Then I Told Him That The Master Gunner Had
Taken Away A Bible From One Of Our Men:
The treasurer went presently
and commanded him to deliver up the Bible again, which he did.
And
within a little after he took it from the man again, and I showed the
treasurer of it, and presently he commanded him to deliver it again,
saying, "Thou villain! wilt thou turn to Christianity again?" for he
was a relagado, which is one that was first a Christian and afterwards
becometh a Turk; and so he delivered me the Bible the second time. And
then I, having it in my hand, the gunner came to me, and spake these
words, saying, "Thou dog! I will have the book in despite of thee!"
and took it from me, saying, "If you tell the king's treasurer of it
any more, by Mahomet I will be revenged of thee!" Notwithstanding I
went the third time unto the king's treasurer, and told him of it; and
he came with me, saying thus unto the gunner: "By the head of the
Great Turk if thou take it from him again thou shalt have a hundred
bastinadoes." And forthwith he delivered me the book, saying he had
not the value of a pin of the spoil of the ship - which was the better
for him, as hereafter you shall hear; for there was none, either
Christian or Turk, that took the value of a pennyworth of our goods
from us but perished both body and goods within seventeen months
following, as hereafter shall plainly appear.
Then came the guardian Basha, who is the keeper of the king's captives,
to fetch us all ashore; and then I, remembering the miserable estate of
poor distressed captives in the time of their bondage to those
infidels, went to mine own chest, and took out thereof a jar of oil,
and filled a basket full of white ruske, to carry ashore with me. But
before I came to the Banio the Turkish boys had taken away almost all
my bread, and the keeper said, "Deliver me the jar of oil, and when
thou comest to the Banio thou shalt have it again;" but I never had it
of him any more.
But when I came to the Banio and saw our merchants and all the rest of
our company in chains, and we all ready to receive the same reward,
what heart is there so hard but would have pitied our cause, hearing or
seeing the lamentable greeting there was betwixt us. All this happened
the first of May, 1584.
And the second day of the same month the king with all his council sat
in judgment upon us. The first that were had forth to be arraigned
were the factors and the masters, and the king asked them wherefore
they came not ashore when he sent for them. And Romaine Sonnings
answered that, though he were a king on shore, and might command there,
so was he as touching those that were under him; and therefore said, if
any offence be, the fault is wholly in myself and in no other. Then
forthwith the king gave judgment that the said Romaine Sonnings should
be hanged over the north-east bulwark, from whence he conveyed the
forenamed Patrone Norado. And then he called for our master, Andrew
Dier, and used few words to him, and so condemned him to be hanged over
the walls of the westernmost bulwarks.
Then fell our other factor, named Richard Skegs, upon his knees before
the king, and said, "I beseech your highness either to pardon our
master or else suffer me to die for him, for he is ignorant of this
cause." And then the people of that country, favouring the said
Richard Skegs, besought the king to pardon them both. So then the king
spake these words: "Behold, for thy sake I pardon the master." Then
presently the Turks shouted and cried, saying, "Away with the master
from the presence of the king." And then he came into the Banio where
we were, and told us what had happened, and we all rejoiced at the good
hap of Master Skegs, that he was saved, and our master for his sake.
But afterwards our joy was turned to double sorrow, for in the meantime
the king's mind was altered: for that one of his council had advised
him that, unless the master died also, by the law they could not
confiscate the ship nor goods, neither make captive any of the men.
Whereupon the king sent for our master again, and gave him another
judgment after his pardon for one cause, which was that he should be
hanged. Here all true Christians may see what trust a Christian man
may put in an infidel's promise, who, being a king, pardoned a man now,
as you have heard, and within an hour after hanged him for the same
cause before a whole multitude; and also promised our factors their
oils custom free, and at their going away made them pay the uttermost
penny for the custom thereof.
And when that Romaine Sonnings saw no remedy but that he should die, he
protested to turn Turk, hoping thereby to have saved his life. Then
said the Turk, "If thou wilt turn Turk, speak the words that thereunto
belong;" and he did so. Then said they unto him, "Now thou shalt die
in the faith of a Turk;" and so he did, as the Turks reported that were
at his execution; and the forenamed Patrone Norado, whereas before he
had liberty and did nothing, he then was condemned slave perpetual,
except there were payment made of the foresaid sum of money.
Then the king condemned all us, who were in number five and twenty, of
which two were hanged (as you have heard) and one died the first day we
came on shore by the visitation of Almighty God, and the other three
and twenty he condemned slaves perpetually unto the Great Turk, and the
ship and goods were confiscated to the use of the Great Turk; then we
all fell down upon our knees, giving God thanks for this sorrowful
visitation and giving ourselves wholly to the almighty power of God,
unto whom all secrets are known, that He of His goodness would
vouchsafe to look upon us.
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