No. 6. Extract of a Letter from Richard Cocks, without Date or
Address.
There came two friars in that ship as ambassadors from the viceroy of
New Spain, with a present for the emperor; but he would neither receive
the present, nor speak with them that brought it, even sending Mr Adams
to order them to quit his dominions, as he had formerly banished all men
of their cloth, and continued still in the same mind. It is said that
Fidaia Same had promised to receive the jesuits again into Japan, if
he had got the victory and been settled in the empire. Had this taken
effect, we and the Hollanders had doubtless been turned out of Japan, so
that it is better as it is.
Last year, when we fitted out our junk, we employed a Spaniard, called
Damian Marina, the same person who thought to have gone with you in
company with George Peterson. This Damian was a good helmsman, and was
therefore employed by us, and another Spaniard, named Juan de Lievana,
went with them as passenger. The junk however lost her voyage, and they
returned to Nangasaki, where the carrak of Macao soon afterwards
arrived. Understanding that these two Spaniards had gone in our vessel,
the Portuguese arrested them and put them in irons in their ship,
condemning them to death as traitors to their king and country, for
serving their English enemies. I took their defence in hand, and
procured an order from the emperor to set them at liberty, to the great
displeasure of the Spaniards and Portuguese; and these two men are going
passengers to Bantam in the Hosiander.
We have had great troubles in Japan, in consequence of the wars, by
transporting our goods from place to place, to save them. Mr Adams is
gone again in the junk for Siam, accompanied only by Mr Edmond Sayer. Mr
Nealson is very sick; but Mr Wickham and Mr Eaton are both well. I long
to hear from you, and I pray you to deliver the inclosed to my brother.
Yours, most assured at command,
RICHARD COCKS.
No. 7. Letter from Richard Cocks, without Address, dated Firando, 10th
March, 1620.[63]
[Footnote 63: In the Pilgrims, the date of this letter is made 1610,
evidently by error of the press; and, as observed of No. 5, the real
date, according to modern computation, ought to be 1621. The
introductory paragraph is a note by Purchas, distinguished by inverted
commas, retained as a curious specimen of his mode of writing. - E.]
"Hollanders abuses of the English in those parts, are here published
for knowledge of these eastern affairs and occurrents, as it is meet in
a history. But neither were these national, but personal crimes, and
done in time and place of pretended hostility; and now, I hope,
satisfaction is or shall be made.
