adventured the credite of Leager honour, in a single Combat against me a retorted Plaintive: Where indeed his Fistula was contra-banded with a fist, and for Victory, favour lent him authority; because of my Commitment, for I lay nine Weekes incarcerate in the Marshall-Sea at Southwarke: Whence I returned with more credite, then hee left England with honesty; beeing both Vanquish'd and Victor. And my Muse left to mourne for my Liberty, deplored thus.

Low levell'd lie, my lofty staring aymes, Low droupes the flight, of my swift wing'd designe; Low bowes that top, whose hight true merit claimes: Low head-long fals the scope of my Engine: Low turnes my round, harsh grow the sacred nine; Low sinke my joyes, pale griefe, converts in care: Low lurkes Ambition, in this breast of mine: Low stoupe these smiles, that Fortune wont to share; Low rest my drifts, my curious Travailes rare: Low scude the limits, of my high-bred thought: Low plunge my hopes, in darke deepes of despaire; Low I o'erthrowne, with crosses low am brought: Low live I here, in sad restraint and strife: Low then the lower of the lowest life: Low as I am, I'le lowly Sacrifice: Low deep fetch'd sighes, to heaven on my low Knees.

But I remember in the aforesayd time of this my [A false aspersion laid on me by Papists.] imprisonment, there were two Papists my Countrey-men, who wrot to me a Letter; not like to a familiar Epistle of Cicero: No, but they would have fastned an untruth upon me; affirming that I was a Romane Catholicke in my heart; and that they would justifie it, that I received the Sacrament at Rome, in the first yeare that Paulus (Burgesius) Papa Quintus, came to his triple Crowne: to whom in a true and Christian defence, my serious and approbable reply was thus: