GOod Reader , I haue here set downe vnto thy view , and for thy example to amendment , the great hurt and losses that hath béene both at Sea and Land , but especially the wonderfull preseruation of one Maister Edmond Pet Sayler , and Maister of a ship , and part owner , who was comming from New Castle with his Ship lading , and with diuers others in the ship , both passengers , and his owne seruants : griefe to tell , as it is well knowne , and too well , if it had bene Gods will to the contrarie , the wind being ruffe and furious , caused the Seas to be outragious and boysterous , and the waues thereof to be so great , and to arise so hie , that many times they were readie to ouerwhelme the ship , yet by Gods prouidence & the great care of this Maister Pet being Maister , and sore labour and earnest praier vnto the Lord , night and day of those in the ship , they were preserued vntill they came within the kenning of Land , both of Yearmouth and Harwich , and other townes , but still the wind did growe more strong , and the waues greater , and euery one ouertyred with sore labour , as some at the pumpe , and some otherwaies , not one hauing leasure or stomacke almost either to eat or drinke , so that then they did wholy relie vpon Gods mercy , ceasing from their labours , and then did this Maister Pet make a godly spéech : saying vnto the rest , Let vs all knéele downe with earnest praier , and euen with the knées of our hearts , desire God for his deare sonne Iesus Christ his sake , to deliuer vs from this great danger , crying all with loud and wofull voyces , O Lord preserue vs now , that we may liue and honour thée in praysing thy name with Psalmes of thankesgiuing , as thou didst preserue Ionas thrée daies in the maine Seas , and in the belly of a mightie deuouring Whale , and chast Susanna from the wicked Elders , who would haue dishonoured God in their lust , and brought to destruction that godly woman and chast wife . Likewise O Lord , thou didst preserue thy seruant Daniel from the gréedie iawes of the cruell and rauenous Lyons , being of purpose kept hungry in their dennes . O good Lord thou didst make the blind to sée , the halt and lame to goe , and the dead to arise and walke , so good Lord if it be thy blessed will , thou canst now deliuer vs , euen now when all mans helpe is past . And now in this space while Maister Pet was vsing these spéeches , and earnest prayer to God , the ship began to sinke déeper and déeper into the Sea , whereupon euery one began to shift for himselfe in laying hold some vpon one thing , and some vpon another . As they were standing vpon the hatches still called on God , but séeing there was no way to saue themselues , then with great shrikes and loud cries they were al drowned : Nay more , not one liuing thing in the ship saued . And Maister Edmond Pet , after he had bene vnder water , by Gods helpe tooke hold of the maine Mast and got out his knife and cut certaine cords or lines and made shift to get vp to the top of the Mast , and there tied himselfe , for feare least by the strength of the winde & rain , he should be blowne off into the Sea . All which this man in miserie did sée , and himselfe looking euery minute of an houre to taste of the same cup the rest had done : for now halfe the maine Mast whereon he sate was couered with water , this being about seuen of the clocke in the morning . Thus sat this grieued man all that day and all night , séeing nothing but water readie to swallow him vp : yet vpon the next day , betwéene the houres of seuen and eight of the clocke , to his great comfort , he descried a ship comming towards him , he being beaten so sore with winde and weather , that he could hardly speake , for his body was swelled as bigge as two bodies , and likewise his legges did grow to such a bignes , that they were more like to the waste or middle of a man , then the legge of a man , yet when this ship came neare vnto him , he cryed and called as well as he could , that they would saue him , and take him into their ship . One or two of them answered very briefly , we are sorrie , we are sorrie , but we cannot stay . O most vnkind men , and in humane , that euer man should haue cause to say , that euer any Christian should be so hard-harted to leaue a man in that distresse . But when he saw them saile away , Oh! it was more then halfe a killing to his poore heart . Well when he had sat on this maine Mast vntill the next morning , which was 48. houres , there came towards him by Gods appoyntment a man of warre , being a Hollander , who did shew him kindnes and mercy , for he did send his ship-boate for him , and brought him to his ship , and did seeke to comfort him in what he could , like the good Samaritane , but this Maister Pet was so weather beaten , and so swelled , that he could neither eate nor drinke : yet this man of warre would and did what he could for him , for séeing he could not comfort him with any thing he had in his ship , he sayled into a towne in Suffolke , called Harwich , and there st him on shore , not leauing him vntill he had brought him to some of his old acquaintance , who did not knowe him : nay more , his owne wife did not knowe him , when he was brought home to London , by reason he was swelled of such bignes , and so changed with sitting , as I tolde you before 48. houres in the winde & raine . And see and heare and giue God praise ; yet more of Gods wonderfull kindnes in deliuering this Maister Pet once before , who comming from a farre voyage in a Ship of Marchandise , by misfortune the Ship was split , the Ship and all the goods lost , and to the number of eightéene persons drowned . And this man left aliue to tell vnto the world what God had done for him , that all that heare it might praise the Lord : and praised be the name of the Lord , he is now well and in perfect health . And as I said before , dwelling in Séething Lane in London . Wel now leauing this sad storie of Maister Pet , with griefe I must tell you , of others harmes and losses : First there was to the great terror and griefe of many the beholders , sixe score dead men taken vp , vpon Yarmouth shore , the losses of Boates and Lyters , and men lately vpon the Thames , is too well knowne , if it had béene Gods will to haue bene otherwaies , for many haue séene dead men swimming too and fro betwéene Graues End and London , being carried by the Tyde , and still hats or cloakes , and staues , and diuers other things of Passengers haue seene bene vpon the Thames swimming too and fro , & a great Barge being laden with fagots and billets , and other timber to make cartwhéeles , was cast away néere London bridge , being in a storme of winde , and all her lading swimming vp and downe the Thames . Likewise neare the coast of Douer & Sandwich , and so to Wayborne Hoope in Norfolke , was much hurt done , with the losse of many mens liues . Likewise all the vpper parts of a windmill in Bedfordshire was blowne away , but God be praised none kild . Neare Sharnbrook , a traueller of London that came downe to sée his friends , was by the strength of the winde blowne off from a bridge , but by others was taken vp aliue and saued . Two men and their horses in Glostershire were blowne from a bridge , & both horse and men drowned . A man neere Bedford being thatching a house , was blowne off & kild : trées blowne vp by the rootes , other rest and torne , houses and chimnies quite blowne downe , falling vpon cattell & kild them , to the great losse and hurt of many men . And diuers other strange matters I could speake of , all which is for our sinnes . God grant we way take warning to amend our liues by these dangers & losses , or else we must néeds looke for farther punishment . For as God is mercifull , so he is Iust , and will punish vs if we will not be warned by these examples . God grant for his Sonne Iesus Christs sake we may all be warned to amend our liues . Amen .