But Yet They Are Carrying Into Them, Some Into
One Galley, And Some Into Another, So That, Being Such A
Confusion
amongst them, without any certain guide, it were a thing impossible to
overtake the Christians; beside that, there was
No man that would take
charge of a galley, the weather was so rough, and there was such an
amazedness amongst them. And verily, I think their god was amazed
thereat; it could not be but that he must blush for shame, he can speak
never a word for dulness, much less can he help them in such an
extremity. Well, howsoever it is, he is very much to blame to suffer
them to receive such a gibe. But howsoever their god behaved himself,
our God showed Himself a God indeed, and that He was the only living
God; for the seas were swift under His faithful, which made the enemies
aghast to behold them; a skilfuller pilot leads them, and their
mariners bestir them lustily; but the Turks had neither mariners,
pilot, nor any skilful master, that was in readiness at this pinch.
When the Christians were safe out of the enemy's coast, John Fox called
to them all, telling them to be thankful unto Almighty God for their
delivery, and most humbly to fall down upon their knees, beseeching Him
to aid them to their friends' land, and not to bring them into another
danger, since He had most mightily delivered them from so great a
thraldom and bondage.
Thus when every man had made his petition, they fell straightway to
their labour with the oars, in helping one another when they were
wearied, and with great labour striving to come to some Christian land,
as near as they could guess by the stars. But the winds were so
contrary, one while driving them this way, another while that way, so
that they were now in a new maze, thinking that God had forsaken them
and left them to a greater danger. And forasmuch as there were no
victuals now left in the galley, it might have been a cause to them (if
they had been the Israelites), to have murmured against their God; but
they knew how that their God, who had delivered Egypt, was such a
loving and merciful God, as that He would not suffer them to be
confounded in whom He had wrought so great a wonder, but what calamity
soever they sustained, they knew it was but for their further trial,
and also (in putting them in mind of their further misery), to cause
them not to triumph and glory in themselves therefor. Having, I say,
no victuals in the galley, it might seem one misery continually to fall
upon another's neck; but to be brief the famine grew to be so great
that in twenty-eight days, wherein they were on the sea, there died
eight persons, to the astonishment of all the rest.
So it fell out that upon the twenty-ninth day after they set from
Alexandria, they fell on the isle of Candia, and landed at Gallipoli,
where they were made much of by the abbot and monks there, who caused
them to stay there while they were well refreshed and eased. They kept
there the sword wherewith John Fox had killed the keeper, esteeming it
as a most precious relic, and hung it up for a monument.
When they thought good, having leave to depart from thence, they sailed
along the coast till they arrived at Tarento, where they sold their
galley, and divided it, every man having a part thereof. The Turks on
receiving so shameful a foil at their hands, pursued the Christians,
and scoured the seas, where they could imagine that they had bent their
course. And the Christians had departed from thence on the one day in
the morning and seven galleys of the Turks came thither that night, as
it was certified by those who followed Fox and his company, fearing
lest they should have been met with. And then they came afoot to
Naples, where they departed asunder, every man taking him to his next
way home. From whence John Fox took his journey unto Rome, where he
was well entertained by an Englishman who presented his worthy deed
unto the Pope, who rewarded him liberally, and gave him letters unto
the King of Spain, where he was very well entertained of him there, who
for this his most worthy enterprise gave him in fee twenty pence a day.
From whence, being desirous to come into his own country, he came
thither at such time as he conveniently could, which was in the year of
our Lord God 1579; who being come into England went unto the Court, and
showed all his travel unto the Council, who considering of the state of
this man, in that he had spent and lost a great part of his youth in
thraldom and bondage, extended to him their liberality to help to
maintain him now in age, to their right honour and to the encouragement
of all true-hearted Christians.
THE COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE FOR JOHN FOX AND HIS COMPANY, MADE BY THE
PRIOR AND THE BRETHREN OF GALLIPOLI, WHERE THEY FIRST LANDED.
We, the Prior and Fathers of the Convent of the Amerciates, of the city
of Gallipoli, of the order of Preachers, do testify that upon the 29th
of January last past, 1577, there came into the said city a certain
galley from Alexandria, taken from the Turks, with two hundred and
fifty-eight Christians, whereof was principal Master John Fox, an
Englishman, a gunner, and one of the chiefest that did accomplish that
great work, whereby so many Christians have recovered their liberties,
in token and remembrance whereof, upon our earnest request to the same
John Fox, he has left here an old sword, wherewith he slew the keeper
of the prison, which sword we do as a monument and memorial of so
worthy a deed, hang up in the chief place of our convent house.
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