Fifty-two Stories of the British Navy, from Damme to Trafalgar.Miles, Alfred H. (Alfred Henry)
History
Fifty-two Stories of the British Navy, from Damme to Trafalgar.
Miles, Alfred H. (Alfred Henry)
Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Juvenile literature
"Thus when every man had made his petition, they fell straightway to
their labour with the oars, in helping one another when they were
wearied, and with great labour striving to come to some Christian land,
as near as they could guess by the stars. But the winds were so
contrary, one while driving them this way, another while that way, so
that they were now in a new maze, thinking that God had forsaken them
and left them to a greater danger. And forasmuch as there were no
victuals now left in the galley, it might have been a cause to them (if
they had been the Israelites) to have murmured against their God; but
they knew how that their God, who had delivered Egypt, was such a loving
and merciful God, as that He would not suffer them to be confounded in
whom He had wrought so great a wonder, but what calamity soever they
sustained, they knew it was but for their further trial, and also (in
putting them in mind of their further misery) to cause them not to
triumph and glory in themselves therefor. Having, I say, no victuals in
the galley, it might seem one misery continually to fall upon another's
neck; but to be brief the famine grew to be so great that in
twenty-eight days, wherein they were on the sea, there died eight
persons, to the astonishment of all the rest.
"So it fell out that upon the twenty-ninth day after they set from
Alexandria, they fell on the Isle of Candia, and landed at Gallipoli,
where they were made much of by the abbot and monks there, who caused
them to stay there while they were well refreshed and eased. They kept
there the sword wherewith John Fox had killed the keeper, esteeming it
as a most precious relic, and hung it up for a monument.
"When they thought good, having leave to depart from thence, they sailed
along the coast till they arrived at Tarento, where they sold their
galley, and divided it, every man having a part thereof. And then they
came afoot to Naples, where they departed asunder, every man taking him
to his next way home. From whence John Fox took his journey unto Rome,
where he was well entertained by an Englishman who presented his worthy
deed unto the pope, who rewarded him liberally, and gave him letters
unto the King of Spain, where he was very well entertained of him there,
who for this his most worthy enterprise gave him in fee twenty pence a
day. From whence, being desirous to come into his own country, he came
thither at such time as he conveniently could, which was in the year of
our Lord God 1579; who being come into England went unto the court, and
showed all his travel unto the council, who considering of the state of
this man, in that he had spent and lost a great part of his youth in
thraldom and bondage, extended to him their liberality to help to
maintain him now in age, to their right honour and to the encouragement
of all true-hearted Christians."
[Illustration: THE BATTLE OFF DOVER. (_See page 25._)]
THE STORY OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.
BY JOHN CAMPBELL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account