Not far from the road, at one side of the city, there was a certain
victualling-house, which one Peter Unticare had hired, paying a fee to
the keeper of the prison. This Peter Unticare was a Spaniard, and also a
Christian, and had been a prisoner about thirty years, never contriving
any means to escape, but keeping himself quiet without being suspected
of conspiracy. But on the coming of John Foxe they disclosed their minds
to each other about their loss of liberty; and to this Unticare John
Foxe confided a plan for regaining their freedom, which plan the three
Englishmen continually brooded over, till they resolved to acquaint five
more prisoners with their secret. This being done, they arranged in
three more days to make their attempt at escape. Whereupon John Foxe,
and Peter Unticare, and the other six arranged to meet in the prison on
the last day of December, and there they told the rest of the prisoners
what their intention was, and how they hoped to bring it to pass. And
having, without much ado, persuaded all to agree, John Foxe gave them a
kind of files, which he had hoarded together by means of Peter Unticare,
charging them every man to be free of his fetters by eight o'clock on
the following night.
The next night John Foxe and his six companions, all having met at the
house of Peter Unticare, spent the evening mirthfully for fear of
rousing suspicion, till it was time for them to put their scheme into
execution. Then they sent Peter Unticare to the master of the road, in
the name of one of the masters of the city, with whom he was well
acquainted, and at the mention of whose name he was likely to come at
once, desiring him to meet him there, and promising to bring him back
again.
The keeper agreed to go with Unticare, telling the warders not to bar
the gate, for he would come again with all speed. In the meantime the
other seven had provided themselves with all the weapons they could find
in the house, and John Foxe took a rusty old sword without a hilt, which
he managed to make serve by bending the hand end of the sword instead of
a hilt.
Now the keeper being come to the house, and seeing no light nor hearing
any noise, straightway suspected the plot, and was turning back. But
John Foxe, standing behind the corner of the house, stepped forth to
him. He perceiving it to be John Foxe, said: 'O Foxe! what have I
deserved of thee that thou shouldest seek my death?'
'Thou, villain,' quoth Foxe, 'hast been a blood-sucker of many a
Christian's blood, and now thou shalt know what thou hast deserved at my
hands!'
Therewith he lifted up his bright shining sword, cleared of its ten
years' rust, and struck him so strong a blow that his head was cleft
asunder, and he fell stark dead to the ground. Thereupon Peter Unticare
went in and told the rest how it was with the keeper, and at once they
came forth, and with their weapons ran him through and cut off his head,
so that no man should know who he was.
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