was found to be faulty andrruth being waighed in the scailes of Iustice we were found too light so that hauing remained twenty daies in Bristoll I was from thence from Shiriffe to Shiriffe directed to Newgate my brother comming along and bearing me company who labouring like the carefull Bee in my businesse neuer idle solliciting here and labouring there and who had hopefull expectation and promises I should find mercy that had for my offences deserued none I built not yet my trust on so shaking a foundation but although to supply the company of mymultitude of friends whose loue came daily to visit me I bare an outside of mirth I h ad a hart peece of sorrow considering in my thoughts how I had wronged the stranger and those whose losses I could neuer right how I had vndone many had but a lifeto satisfie all I desired not now to build for that where I might not continue but labour for that where I should liue for euer I thought it not requisite now to forget Heauen for earth the soule for the bodie nor heauenly pleasures for temporall goods I acknowledge now that in a worldly building the stones must be broken hewen and squared ere they be fit to make vp the worke the corne must be thrashed winnowed and purified before it be ready for nourishing bread the whirlewind must first blow ere Elias be rapt into heauen so euery sinner must be cut hewen and squared with the blowes that beat vppon his guilty conscience be threashed wi nnowed and purified with prayers repentance and amendement of life and sighes must make way both for body and soule if we meane ere to come to our heauenly Ierusalem I remembred now that vncookt meat is vnwholesome for man and vnmortified men be no creatures for God which made me in my chamber in the houres of quiet alone neuer haue the Pensiue-mans practise out of my hand nor the penitent mans-practise outof my heart therefore I must say to him it was vrgently done who informed the Counsell that the Saterday be fore my tryal first imprisonment in the Marshalsies and in my imprisonnement my first meeting with Captaine Iennings who at sea together did call brothers and being with him but orderly mercie he reported to their Lordships we were mad drunke this was informed to be done and whosoeuer did it I must needes tell him it was but a homely message since it is no good nor charitable office to heape vniust iniuries vppon miserable men for I protest I had that testimony in my selfe that my sorrow had washed away my foulenesse and loathing my life I inuited my death knowing there is no death where there is no sinne for by sinne death entred into the world and the wages of sinne is death so that what I was to loose I was sure to loose as soone as I had life but the life that I looked for should neuer haue death which patience and resolution of mine the diligent Preacher that both labourd and found in me I doubt not for truth but he will speake and confirme which Christian end of mine I expect that insteed of me it shall encrease comfort in my friends and be a sufficient satisfaction to my aduersaries of whom on the bended knees of my heart I humbly craue pardon from whome being men I feare not deniall since I am sure it is sealed of our Maker in heauen so from a free and vnburthened heart a patient mind and willing steps I goe out of my chamber in the Marshalstes the Friday morning being the two and twenty day of December to make my death-bed at Wapping Of whom Reader if thou destrest more though he be the first of number placed in the booke he was the last of seauenteene that suffered first he made his deuotion and prayers with an affirmatiue tongue threw away his hat as he went bouldly vp the ladder and being demanded of a straunger stood by him If as yet he had heard no good newes from the King he answered him none sir but from the King of Kings and therefore with Peter I must resolue and say I looke for a new heauen and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse he sung to a sillable the one and twenty Psalms dyed a repentant sinner and a Christian and by the diligence of his naturall brother was brought to the keeper of Newgates house in Newgate-market and from thence as a Christian was buried in Christe-Church The discourse of Captaine Iennings SInce you are thus farre gentle Readers led on with this discourse of Captaine Harris I doubt not but you will expect the like of the rest which cannot in Captaine Iennings be so well performd as in the former for the education of his youth was ◅o meane and low he could neither write nor read yet notwithstanding it is not brought to your eyes vnder his owne hand the report for certaine was taken from his tongue and thus it is From my childehood quoth he I was wholy addicted to martiall courses espetially in the manly resolution of seafaringmen I was not disaniamated at the reports of others dangers past nor afeard my self to encounter with tempests to come whereby in many voyages returning from Sea I grew to beare the name of a skilfull Marriner which so soone pu◅t vp a selfe conceit in my thoughts that I grew ambitious straight to haue a whole commaund and held it basenes to liue vnder checke It likt me well a shipboard to see the Captaine but bid and his will in all things was straight obeyd and such a one in my ambitiō I resolud to be which authority and place finding my present meanes friends vnpossible lawfully to raise me vnto I bluntly resolued as we vse to say to attaine to it then by hooke or by crooks To which purpose comforting my selfe with a retchles crue and such as loued ryot as well as my selfe for I must truely confesse it was one of my sinnes we were not long before we had made vp our company furnished vs of a ship and by the name of Captaine Iennings I was knowne at Sea so that in the Queenes maiesties raigne during the continuance of the dissention betwixt the King of Spaine the Hollanders I found such a safe refuge and retirement into Dunkerk after many haynous spoyles committed on their Dutch Fly-boates Pinkes and passengers in them that my name grew so odious my offences so multiplied that being knowne to the state I was proclaimd a Pyrate and seueral ships both from England and Holland made out to lie in waight for my apprehention which though long first was at last so effected that by the English I was taken brought prisoner to the Marshalseys expecting nothing but for my time of tryall and hoping for nothing but present death When my louing sister so labourd with petitions to the states that lay heere and to diuers Marchants I had formerly wrongd wherein was my
sorry for and the goodnes of his death who though enforced to be vntimely yet men should reioyce in it eight of his company with those that suffered with him namely Peter Brush Fisherman and Maister of his ship Iohn Spencer and Thomas Spencer brothers at whose death it drew pitty in all the beholders for the elder suffering first and then the younger turned off he hung beating his hands on his brothers breast be sides these was Samuell Read Richard Baker Ierom Lockey Ieames Smith and Roger Notting yet these though they be first placed they were of seauenteens the last that finished the act of the tragedy to make woefull the rest of the sceane was Captain Iennings Iohn Lodge and Iohn Williams of his company and to make dolefull the whole proiect was Captaine William Longcastle William Tauerner and Iohn More of his company and betwixt whom as miserable Chori comes in Thomas 〈◊〉 Minas to deuide the act these seauenteene on Friday in the forenoone made their last testament so that of nineteene that were condemned in this great sessions of Pyrates before as honnorable a bench and as faire orderly proceedings as in such cases mans memory can witnesse two onely from that present execution who for part of that following day reioycingly gladded themselues with hope of continuing life namely Captaine Downes and Captaine Halse but their peace being croâ—… by the Kings maiesty and the counsell more at large vnderstanding and considering of the cruelty and heynousnes of their seuerall offences betweene foure and fiue a clock in the afternoone almost at high water they were also executed of whose liues and deaths reader if thou beest pleased with the former and desirest to be satisfied of the rest to giue thee content I haue writ as followeth The discourse of Captaine Downes THis Downes had somtimes liued a hopefull marchant in a place called Langraue neere Colchester in the countie of Essex till his superfluous expence retchles life made him crack his credit amongst men ofworth and those he had trading with his word was esteemed as sufficient as his bond and his seale would haue bene acceptably receiued for largâ—… sommes till neglecting his trafick and following the sensualleties of his pleasures he had so farre disparaged both that hauing brought himselfe behinde hand and in danger to those had put him in trust that for feare of imprisonment he durst not be seene he resolued vpon these vniust courses of piracy he was a fellow but wearish simple in show but more violent cruell and merciles then any of the rest when he was at sea he considered not what belonged to the actions he vndertooke but resolued that the finishing of whatsoeuer he pretended was well so it were don in which resolution furnishing himselfe to wrong as by his owne confession it appeared both at his araignment and was read against him vpon record namely that about midsomer last was three yeares he came into Foy in Cornwal in a Portugal Caruil laden with Sugers Wines and other commodities which he and his company tooke about the Maderaâ—…s and as he inferred by vertue and strength of a commission graunted from the states of the Low Countries and the Captaine of the ship being one Albret Albertson of Ankmers in Holland and which prize they had lawfully tooke and sold the most part of the purchase thereof in Foy either by generall or particuler sale to whomesoeuer would bye it Upon which coulourable excuse though there were more then this inditement against him and he manifested to the honourable of the Court to be a knowne offender it was yet askt of him where that commission was to beare testimony in his innosence which he not being able to show it was by the Court told him it was no maruail that he could not since vpon their knowledge about the time he related there was a strict prohibition by Proclamation for any English to combine with the hollanders in any such attempts so that he being driuen to silence in that behalfe and his excuse confuted with apparant truth it was yet demanded of him who and what they were that were then in his company besides the Captaine Albert Albretson at the time of this pyracy to which article he answered there was one Iohn Giles maister Richard Ward and Pâ—…hlip Downes saylors Water Cox Hercules Kellam one Robert Gilly of Perin but the rest of there names being most of them Dutchmen he could not remember if these then answered the court weare in thy company and as thou saiest the outrage committed was don by commission from the states to purge thy selfe and that it may appeare though heere thou standst accused thou art yet both a good seruant to God and a faithfull subiect to thy King deliuer then where thou partedst company with them when thou lâ—…ftest them and how in thine own behalfe they may be heard of the which without halting it appearing to the Court he was not able to doe his owne examination taken before the right worshipfull S. Daniell Don Iudge and others of the high Court of Admiraltie vnto which he had set his hand was directly read against him the purpose whereof appeared as it followeth That the sixt of October was twelue months or there abouts he shipped himselfe at Plimouth with one Captaine Browne in a small barke of some sixteene tunnes bound for Ginny as the company told him being manned with fifteene men all English which Browne and himselfe neere Silly met with Captaine Tomkins in whose company shipping themselues they plyed for Seuerne but in their course they were forced ashore neere Swansey in Wales where some suspition rising against them through their misordered life the whole company being a land froÌ„ the Pincke and Tomkins one Garret and himselfe more bold to put themselues in hazzard then the rest they were apprehended by Lewis Mansell and by him committed to the common Gaole at Cardiffe where after instructions taken how they had liued they were from Constable to Constable directed towards London and were forward on their way so farre as Reading at a village neere the which lodging all night and the Constable not vnderstanding what a charge he had in hand leauing but a slight guard to attend them the next morning before day they brake out of the housâ—… and from them who had them in charge and so escaped for London As also being demaunded what riches they had where they forsooke the Pincke he confest he had in his purâ—…e twenty barbery duckets of gold the which one Roger Place of Cambridge had from him and two little wedges of gold worth forty duckets that he had a chaâ—…e and a Iewell and 80. peeces of Barbery â—…d the which one Dauâ—… had from him vpon somecomposition between them and which Dauis is perfectly known to Sir Robert Mansel that one Griffin Bayliffe likewise had from Tomkins three small gâ—…ds of gold and certaine Barbery duckets but all according to his
to attend him but only on Iames a musition who was my Lord of Clanricards man prouided this he returnd to the castle for hislodging atnight Nay after that by the direction of the Councell here he was to be sent for England and that they had receiued true and perfect instructions what an ill liuer he had bene in that they would not seeme to dishearten him in the iourney he was to take they dischargd him of custody and as it had bene to haue imployd him in some affaires of import gaue him charge of a letter to the Maior of Chester whose purpose was to conuey him to London From Chester he was conducted to the Marshalseyses in Southwark where remayning euen since May last to the eye of men he liued a careles life or dreadles of that he did thinke was to come one being mery a drinking with him once demaunded of him thus faith Captaine Iennings and how did you liue when you were at Sea how quoth he I reioyced more to heare the Cannons voyce that bid me to fight then the Church-bell that cald me to prayer I fought not as chickens fight for their meat to sustaine nature but for store of gold to maintaine ryot Another time being drinking in the parlor where they vse to dine in the prison it being somewhat afore Bartholmewtide in hot weather he sat iust with his face in the sun when one demanded of him Captaine Iennings why doe yor sit with your face in the Sun it will make your head ake fogh pox quoth he what do you tell me of the head-ake that shall hang in the sun shortly when my necke shall ake and I do but practise now how I shal fry then The same day that Captaine Harris was brought into prison being the satterday before the arraignement which was the monday following he was in the Marshalseys yard throwing of snow-bals iust as Captaine Harris was comming in at the gate who hauing a snow-ball at that instant in his hand ready to throw one cald vnto him aloud Captaine Iennings Captaine Iennings Captaine Harris is comming Captaine Harris quoth he I loue him well but and the hangman himselfe were comming I would throw out my throw first these haue I set down to signifie to the world the desperatenes of his course the intemperance of his actions and the slight regard he seemed outwardly to take of his soule in that little walke was giuen him to looke vpon betwixt his life and death The time of his tryall being come he was the first that stood indited and arraigned for those seuerall piraces before recited and with these of his company namely Thomas Renolds shoomaker Iohn Williams Marriner and Botson of his ship and Iohn Lodge who being demanded what they could seuerally say to the inditement Captaine Iennings began to intercept the clark in this maner to plead in their excuse Alas my Lord what would you haue these poore men say they can say nothing to it if any thing they haue done they were compeld vnto it by me and I must answer for it To this excuse by that honourable court he was thus answerd that they doubted not but his owne conscience bore witnesse against him that he had heard inough in his seuerall enditements to answer for himselfe and so they wished him let euery one of them and if it should appeare either by testimony or circumstance as heinfer◅ they were cleere the whole Court should be glad of it and to that purpose they should be heard themselues or any for them at full Wherevpon Thomas Renolds by the name of Thomas Renolds shoomaker was againe called demanded of the Clarke of the Admiralty what he pleaded to the enditement whether guilty or not guilty who answering not guilty and desierd of their Lordships he might with their gratious fauour be heard and which being by the honourable of the counsell vpon his request presently graunted he pleaded thus That at the time of Captaine Iennings anchoring in Baltimor he was a Iourniman shoomaker resident in Corcke whome Captaine Iennings sent for as he might haue done for any other to bring bootes or shooes to furnish both himselfe and his whole company who with a couple of boyes in hope to make a way his maisters ware with profit came aboord his ship and fitted them also farre as his ware wold serue for which according to his owne price he was from Captaine Iennings owne hand orderly paid and he deliuered the mony to one of the boyes to carry and sent them to stay for him some respite a shore while he being inticed by the Captaine and others to rest a while and be merry with them was with the ouercharging of many made so drunke that he fell in a sleepe in which time the winde seruing and they hauing compassed themselues of all thinges fit the fi◅st time he waked he found himselfe at Sea and the Captaine and others in fight with one of those ships for which he stood now indited and for proofe heereof he brought in another shoomaker to iuis◅fie that at the same time he then inferd he was working in Corke and liued honestly by his labour so that if any thing he had done it was done in the company of them by whome he was compeld vnto it and therefore quoth he I humbly desire both your honours and the Iury to mingle mercy with iustice conscience with equity so commisserate my case Which tale of his hauing so good a relish of credit he being the first that expressed the forme though many after both of Captaine Iennings Captaine Harris and Captain Longcastle◅ cōpanies endeuoured to follow the course their honours leauing his defence to the good consideration of the Iury to determine how true it was he onely by their verdit was returnd not guilty and the rest with their Captaine conuicted as fellones and pyrates vpon the high seas and in maner and forme as they stood invited And after their conuiction and iudgement they were conueied backe to the Marshalseys from thence on Fryday morning to Wapping the place appointed for their execution where Captaine Iennings being the first that was cald to goe vp to his death and seeing that he had bene al this while deluded with a fruitles hope for vpon my knowledge both Captaine Harris◅nd ◅nd he the day before their execution did report they were repreiued he did now in soule repent him of his sinne complayned of his lusts and ryots as the causers of his ruine confest that before this he had receiued pardon for his heynous transgressions and had not the goodnesse to desist from ill he desired God of his mercy to receiue his soule the world at his death to pardon his body so desiring the multitude of spectators to pray for him and sing a psalme with him he was the first was turnd of the ladder and after him both Lodge and Williams as his consorts and confederates found guilty in his actions
wife husband youth nor age whosoeuer they happen on but if they will attend theft Syrens notes ware is not sooner melted by the fierce fire then they wasted by the flame of them husbands neglect their wiues wiues loath their children youth their profit age their healthâ—… and in the wasting of all this they are accompaned with ryot who shines like a gallant in silke to day is turnd to be more miserable then an hospitall to morrow dicing in the day drinking at night throwing with one hand our wealth away from vs and tossing infirmities and dropâ—…es into our bodies with the other But the report of these sinnes being no refuge to my shame and more fitter to be repented then by me to be recorded I must now tell I arriued in England and my name being knowne there was strict waite laid for my apprehention But see how it happened a kinsman of mine who bore my name being by some officers who had my search in charge was suspected and imprisoned for me and in the end knowing of my abiding compeld to giue a loath intelligence for his owne discharge he being hardly set against by those were my aduersaries vpon whose instructions I being apprehended in the west country and from thence conueyd to the Marshalseys I there continued since the beginning of the last sommer till the time of my conuiction where as in a Mirror I beheld the miseries of other men and began now to consider of mine owne after my conuiction I was repreeud by the painefull labour and purse of some of my allies to restore the memory of our name vndetected now when I little feard or thought of death I am brought to be executed at which place humbled before the seat of his mercy I aske pardon at the hands of God and forgiuenes from the hearts of men and so thus goe vp the lather to my death to goe down I doubt not to a peaceful graue and to rise at length to my sauiour in heauen Of all which Pyrates gentle Reader if thou hast had intelligence of more then I haue heere set downe I should haue bene glad to haue had thy instructions But to him that before this hath not knowne so much I pray him to take these collections thankfully onely of Captaine Iennings himself William Tauerner of Captain Longcastles company somewhat omitted at the time of their execution I will remember now to set downe Captain Iennings being the first in the commission directed to maister Smith the marshall of the Admiralty as he was first arraigned and conuicted so he was the first at the appointed place to suffer execution and being called by his name to commit himselfe to God and to goe vp the ladder suffer death he made answer thus That he hopedno friendly nor christianly censurer would hould so vnconscionably an opinion of him to eâ—…emso carlesly of the good future estate of his â—…oule asto come in the face of so many spectators and the tree appointed for his execution with a conscience laden with any thoughts but repentance or trust in any thing but in the mercy of the redeemer of all mankinde and therefore what he had to speake was not to theworld but to those of his company whome he had partly drawne to this folly bene causers of their fall vnto whom turning he spake thus my friends you see we are brought to take our earthly farwell the one of the other and I am to conduct you the way I haue heretofore lead you on in place of danger more induring then when bullets like haile haue falne about our eares yet you fearelesly and venterously haue followed me your Captaine who haue as brauely brought you of as I haue bouldly brought you on be not dismaid now to do the like for where heertofore I haue driuen you through the footsteps of transgression on earth I now wish you be all as resolu'd as I goe before you the highway to my saluation in heauen where we shall meete amongst the fellowship of Angels although we are here deuided from the company of men then be no more dreaded to follow then I guided by the mercy of Christ outdaring death clime vp this hill he hath built for me and also resolutly going vp the ladder without saying any other but his prayers and his thankes giuing singing a psalme he was turnd of And as for Tauerner he neere seemed to looke downe on the ground from the time of his comming to the execution place to the instant of his death aduancing vp the ladder he said thus I doe faithfully assure my selfe this is Iacobs ladder on whose steps I assure I shall be reard vp to heauen and so he suffered execution So reader for thy further satisfaction giuing thee the two euidences which were read and personally giuen to the conuiction of Captaine Iames Harris and for the true testimony what is recorded in this discourse our report is ended The examination of Giles Amee Marchant of St. Mallowes GIles Amee of St. Mallowes in Brittaine Marchant aged 22. yeares or thereabouts sworn and examined before the Iudges of the Admiralâ—…y by the interpretation of Thomas Barrel speaking the English and French languages sworne truely to interpret and hauing Iames Harris Peter Brush the rest prisoners confronted before him by charge of his oath saith that he was Marchant of a Ship called the St. Mary of St. Mallowes which was laden at Cales in Spaine with forty buts of Sacke sixteene Tunnes of Salt two hundred double pistolets in gold and comming from thence bound for St. Mallowes the said ship and her said lading was taken about twentyleagues to the Westward the twenty day of May last by a Flyboat hauing six peeces of ordnance and ninetie men or thereabouts whereof Captaine Harris was their Captaine which being the said Captaine Harris being now prisoner in Newgate and whome he saw on thursday last when he was examined before the said Iudges and who kept him twelue daies prisoner at sea that the goods properly belongd to this examinate Masye Ceferre Marchant of S. Mallowes The examination of Oliuer Picket OLiuer Picket of Maruine in Fraunce by the interpretation of Thomas Burrill saith that he was Marchant of the Margaret of Norsidan and knoweth that the same ship came from Layeborne in Portugall in May last hauing in the said shippe eight thousand french crownes in royals of plate and Pistollets being the somme oâ—… money for linnen cloâ—…h and wheat he had sold there And being come neere the northern cape the same ship where of William Gillin was Maister This company was violently assaulted and taken on the 26. of may last by captaine Harris and his company And that this examinar gaue Captaine Harris a ring of gold worth 30. crownes or therabout kept him prisoner about 5. dayes and then dismist the french man and his ship the riches did belong to him and his partners Marchants of Venice