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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14850	The rare and most vvonderfull things vvhich Edvv. VVebbe an Englishman borne, hath seene and passed in his troublesome trauailes in the cities of Ierusalem, Damasko, Bethlehem and Galely and in the landes of Iewrie, Egypt, Gracia, Russia, and Prester Iohn, vvherein is set forth his extreame slauery sustained many yeeres together in the gallies and warres of the great Turke, against the lands of Persia, Tartaria, Spaine, and Portugale.; Rare and most wonderfull things which Edward Webbe hath seene and passed.	Webbe, Edward, b. 1553 or 4.	1590 (1590)	STC 25152; ESTC S101834	15,304	30

commeth for the countrey is wonderfull cold and subiect to frosts there is a great hole made in the Ise ouer some great riuer and then the partie principall is first put in and after him his wife his children and all other his kinsfolkes and so leaue none of his posteritie to possesse his landes or goods but the same are bestowed vpon others at the Emperors pleasure There I stayed thrée yeares attendant on my Maister in which time the crym Tartarians otherwise named the new Christians made warre vpon the sayd citie of Musko which soone after was betrayed and spéedely burned the people in great aboundance massacred and the Tartarian souldiers had wonderfull rich spoyles in the same there was I at that time with seuen other Englishmen taken prisoners and for slaues were altogether conuayed to Caffa where the king of the Tartarians abideth and kéepeth a stately Court being conueyed thether we were set to wipe the féete of the kinges horses and to become ordinary slaues in the sayd Court to fetch water cleaue wood and to doe such other drudgerie There were we beaten thrée times a wéeke with a Bulls pissell or a horse tayle And in this sort and miserable seruitude wee stayed there fiue yeares then were we raunsomed from thence by our friends where we payde euery man thrée hundred crownes which is seuen shillings sixe pence a péece of currant English money Among that people called the Tartarians I noted specially this one thing that their children being new borne do neuer open their eyes vntill they be nine dayes and nine nights old Thus beeing ransomed as is aforesayd I returned home into England where hauing staied some small time I went againe into Russia in the Hart of maister Kings at Ratcliffe with thirtie sayle of ships more in our company at which ●a●e her Maiesties shippe cassed the Willoughby was our Admirall and the Harry appertayning to the company of the Marchantes was our vize-Admirall Master William Burrow then being our Captaine and master In which our voyage we met with fiue Rouers or men of warre whom we set vpon burnt their Admirall and brought those shippes into Narre and there the men were massacred in this manner by the Russians first great stakes stroken into the ground and they spitted vpon powles as a man would put a pigge vpon the spitte and so seuen score were handled in that manner in a very tyrannous sort We vnladed our burthen at Narre and tooke in other lading for our commodities but the ship wherein I was which was called the Hart hauing sayled but twelue miles from thence stroke vpon a rocke whereby the shippe and goods were lost the residew of the fléete had no harme and all the men in our ship saued their liues by taking them into the boate of the sayde shippe By meanes of which shippe so cast away I lost all that I had and then came againe into England and gathered a new stocke and in the Henrie of London I went to Leuanta alias Legorne This shippe called the Henrie had béene solde before to Doctor Hector and other Italian Marchants which was vnknowen vnto vs so that at our cōming to Legorne the ship was seased on by the factors of those that were the owners thereof and by them laden with marchandice to Alexandria in which shipp my selfe was master gunner Thus as I said before I remained sixe yeares in this miserable estate wonderfully beaten misused euery day there haue I séene of my fellowes when they haue béene so weake as they could not rowe by reason of sickenes and faintnes where the Turkes would laie vpon them as vpon Horses and beate them in such sort as oft times they died and then threw them into the Sea Thus séeing my selfe still to continue in this miserable state I was constrained for want of victuals to discouer my selfe and to shew them that I had good skill in Gunners Art which I thought would haue béen greatly well estéemed at the Turkes handes but then for the same I was more narrowly looked vnto yet somewhat better estéemed of then I was before Not long after the Turke made warres against the Persians and gathered 700. thousand men togither and these were conducted by his chiefe Bassaes into Persia. At which time for that had skill in Artillery I was chosen forth of the Gallies to goe with the Armye into Persia and there to doo the Turke seruice in the field with whom I traueiled on foote but in our going thither there died of our Armye by meanes of great sicknes disdiet and want of victuals about the number of 300. thousand so that when we came into Percia we were 400. thousand strong in the field there wée rested vs one moneth by which time wée hauing hartened our selues gaue a fierce assault vpon the Persians where the Turkes side got the worst and lost 60. thousand men Then the Generall ouer the Turkes Army whose name was Sannon Basha sent vs so many souldiers more as made vs 500. thousand strong there wée staied a long time making warres against the Persians and the great Citie of Damasko where the Turke litle preuailed for if the Turke were as polliticke as he is strong of power the Persians were not able to resist him Thus leauing the Turkes Army in Persia we came through Damasko to our Citie called the great Caier which Citie is thréescore miles in compasse and is the greatest Citie in the worlde it standeth vpon the Riuer of Nilo and in the saide Citie there are twelue thousād churches which they terme Muskots This Citie at all times kéepeth fortie thousand men continually in Souldiers pay and are readie at one houres warning to serue vnder the great Turke there we staied to sée the cutting or parting of the Riuer of Nilo which is done once euery yeare vpon the 25. day of August This Citie standeth in the land of Egypt and is vnder the gouernment of the great Turke And there is a king ouer the said Citie who is called the king of the great Caer and is the Uize Roy or Liefetenant to the great Turke and he is then present at the cutting of this riuer of Nilo at which time there is great triumph and euery Towne and Countrie round about to the valew of a thousand mile send gifts and presents to the King of the great Caer in consideration of the water which commeth to them from that Riuer of Nilo by meanes of the cutting of it which is but once euery yéere It is therefore to be knowne that in the land of Egypt it raineth not at all and all the grounde throughout the land of Egypt is continually watred by the water which vpon the 25. day of August is turned into the countries round about by meanes of the wonderfull growing and swelling of the water vpright without any staie at all on one side thereof to the height of a huge mountaine which beginneth to encrease the 15. day of August

THE Rare and most wonderfull things which Edw. Webbe an Englishman borne hath seene and passed in his troublesome trauailes in the Cities of Ierusalem Damasko Bethlehem and Galely and in the landes of Iewrie Egypt Grecia Russia and Prester Iohn Wherein is set forth his extreame slauery sustained many yeeres together in the Gallies and warres of the great Turke against the landes of Persia Tartaria Spaine and Portugale with the maner of his releasement and comming into England in May last Newly enlarged and corrected by the Author LONDON Printed for William Wright 1590. To the most Mighty my gratious and renowned Soueraine Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland defender of the fayth c. Your Highnesse most humble subiect Ed. Webbe heartily prayeth for the continuance of your Maiesties health and prosperous raigne to the worldes end COnsidering most gracious and dread Soueraigne the wonderfull prouidence of Almightye GOD shewed towardes your Highnesse since the time of your moste happy and prosperous raigne aswell in the preseruation of your Maiesties person from the handes of your Highnesse enemies as also in defending this smal Angle or Realme of England from the force of forraine foes and the continuall blessinges of peace and plenty with which euer since hee hath in bountifull sort maintayned it I could not therefore but according to my duety render humble thankes to almightie God for the same when to my great comfort euen in the middest of my grieuous thraldome in Turkey I heard it most truely reported by a Christian captiue and your Highnesse clemency by him highly commended The report of whose fame truely described aswell in the administration of Iustice and supporting of Christian religion as also in relieuing and succouring the poore distressed mēbers of this lande gaue mee iust cause to pray heartely for my deliuery and to long inwardly vntill I came to see your Highnesse my dreade Soueraine and this my natiue Countrey And now hauing obtayned my long expected wish I doe in all humblenesse prostrate my selfe and this plaine discourse of my trauels to your most excellent Maiestie wherein may bee seene that if in Turkey I would haue denied my Christ or in my trauaile would haue forsaken my Prince to haue serued for Spaine thereby to haue become a Traytour to your Maiesty my natiue Countrey I needed not to haue liued in want but in great prosperity But for asmuch as almightie God hath now set me fre from thraldome and deliuered me from many daungers and sent me into England my desire is that I may be employed in such seruice and affaires as may be pleasing to God and found profitable to my Prince and Countrey And thus trusting your Highnes will accept in good worth this true discourse though rudelie penned I humbly take my leaue praying for the prosperous health and continuall raigne of your most excellent Maiesty Your Highnesse most humble subiect Edward Webbe The Epistle to the Reader CUrteous Reader I haue vndertaken in this short discourse to vtter the moste part of such things as I saw and passed in the time of my troublesome trauaile and slauish life sustained in the Gallies and warres of the great Turke And this I protest that in this booke there is nothing mentioned or expressed but that which is of truth and what mine owne eyes haue perfectly séene Some foolish persons perhaps wil cauil say that these are lies and fained fables and that it conteineth nothing else but to those I answere that what soeuer is herein mentioned he whosoeuer he be that shall so finde fault and doubt of the trueth hereof let him but come and conferre with me or make enquiry of the best and greatest Trauellers and Marchantes about all this land and they doubtles shall be resolued that this is true which is here expressed with a great deale more which now I cannot call to remembrance for that my memorie faileth me by meanes of my great and gréeuous troubles And whereas in the first edition of this booke a great fault in number did negligently escape in Folio 3. in these wordes 30. thousand for 300. thousand and 50. thousand for 500. thousand that fault is truely amended in this Edition From my lodging at Black-wall this ninetéenth of May 1590. Your louing Countrey man Edward Webbe Verses written vpon the Alphabet of the Queenes Maiesties name Eternall God who guideth still your grace Lengthen your life in health and happie state Inspire your subiects hearts in euerie place Zealous in loue and free from secret hate And shorten life in those that breed debate Behold her Lord who is our strength and stay Euen she it is by whom we hold our owne Turne not thy face from her in any way Hew downe her foes and let them all be knowne Renowmed Queene your Highnesse subiects ioy Eeuen for to see the fall of all your foes God of his mercy shield you from annoy Intended treasons still for to disclose None of vs all but will most duly pray Almightie God preserue you night and day FINIS E. Webb his trauailes I Edwarde Webbe an Englishman borne at Saint Katherins néere the tower of London was the sonne of one Richard Webb master gunner of England my father hauing some naturall affection to me when I was but xij yeares old did preferre mee to the seruice of Captaine Ienkenson at such time as he was sent ambassadour into Russia with whom I went by sea and vpon him I was daily attendant in which my iourney I was conuersant among the people of that countrey which were apparelled like to the Turkes and Tartarians with furde caps long garments downe to their shinnes much like to Carbines or Horsemen readie to the warre There I made my abode some space in the head citie of Russia called Musko in which their building is all of firre except the Emperours Court which is of lime and stone They execute very sharpe lawes among themselues and are a kinde of tyrannous people as appeareth by their customes of which among many other these I speacially noted viz. that if any man be indebted one to another and doth not make payment at his day and time appointed the officers may enter vppon the debters and forceably breake downe their houses and imprison them in grieuous sort where iudgement shall presently passe against him which is with a mallet of wood he shall haue so many blowes on the shins or on the forehead as the Iudge shall award and this punishment shall be inflicted sundrie dayes vpon him The Turkes also vseth to beate debters with a mallet but not in that sort for in Turkey they are beaten for debt vpon the soles of the féete with a Cane or cudgel if paiment be not made by a day I also noted that if any noble man offend the Emperour of Russia the sayde Noble man is taken and imprisoned with all his children and kinsfolkes and the first great frost that

and by the 25. of August is at the highest on which day it is cut by diuiding of two pillers in a straunge sort néer to the citie of the great Caer and so turned of as from a great mountaine into the lande of Egypt by meanes whereof the Turke holdes all the lande of Egypt in subiection to himselfe and might if hée woulde dismisse them cleane from hauing anie water at all From thence I went with the Turkes power and vnder his conduction to the land of Iewry and from thence to the citie of Ierusalem where part of the olde Temple is yet standing and many Monuments of great antiquitie as herein after shall be shewed In the land of Siria there is a Riuer that no Iew can get or catch any fish in it at all and yet in the same Riuer there is great store of fish like vnto Samon Troutes But let a Christian or a Turke come thither and fish for them either of them shall catch them in great abundance if they doo but put their hand into the water with a litle bread and an hundreth will be about his hand Thus hauing séene a number of rare and most wonderfull things we went to the citie of Agowa which is the head and chiefe Citie in all the East Indies there we gaue battell against the Christians that kéep the said citie which are Portingalles for that the Towne apperteineth to the King of Portingal There we gaue battel lost thrée score thousand of the great Turkes men and yet could not obtaine it neuertheles the great Turkes Lieftenant or Generall with his power tooke a place called Armous where they had great store of treasure and Sowes of siluer Thus béeing chiefe maister Gunner in these Turkish warres I was sent for againe by commandement of the Turke to Damasko where I staied all that winter with twentie thousand men And from thence made prouision to make warres against the land of prester Iohn who is by profession a Christian. In this land of prester Iohn when it doth raine it continueth at the least one whole moneth And in the gran Caer there is a plague once in euerie seuenth yéere which commeth with such a fiercenes that the most part of all the people there doo die of the saide plague and people in great numbers lose their eye sight with the vapours and great heat which commeth from the ground I remember one battaile which the Admirall of the great Turke named Ally Basha made with thrée score Gallies and seazed vpon a Town where the said Ally Basha was borne himselfe named Trybusas which is in the Confines of Calabria and vnder the gouernement of the King of Spaine at which Towne he landed his Army an houre before day thinking to haue taken it by treason and thereupon in great fury scaled the wals with Lathers but the watch bewrayed vs and on a sodaine cried Arme arme which was soone done for euery man tooke him to his tooles and weapons of defence But it is worthy of memory to sée how the women of that Towne did ply themselues with their weapons making a great Massacre vpon our men and murthered 500. of them in such spéedie and furious sort as is wonderfull wée néeded not to haue feared their men at all had not the women bin our greatest ouerthrow at which time I my self was maister Gunner of the Admirals Gally yet chained gréeuously and beaten naked with a Turkish swoord flatling for not shooting where they would haue me and where I could not shoote It is but a few yéeres since that in the citie of Constantinople there happened a great plague where there dyed in sixe moneths space seuen hundreth thousand persons at which time Maister Harbarne Ambassadour for the Turkey company was there and lost sundry of his seruants From Damasko we went into the land of prester Iohn who is a Christian and is called Christien de Sentour that is the Christian of the Gerdell against this Prester Iohn I went with the Turkes power and was then their maister Gunner in the field the number of Turkish Souldiers sent thither was fiue hundreth thousand men who went thither by land and pitched themselues in battaile ray at Saran néere to the place where the sonne of Prester Iohn kéepeth his Court. There Prester Iohn with his power slew of the Turkes to the number of sixtie thousand onely by pollicy of drawe Bridges to let foorth water made as secrete Slewses for that purpose in which water so many Turkes perished The next day following the Turkes power did incompasse Prester Iohns sonne and tooke him prisoner and sent him for a Present to the great Turkes court then being at Constantinople but soone after Prester Iohn him selfe made an agréement betwéene the great Turke and his sonne that the one should not demaund tribute of the other and so his sonne was released and sent home againe It is to be vnderstood that the great Turke paide tribute vnto Prester Iohn before the time of these warres and the Turke did demaund a tribute of Prester Iohns sonne which had béene paide vnto him many yeares before whereupon Prester Iohn when his sonne was taken prisoner gaue consent to forgiue the one tribute for the other and thereby they were set at libertie the one from the other This Prester Iohn of whom I spake before is a king of great power and kéepeth a very bountifull Court after the fashion of that countrie and hath euery day to serue him at his table 60. kinges wearing leaden crownes on their heades and these serue in the meate vnto Prester Iohns table and continually the first dish of meate set vpon his table is a dead mans skull cleane picked and laide in blacke earth putting him in minde that he is but earth and must dye These 60. kings are all his Uize Royes in seuerall places and they haue their deputies to supply their roomes and these kinges liue continually in Prester Iohns Court and goe no further then they may be still attendant vpon him without leaue from their Emperour Prester Iohn In the court of Prester Iohn there is a wilde man and another in the high stréete at Constantinople whose allowance is euery day a quarter of raw mutton and when any man dyeth for some notorious offence then are they allowed euery day a quarter of mans flesh These wilde men are chained fast to a post euery day the one in Prester Iohns court and the other in the high stréet of Constantinople each of them hauing a Mantell cast about their shoulders and all ouer their bodies they haue wonderfull long haire they are chained fast by the necke and will spéedely deuour any man that commeth in their reach There is a beast in the court of Prester Iohn called Arians hauing foure heades they are in shape like a wilde Cat and are of the heigth of a Mastie Curre In his court also there is Fowles called Pharoes fowles whose fethers are verie

bewtifull to be worne these fowles are as big as a Turkey their flesh is verie swéet and their feathers are of all maner of colours There is Swannes in that place which are as large againe as the Swans of England and their feathers are as blew as any blew cloth I haue séene in a place like a parke adioyning vnto Prester Iohns Court thrée score and seuentéene Unicornes and Oliphants all aliue at one time and they were so tame that I haue played with them as one would play with young Lambes These Oliphants together with many other wilde and tame beastes will not drinke of any water vntill the Unicornes doe begin therof these Unicornes when they come to drinke of any riuer they put in their horne which is blackish and but short and forth of that water will rise a great skum and thereby clense all the filth and corruption that is within the same and this horne grated to pouder in drinke is a present remedie against any maner of poyson When Prester Iohn is serued at his table there is no salt at all set on in any saltseller as in in other places but a loafe of bread is cut crosse and then two kniues are layde a crosse vpon the loafe and some salt put vpon the blades of the kniues and no more Being thus in the lande of Prester Iohn I trauailed within eightéene degrées of the Sunne euerie degrée being in distance thrée score miles I was at the Red sea at the place where Moses made passage with his wand for the children of Israell where I sawe a shippe called the graund Maria she drawes but xi foote water and against this shippe thrée score gallyes and shippes haue fought at one time and can not conquer her and this is vnder the gouernement of the great Turke This shippe is built almost flatte and is of such burthen that she will carrie in her ten thousand fighting men with their furniture I haue béen in the Courts of the thrée great Patriarks the first whereof is kept at Ierusalem the seconde at the gran Caer and the third is at Constantinople these haue their Courtes in very stately sort and attended on by none but Priestes When I was at Ierusalem I saw the sepulcher wherin it is sayd that Christ was buried it is as it were in a vault and hath seuen doores and seuen roes of marble steps or stayers to go downe into the same and then at the bottome of the stayers there is a faire Chappell with an Altar and a Lampe burning continually day and night before it and the graue is full of white earth so white as chalke and a tombe of the same earth made and layde vpon stone whereon are sundrie letters written but I could not read them Upon the left hand of which Chappell is a rocke of stone of a blackish coloure being all of that stone that we commonly call the load stone which is of this nature that it will draw yron vnto it this stone is the principallest instrument which Marriners Saylers do vse for directing of their compasse at the sea The great Turke hath some profit comming by the kéeping of this monement hath therefore builded at his own charges an Hospitall within Ierusalem which his Genezaries do kéepe and this Hospitall is to receiue all Pilgrims and trauellers to lodge in when so euer they come And all that come to sée the sepulcher do pay ten Crownes a péece whereof the Turke hath but one and the rest goes to the Church and so they may stay there so long as they list to lodge in that new Hospitall and haue lodging bread victuals and water so long as they will remaine there but no wine such as come thether for pilgrims haue no beds at all but lie vpon the ground on turkey karpets and before the sepulchre of Christ there is masse sayde euery day none may say the Masse there but a man that is a pure virgine there was one that died when I was there that daily sayd and sung the Masse before the sepulchre and hee was an hundred and thirtie yeares of age before his death and now another is in his roome but whether the old man that dead is or this which is now in place to sing and say the sayde Masse were pure virgins I know-not but sure I dare not swere for them because they are men and flesh and bloud as other are After that I had thus long trauelled and spent my time in the wars and affayres of the great Turke I was returned againe to Constantinople where at my ariuall a penny loafe of English starling money was worth a crowne of golde such was the sicknesse miserie and dearth then vpon the saide citie and happie was hee that so could get bread to eate Neuerthelesse because I was a Christian and for that the Turke had no cause presently to vse me in my office of gunnership I was there imprisoned where I found two thousand Christians pinde vp in stone walles lockt fast in yron chaynes grieuously pinched with extreme penury and such as wished death rather then in such miserie to liue amongest these was I placed and tooke part with them accordingly gréeuing at my hard hap that the warres had not ended me before I came thether Thus I remayned there with the rest garded and daily watched that we could stirre no manner of way there we were suffered to worke vpon any manner of trade or occupation wherein we were any way expert and what we did or made we solde to the Turkes and they gaue vs money for the same and thus were we suffered to worke vntill it were time to goe and gather snowe which is there vsed yearely of custome to be gathered for the Turke hath great summes of money payde him for the sayde snowe which is gathered and solde to his subiectes for a penny the pound which pound is two pound and a halfe English and this snowe they vse only to coole their drinke in the sommer season And no man may sell any snowe vntill the Turke hath solde all his Thus liuing in this slauish life as is afore saide a long time diuerse of vs compl●tted hamered in our heads how we might procure our releasement wherupon I attempted with the consent of fiue hundreth Christians fellow slaues with my selfe to break a wall of fourtéene foote broad made of earth lyme and sand which we greatly moystened with strong viniger so that the wall beeing made moyst therewith through the helpe of a spike of yron fiue hundred of vs had almost escaped out of prison but looke what shall be shall be and what God will haue shall come to passe and no more as appeareth by vs for we hauing made meanes for our speedie flight as we were issewing foorth we were bewrayed by the barking of a dogge which caused the Turkes to arise and they taking vs with the maner stopped vs from flying away and gaue vs in

recompence of our paynes taking herein seuen hundreth blowes a péece with a bulls pissell vpon the naked skinne viz. thrée hundred on the belly and foure hundred on the backe Thus lying still prisoner in the Turkes dungeons it pleased God to send thether for the releasement of me and others a worthy gentleman of this land named Maister Harborne Ambassadour thether for the company of Marchants who to the great honour of Englande did behaue himselfe wonderfull wisely and was a speciall meanes for the releasement of me and sundry other English captiues who were set at libertie soone after the death of the great Basha thus by the meanes of the sayd master Harborne I was set frée from thraldome and by him sent into England where I arriued on the first of May. 1589. Whilest I was remayning prisoner in Turkey and kept in such slauish maner as is before rehearsed the great Turke had his sonne circumcised which was the fore-skin of his priuie members was taken off at which time there was great triumphes and frée libertie proclaymed for a hundred dayes space that any Nobleman gentleman traueller Christian or other might freely without being molested come and see the triumphes there vsed which were woonderfull I my selfe was then constrayned to make a cunning péece of fire woorke framed in forme like to the Arke of Noye being 24. yardes high and eight yardes broad wherin was placed 40. men drawn on sixe whéeles yet no man séene but séemed to go alone as though it wer onely drawne by two fiery Dragons in which shew or Arke there was 12. thousand seuerall péeces of fire worke At the same time that I was released there were set at libertie about twentie English men whereof I was one of the last some of them are at this present in England My selfe and others were released by meanes of her Maiesties fauourable letters sent to the great Turke brought by the aforesaide maister Harborne some by the ransome money gathered at sundrie times by the Marchants in the Citie of London for that godly purpose of which some of their names that were released were these Hamond Pan Iohn Béere Iohn Band Andrew Pullins Edward Buggins and others Here may the bountifull Citizens of London sée as in a glasse the fruites of their liberalitie and charitable deuotion giuen at seuerall times in the yeare towards the releasment of poore captiues such as are constrained to abide most vilde and grieuous tortures especially the torture and torment of conscience which grieued me all true Christians to the very soule for the Turke by all meanes possible would still perswade me and other my fellow Christians while I was there the time of thirtéene yeares to forsake Christ to deny him and to belieue in their God Mahomet which if I would haue done I might haue had wonderfull preferment of the Turke and haue liued in as great felicitie as any Lord in that Countrie but I vtterly denyed their request though by them grieuously beaten naked for my labour and reuiled in most detestable sort calling me dogge diuell helhound and such like names but I giue God thanks he gaue me strength to abide with patience these crosses And though I were but a simple man voide of all learning yet still I had in remembrance that Christ died for me as appeareth by the holy Scriptures and that Christ therein saith He that denyeth me before men I will deny him before my father which is in heauen and againe he saith Whosoeuer belieueth on me shall be saued and haue life euerlasting this comfort made me resolute that I would rather suffer all the torments of death in the world then to deny my Sauiour and Redéemer Christ Iesus After my frée libertie graunted in Turkey I intending my iourney towards England came by land to Uenicie where I met at Padua thirtie Englishmen students I met also with an Englishman who liued in the state of a Fryer he brought me before the high Bishop where I was accused for an heretike and he brought in two false witnesses to be sworne against me hauing before knowne me in Turkey neuerthelesse I disproued his witnesses and they were found forsworne men then was I set at libertie and constrained to giue fiftéene Crownes towards the finishing of our Ladies shrine at Padua and my accuser and his witnesses were punished From thence I came to the Duke of Ferrara where I was well entertained and liberally rewarded with a horse and fiue and twentie Crownes for the sake of the Quéenes Maiestie of England Thrice had I the strappado hoysted vp backward with my handes bound behind me which stroke all the iointes in my armes out of ioint where a Phisition was readie to set my armes in ioynt againe presently I was also constrained to drinke salt water and quicklyme and then a fine lawne or callico thrust down my throat and pluckt vp againe readie to pluck my hart out of my belly all to make me to confesse that I was an English spye After this there were foure barde horses prepared to quarter me and I was still threatned to dye except I would confesse some thing to my harme Thus seuen monethes I endured in this misery and yet they could finde no cause against me then I wrote to the Uice-Roy to do me iustice he did write to the K. of Spaine to know what should be done with me whereupon the king of Spaine wrote that I should be employed in a gunners roome then was I entertained and had 35. crownes a moneth and had the kinges pattent sealed for the same and then vnderstanding that thrée ships were comming towards England I departed and fled from thence with them to my natiue countrie in the grace of London by the helpe of one Nicholas Nottingham maister thereof Thus came I into England with great ioy and harts delight both to my selfe and all my acquiantance The report in Rume Naples and all ouer Italy in my trauel which was at such time as the Spaniards came to inuade England after I had béene released of my imprisonment as I passed thpough the stréetes the people of that partes asked mee howe I durst acknowledge my selfe to be an English man and thereupon to daunt mee did say that England was taken by the Spaniards and that the Quéene of England whom God long preserue was taken prisoner and was comming towardes Rome to doe penuance and that her highnesse was brought thither through desarts moist hilly and foule places and where plaine ground was hoales and hollow trenches were digged in the way of her Maiesties passage to the intent that she might haue gone vp to the mid legge in oes or mire with these spéeches they did checke me and I saide that I trusted God doubtlesse would defend my prince better then to deliuer her into the handes of her enimies wherefore they did greatly reuile me Many thinges I haue omitted to speake of which I haue séene and noted in the time