Devonshire Characters and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Devonshire Characters and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England) -- Biography; Devon (England) -- History
“By this time they had eat their Breakfast, and went out upon Deck;
then I told the boy with much trouble, We had lost a grave opportunity,
for by this time I had had the ship under my command. Nay, says the
Boy, I rather believe that by this time you and I should have both been
killed.”
Lyde then, to stimulate the slack fellow to action, recounted to him
the miseries to which he would be subjected in prison in France.
“In a little time after they had been upon Deck, they separated from
each other, viz. the Master lay down in his Cabbin and two of the Men
lay down in the Great Cabbin and one in a Cabbin between Decks, and
another sat down upon a low Stool by the Helm, to look after the Glass,
to call the Pumps, and the other two men walked upon the Decks. Then,
hoping I should prevail with the Boy to stand by me, I immediately
applied myself to Prayer, desiring God to pardon my Sins, and I prayed
also for my Enemies who should happen to dye by my Hands. And then I
endeavoured again to persuade the Boy--but could not prevail with him
to Consent.
“Then the Glass was out, it being half after eight, and the two men
that were upon Deck went to pump out the Water. Then I also went upon
Deck again, to see whether the Wind and Weather were like to favour my
Enterprize, and casting my Eyes to Windward, I liked the Weather, and
hop’d the Wind would stand. And then immediately went down to the Boy,
and beg’d of him again to stand by me, while two of the men were at the
Pumps (for they pumpt on the starboard side, and the Steeridge Door
open on the starboard side, so that they could not see me going aft to
them in the Cabbin). But I could by no Persuasions prevail with the
Boy, so that by this Time the Men had done Pumping; whereupon losing
this opportunity caused me again to be a little angry with the Boy.”
Again Lyde warned the lad of the horrors before him if taken a prisoner
to S. Malo. The boy replied that rather than endure such distresses
he would turn Papist, and volunteer on board a French privateer. This
roused Lyde’s wrath, and he said some very strong things. He told him
that this would not help him; some of the English prisoners of war with
himself had turned Papists, but had already become so attenuated by
disease and suffering that they had died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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