Then John Foxe, the gunner, took him to his charge, sending his bullets
among the Turks, who likewise fired among the Christians, and thrice as
fast. But shortly they drew near, so that the English bowmen fell to
shooting so terribly among their galleys that there were twice as many
of the Turks slain as the whole number of the Christians. But the Turks
discharged twice as fast against the Christians, and so long that the
ship was very sorely battered and bruised, which the foe perceiving,
made the more haste to come aboard. For this coming aboard many a Turk
paid dearly with his life, but it was all in vain, and board they did,
where they found a hot skirmish. For the Englishmen showed themselves
men indeed, and the boatswain was valiant above the rest, for he fought
among the Turks like a mad lion, and there was none of them that could
stand in his face; till at last there came a shot that struck him in the
breast, so that he fell down, bidding them farewell, and to be of good
comfort, and exhorting them rather to win praise by death than to live
in captivity and shame. This, they hearing, indeed intended to have
done, but the number and press of the Turks was so great that they could
not wield their weapons, and so were taken, when they intended rather to
have died, except only the master's mate, who shrank from the fight like
a notable coward.
[Illustration]
But so it was, and the Turks were victors, though they had little cause
of triumph. Then it would have grieved any hard heart to see these
infidels wantonly ill-treating the Christians, who were no sooner in
the galleys than their garments were torn from their backs, and they set
to the oars.
I will make no mention of their miseries, being now under their enemies'
raging stripes, their bodies distressed with too much heat, and also
with too much cold; but I will rather show the deliverance of those who,
being in great misery, continually trust in God, with a steadfast hope
that He will deliver them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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