AS all Relations of any goodnesse that befals to men , or of any euill that they are defended or deliuered from , are manifest declarations of Gods power in mans weaknes , and the richnesse of the Almighties mercy gratiously extended to our pouertie and miserie , wherein from time to time in all ages the omnipotencie of the Creator hath protected and regarded the impotencie of his creatures , thereby to stirre vs vp to the loue , feare and obedience of his eternall Maiestie .

Omitting therefore to fill vp this discourse with many old examples , or to delay the Readers expectation with impertinent stuffe , I will here relate briefly and in succinct and plaine manner , the strange and true deliuerance of a ship and foure English Mariners : in which report I doubt not , but God will be glorified , and those that reade or heare it well satisfied .

Neere the latter end of October last , 1621. a ship belonging to the Citie of Bristoll , being about the burden of 120. Tunnes , was met withall and set vpon by Turkes or Pirats of Argier , where after a long and sharpe fight ( being in the mouth of the Straits of Gibraltar ) the English ship being opprest with the multitude of their enemies , was taken , their Ordnance , Cables , Anchors , Sailes , Ship and men pillag'd , ransack'd , and at the mercy of the insulting Barbarians , who to make their worke the surer , tooke all the Englishmen out of the ship , except foure youthes , whose names were Iohn Cooke , William Ling , Dauid Iones , and Robert Tuckey , into which ship the Turkes did put thirteene of their owne men to command the English , and to bring the ship as a prize to Argier ; amongst which one of the Pirats was appointed Captaine , being a strong , able , sterne , and resolute fellow .

These foure poore youthes being thus fallen into the hands of mercilesse Infidels , began to studie and complot all the meanes they could for the obtaining of their freedomes : First they considered the lamentable and miserable estates that they were like to be in , as to be debard for euer from seeing their friends and Countrey , to be chained , beaten , made slaues , and to eat the bread of affliction in the Galleyes all the remainder of their vnfortunate liues , to haue their heads shauen , to feed on course diet , to haue hard boords for beds , and which was worst of all , neuer to be partakers of the heauenly word and Sacraments . These and the like heauie and sad cogitations were like so many whetstones to sharpen their wits , to deuise meanes for their deliuerance , and withall their desperate cases were spurres to rowse their courages to attempt any dangerous exploit for their enlargement , for they did consider wisely that death was better then bondage , and that noble resolutions were the begetters or fore-runners of worthy actions , which made them resolue rather then they would suffer a slauish life , to trie the hazard of a memorable death .

Thus being quite hopelesse , haplesse , and for any thing they knew , for euer helplesse , they sailed fiue dayes and nights vnder the command of the Pirates , when on the fift night , God in his great mercy shewed them a meanes for their wished-for escape , for in the dead of the night the winde began to rise , and in short space it blew so stiffe that they were enforced to strike both their top sailes ; and at last it encreased to such a gust or storme , that they must take in their maine Saile , and being vnable to doe it themselues , Iohn Cooke and William Ling did call to the Turks for helpe : whereupon the Captaine himselfe came to help them ; who standing by the ships side , betweene the aforesaid Iohn and Dauid Iones , lending his hand to hale in the saile , the said Iohn and Dauid suddenly tooke him by the breech and threw him ouer boord , but by fortune he fell into the bunt of the saile , where quickly catching hold of a rope , hee ( being a very strong man ) had almost gotten into the ship againe : which Iohn Cooke perceiuing , leaped speedily to the Pumpe , and tooke off the Pumpe brake or handle , and cast it to William Ling , bidding him knocke him downe , which he was not long in doing , but lifting vp the woodden weapon hee gaue him such a palt on the pate , as made his braines forsake the possession of his head , with which his body fell into the Sea .

An Obiection may be made heere , why the Turke cried not to his fellowes at first for helpe , or how these things could be done but the rest of his company must either see or heare it : to which I answer , that at Sea a Gust , Flaw , or Storme , hath many times a louder voice then a man ; besides when Mariners doe hale or pull any thing , they doe make a noyse , as it were crying ha woet hale men hale , which with the noyse of the wind whizzing and hizzing in the shrowdes and cordage , would ouercome and drowne the voice or crie of any man whatsoeuer . Besides , his companions were all busie , some at the mizen , some at the sprit-saile , some to trim the fore-saile , and the night exceeding darke , all these things concurring , and chiefly God graciously assisting , thus these braue Lads began the businesse luckily .

Nor must I forget Robert Tuckey , who was imployd all this while in a place of maine importance , for hee stood at the Helme , and in all the weather guided the ship ; now after the Captaine was thus cashierd , Iohn Cooke ran hastily vp the halfe decke to the Masters Cabbin , neere which were standing six or seuen Turks , but hee being nothing daunted or discouraged for them , slipt roughly by them , and gat out two good cuttleaxes , or short swords , one of which he deliuered to William Ling , withall saying , Courage my fellowes and countrey men , God strengthen and assist vs ; with that they laid about them so manfully , that they droue the Turkes from place to place in the ship , and hauing coursed them from the Poope to the Forecastle , they there valiantly killed two of them , and gaue another a dangerous wound or two , who to escape the further fury of their swords , leap't suddenly ouer-boord to goe seeke his Captaine . Thus foure of the thirteene Turkes being made sure for doing any harme , they chased and followed the other nine so close , that they ( to saue themselues ) being also many of them sore hurt and wounded , ran betweene the ships decks ; whereupon the English men fastned the decks to keepe them vnder : the Turkes , not knowing how to be reuenged , ran aftward toward the helme , and vnshipt their whipstaffe , or as some call it a whipstocke , ( which is the staffe that a Mariner holds in his hand , when hee guides or steeres a ship ) by which meanes the English men were in some distresse , by reason the ship lay tumbling and rowling vnguided in the raging and boystrous billowes of the Sea : at last Iohn Cooke and William Ling got each of them a Musket , which they quickly charged , and went downe where the nine Turkes were , making offers to shoote at them , at which they were much terrified ; whereupon they quickly ship'd their whipstocke againe , deliuering the helme to Robert Tuckey , and then presently they stowed all the Turkes vnder the hatches , where they kept them close till the next morning , and then as they had occasion to vse them , they would call vp two or three of them at a time , to hale and pull sheetes , tacks , braces , and boleins , to hoyse and strike sayles , or any such necessary and laborious imployments , in all which the English made the Turkes attend them , and directing their course for the Port of Saint Lucas in Spaine , they in short time ( by Gods ayde ) happily and safely arriued at the said Port , where they sold the nine Turkes for Gally-slaues , for a good summe of money , and as I thinke a great deale more then they are worth .

Thus haue I set downe a true relation and description of these mens Captiuity , and ioyfull deliuerance , in which the Reader may see the instability of humane accidents , and that the supernall power and prouidence hath a ruling hand to dispose all the purposes of men to his owne glory , and the good of those that depend vpon him . For what expectation of redresse or comfort could these distressed youths haue , they being but foure in number , their enemies being their masters , and thirteene to the dozzen , strong , lusty , able , and mercilesse Turkes : In the reason of man , the poore mens case was desperat and past recouery ; but see , Gods arme is not shortned , hee that ouercame Pharaoh with Lice , Grashoppers , Froggs , and Caterpillers , to make Gedeon victorious with the breaking of Earthen Pitchers , to cause Foxes with fire-brands to consume the Corne of the Philistims ; to make Sampson kill a thousand men , with a silly Asses saw bone , to strengthen Dauid ( being but a young Lad , and a Shepherd ) that with his owne hands he slew a raging Lyon , and a rauening Beare , and after that with a sling and a stone , to conquer and kill a mighty Gyant : Innumerable are the examples that I could recite in this kinde , but they are so manifest and frequent , that with admiration and adoration , our humane reason is strooke blinde and dumbe , whil'st our faith with thankfulnesse should ascend to the author of our happinesse .

Nor can I forget to commend vnto memory the good and well bestowed courage of these foure young men , for as a wise man said , the talke of a souldier ought to hang vpon the point of his sword , and courage cannot iustly be called courage but where the cause is iust , and their cause being good , they thought it more courage to dye free , then to liue slaues , they contemned all dangers , they despised all miseries , and they with fortitude conquered their Conquerors : How many deiected slaues would haue sate whining like whelpes , and like vassals haue put their necks into the noose of perpetuall seruitude , crying onely , God helpe , but neuer endeuouring to vse the meanes that God hath giuen them , whilst these braue sparks and spirits , the darlings of valour , to their owne long lasting fame and their countreys neuer dying honour , makes Bristoll famous , Britaine glorious , their reputations pretious , and the Turkes contemptuous .

Had Iohn Cooke beene some Collonell , Captaine , or Commander , or William Ling , some nauigating Lord , or Dauid Iones some gentleman of land and riches , or had Robert Tuckey beene one of fortunes minions , to haue had more mony then wit , or more wealth then valour , oh what a triumphing had heere beene then , what rare Muses would haue toyld like Mules , to haue gallopt with their flattering encomiums , beyond the 32. points of the compasse ; whilst these 4 rich caskets of home-spun valour and courage , haue no pen to publish their deserued commendations , no inuention to emblazon their saltwater honour , but the poore lines and labours of a freshwater Poet.

Nor doe I write this to the intent that any man should presume that their owne strengths , valour , or courage is sufficient to doe these or the like actions , for they are not ordinary , and therefore man is but made the ordinary instrument of an extraordinary power , and hee that shall attribute such things as these to the arme of flesh and bloud , is forgetfull , ingratefull , and in a manner Atheisticall .

One Iohn Fox an expert Mariner , and a good approued and sufficient Gunner , was ( in the raigne of Qu. Elizabeth ) taken by the Turkes , and kept eighteene yeeres in most miserable bondage and slauery , at the end of which time , he espied his opportunity , ( and God assisting him withall ) that he slew his keeper , and fled to the seas side , where he found a Gally with one hundred and fifty captiue Christians , which he speedily waying their Anchor set saile , and fell to worke like men , and safely arriued in Spaine , by which meanes he freed himselfe and a number of poore soules from long and intolerable seruitude , after which the said Iohn Fox came into England , and the Queene ( being rightly informed of his braue exploit ) did graciously entertaine him for her seruant , and allowed him a yeerely pension .

Captaine Nicolls with a ship of London called the Dolphin , fought a long and bloudy fight , with many of the Turkish men of warre at one time , at which time he sunke some of them , slew many of their men , and hauing his owne ship exceedingly rent and torne with the enemies great shot , yet at last it pleased God to deliuer him from them , so that he safely arriued at home .

Master William Malam of Rotherhith , within these three yeeres was set vpon by these Rouers , and after a long fight , being much hurt by the Ordnance of the Turkes , ( the night comming on ) which made the fight to cease , when the Generall of the Pirats past his word , and bound it with an oath , that if M. Malam would come aboord his ship all night , that he should well and safely be set aboord againe his owne ship the next morning , vpon which word and oath M. Malam went aboord the Turke and a Merchant with him ; but first before hee went commanded his Mate to watch his opportunity , and steale away with the ship in the night if he could , which fell out as he wished , whereby all the Merchants goods were saued , and the ship safely arriued heere at London : but in the morning , when the Turkes did perceiue the English ship was gone , then would they haue put M. Malam and the Merchant that was with him to death , whereupon he vrged him with his oath and promise , which was that he should come and goe safely , and that if a Christian had made him or any man such a promise , and bound it with a vow , hee would haue kept his word . And that ( for any thing he knew ) his ship being so dangerously hurt by them might bee sunke in the night , and not escaped away as he imagined . Now whilst they were in this discourse , presently came a saile in sight , which afterwards they found to bee a small Scottish ship bound for England , whom the Turkes quickly tooke , and pillag'd at their pleasure , taking from them their Sailes , Cables , Anchors , and all things necessary for their vse or preseruation , and hauing rob'd and rifled the poore Scot in that manner , they put Mr. Malam and the Merchant into her to try their fortunes , either to sinke or swim , but it pleased God they safely arriued in the west part of England , where they came home by land sad and disconsolate because they could not heare any newes of the ship : but the same night that he came home , before day there was happy tidings brought of the ships safe arriuall into the riuer of Thames .

All these things are true vpon mine owne knowledge , and these worthy Mariners that haue beene so deliuered , doe , and euer did , attribute all the meanes of their deliuerance to the mighty hand of God ; and they are so far from taking any of these things to their owne prayse or glory , that some of them haue euer done their best to suppresse them from being printed . But as it were a meere vanity to boast or brag , so I hold it a great pitty , that either Gods mercies , or mans benefits receiued , should be concealed .

Here is matter sufficient related , to perswade men that as they should not presumptuously ascribe Gods honour to themselues , so on the other side here are maine motiues and examples to keepe men from despaire in their greatest distresses : for as you see heere when all mans helpe failed , then Gods helpe preuailed , to whom alone , as it is due , bee ascribed all the honour .