Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prayer_n	read_v	word_n	2,960	5	4.5557	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70693	A narrative of the adventures of Lewis Marott pilot-royal of the galleys of France. Giving an account of his slavery under the Turks, his escapes out of it, and other strange occurrences that ensued thereafter. Translated from the French copy.; Relation de quelques aventures maritimes de L.M.P.R.D.G.D.F. English.	Marot, Louis.	1677 (1677)	Wing N174; ESTC R19964	20,761	90

ships had heretofore given me Yea and forasmuch as I had from time to time sent me from my Countrey some moneys I also treated these Companions of my misery so that they commonly called me in that Galley The Rich Slave Now about this time and in the conjuncture whereof I have spoken having by good fortune some money by me I invited all the Scribes of the Galleys to come on Friday to dine with me at my Bench that so under this pretence I might discover to them my design with more ease and less danger of suspition The Scribes as I told you are without any other Irons but one shackle upon their legs that so they may be able freely to perform their function They failed not to come about noon-tide which was the hour that I had appointed them There was near us a Turkish Soldier that narrowly watched us and who being not willing to let us meet together thus but upon condition that we spake always the Frank Tongue which he understood troubled us much in regard that he not leaving us one minute I could not propose my affair to my Guests I thought it expedient therefore that to make him the less severe an observer of our discourse and of our actions it were best to engage him to dine with us which he did without any great invitation All dinner long which continued a pretty while there past several discourses of our Adventures and Combats which was so far from advancing my affair that it spent that time which I destined to make a declaration thereof unto them insomuch that I despaired almost of discovering any thing that day whenas God put it into my mind to take out a Prayer-book called the Hours of our Lady which I had in my Packet and turning my self to the Turk who having dined gratis was of the best humour imaginable Mustapha said I unto him for so he was called we Christians have a Custom amongst us whenever we meet together to say certain prayers which our Religion orders us wilt thou give us leave at present to pray to God out of this book with all my heart replied he pray as much as thou wilt And thereupon he took the Flaggon and drank once more a good draught of Wine although according to his Religion it was counted a great sin Then seeing my self in a good way I opened my book and said in the Arabick Tongue Bissmylah which signisies In the name of God At this word the Turk touching his Turbant said Ah good word I went on and making a shew of reading mine eyes being fixed upon my Book I said in our Countrey Language which the Turk did no ways understand and which the most part of my Companions understood in a competent manner My dear Comrades I made use of the occasion of this repast to communicate to you a design whereon our liberty depends If you approve of it to every proposition that I shall make say with a bow of your head at the same time Em challah that is to say And it please God And if you shall find any thing which you think cannot or ought not to be done you shall say Straffilla which is as much as to say God forbid and so afterwards I shall propose other means according to your liking By this stratagem we may under pretence of praying to God deceive this Turk that spies our actions And I am apt to think that hearing us oft pronounce that adorable Name and seeing us lift up our eyes to Heaven he will easily be perswaded that we are in this holy exercise Whereupon I proposed to them all the Enterprise in the order that I had projected it and in what manner and when it seemed good to me to execute it All which was so conformable to their sentiments that at every article lifting up their eyes towards Heaven they said all with one consent Einthalla Even the Turk himself being mollified by the very prayers which he thought we made put himself into a posture of praying after his fashion saying Allah he ill allah Mehemned Resall allah that is to say in Arabick There is no other God but God and Mahomet his Prophet After dinner the Scribes returned each one to his Galley and as we had agreed among our selves communicated the Enterprise in gross only to the Vogavans or chief Rowers of each Bench enjoining them to keep the Secret till Friday following when they might discover it to all the rest of the Slaves Friday amongst the Turks is what Sunday is amongst the Christians Now it was the consideration of the time which these Infidels employ in Praying in their Mosches or Temples which made us chuse it as more fit than any other for this our design This day so much desired being arrived and a little while after those who from the top of their Towers are appointed to call the people together had ceased judging that the greatest part of the Turks were at their Prayers I arose bolt upright upon the highest part of the Bench that I belonged to and cryed out many times with all my might Vive St Jean fuora Cadena for that was the word we had agreed upon Upon this very moment the ●250 slaves of the Levant readily repeated the same words crying out in a horrible manner and making a most dreadful noise with their Chains they laid hold of all the Agabys or sticks that support the Tents of the Galleys and rushing with fury upon the Soldiers knocked down all them that put themselves in a posture of defence The rest being surprised and troubled at the unlooked-for insurrection cast themselves in a desperate manner into the Sea and intrusted that pittiless Element with their Lives and Liberties which we wou'd have taken from them In the mean while the Scribes unchaining in great haste the Vogavants in regard they were the stronger and part of them unloosing the Chains of their Companions whilst the others sight against the Turks in less than half a quarter of an hour the five Chiourmes or five Seats or Benches of Rowers were freed from their Fetters Then it was that this good beginning putting courage into all their hearts in a little while they fully defeated the Guardians of the Galleys This being done we laid hold of their Cimeters and those who had none provided themselves of sticks Agaby's and pieces of the Banisters of the Galleys which we had broken When I saw that they were all ready I cryed as loud as I could Fuora At this instant we went out of the Galleys excepting 100 men who stayed to guard that wherein we were resolved to embark our selves All the Sentinels in the mean time having seen our Combat from the top of their Towers had advertised the Town thereof insomuch as at the moment we began to march towards the Magazin the Cannon of the Castles and of the Town were discharged upon us but slew few of our men the opposition that we found at