R. Lyde.

1693.

SAILING ALONG THE COAST OF FRANCE. 431

called it; which was about 4 or 5 leagues to the eastward of Brest.

Then I called the boy down betwixt decks, and read two or three chapters in the Bible; and then used all my endeavour to persuade him to assist me: but by all the arguments I could use, I could not prevail at this time.

Then I took a brick, and whetted my knife upon it; and told the boy, "I would not use my knife, upon any account, till I was carried into France; except it were to cut the throats of the Frenchmen."

At which words, the boy startled as if his own throat had been cutting; and then left me, and went up on deck.

At four in the afternoon, we were within half a mile of the aforesaid harbour. Then the French fired a patteroe for a pilot to come off: whereupon I went upon deck, with a sorrowful heart, to see how near we were to the shore; but the Frenchmen were as joyful as I was melancholy.

Then considering the inhuman usage I formerly had in France, and how near I was to it again; it struck me with such terror that I could stay no longer upon deck: but went down betwixt decks, and prayed to GOD for a southerly wind, to prevent her going into that harbour; which GOD was graciously pleased immediately to grant me, for which I returned my unfeigned thanks.

Friday night, the wind was westerly; and Saturday, southerly: so that in the evening, I heard the Frenchmen say that they saw Cape Farril [Frehel].

At eight on the Saturday night, I prayed again for a south-west wind, that we might not be near the shore in the morning; and immediately I heard them put the helm a lee, and put her about, and got the larboard tacks aboard.

The boy was then lying by my side. I bade him go up and see if the wind was not south-west; which he accordingly did; and at his return, told me it was, and that the ship lay off north-north-west. Then I rejoiced, and gave GOD thanks for this second signal deliverance.

The nearer we came to St. Malo, the surlier the French

men were to me.

At twelve a clock, on Saturday night, they called me to the pumps; as they had done several times before, although I never went but when I pleased: nor would I do anything

432 SUNDAY, MAR. 6, 1692, THE DAY OF THE CONFLICT. [Lyde

else for them, thinking it much inferior for an Englishman to do anything for a Frenchman.

But they calling on me several times, at last I turned out, and stood in the Gun Room scuttle; and told the Master that "I had served two years for the French already, and if I went to France again, I should serve three years.' "That is bien," said the Master.

Then I told them that "I had nothing in the ship to lose : and that if they would not pump themselves, the ship should sink for me."

Then I went and laid myself down again, fully resolved that if they came to haul me out by force, that I would make resistance, and kill or wound as many of them as I could, before I died myself: but they let me alone.

All that night, when the boy was awake, I endeavoured to persuade him to assist me; but still could not prevail: though I used, as I had done ever since we were taken, many arguments. So that that night, I slept but very little; and when I did slumber at all, I dreamt that I was attacking the Frenchmen.

For sleeping or waking, my mind ran still upon the attacking of them.

Sunday, at seven in the morning, we being then about five leagues off from Cape Farril; I then prayed heartily for a south-south-east wind and immediately I heard them take in their topsails and haul up the foresail, and brace them aback and lash the helm a lee, and let the ship drive off, with her head to the westward. Then I sent the boy up again, to see if the wind was not come at south-south-east : and he brought me word it was.

Then I gave GOD thanks, and rejoiced at His signal providential mercy on me, and for so immediately strengthening my faith, and confirming my hopes of redeeming myself from slavery and then I renewed my solicitation to the boy to yield to me, but still he would not consent; which made me think of attempting it myself, and then I went and took a pint of wine, and half a pint of oil, and drank it to make me more fit for action.

At eight in the morning, all the Frenchmen sat round the cabin table at breakfast, and they called me to eat with them. Accordingly I accepted their invitation, but the sight of the

R. Lyde. LYDE TRYING TO PERSUADE J. WRIGHT TO HELP. 433

1693.

Frenchmen did immediately take away my stomach and made me sweat as if I had been in a stove, and was ready to faint with eagerness to encounter them. Which the Master perceiving, and seeing me in that condition, asked me in French, "If I were sick?" and because he should not mistrust anything, I answered "Yes." But could stay no longer in sight of them, and so immediately went down betwixt decks, to the boy; and did earnestly intreat him to go up presently with me into the cabin and to stand behind me, and knock down but one man in case two laid hold on me; and I would kill and command all the rest presently [at once]; " for now,' I told him, "was the best time for me to attack them, while they were all around the table; for now I shall have them all before me purely, and it may never be the like opportunity again."

After many importunities, the boy asked me, "After what manner I intended to encounter with them?"

I told him, "I would take the crow of iron, and hold it on the middle with both hands! and I would go into the cabin, and knock down him that stood at the end of the table on my right hand, and stick the point of the crow into him that sat at the end of the table on my left hand: and then for the other five that sat behind the tableBut still he not consenting, I had second thoughts of undertaking it without him but the cabin was so low that I could not stand upright in it by a foot; which made me desist at that time.

By this time they had eat their breakfast, and went out upon the deck. Then I told the boy, with much trouble [vexation] we had lost a brave opportunity, for, by this time, I had had the ship under my command!

66

Nay," says the boy, "I rather believe that, by this time, you and I should have both been killed."

In a little time after they had been on deck, they separated from each other, viz., the Master lay down in his cabin; two of the men lay down in the Great Cabin, and one in a cabin between decks, and another sat down upon a low stool by the helm, to look after the Glass [sand-glass to measure each halfhour of time], to call to pump, which they were forced to do every half-hour by reason of the leakiness of the ship; and the other two men walked upon the decks.

Then hoping I should prevail with the boy to stand by me;

ENG. GAR. VII.

28

434 BITTER MEMORIES OF HIS SUFFERINGS.

R. Lyde. 1693.

if not, I was resolved to attack them myself: I immediately applied myself to prayer, and desiring GOD to pardon my sins which I had committed, and to receive my soul and the boy's to mercy. For I thought, if they overcame me, they would give the boy no quarter; although he did nothing against them. I prayed also for my enemies who should happen to die by my hands, because they might not have time to call for mercy themselves. I prayed also that GOD would strengthen me in my design, that my heart fail not in the action.

And then I endeavoured again to persuade the boy, telling him that we should bring a great deal of honour to our native country, besides the particular honour which would accrue to ourselves but all this, and much more to that purpose, too long to be here insisted on, would not prevail with him to

consent.

Then the Glass was out, it being half an hour 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 enterprise, and casting my eyes to windward, I liked the weather, and hoped the wind would stand. Then immediately I went down to the boy, and begged of him again to stand by me, while two of the men were at the pump. For they pumped on the starboard side, and the steerage door opened on the larboard side; so that they could not see me go aft to them in the cabin. But I could by no persuasions prevail with the boy; so that by this time the men had done pumping.

66

Whereupon losing this opportunity caused me again to be a little angry with the boy for not yielding to me. Telling him that I had prayed three times for the change of the wind, and GOD was pleased to hear my prayers, and to grant my request; and thereupon I had a firm belief wrought in me, that I should not be carried a prisoner into France, where I had suffered such great hardship and misery. Our allowance of food at St. Malo, where we were kept prisoners for seventeen days, was only one cheek of a bullock and 8lbs. weight of bread for 25 men a day; and only water to drink. And at Dinan, where we were kept close prisoners for three months and ten days, our allowance was 3lbs. weight of an old cow beef, without any salt to savour it, for 7 men a day.

R. Lyde. WRIGHT ASKS, WHAT HE SHOULD DO? 435

1693.

But I think we had 2lbs. of bread for each man, but it was so bad that dogs would not eat it; neither could we eat but very little, and that we did eat did us more hurt than good, for it was more orts [refuse food] than bread; so we gave some of it to the hogs, and made pillows of the rest to lay our heads on. For they allowed us fresh straw but once every five weeks; so that we bred such swarms of lice in our rags that one man had a great hole eaten through his throat by them; which was not perceived till after his death: and I myself was so weak that it was fourteen weeks after my releasement before I recovered any tolerable strength again. And all this was through their cruel tyranny in not allowing us, as their men are allowed in England."

Said the boy, "If I do find it so bad as you do say, when I am in France, I will go along with them in a Privateer!"

These words of his struck me to the heart, which made me say, "You dog! what! will you go with them against your King and country, and father and mother? Sirrah! I was in France, a prisoner four months, and my tongue cannot express what I endured there; yet I would not turn Papist and go with them! Yet they came daily persuading me and others to go out; and, the time I was there, I think 17 turned Papists, and were kept in a room by themselves; but GOD was pleased to make an example of them; for I think 12 of them died while I was there. And if thou dost turn Papist, thou mayest fare as they did! and if thou, or any of them that be turned, be ever taken again, you will certainly be hanged in England by the law! But I had the command of a Privateer, and should take my brother in a French Privateer, after he had willingly sailed with them, I would hang him immediately!"

I, seeing the boy seemed to be reconciled, told him that "he should not go into France, if he would do as I would have him do!"

The boy asked, "What I would have him do ?"

I told him, "to knock down the man at the helm sickore [for certain]; and I would kill and command all the rest presently [at once].

Saith the boy, "If you be sure to overcome them, how many do you count to kill ?"

I answered that "I intended to kill three of them."