Now all this while, the Gentlemans servant, a Flandrish Fleming, standing at his Maisters backe, and adhering to all the Governours Relations, was astonished, to heare of a sakelesse Stranger, to have indured, and to indure such damnable Murther and Cruelty. Whereupon, the Discourse ending and mid-night past, the stranger returned to his Lodging; where the Fleming having bedded his Maister, and himselfe also in another Roome, he could not sleepe all that night, and if hee slumbered, still hee thought hee saw a man Torturing, and burning in the fire: which hee confessed to M. Wilds when morning came.
Well, he longed for day, and it being come, and hee cloathed, hee quietly left his Lodging, inquiring for an English Factor, and comming to the House of M. Richard Wilds, the chiefe English Consull: Hee told him [X. 481.]all what hee heard the Governour tell his Master, but could not tell my name: only Maister Wilds conjectur’d it was I, because of the others report of a Traveller, and of his first and former acquaintance with me there.
These are the English Factors which first wrought my reliefe.Whereupon the Fleming being dismissed, he straight sent for the other English Factors, Mr. Richard Busbitche, Mr. John Corney, Mr. Hanger, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Rowley, and Mr. Woodson: where advising with them, what was best to be done for my reliefe; they sent letters away immediatly with all post dilligence, to Sir Walter Aston, his Majesties Ambassadour lying at Madrile: Upon which hee mediating with the King and Counsell of Spaine, obtained a strait warrant to command the Governour of Malaga, to deliver mee over in the English hands: which being come, to their great disliking, I was released on Easter-satturday before midnight, and carryed uppon Hazier the slaves backe to Master Busbitches house, where I was carefully attended till day light.
Meanewhile (by great fortune) there being a Squader of his Majesties Ships lying in the Road, Sir Richard Halkins came earely a shoare, accompanied with a strong trayne, and receaved mee from the Merchants: Whence I was carryed on mens armes in a payre of blanquets, to I durst not stay a shoare for feare of the Inquisition.the Vangard his Majesties ship. And three dayes thereafter, I was transported to a ship bound for England, the Fleets victualler, named the goodwill of Harwich; by direction of the Generall Sir Robert Maunsell: where being well placed, and charge given by Sir Richard Halkins to the ships master William Westerdale, for his carefulnes toward the preservation of my life, which then was brought so low & miserable. The foresaid Merchants [X. 482.]sent mee from shoare (besides the ships victuals) a sute of Spanish apparrell, twelve Hennes, a barrell of Wine, a basket full of Egges, two Roves of Figges and Rasins, two hundred Orenges and Lemmons, eight pounds of Sugar, a number of excellent good Bread, and two hundred Realls in Silver and Gold; besides two double Pistolls Sir Richard Halkins sent mee as a token of his love.
The kindnesses of whom to bury in oblivion, were in me the very shame of ingratitude, I being then a lost man and hopelesse of life, which argued in them a greater singularitie of kindnesse and compassion. Yet I remember Religious Sir Richard Halkins my speciall friend.for all my lamenes and distraction, I intreated Sir Richard Halkins to goe a shoare to the Governour, and demand him for my gold, my eight Patents, my Booke of Armes, and his Majesties Letters and Seales; the which he willingly obeyed, (being accompanied with Captaine Cave, and Captaine Raymond) but could obtaine nothing at all, save blandements and leying excuses.
And now on the twelfth day of our lying in the Road, our ship weighing her Anchors, and hoysing her Sailes, wee passed through the straits of Gibelterre, or fretum Herculeum; for this was the furthest Land that Hercules could attayne unto; which made him erect a Pillar, and indent thereon, nil ultra; but when Charles the fift, returned from that untoward voyage of Algier, hee caused to set up in the same place, Plus ultra.
Here in this Channell, I remarked a perpetuall current; flowing from the Ocean to the Mediterrene Sea without any regresse: which indeed is admirable the Mediterranean [X. 483.]Seas being hembd in, and environed with the mayne Continent of South Europe; the North and North west coasts of Asia, and the Northerne parts of Affricke; save onely the narrow passage of Hellespont, which from Mare Propontis bendeth his course to Mare Euxinum: And yet the Euxine, or blacke Sea, hath no affinity with any other moving waters, being likewise incompassed with the mayne continent: And from it also runneth a continuall current, through Bosphorus Thraicus, to the Mediterraneum.
The strait of Gibelterre five leagues broad.This narrow Sea on Affricke, or side of Fez, consisteth betweene Cap di Sprat, and the Promontore of Sewty, and upon the coast of Spayne, betweene Cap de Trafolger, and the butting forehead-land of Gibelterre, or Jubile Tauro; the passage being five leagues broad, and nine in length.
And to be briefe, upon the fifty day after my departure from Malaga, I arrived at Datford upon Thames; whence the next morning I was carried to Theoballs on a feather-bed, and brought to the privy Gallery, for the Kings comming from Parke. Witnesse all the Court of England, even from the King to the Kitchin, what a martyrd anatomy I was, at then of me their first sight; and what small hope was either expected of my life or recovery.
Where, when immediatly having made my most humble and grievous complaints unto his sacred Majesty, his gracious consideration (in the meane time) was such, for the recovery of my health, that I was twice sent to the Bath at the charges of his Royall love, during the space of twenty seven weekes, where by the Divine providence, and his Princely clemency, I have recovered for the time in a [X. 484.]large measure, the health and strength of my body, although my left Arme, and crushed bones be incurable.