Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Lucas. And about the 9th day of
March next following we made sail from thence, and about the 18th day
of the same month we came to Tripolis in Barbary, where we were very
well entertained by the king of that country and also of the commons.
The commodities of that place are sweet oils; the king there is a
merchant, and the rather (willing to prefer himself before his commons)
requested our said factors to traffic with him, and promised them that
if they would take his oils at his own price they should pay no manner
of custom, and they took of him certain tons of oil; and afterward
perceiving that they might have far better cheap, notwithstanding the
custom free, they desired the king to license them to take the oils at
the pleasure of his commons, for that his price did exceed theirs;
whereunto the king would not agree, but was rather contented to abate
his price, insomuch that the factors bought all their oils of the
king's custom free, and so laded the same aboard.
In the meantime there came to that place one Miles Dickinson, in a ship
of Bristol, who together with our said factors took a house to
themselves there. Our French factor, Romaine Sonnings, desired to buy
a commodity in the market, and, wanting money, desired the said Miles
Dickinson to lend him a hundred chikinoes until he came to his lodging,
which he did; and afterwards the same Sonnings met with Miles Dickinson
in the street, and delivered him money bound up in a napkin, saying,
"Master Dickinson, there is the money that I borrowed of you," and so
thanked him for the same. He doubted nothing less than falsehood,
which is seldom known among merchants, and specially being together in
one house, and is the more detestable between Christians, they being in
Turkey among the heathen; the said Dickinson did not tell the money
presently, until he came to his lodging, and then, finding nine
chikinoes lacking of his hundred (which was about three pounds, for
that every chikinoe is worth seven shillings of English money), he came
to the said Romaine Sonnings and delivered him his handkerchief, and
asked him how many chikinoes he had delivered him. Sonnings answered,
"A hundred"; Dickinson said "No"; and so they protested and swore on
both parts. But in the end the said Romaine Sonnings did swear deeply
with detestable oaths and curses; and prayed God that he might show his
works on him, that other might take ensample thereby, and that he might
be hanged like a dog, and never come into England again, if he did not
deliver unto the said Dickinson a hundred chikinoes. And here behold a
notable example of all blasphemers, cursers, and swearers, how God
rewarded him accordingly; for many times it cometh to pass that God
showeth his miracles upon such monstrous blasphemers to the ensample of
others, as now hereafter you shall hear what befell to this Romaine
Sonnings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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