At Carthagena wee heard a report of threescore saile of ships of Hollanders waiting for the Galeons, which struck no little feare into the Spaniards; who called a councell whether our Fleet should winter there, or goe on to Spain. It proved to be but a false report of the Inhabitants of Carthagena, who for their own ends and lucre would willingly have had the ships and Galeons to have stayed there; but Don Carlos de Ybarra replyed, that hee feared not a hundred saile of Hollanders, and therefore would goe on to Spain, hoping to carry thither safely the Kings treasure. Which hee performed and in eight dayes arrived at Havana, where we stayed eight dayes longer, expecting the Fleet from Vera Cruz. In which time I viewed wel that strong Castle manned with the twelve Guns, called the twelve Apostles, which would doe little hurt to an Army by land, or marching from the River of Matansos. I visited here the mother of that Mulatto, who had taken away all my meanes at Sea; and spent much time in comforting my poore Country men the prisoners; but especially that gallant Captaine Rouse, who came unto mee to complaine of some affronts which had been offered unto him by Spaniards, in the ship wherein he came; which hee not being able to put up, though a Prisoner unto them desired to question in the field, challenging his proud contemners to meet him if they durst in any place of the Havana, (a brave courage in a dejected and Imprisoned English man to challenge a Spaniard in his Country, a Cock upon his own dunghill,) which as soone as I understood by Edward Layfield, I desired to take up, fearing that many would fall upon him cowardly and mince him small in peices. I sent for him to the Cloister where I lay, and there had conference with him, prevailing so far as that I made him desist from his thoughts of going into the field, and shewing his manhood in such a time and place, where his low condition of a Prisoner might well excuse him. The rest of my poore country men were here much discouraged and in some want; whom I relieved (especially Layfield) and incouraged as much as I was able. I chanced here to have occasion to take a little physick before I went again to Sea, & thereby I learned what before I never knew, to wit, the dyet which on such a day the best Physitians of Havana prescribe unto their patients. Whereas after the working of my physick, I expected some peece of Mutton, or a fowl, or some other nourishing meat, my Physitian left order that I should have a peece of rosted Porke, which seeming unto mee a Dyet contrary to that daies extremity, I began to refuse it, alleadging to my Doctor the contrary course of all Nations, the naturall quality of that meat to open the body. To which he replyed, that what Porke might worke upon mans body in other Nations, it worked not there, but the contrary; and so he wished me to feed upon what hee had prescribed, assuring mee that it would doe mee no hurt. Now as Hogs flesh there is held to be so nourishing, so likewise no other meat is more then it, and Tortoises, wherewith all the ships make their provision for Spain. The Tortoises they cut out in long thin slices, as I have noted before of the Tassajos, and dry it in the wind after they have well salted it, and so it serveth the Mariners, in all their voyage to Spain, which they eate boyled with a little garlicke, and I have heard them say that to them it tasted as well as any Veale. They also take into their ships some fowles for the Masters and Captaines tables, and live hogs, which would seem to be enough to breed some infection in the ship, had they not care to wash often the place where such unclean beasts lie. In the ship where I was passenger, was killed every weeke one for the Masters, Pilots and passengers table. Thus all things being made ready for the ships provision to Spain, and the Merchants goods and the Kings Revenue being shipped in nine dayes that we abode there; we now wanted nothing, but onely the company of the Fleet from Vera Cruz, which should have met us there upon the eight day of September. But Don Carlos de Ybarra, seeing it stayed longer then the time appointed, and fearing the weather, & the New Moon of that moneth which commonly proveth dangerous in the Golf of Bahama, resolved to stay no longer, but to set out to Spain. On a Sabbath day therefore in the morning we hoised sails, (being in all seven and twenty ships with those which had met with us there from Honduras and the Islands), and one by one we sailed out of Havana to the main Sea, where we that day wafted about for a good wind, and also waiting for our guide, which was not yet come out of the Havana to guide us through the Gulfe of Bahama. But that night wee wished our selves againe in the Havana, thinking that we were compassed about with a strong Fleet of Hollanders; many ships came amongst us, which made us provide for a fight in the morning. A Councell of War was called, and all that night watch was kept, the Guns prepared, red Clothes hung round the ships, Orders sent about both to the Galeons and to the Merchants ships what posture and place to bee in. That which I was in, was to attend the Admirall, which I hoped would bee a strong defence unto us; Our men were couragious and ready to fight, though I liked not such Martiall business and discourse; but for mee a place was prepared where I might lie hid, and be safe among some barrels of bisket; I had all the night enough to doe, to heare the confessions of those in the Ship, who thought they could not dye happily with the shot of a Holland Bullet, untill they had confessed all their sinnes unto mee, who towards morning had more need of rest, then of fighting, after the wearying of my eares with hearing so many wicked, grievous and abominable sinnes. But the dawning of the day discovered our causelesse feare; which was from friends, and not from any enemies or Hollanders; for the ships which were joyned unto us in the night were as fearefull of us, as we of them, and prepared themselves likewise to fight in the morning, which shewed unto us their colours, whereby wee knew that they were the Fleet which wee expected from Vera Cruz to goe along with us to Spain. They were two and twenty Sail, which little thought to find us out of the Havana, but within the Haven lying at Anchor, waiting for their comming, and therefore in the night feared us much more then wee them. But when the day cleared our doubts, feares and jealousies, then began the Martiall colours to be taken down; the joyfull sound of Trumpets with the helpe of Neptunes Kingdomes ecchoed from ship to ship, the boates carryed welcoming messages from one to another, the Spanish Brindis with buen Viaje, buen passaje, was generally cried out, the whole morning was spent in friendly acclamations and salutations from ship to ship. But in the midst of this our joy, and Sea greetings, wee being now in all two and fifty Saile, (yet wee not knowing well how many they were from Vera Cruz, nor they how many wee were from the Havana) two ships were found amongst us, whether English or Hollanders wee could not well discover, but the English Prisoners with mee told mee they thought one was a ship of England called the Neptune, which having got the wind of us, singled out a ship of ours, which belonged to Dunkerk, and from St. Lucar or Cales had beene forced to the Kings service in that voyage to the India's, laden with sugars & other rich commodities to the worth of at least fourscore thousand Crowns; and suddainly giving her a whole broad side (receiving a reply onely of two Guns) made her yeeld, without any hope of help from so proud and mighty a Fleet, for that she was somewhat far straggled from the rest of the ships. The whole businesse lasted not above half an houre: but presently shee was carryed away from under our noses; the Spaniards changed their merry tunes into voto a dios and voto a Christo, in raging, cursing, & swearing, some reviling at the Captaine of the ship which was taken, and saying that he was false & yeelded on purpose without fighting, because he was forced to come that Voyage; others cursing those that tooke her, and calling them bijos de puta, Borrachos, infames Ladrones, Bastards, Drunkards, infamous theeves, and Pyrates; some taking their swords in their hands, as if they would there cut them in peeces, some laying hold of their Muskets as if they would there shoot at them, others stamping like mad men, and running about the ship, as if they would leap over board, and make haste after them; others grinning their teeth at the poore English prisoners that were in the ship, as if they would stab them for what (they said) their Country men had done. I must needs say, I had enough to doe to hold some of those furious and raging brains from doing Layfield some mischief, who more then the rest would bee smiling, arguing and answering their outragious nonsense. Order was presently given to the Vice-Admirall and two more Galeons to follow and pursue them; but all in vaine, for the wind was against them, and so the two ships laughing and rejoycing as much as the Spaniards cursed and raged, sailed away con Viento en Popa, with full Sail, gallantly boasting with so rich a prize taken away from two and fifty ships, or (as I may say) from the chiefest, and greatest strength of Spain.
That afternoone the Fleet of Vera Cruz, tooke their leave of us, (not being furnished with Provision to goe on to Spain with us,) and went into the Havana; and we set forwards towards Europe, fearing nothing for the present but the Gulfe of Bahama; through which wee got safely with the help and guidance of such Pilots, which our Admirall Don Carlos had chosen, and hired for that purpose.
I shall not need to tell thee my Reader of the sight which wee had of St Augustine, Florida, nor of many stormes which we suffered in this Voyage, nor of the many degrees wee came under, which made us shake with cold more then the Frost of England doe in the worst of winter; onely I say, that the best of our Pilots not knowing where they were, had like to have betrayed us all to the Rocks of Bermuda one night, had not the breaking of the day given us a faire warning that we were running upon them. For which the Spaniards in stead of giving God thankes for their delivery out of that danger, began againe to curse and rage against the English which inhabited that Island, saying, that they had inchanted that and the rest of those Islands about, and did still with the devill raise stormes in those Seas when the Spanish Fleet passed that way. From thence when wee had safely escaped, wee sailed well to the Islands called Terceras, where faine wee would have taken in fresh water, (for that which we had taken in at Havana now began to stink, and look yellow, making us stop our noses, whilst wee opened our mouthes,) but rigid Don Carlos would not pity the rest of his Company, who led us by the Islands; and that night following wee all wished our selves in some harbour of them; for (though in their conceipt those Islands were not inchanted by English men, but inhabited by holy and Idolatrous Papists) wee were no sooner got from them, when there arose the greatest storme that wee had in all our voyage from Havana to Spain, which lasted full eight dayes, where wee lost one Ship and indangered two Galeons, which shot off their warning peeces for helpe, and made us all stay and wait on them, till they had repaired their Tacklings and maine Mast. We went on sometimes one way, sometimes another, not well knowing where wee were, drinking our stinking water by allowance of pints, till three or foure dayes after the storme was ceased, wee discovered land, which made all cry out, Hispania, Hispania, Spain, Spain; whilst a Counsell was summoned by the Admirall to know what land that was, some sold away barrels of bisket, others of water, to those that wanted (every one thinking that it was some part of Spain,) but the result of the wise Counsell was, after they had sailed neerer to the land, and had layed and lost many wages about it, that it was the Island of Madera, which made some curse the ignorance of the Pilots, and made us all prepare our selves with patience for a longer voyage. It pleased God from the discovery of this Island, to grant us a favourable wind to Spain, where within twelve dayes we discovered Cales; and some of the ships there left us, but most of them went forward to San Lucar, as did the ship wherein I went; when wee came neere to the dangerous place, which the Spaniards call La Barra, wee durst not venture our ships upon our Pilots own knowledge; but called for Pilots to guide us in, who greedy of their lucre came out in boats almost for every ship one. Upon the eight and twentyeth of November, 1637. we cast Anchor within St. Lucar de Barameda about one of the clock in the afternoon, and before evening other passengers and my selfe went a shore (having first been searched) and although I might presently have gone to the Cloister of St. Dominick, where my old friend Fryer Pablo de Londres was yet living, whom I knew would bee glad of my coming from the India's, yet I thought fit the first night to enjoy my friends company both Spaniards and English, (who had come so long a voyage with me) in some Ordinary, and to take my rest better abroad then I should doe in a Cloister, where I expected but a poore Fryers supper, a hard and mean lodging, many foolish questions from old Fryer Pablo de Londres concerning the India's, and my abode there so many yeeres, and finally the noise of Bells and ratlers to rouse up the drowsie Fryers from their sleep to Matines at midnight. That night therefore I betooke my selfe to an English Ordinary, where I refreshed my selfe and my poore prisoners, (who by the Master of the ship were committed to my charge that night and forwards upon my word, so as to bee forth comming when they should bee called) and the next morning I sent my honest friend Layfield with a letter to the Cloister to old Pablo de Londres, who upon my summons came joyfully to welcome mee from the India's, and after very little discourse told mee of ships in the Haven ready to set out for England. The old Fryer being of a decrepit and doting age, thought every day a yeere that I stayed there, and suspended my Voyage for England, and (not knowing the secrets of my heart) judged already that the Conversion or turning of many Protestant soules to Popery waited for my comming, which made him hasten mee, who was more desirous then hee to bee gone the next day, if I might have found wind, weather, and shipping ready. But God, who had been with me in almost ninety dayes sailing from Havana to San Lucar, and had delivered mee from many a storme, prepared and furthered all things in a very short time for the last accomplishment of my hope and desire, to returne to England my native soil, from whence I had been absent almost for the space of foure and twenty yeers.
My first thought here in St. Lucar, was to cast off now my Fryers weed, that outward sheepskin, which covers many a wolvish, greedy, and covetous heart under it; which doubtlesse is the ground, why in Germany in the Protestant and Lutheran towns, when the boyes and young men see a Fryer goe along their streets, they cry out to the neighbours, saying, a Wolfe, a Wolfe, shut your doores; meaning, that though what they weare seeme to bee pellis ovina, or Agnina, a sheep or Lambeskin and their condition of mortified, humble, and meek men, yet under it lyeth cor Lupinum, a Wolves heart, greedy of some prey, either worldly, of wealth and riches, or spirituall, of seducing, deceiving and misleading poore soules. Such was the habit, which now I desired to shake off, which was a white Coat or gown hanging to the ground girded about with a leathern belt, and over it from the shoulders downward a white Scapulary (so called there,) hanging shorter then the gown both before and behind, and over that a white hood to cover the head, and lastly, over that a black cloak with another black hood; both which together, the black and white make the Fryers of that profession look just like Mag-pies, and is acknowledged by the Church of Rome it self in a verse which they faine of Mr. Martin Luther, (with what just ground I know not) saying of his former life and profession before his Conversion, Bis Corvus, bis Pica fui, ter fune ligatus. I was twice a Crow, twice a Magpie, and thrice was bound or tyed with a Cord; by a Crow meaning an Augustin Fryer, who is all in black; by a Magpie, meaning a Dominican, and by bound with a rope or cord, meaning a Franciscan, who indeed is girded about with a cord made of hempe. Though the Dominican Magpie by this his habit make such a glosse and understanding, which is contrary to his life and conversation; for by his outward black habit, hee saith, is signified an outward shew of deadnesse and Mortification to the world, and by his inward white habit, an inward purity and chastity of heart, thoughts and life; both which truely are little seen in those Fryers especially, who outwardly are worldly, and living to the world, covetous and ambitious of honours, preferments, Bishoprickes, and places of publique reading and preaching; and therefore have by favour obtained many places of authority, as by the laws of Aragon to be the King of Spain his Ghostly father, to bee Masters of the Popes Palace, and there to read a lesson of Divinity, to be chief heads of the Inquisition, and from these places to bee promoted to sit in the Councell of the State in Spain, or to bee Cardinals in Rome, and so Popes, or to injoy the richest and fattest Bishopricks and Arch-Bishopricks in Spain, Italy, and India's, which sheweth how little they are dead to the world, nay how they are living to the world and its preferments, contrary to the black and dead colour of their habits. So likewise doe they not live according to the whitenesse of their inward habits, whose lives are found impure and unchast, as I could exemplify at large, shewing what base and unclean acts have been committed by some of that profession in the Low Countries, in Spain, in the India's, in Italy, nay here in England by one Dade the Superior of them, by one Popham well knowen to bee a good fellow, and still at this day abiding in the Spanish house, by one Crafts and others, which would bee too too long a digression from the whitenesse of their habit. But I applying the Allegory of this black and white habit otherwise unto my selfe, and in the outward black part of it seeing the foulenesse and filthinesse of my life and Idolatrous Preisthood in the exercise of that profession, and Orders which from Rome I had received; and in the white inward habit considering yet the purity, and integrity of those intentions and thoughts of my inward heart, in pursuance whereof I had left what formerly I have noted, yea all America, which, had I continued in it, might have been to mee a Mine of wealth, riches and treasure; I resolved here therefore to cast off that hypocriticall cloak and habit, and to put on such Apparell whereby I might no more appeare a Wolfe in sheepskin, but might goe boldly to my Country of England, there to shew and make known the Candor of my heart, the purity and sincerity of my thoughts, which had brought mee so farre, by a publik profession of the pure truths of the Gospell, without any invention or addition of man unto it. With the small meanes therefore which was left mee after so long and almost a whole yeeres journey from Petapa to St. Lucar (having yet about a hundred Crownes) I gave order for a sute of Cloathes to bee made by an English Taylor, which I willingly put on, and so prepared my self for England. Three or four ships were in readinesse, who had onely waited for the Fleet, to take in some Commodities, especially some wedges of silver, of which I was with old Pablo de Londres, in doubt which to choose. The first that went out was thought should have beene my lot, in the which my friend Layfield imbarked him selfe (for all the English prisoners were there freed to goe home to their Country) and from which the great providence of God diverted mee, or else I had beene this day with Layfield a slave in Turkey; for the next day after this ship set out, it was taken by the Turkes, and carryed away for a rich prize, and all the English in it for Prisoners to Argell. But God (who I hope had reserved mee for better things,) appointed for mee a safer convoy home in a ship (as I was informed) belonging to Sir William Curtin, under the command of an honest Flemming, named Adrian Adrianzen living at Dover then, with whom I agreed for my passage and dyet at his Table. This ship set out of the Barre of St. Lucar the ninth day after my arrivall thither, where it waited for the company of foure ships more, but especially for some Indian wedges of silver, which upon forfeiture of them it durst not take in within the Barre and Haven.
And thus being now cloathed after a new fashion and ready to lead a new life; being now changed from an American into the fashion of an English man, the tenth day after my abode in San Lucar, I bad adieu to Spain and all Spanish fashions, factions, and carriages, I bad farewell my old Fryer Pablo de Londres, with the rest of my acquaintance, and so in a boat went over the bar to the ship, which that night in company of foure more set forward for England. I might observe here many things of the goodnesse of Adrian Adrianzen, and his good carriage towards mee in his ship, which I will omit, having much more to observe of the goodnesse of God, who favoured this our voyage with such a prosperous wind, and without any storm at all, that in thirteen dayes wee came to Dover, where I landed, the ship going on to the Downes. Others that landed at Margaret were brought to Dover, and there questioned and searched; but I, not speaking English, but Spanish, was not at all suspected, neither judged to be an English man; and so after two dayes I tooke post in company of some Spaniards and an Irish Colonel, for Canterbury, and so forward to Gravesend. When I came to London, I was much troubled within my selfe for want of my Mother tongue, (for I could onely speak some few broken words) which made mee fearefull I should not bee accknowledged to bee an English man born. Yet I thought my kinred (who knew I had beene many yeers lost) would some way or other acknowledge mee, and take notice of mee, if at the first I addressed my selfe unto some of them, untill I could better expresse my selfe in English. The first therefore of my name, whom I had notice of, was my Lady Penelope Gage, widow of Sir John Gage, then living in St. Jones; to whom the next morning after my arrivall to London, I addressed my selfe for the better discovery of some of my kinred; whom though I knew to bee Papists, and therefore ought not to be acquainted with my inward purpose and resolution; yet for feare of some want in the mean time, and that I might by their means practice my selfe in the use of my forgotten native tongue, and that I might enquire what Childs part had beene left me by my father, that I might learn some fashions, and lastly, that in the meane time, I might search into the Religion of England, and find how farre my conscience could agree with it, and bee satisfied in those scruples which had troubled mee in America, for all these reasons I thought it not amisse to looke and inquire after them. When therefore I came unto my Lady Gage, shee beleeved mee to bee her kinsman, but laughed at mee, telling mee, that I spake like an Indian or Welch man, and not like an English man; yet shee welcomed mee home, and sent mee with a servant to a Brothers lodging in Long Aker, who being in the Country of Surrey, and hearing of mee sent horse and man for mee to come to keepe Christmas with an Uncle of mine living at Gatton; by whom as a lost and forgotten Nephew, and now after foure and twenty yeeres returned home againe, I was very kindly entertained, and from thence sent for to Cheam, to one Mr. Fromand another kinsman, with whom I continued till after twelfth day, and so returned againe to London to my brother.
Thus my good Reader, thou seest an American, through many dangers by Sea and Land, now safely arrived in England; and thou maiest well with mee observe the great and infinite goodnesse and mercy of God towards mee a wicked and wretched sinner. How I have answered to this Gods gracious calling mee from so farre and remote a Country, to doe him service here, I will shew thee in the Chapter following, and conclude this my long and tedious History.