"Yea," said he, "but now thou hast offended the law more than before;
and therefore shall the law be now executed upon thee."
Then I was carried away again. And immediately there was called an
assembly of citizens, and such as were seen in the Law, to counsel, and
to take advice, What punishment they might inflict upon me?
Which being deliberated, I was brought forth again; and carried to the
Place of Torment: which was in a cell or vault underground.
There were present but four persons, that is to say,
The Inquisitor,
The Solicitor, or Broker, who is to see the law executed.
A Dutch woman that dwelt in the city; who was commanded thither to tell
them what I spake; because I spake many times in the Dutch tongue.
And lastly, the Tormentor.
The rack now standing ready before them; with seven flaxen ropes lying
thereon, new[ly] bought from the market.
Then the Inquisitor charged me, as at all other times he used to
do, That I should speak what I had to say, and to speak the truth;
otherwise I should be even now tormented to death.
I, seeing myself in the hands of such cruel tyrants as always thirst
after the blood of the innocent; even as CAIN (who being wroth with his
brother ABEL, and carrying a heavy countenance) could be no way eased
but with his brother's blood: so I, past hope of life, turned my back
towards them, and seeing my torments present before me, I fell down on
my knees, and besought the Lord to forgive my sins, and to strengthen
my faith, and to grant me patience to endure to the end.
Then they took me into a void room, and stripped me out of my ornaments
of sheepskins which I repeated [_spoke of_] before; and put a pair of
strong canvas breeches upon me.
Then bringing me to the rack again, he commanded me to lie down. The
bars of the rack under me were as sharp as the back of a knife.
Now I, willingly yielding myself, lay down. Then the Tormentor bound my
hands over my breast crosswise; and my legs clasped up together, were
fast tied the one foot to the other knee. Then he fastened to either
arm a cord, about the brawn of the arm; and likewise to either thigh
another; which were all made fast again under the rack to the bars:
and with another cord he bound down my head; and [he] put a hollow
cane into my mouth. Then he put four cudgels into the ropes which were
fastened to my arms and thighs.
Now the woman which was present, being interpreter, began to persuade
me to yield, and confess the faith of the Church of Rome.
I answered, "If it were the will of GOD that I should end my life under
their cruel hands, I must be content: but, if it please him, he is able
to deliver me, if there were ten thousands against me."
Then the Tormentor, as he was commanded, began to wrest the ropes;
which he did by little and little, to augment my pains, and to have
them endure the longer: but, in the end, he drew them with such
violence as though he would have plucked my four quarters in sunder;
and there stayed a good space.
Yet to declare their tyrannical malice, thinking my torment not
sufficient, he added more: pouring water through a cane which was in
my mouth, by little and little, which I was constrained either to let
down, or to have my breath stopped until they had tunned in such [a]
quantity as was not tolerable to endure; which pained me extremely.
Yet not satisfied, they took and wet a linen cloth, and laid it
over my mouth till I was almost strangled; when my body, being thus
overcharged with such abundance of water, after they had thus stopped
my breath with the wet cloth, suddenly with the force of my breath and
that my stomach was so much overcharged, the water gushed out, and bare
away the cloth as if had been the force of a conduit spout.
When the Inquisitor saw that all this would not make me yield, he
commanded the Tormentor for to wind the cord on my left arm more
strait[ly]; which put me to horrible pains. And immediately the rope
burst in sunder.
Then said the Inquisitor, "Yea, is he so strong? I will make him
yield!": and commanded the Tormentor to put a new rope.
Then the woman again bade me yield; saying, It were better to yield
than to die so miserable a death.
But I, beseeching Almighty GOD to ease me of my pains, and to forgive
my sins, answered her, That though they had power over my body: yet
there was no torment should compel me to yield to their idolatry,
whereby I might bring my soul in danger of hell fire.
Then the Inquisitor asked her, What I said?
She answered, That I had said I would never submit myself to the Church
of Rome.
Then did he most vehemently charge me to yield and submit myself to the
Romish Church: otherwise he would pluck off one of my arms.
Whereupon I denying still, the Tormentor, in most cruel manner, wrested
the ropes as if he would have rent my body in sunder. I (being now in
intollerable pains; and looking for nothing but present [_instant_]
death) cried out, in the extremity of my anguish, "Now, farewell wife
and children! and farewell England!": and so, not able to utter one
word more, lay even senseless.
The Inquisitor asked the woman again, What I said?
She laid her hand upon my head, and perceiving that I was speechless,
told him, I was dead.
Wherefore the Tormentor loosed the ropes, unbound my hands and feet,
and carried me into a chamber which they termed St. Walter's Chamber.
Where I came to myself, and received some sense and reason; but could
have no feeling of any limb or joint. Thus I lay in a most lamentable
and pitiful manner for five days [? _14th-18th May 1588_], having a
continual issue of blood and water forth of my mouth all that space,
and being so feeble and weak, by reason of my torments, that I could
take no sustenance.
Till the sixth day [? _19th May 1588_] a little recovering my strength,
they gave me a little quantity of bread and wine sod[den] together: and
presently, the very same day, they carried me forth into the city, and
set me upon an ass's back, and whipped me throughout every street of
[_Palma_] the city of Majorca; giving me to the number of five hundred
lashes, which made the blood to run down my miserable carcase in such
abundance that it dropped at the belly of the ass to the ground. Now
there were carried with me about the city very many harlots and whores
and other malefactors which had offended the law; but none punished
like me.
After this, they carried me to the chamber [_St. Walter's Chamber_]
from whence I came: where I lay without all worldly comfort.
* * * * *
Can any man, which understandeth the absurd blindness and wilful
ignorance of these Spanish tyrants or Romish monsters, think them to
be of the true Church? which defend their faith with fire, sword, and
hellish torments, without remorse or pity; as you may perceive by a
manifest trial here set down to the open view of the World. For when
these hell-hounds had tormented this miserable creature, as you have
heard, with a monstrous and most unchristian kind of torment: which he
endured for the space of three hours, till [he] was at the very point
of death and ready to yield up the ghost: they (not yet satisfied with
these torments, which he had suffered already) reserved his life,
minding to increase his pains; which they were nothing slack to perform
so long as he remained in their power.
* * * * *
Now the second night after they had whipped me about the city as
aforesaid [? _the night of the 20th May 1588_], about midnight, I
recounting to myself in what misery I both did and had remained; I
thought to put in practice once again to get my liberty, craving of the
Lord, with hearty prayer, to assist me with his mighty hand.
And immediately searching about, I found an old iron stub; with the
which I brake a hole through the chamber wall: and crept through into
another chamber; where I felt in the dark many pieces of plate, which I
little regarded. After, I found many towels and table napkins.
Then, seeking further, I found a long cane whereon there hung many
puddings and sausages. I plucked down the cane, but had little mind on
the victual. Then I found certain knives.
Then I espied some light at a great window in a garret or loft over
me. Wherefore I tied a crooked knife to the cane, and thrust up a long
towel: and with the knife at the end of the cane, I drew the towel
about a bar of the window, and drew it to me: and with that towel I
did climb up into the window. But then I could not get forth between
the bars, wherefore I digged forth one of the bars; and tied my towels
and napkins together end to end, and fastened one end to a bar of the
window: and then did slide down by them till I came within three or
four fathoms [_18 or 24 feet_] of the ground: when the towels brake
in sunder, and I fell down into a well which was direct[ly] under me,
where I was almost drowned. Yet it pleased GOD to deliver me.
And being then in the city, without the Castle walls; I, knowing no
other way to get out, went again to the town ditch: where I got through
the Water Gate with less peril than before, by reason there was less
water than [there] was the other time.
* * * * *
Then went I, with all speed into the woods; lying all days in [the]
woods as close as I could, and travelled by nights through woods and
mountains.
And upon the third night [_i.e. after his escape, say the night of the
23rd May 1588_], about midnight, I happened into an olive garden, not
above half a bow shot from the sea-side; in which garden I found a
little skiff or boat lying under a pomgranate tree: and there lay in
the boat a hatchet. All which served happily for my delivery.
Now I, being unable to carry the boat to the water-side, did cut small
truncheons of wood; and upon them did slide it down to the water-side.
Then I cut an arm [_a_ _branch_] of an olive tree, to make my boat a
mast; and, having no other shift, made a sail-cloth with my breeches
and a piece of [a] mantle which I had about me. And for [_because_]
my oars were very mean, yet durst I stay to look for no better, but
presently set sail; and, yielding myself to the good pleasure of
Almighty GOD, betook myself to the sea: willing rather to abide what
the Lord would lay on me, than to die among these most cruel tyrants.
And by the providence of GOD, upon the second day [? _25th May 1588_],
in the forenoon, I descried the Coast of Barbary: for the wind stood
north-east [_or rather_ north-west], which served me most happily.
Understand that this cut is, from shore to shore [_that is, from some
point in Majorca to the east side of the Bay of Bougiah_] 150 [_or
rather_ 70] leagues, which is 450 [_or, at most, say_ 210] English
miles; and at that time [there was] a very rough sea; insomuch if it
had not been by the great and wonderful power of GOD, my vessel and I
had both been overwhelmed.
* * * * *
But I fell in with the country of Cabyles [_i.e._, _the Little Kabylia,
in the present Province of Constantine_], commonly called the King of
Cookooe's land, near a town called Gigeley [_the present Djidjelli_]:
where I went on shore, leaving my boat to swim which way the wind and
weather would conduct it; thinking it had done me sufficient service.
But see now, when I had escaped through the surges of the sea from
the cruelty of the Spaniard, I was no sooner landed and entered the
mountains but I was espied by the Moors which inhabit the country; who
pursued very earnestly to take me; supposing me to be come from the
Christian shore to rob in their coast.
For, many times, the Spaniards will pass over in some small vessel, and
go on shore; and if they can catch any men of the country, they will
carry them away to make galley slaves: wherefore the Moors are very
diligent to pursue them at their landing; and if it chance they take
any Christian, they use him in like sort.
Wherefore I, being very unwilling to fall into their hands, was
constrained to go into a river, which ran between two mountains; and
there to stand in water up to the chin, where the bushes and trees did
grow most thick over me: where I stood certain hours, until they had
left searching for me.
* * * * *
Now when I perceived they were departed, I went out of the water, being
very feeble; for I ate nothing all that time but the bark of the trees,
which I cut with my hatchet. I went forth as secretly as I could,
minding to pass to Argire [_Algiers_].
I had not gone above three miles, when I espied a Moor, a very well
favoured old man, who was weeding a field of wheat.
I spake to him in the tongue of Franke [_The_ Lingua Franca _of the
Mediterranean shore_], and called him to me. I, having my hatchet in my
hand, cast it from me.
He came unto me; and, taking me by the hand, demanded very gently, What
I would have?
I, perceiving that he did, even at the first sight, pity my poor and
miserable estate, told him all things that had happened unto me: how I
was an Englishman; how I had been captive in Argire; how I chanced to
come to Genoa; their sending me to Majorca; and all the torment which
I had suffered there; and finally my escape from thence, with all the
rest that followed.
[Sidenote: The charitable mind of a simple old man.]
This good aged father, when he had heard of my lamentable discourse,
shewing himself rather a Christian than a man brought up among the
Turkish Mahometists, greatly pitied my misery; and forthwith led me
home to his house, and caused such victuals as the country yieldeth to
be set before me, which was dried wheat and honey: and baked a cake
upon the fire hearth, and fried it with butter; which I thought very
good meat, for I had not been at the like banquet in six years before
[1582-1588]; the good father shewing me what comfort he could.
[Sidenote: The old man still pitied him and did what lay in him to
deliver him.]
There I remained four and twenty hours. In the meantime the Moors which
dwelt in the villages by, understanding of my being there, came; and,
calling me forth, inquired of me, What I was? From whence I came? and
Whither I would?: and, with great vehemency, charged their weapons
against my breast; insomuch that I thought they would verily have slain
me. But mine host, that good old man, came forth and answered for me;
and so dissuaded them from doing me any harm: and took me back again
into his house.
This being past, I requested him to help me to a guide to conduct me to
Argire: and he presently provided two, whereof the one was his son; to
whom I promised to give four crowns for their pains.
* * * * *
So taking my leave of my good host, we took our way towards Argire.
When we had not passed above 24 miles on the way, we chanced to meet
a Gentleman of that country who was, as it were, Purveyor to the
King; and went about the country to take up corn and grain for the
King's provision. He, meeting us upon the way, asked Whither we were
travelling?
My guides answered, That we were going to Argire.
He asked, What had we to do there?
They said to deliver me there.
Then he demanded, What I was?
They told him, I was an Englishman that came from the Christian shore,
and was bound towards Argire.
Then did this Gentleman take me from them, sending them back from
whence they came; but compelled me to go with him to village by, and
very earnestly persuaded me to turn Moor: promising, if I would, he
would be a mean[s] to prefer me greatly; which I still denied.
Then, upon the next day, he carried me further, to a town called
Tamgote [? _Tamgout_], and delivered me to a Nobleman of great
authority with the King: which was Lieutenant-General for the wars. For
this King of Cookooe holdeth continual war with the King of Argire;
although they be both subject to the Great Turk.
I was no sooner brought before this Nobleman, but he demanded, Whether
I would turn Moor?