We were about an hundred and fifty poor Wretches, who, on the 8th of January, 1670, were turn'd out of this terrible Place, some to be banish'd, of whom our Chinese was one, some to be whipp'd, and three, who had been accus'd of Magic, were burnt alive, particularly a poor old Man of four-score and three, whom two different Orders of Monks had depriv'd of a very considerable Inheritance, by forcing his Brother, who was a rich Man, to make a Will, by which they got Possession of all that he left behind him at his Death, on pretence of delivering his Soul forthwith out of Purgatory. This unjust Proceeding so exasperated the old Man, that he cou'd not help fretting at it, and raving against those Persons whom he took to be the Authors of this Injustice, whereupon they loaded him with Crimes that deserv'd Burning, and did not cease to prosecute him till they saw him consum'd to Ashes.
CHAP. XV.
Of the Author's Departure for Lisbon: How he was taken and carry'd into Slavery, and what happened to him while he was a Slave.
I was carry'd aboard a Ship, the Captain of which had Orders to deliver me over to the Inquisitor at Lisbon; so that we set out that same Month for Portugal. I was told by the way, that the Galleys, to which I was condemn'd, were only Houses of Correction, where the Prisoners were put to hard Labour, because the Portuguese have no Galleys at Sea. This comforted me a little in my Misfortune. I thought it a great Happiness to be deliver'd from the Oar, and the Cruelties exercis'd by the Tyrants of the Committees upon the Slaves chain'd on board their Vessels. We had a tolerable Voyage, and the finest Weather all the way that we could reasonably expect. The most remarkable thing that happen'd to us was, that on the 23d of March a Water-spout had like to have carry'd off our Main-topmast. The Crew thought themselves lost, and in a Moment the most impious Expressions were chang'd into those of Devotion, which continu'd till the Hurricane left us. At length, after having pass'd the Canaries a long time, and being arriv'd, as I thought, at N. Lat. 34. two Pirates came up with us one Morning at Day-break, which fell to cannonading us stoutly. Tho' we had made a good Voyage, yet there were several sick People on board of us; we fought however near two Hours, during which I've had twelve Men kill'd, and seventeen wounded. I beg Pardon of God, but I must own I was glad that we were fallen into the Hands of Pirates, because I thereby hoped to recover my Liberty;, but it did not turn out as I expected. The Captain redeem'd his Ship for a Sum of Money, and the Pirates only took thirty of the stoutest and cleverest Men, besides my self, whom they carry'd to Serselli, a little Town upon the Mediterranean, twenty Leagues from Algier, and four from the River Miromus. There we landed on the 18th of July, and were sold to the highest Bidder.
My Master was a Ship-carpenter, a Man of Substance, who had at least thirty Boys in his Service. At first, I was only employ'd in the coarse Work; to fetch and carry, and to serve the Workmen with what they wanted, was my proper Occupation. Afterwards I helped to careen the Ships, to refit them, and to calk them. There was a vast difference betwixt my Condition of Life now, and that I was in at Goa before I was detained there; yet when I remember'd what I had suffer'd in the Inquisition, and what was preparing for me at Lisbon, I thought my self extremely happy. In short, I had a Master that was perfectly honest, who seeing that I did my best, did not let me want for Necessaries. The Lodging was good, the Provisions better, and he never gave me an angry Word. This made mean hundred times call to mind the Idea that us'd to be given of the Barbarians and Turks among us Children. They were represented to us as Devils; but I must lay it to their Commendation, that I found as much Charity, Humanity, and Honesty among them as among the Europeans; nay, more, if I may presume to say so, insomuch that I should not have been sorry if it had been my Hap to have ended my Days among them; but Providence was pleas'd to dispose of me otherwise; and the Methods it made use of to bring me out of that Country are pretty remarkable.
As there is nothing perfect in this World, Schilt, the Head Footman, who was a Renegado and a Native of Vienna, hated me as much as my Patron lov'd me. There was no ill Office which the Traitor did not do me when he had an Opportunity to false Appearances; so that my Master, who plainly saw where the Fault lay, but could not possibly do without him, was forc'd against the Grain to part with me: I was sold to a wealthy Nobleman, who liv'd in the Country about three Leagues off from the Place where I was.
This Nobleman had a Son of twenty seven or twenty eight Years of Age, who was a Fool, and sometimes quite mad. He had lucid Intervals of Reason, but at other times he rent his Clothes, broke his Chain sometimes, and would have been likely to have torn those in pieces who came in his reach, or to have kill'd himself if he had not been prevented. An Amour was the Cause of this Frenzy. He had courted a Girl, who wou'd not have him, upon which he mop'd at first, and at last his Head turn'd. There was a Necessity for some body to be near the poor Wretch Day and Night, and they were willing to have a Man of a proper Age, Wisdom, and Strength to watch over his Actions. I had sufficiently of the first, and was not entirely destitute of the others: And I can say, that I manag'd it so as was very pleasing to my Superiors. He had not been six Weeks under my Care, but I did what I wou'd with him, except when he fell into a Passion, and then he car'd for no body, and all that could be done with him, was to keep him fast bound, and to let nothing come in his way that he could do any Damage to.
This House, or rather this stately Palace, was a Place of Resort for all the Gentlemen thereabouts, and Foreigners were there eternally. One Day a Bashaw arriv'd there, who was receiv'd with very particular Tokens of Esteem and Respect. They lodg'd him in a very magnificent Room, which look'd into the inner Court; but towards Midnight the Gentleman was awak'd by a prodigious Rattle in his Chamber, which, for all he was a Bashaw, frighted him, so that he lifted up his Head, look'd first one way, then another, and at last spy'd at one End of the Hall a Creature lying upon a piece of Turky-wrought Tapistry, which he could not tell what to make of. He was upon the point of rising out of his Bed, and going near to examine it, or of calling out to some body else to come to it, but while he was hesitating which to do, the Object on which he had fix'd his Eyes rose up on a sudden, advanc'd towards his Tent, dragging a huge Chain after him, and in very tatter'd Clothes, with a Beard that cover'd half of his Face, and bare-headed, so that he look'd more like a Devil than a Man. At this Spectacle he was struck all of a Heap: But this was not all; for the Spectre not only walk'd twenty times round the Room, but came to the Bashaw's Bed-side, and lay down by him for half an hour, without doing or saying any thing, and then getting up again, marched out, pulling the Door after him very hard. When the Morning came my Patron was surpriz'd that he had not seen his Guest; for Breakfast had been ready a long time, and they had promis'd one another to walk out in the Morning to get them a Stomach. At last, about eleven o'Clock he sent a Domestic, and bid him steal in softly, to see if he was asleep. The Man opening the Door, and creeping into the Room, advanc'd gradually to the Bed-side, and saw the poor Bashaw staring with his Eyes wide open, but pale as Death, with all the other Symptoms of a man that had scarce any Life left within him. The Servant return'd as softly as he enter'd, made but one Leap to his Master, and told him what he had seen. Upon this the whole House was in an Alarm; they all ran to see him; they spoke to him, ask'd him what was the Matter, but he spoke not a Word, so that every body believ'd he was at the point of Death. Mean time some body having thought fit to put a Drop of Spirit of Wine into the Palms of his Hands, and to rub the same on his Temples, and under his Nostrils, they began to observe that he came to himself. A little after they forc'd him to take a little Brandy into his Mouth, which did him a great deal of Good; he recover'd his Spirits by degrees, and giving a deep Groan, O Heavens! said he, what a terrible Night have I had! I am not much oblig'd to you, Sir, said he, speaking to my Master, for putting me in a Place where Witches have their nocturnal Meeting. What means all this, reply'd my Master? Have you had any troublesome Dreams? we drank a little hard last Night, which perhaps you are not us'd to, so that this may have disturb'd your Brain, and started disagreeable Objects to your Fancy: But come, get up, it will signify nothing, only be of Courage, a good Dinner will set all to Rights. You must not, reply'd he, lay the Blame either on the Wine or on my Brain; 'twas no Imagination nor Dream, I assure you I was in my right Senses when the Devil appear'd to me. He stay'd about two Hours in my Room, and actually lay sometime upon my Bed. But, Sir, said my Master, who began to smell a Rat, what Shape did the Devil assume? He appear'd in the Shape of a Man, reply'd the Bashaw, and notwithstanding the little Light that glimmer'd in at the Windows, I observ'd, that he was all over ragged, that he had a sorrowful Countenance, thin Jaws, &c. Don't say a Word more, said my Patron, interrupting him, I am troubled at this Accident. I am sorry to say it, but I must tell you, that the Man you saw is my Son; and having given Orders that he shou'd be brought, the Bashaw was in amaze the very Moment he saw him. I can't deny, said he, but that's the very Man I saw last Night, who put my Brains so much upon the Rack. He talk'd in such a manner as made the Fool almost burst with Laughter, and gave him an Opportunity to tell him with his own Mouth the Prank that he had play'd. This anger'd the Bashaw, so that he ask'd if no body was appointed to look after him, and some body answering in the Affirmative, he desir'd to see him. Immediately I was sent for, and when I came before him, Is it you, said he, you Dog, that is set over this young Gentleman to take care of him? Yes, Sir, said I. And what's the Reason then that you let him loose last Night? reply'd he. He was not ty'd, said I. He had been well for some Days past, so that I have not kept so strict a Watch upon him as usual, but have ventur'd to take my Rest by him. During this he made an Excursion, and came to alarm you, as I am told, at which I am really concern'd to the last degree, and I ask your Pardon, promising you it shall be so no more. No more, you cursed Dog, reply'd he, I believe it won't, at least with respect to me, for I shall never recover it. I have a great Respect for those that you belong to; but 'tis well for you that I am not able to rise; for perhaps I should have been very outragious, and you might have run the risque to have had your Head broke. Get out of my Sight, you Wretch, and pray to God, that I may not happen to meet you. Then addressing his Speech to my Master, If you would oblige me, Sir, said he, you will dismiss this Scoundrel upon the Spot, that I mayn't hear his Name mention'd any more. I had not been many Months in this Castle, during which the other Domestics did not owe me any Grudges, and my Master had a very great Respect for me, because of the Care I took of his Son, who really gave me a great deal of Trouble. Yet for all this the good Man was oblig'd in Complaisance to turn me away.
I was carry'd into the City to be sold to the first Bidder; there I learnt that the head Footman I mention'd ere now was dead, so that I sent to ask my old Master, or Patron, whether he wou'd please to admit me into his Service. He was overjoy'd to have me again, and I as glad to live again with a Person who had all the Regard imaginable for me while I dwelt with him. About three Weeks after, Monsieur the Bashaw, accompany'd with a fine Retinue came to see our Yard. I knew him when he was a hundred Paces off. His Threats had made such an Impression on my Mind, that I ran away with all the speed I cou'd. He did not know it was I, because the next Day, after the Vision, when he was recover'd of the Fright and his Passion entirely over, he ask'd what was become of me; and when he was told that I was gone, he seem'd to be sorry at it, order'd me to be sent for immediately, because he desir'd to speak with me, with an Assurance upon his Word and Honour that he wou'd not hurt a Hair of my Head. Notwithstanding this, I trembled when I went to him, which he observ'd and burst out into Laughter, which he did no doubt to hearten me. He ask'd me several indifferent Questions, to which I answer'd with all the Submission possible. At length he ask'd me, whether, in case my present Master was willing to part with me, I shou'd not be very glad to return and live with the Gentleman whose Service I had so lately quitted upon his Account? Having made him sensible that I cou'd not act as I pleas'd in that Affair, I cou'd make him no Answer but that I was perfectly well where I was. Keep then in that Mind, said he, 'tis to be sure as agreeable to be in the Company of People of Sense, as to be eternally taking care of a Lunatic; and having given me Money to drink his Health, he sent me about my Business.