_Landolpho Ruffolo being impooerished, became a pirate and taken by
the Geneuois, was in daunger of drowning, who sauing himselfe vpon a
litle coafer full of rich iewels, was receiued at Corfu, and beinge
cherished by a woman, retourned home very riche._
It is supposed, that the sea coast of Reggium (in Calabria) in the most
delectable part in all Italy, wherin (hard by Salerno) there is a
countrye by the Sea Side, which the inhabitauntes doe terme the coast of
Malfy, so full of litle cities, gardeines, fountaines, riche men and
marchauntes, as any other people and countrie. Among which said cities,
there was one called Rauello, where in time past (althoughe in these
dayes there be very rich men), there dwelte a notable man of substaunce,
called Landolpho Ruffolo: who being not contented with his riches, but
desirous to multiplye them double, was in hazarde to lose himselfe, and
all that he had. This man, (as all other marchauntes be accustomed)
after he had considered with himselfe what to doe, boughte a very greate
shippe, and sraughted the same with sondrye kindes of marchaundize of
his owne aduenture, and made a voyage to the Isle of Cypri, where he
found (besides the commodities which he brought) many other shippes
arriued there, laden with such like wares: by which occasion it
happened, that hee was forced not onelye to sell the same good cheape,
but also was constrained (if hee woulde dispatch his goodes) to giue
them almost for nought, whereby he thoughte that he was vtterly vndone.
And being greatly troubled for that losse, not knowing what to doe, and
seing how in so litle a time, of a rich man he was come to begger state,
he thoughte either to die, or els by piracie to recouer his losses, to
the intent he might not returne to the place poore, from whence he was
departed riche. And hauing founde a copeseman for his great barque, with
the money thereof, and with other which hee receiued for his
marchandise, he boughte a small pinnas, meete for the vse of a pirate,
which he armed and furnished with al thinges necessary for that purpose:
and determined to make himselfe riche with the goodes of other men, and
chiefelye hee ment to set vppon the Turkes: whereunto fortune was more
fauourable then to his former trade: and by chaunce, by the space of one
yeare, he robbed and toke so many Foistes and galleis of the Turkes, as
he had recouered not onely that which he loste by marchaundise, but also
more then twise so muche as whereunto those losses did amounte.
Wherfore, well punished with the first sorow of his losses, knowing his
gaines to multiplie, as he needed not returne the seconde time, he
thoughte with himselfe that the same which he had gotten was
sufficiente: and therefore determined presently to returne to his owne
house with his gotten goods. And fearing the hinderance which he
susteined in traffique of Marchaundise, hee purposed to imploie his
moneye no longer that wayes, but in that barque wherewith hee had gained
the same, with his ores hee tooke his course homeward: and being vppon
the maine Sea, in the night the wind rose at the Southeast, which was
not onely contrary to his course, but also raised such a tempest, as his
smal barque was not able to indure the Seas. Wheruppon he toke
harborough in a Creke of the Sea, whiche compassed a litle Ilande, there
expecting for better wind. Into which creke within a while after, with
much a do for auoyding of that tempest, arriued two great Argoseis of
Genoa, that were come from Constantinople: the mariners of which greate
shippes, when they sawe the litle barque, they closed vp the waye, that
the pinnas could not goe out. And then vnderstanding of whence he was,
and knowinge by report, that he was very riche, determined (being men
naturally giuen to spoile and loue of money,) to take her. And setting a
shore part of their men, well armed and furnished with crossebowes, they
conueied themselues to keepe and defende that none within the Pinnas
(except they woulde be shot through) was able to escape: then retiring
into their skiftes, with helpe of the Tide they approched Landolpho his
barque, which without any great difficultie, in a small space they toke
with all the company, not loosing so much as one man. And carying
Landolpho aborde one of their cockes, and all within borde his little
Pinnas, they soncke the same and al the Mariners, and kept Landolpho,
suffering him not to haue about him any kind of armure, not so much as
an haberion. The next day the winde chaunged, and the shippes hoisted vp
sailes toward Leuant, and all that day prosperouslie sailed on their
voyage. But vpon the closing of the night, a storme rose againe, and
separated the two ships, one from another, and by force of the wind, it
chaunced the ship wherein poore Landolpho was, strake with great
violence vpon a sande, in the Iland of Cephalonia: and as one would
throw a glasse against a wall, euen so the shippe opened, and fell in
peeces, whereby the sorowfull Mariners that stoode aboue, (the seas
being couered with goodes, coaffers and plancks of the ship that swam
aboue water, which chaunceth many times in such like accidents, the
night being darke and the billowes going high and streinable,{)} such as
were able to swim, began to take holde of those thinges which Fortune
gaue vnto them. Amonges whom wretched Landolpho, seinge death before his
face (which he so greatly desired, and so many times craued the day
before, rather then to retourne home in that poore estate) was afraied,
and caught hold of a borde amonges the rest, trusting it might chaunce
that God woulde pardon him of drowninge, and sende him some refuge for
his escape. And as hee was a horseback, and fletinge vpon a plancke, so
wel as he could, (driuen here and there with the Sea and winde) he helde
faste the same till it was day lighte: which when he perceiued, he
looked about him and saw nothing but the cloudes, the Seas, and a
coaffer, swimminge aboue water, which was driuen so nere him, that it
made him manye times to feare that it would be his ouerthrow. And the
nerer it came, the more hee laboured to put it backe (so well as he
could) with his hande, although his force and power was gone: but how
soeuer it chaunced, a gale of winde blew out of the skies, and strake
the coaffer against the borde whereuppon Landolpho was, who by that
meanes driuen backe, was forced to giue ouer the plancke, and with a
billow was beaten vnder the water, and afterwardes, remounting aloft
againe, hee swam more through feare then force. And seing the borde
caried a farre of from him, fearinge lest he should not be able to
fasten the same againe, he drewe toward the coafer which was nere ynough
vnto him, and laying his breaste vpon the couer thereof, he made it go
(so right as he could) with his armes. And in this maner driuen by the
Sea, now here now there, without eating (as hauing not wherwithall) and
drinking more then he would, he continued al that day and night
following not knowing wher he was, for he sawe nothing but sea. The next
morning, eyther by the will of God, or throughe the windes force,
Landolpho (which was then transfformed into a sponge) holding faste with
both his handes the brimme of the coafer, (like as we see them that
feare to be drowned, do take hold of the next thinge that commeth to
hande,) arriued at the shore of the Isle of Corfu, wher by fortune,
a poore woman was scowring her vessell with Sand and salt water, who
seing him draw nere, and perceyuing in him no forme or fashion of a man,
was afraid, and crying out ranne backe. He not able to speake, and see
but very litle, could say nothinge, but as the Sea droue him nere the
shore, the woman discryed the likenes of a coafer, and beholding the
same more aduisedlye, saw at length his armes vpon the same and
therewithal his face, marueiling with her selfe who it should be:
wherfore moued with compassion, she wente into the Sea a litle waye,
which then was calme, and catching him by the heare, she pluckte him and
the coafer to lande: and with much a doe vnfolded his armes that were
about the coafer, causing her maide that was with her to carrie the
coafer vpon her head: and she bare him to lande, (like a litle childe,)
which done, she put him into a hotte house, and with warme water, by
frotting and robbing him, his naturall heate, and other his sences lost,
began to come againe into their former course. And when he saw time she
toke him out, cherishing and comfortinge him with wynes and brothes, and
so well as shee could, made him at length to recouer his force in such
wise as he knew wher he was. Then the woman deliuered him his coafer,
which he had saued, and badde him to seeke his aduenture. And thus this
good wife delt with Landolpho, who litle esteemed the coafer, but yet he
considered that it coulde not be of so small value, but that it was able
to beare his charges for certaine dayes. Howbeit, feelinge it to be
lighte, he was cleare voyde of hope to haue anye succour and reliefe
thereof. Neuerthelesse (when the good wyfe was out of the doores) he
brake open the same to see what was within, where he found many precious
Jewels, some bound together and some loose, wherein he had pretie skill:
and knowing them to be of great value, giuing thanckes to God, which had
not yet forsaken him, was wholy recomforted. Howbeit, for so much as in
a litle space he had bin twise cruellye distressed and tormented by
Fortune, fearing the third time, he thought that it was needeful for him
to take heede how to dispose his things in safetie till he came home to
his owne house. Wherefore hauing bestowed those precious Jewels in
certaine ragges and cloutes so well as he could, he said to the good
wife that he had no neede of the coafer, but if shee woulde giue him a
bagge, he would bestow the same vppon her: which the good wife willingly
did. And Landolpho geuing her so great thanckes as he coulde, for the
kindnes which he had found at her hands, toke his leaue, and imbarking
himselfe, he passed to Branditio, and from thence from place to place
till hee came to Trani, where findinge diuers of the Citie wherein he
dwelt, that were Drapers, he was apparelled of them (in a maner for Gods
sake) to whom he told the discourse of all his fortune, except the
coafer, who lent him a horse, and sente diuers in his company to bring
him home to Rauello. And when he was in safety arriued, he thanked God
that had brought him thither, where he searched his bouget with more
leasure then he did at the first, and founde that he had manye stones of
so greate value, that sellinge them at price reasonable, for lesse then
they were worth, his substaunce did amount to so much more then it was
when he departed from his house. And when he had founde the meanes to
dispatch and sell his Jewels, he sent to Corfu a good peece of money, to
the woman that toke him oute of the Sea, to recompence the kindnes, that
he had found at her handes: and the like to them of Trani, that had
giuen him apparell, the rest he toke to himselfe and would be no more a
Marchaunte, but liued at home in honest estate to the ende of his life.