CHAP. III.
A desperate Sea Fight in the Streights; His Passage to Rome, Naples, and the view of Italy.
Betwixt the two Capes, they met with an Argosie of Venice; it seemed the Captain desired to speak with them, whose untoward answer was such, as slew them a Man; {MN} whereupon the Britain presently gave them the Broad-side, then his Stern, and his other Broad-side also, and continued the Chase, with his chase Pieces, till he gave them so many Broad-sides one after another, that the Argosies Sails and Tackling was so torn, she stood to her defence, and made shot for shot; twice in one hour and a half the Britain boarded her, yet they cleared themselves, but clapping her aboard again, the Argosie fired him, which with much danger to them both was presently quenched. This rather augmented the Britain's rage, than abated his courage; for having reaccommodated himself again, shot her so oft between Wind and Water, she was ready to sink, then they yielded; the Britain lost fifteen Men, she twenty, besides divers were hurt, the rest went to Work on all hands; some to stop the Leaks, others to guard the Prisoners that were chained, the rest to ride her. The Silks, Velvets, Cloth of Gold, and Tissue, Piasters, Chicqueens and Sultanies, which is Gold and Silver, they unloaded in four and twenty hours, was wonderful, whereof having sufficient, and tired with toil, they cast her off with her Company, with as much good Merchandize as would have fraughted such another Britain, that was but two Hundred Tuns, she four or five Hundred.
{MN} A desperate Sea Fight.
To repair his Defects, he stood for the Coast of Calabria, but hearing there was six or seven Galleys at Messina, he departed thence for Malta; but the Wind coming fair, he kept his course along the Coast of the Kingdom of Sicilia, by Sardinia and Corsica, till he came to the Road of Antibo in Peamon, where he set Smith on shoar with five Hundred Chicqueens, and a little Box God sent him worth near as much more. Here he left this Noble Britain, and embarked himself for Legorn, being glad to have such opportunity and means to better his Experience by the view of Italy; and having passed Tuskany, and the Country of Siena, where he found his dear Friends, the two Honourable Brethren, the Lord Willoughby, and his Brother cruelly wounded, in a desperate fray, yet to their exceeding great Honour. Then to Viterbo and many other Cities he came to Rome, from where it was his chance to see Pope Clement the VIII. with many Cardinals, creep up the Holy Stairs, {MN} which they say, are those our Savior Christ went up to Pontius Pilate, where blood, falling from his Head, being pricked with his Crown of Thorns, the drops are marked with Nails of Steel, upon them none dare go but in that manner, saying so many Ave-Maries and Pater-Nosters, as is their Devotion, and to kiss the Nails of Steel: But on each side, is a pair of such like Stairs, upon which you may go, stand, or kneel, but divided from the Holy Stairs by two Walls: Right against them is a Chappel, where hangs a great Silver Lamp, which burneth continually; yet they say, the Oil neither increaseth nor diminisheth. A little distant is the ancient Church of Saint John de Lateran, where he saw him say Mass, which commonly he doth upon some Friday once a Month. Having saluted Father Parsons, that famous English Jesuit, and satisfied himself with the Rarities of Rome, he went down the River of Tiber to Civita Vechia, where he embarked himself, to satisfie his Eye with the fair City of Naples, and her Kingdoms Nobility; returning by Capua, Rome and Siena, he passed by that admired City of Florence, the Cities and Countreys of Bolonia, Ferrara, Mantua, Padua and Venice, whose Gulf he passed from Malamoco and the Adriatic Sea for Ragouza, spending some time to see that barren, broken Coast of Albania and Dalmatia, to Capo de Istria, Travelling the main of poor Sclavonia by Lubbiano, till he came to Grates in Styria, the Seat of Ferdinando, Arch-duke of Austria, now Emperour of Almania: where he met an English Man, and an Irish Jesuit, who acquainted him with many brave Gentlemen of good Quality, especially with the Lord Ebersbaught, with whom, trying such Conclusions, as he projected to undertake, preferred him to Baron Kisell, General of the Artillery, and he to a worthy Colonel, the Earl of Meldritch, with whom, going to Vienna in Austria, under whose Regiment, in what Service, and how he spent his time, this ensuing Discourse will declare.
{MN} The Popes holy stairs brought from Jerusalem, whereon (they say) Christ went up to Pontius Pilate.