Part 36

[An injust robbery by unjust Judges.] Upon the knowledge of this, that I was secretly to be incarcerate in the Governours Palace, entred the M. Sergeant, and begged my mony, and Lycence to search it: and liberty granted hee found in my pockets eleaven Philippoes or Ducatons; and then uncloathing me before their eyes, even to my shirt, and searching my breeches, he found in my Doublet necke, fast shut betweene two Canvesses, 137. double peeces of gold. Whereat the Corrigidor arose and counting my gold, being 548. duccats, he sayd to the Sergeant, cloath him againe, and inclose him there in the Cabinet till after Supper. Meanewhile the Sergeant got the 11. duccatons of Silver; and my gold, which was to take me for Æthiopia, the Governour seased upon; giving afterwards 200. Crownes of it to supply the new layd Foundation of a Capuschine Monastery there, reserving the rest (being 348. duccats) for his owne avaricious ends.

This done, and mid-night come, the Sergeant and two Turkish slaves releasing mee from the inferiour Roome, brought mee through certayne ascending passages, to a chamber, in a sequestrate side of the Palace, toward the Garden, and right above his Summer Kitchen: Where there, and then, the Sergeants, and the two slaves, thrust [And here is the embleme of my misery.] on every ancle an heavy bolt, my legs being put to the full stride, by a mayne gad of iron far above a yard long, upon the endes of which the two bolts depended, that were fastned about my legs. Insomuch, that I could never sit up, nor walke, nor stand, nor turne me; but lay continually on my backe, the irons being thrice heavier then my body.

[A miserable & helplesse Lamentation.] Whereupon beholding my inevitable misery, and such monster-made irons my sighing soule deplored thus: Alas Sergeant, and you two Slaves, remarke in me the just Judgements of God; and loe how the Heavens have reducted me to this meritorious reward, and truely deserved; for I have dearely and truly bought it; that I whose legges and feete the whole Universe could scarcely contayne, now these bolts and irons keepe them fast, in a body length, of a stone-paved Floore. O foolish pride, O suppressing ambition! and vaporous curiosity! woe worth the fury of your aspiring vanities; you have taken mee over the face of the earth, and now left me in a Dungeon hole: My soule, O my soule is leager unto this Proverbe, Man proposeth, and God disposeth: O happy had I beene, thrice happy in a Shepheards life.

Thus, and more lamenting the destiny of nature, they left mee with solacious words, and straight returned againe with Victuals; being a pound of boyl'd Mutton, a wheat bread, and a small Pint of Wine: which was the first, the best, and the last of this kinde, that ever I got in that woefull Mansion. The Sergeant leaving me (never seeing him more, till a more unwelcomed sight) hee directed the Slaves, that after I had contented my discontented appetite, they should locke the doore, and carry the keyes to Areta, a Spaniard and keeper of the silver plate.

A little while after he was gone, the other Drudge left me also, who was newly turned Christian: where being alone with Hazier the naturall Turke, who was to attend me, feede me, and keepe me, lying nightly a constrayned Centinell, without the doore of my imprisonment; hee demanded me for what cause I was committed, and what malefact I was guilty of? to whom I answered, onely for a naked suspition, mistaking the honorable intention of the English Armado, I am as a spy apprehended, and falsely accused.

[The mourning of Hazier a Turkish slave.] Whereupon the silly Slave falling downe on his knees, held up his hands, crying, Hermano, Hermano, es muy grand menester, par a tomar pacenza, &c. Brother, Brother, it is much needfull for you to take all in patience, for it is impossible now you can escape, some fearefull tryall, and thereupon a horrible punishment even unto death; and alasse to relieve you, if I durst, (as I dare not under death) to discover you to your Countrey-men, I would doe it upon my knees, and leaving me with a weeping good night, he made fast the doore, and transported the keyes, as he was directed.

The day following the Governour entered my Prison alone, intreating me to confesse that I was a spy, and he would be my friend, and procure my pardon, neither should I lacke (interim) any needfull thing: But I still attesting my innocency, hee wrathfully swore I should see his face no more, till grievous torments should make me doe it; and leaving mee in a rage, he observed too well his condition.

But withall in my audience, he commanded Areta, that none should come neare mee except the slave, nor no food should be given mee but three ounces of moosted browne bread, every second day, and a Fuleto or English Pint of water, neither any bed, pillow, or coverlet to be allowed mee: And close up sayd he, this window in his roome, with lyme and stone, stop the holes of the doore with double Matts, hanging another locking to it; and to withdraw all visible and sensible comfort from him, let no tongue, nor feet be heard neare him, till I have my designes accomplished: And thou Hazier I charge thee, at thy incommings to have no conference with him, nor at thy out-goings abroad to discover him to the English Factors, as thou wilt answer upon thy life, and the highest torments can be devised.

These directions delivered, and alas too accessary to me in the performance: my roome was made a darke-drawne Dungeon, my belly the anatomy of mercilesse hunger, my comfortlesse hearing, the receptacle of sounding Bells, my eye wanting light, a loathsome languishing in despaire, and my ground lying body, the woefull mirrour of misfortunes: every houre wishing anothers comming, every day the night, and every night the morning.

[A speedy expedition for a mercilesse mischeife.] And now being every second or third day attended with the twinckling of an eye, and my sustenance agreeable to my attendance, my body grew exceeding debile and infirme; insomuch that the Governour (after his answers receaved from Madrile) made haste to put in execution, his bloody and mercilesse purpose before Christmas Holy-dayes: least ere the expiring of the twelfth day, I should be utterly famished, and unable to undergoe my tryall, without present perishing, yet unknowne to me, save onely in this knowledge, that I was confident to dye a fearefull and unacquainted death: for it is a current custome with the Spaniard, that if a stranger be apprehended upon any suspicion, he is never brought to open tryall, and common Jayle, but clapd up in a Dungeon, and there tortured, impoysoned, or starved to death: Such meritorious deeds, accompany these onely titular Christians: for the Spaniard accounteth it more to be called a Christian, than either to beleeve what hee professeth, or to conforme him selfe to the life of Christianity: yea, I sparingly avouch it, hee is the worst and baddest creature of the Christian name; having no more Religion (and lesse respective to devotion) than an externall presumptuous show; which perfiteth this ancient Proverbe, The Spaniard; est bonus Catholicus, sed malus Christianus.

In end, by Gods permission, the scourge of my fiery tryall approaching; upon the forty seventh day after my first imprisonment, and five dayes before Christmas; about two a clocke in the morning, I heard the noyse of a Coach in the fore-street, marvelling much what it might meane.

[My transportation from prison to the fields to be racked.] Within a pretty while I heard the locks of my Prison-doore in opening; whereupon bequeathing my soule to God, I humbly implored his gracious mercie and pardon for my sinnes: for neither in the former night nor this, could I get any sleepe, such was the force of gnawing hunger, and the portending heavinesse of my presaging soule.

Meanewhile the former nine Sergeants, accompanied with the Scrivan, entered the roome without word speaking, and carrying mee thence, with irons and all, on their armes through the house, to the street, they layd mee on my backe in the Coach: where two of them sat up beside mee, (the rest using great silence) went softly along by the Coach side.

Then Baptista the Coach-man, an Indian Negro droving out at the Sea-gate, the way of the shoare-side, I was brought Westward almost a league from the Towne, to a Vine-presse house, standing alone amongst Vineyards, where they inclosed mee in a roome till day light, for hither was the Racke brought the night before, and privately placed in the ende of a Trance.

And all this secresie was used, that neyther English, French, or Flemings, should see or get any knowledge of my Tryall, my grievous Tortures, and dreadfull dispatch, because of their treacherous and cruel proceedings.

At the breach of day the Governour, Don Francesco, and the Alcalde, came foorth in another Coach: where when arrived, and I invited to their presence, I pleaded [A stranger ought not to be accused with strangers without an Interpreter.] for a Trench man, being against their Law, to accuse or condemne a Stranger, without a sufficient Interpreter. The which they absolutely refused, neyther would they suffer or grant mee an Appellation to Madrid.

And now after long and new Examinations, from morning to darke night, they finding my first and second Confession so runne in one, that the Governour swore, I had learned the Arte of Memory: Saying further, is it possible hee can in such distresse, and so long a time, observe so strictly in every manner the poynts of his first Confession, and I so often shifting him too and fro.

Well, the Governours interrogation and my Confession being mutually subscribed: He and Don Francesco besought me earnestly to acknowledge and confesse my guiltinesse in time: if not, he would deliver me in the Alcaldes hands there present: Saying moreover, thou art as yet in my power, and I may spare or pardon thee; providing thou wilt confesse thy selfe a Spie, and a Traytour against our Nation.

But finding mee stand fast to the marke of my spotlesse innocency, he, invective, and malicious hee, after many tremenduous threatnings, commanded the Scrivan to draw up a Warrant for the chiefe Justice: And done, he set his hand to it, and taking me by the hand, delivered me and the Warrant in the Alcalde Majors hands, to cause mee bee Tortured, broken, and cruelly Tormented.

Whence being carried along on the Sergeants armes, to the end of a Trance or stone Gallery, where the Pottaro or Racke was placed: The Encarnador or Tormentor, begunne to disburden me of my irons, which beeing very hard inbolted he could not Ram-verse the Wedges for a long time: Whereat the Chiefe Justice being offended, the malicious Villaine with the Hammer which he had in his hand, stroake away above an inch of my left heele with [A mercilesse hurt, before they begun to Racke mee.] the Bolt. Whereupon I grievously groaning, beeing exceeding faint, and without my three ounces of bread, and a little Water for three dayes together: The Alcalde sayd, O Traytor all this is nothing, but the earnest of a greater bargaine you have in hand.

Now the irons being dissolved, and my Torments approaching, I fell prostrate on my knees, crying to the Heavens:

O Great and Gracious GOD, it is truely knowne to thy all-seeing Eye, that I am innocent of these false and fearefull accusations, and since therefore it is thy Good will and pleasure, that I must suffer now by the scelerate hands of mercilesse men: Lord furnish mee, with Courage, Strength, and Patience least by an impatient Minde, and feebling Spirit, I become my owne Murtherer, in Confessing my selfe guilty of Death, to shunne present punishment. And according to the Multitude of thy Mercies, O Lord, bee mercifull to my sinfull soule, and that for Jesus thy Sonne and my Redeemer his sake.

After this, the Alcalde, and Scrivan, being both chaire-set, the one to examine, the other to write downe my Confession and Tortures: I was by the Executioner stripped to the skin, brought to the Racke, and then mounted by him on the top of it: Where eftsoones I was hung by the bare shoulders, with two small Cords, which went under both mine armes, running on two Rings of iron that were fixed in the Wall above my head.

Thus being hoysed, to the appoynted height, the Tormentor discended below, and drawing downe my Legs, through the two sides of the three-planked Racke, hee tyed a Cord about each of my ancles: And then ascending upon the Racke, hee drew the Cords upward, and bending [The hammes and lids of my knees were both broken.] forward with maine force, my two knees, against the two plankes; the sinewes of my hammes burst a sunder, and the lids of my knees beeing crushed, and the Cords made fast, I hung so demayned, for a large houre.

At last the Encarnador, informing the Governor, that I had the marke of Jerusalem on my right arme, joyned with the name and Crowne of King James, and done upon the Holy Grave. The Corrigidor came out of his adjoyning stance, and gave direction, to teare a sunder, the name, and Crowne (as hee sayd) of that Hereticke King, and arch-enemy to the Holy Catholicke Church: Then the Tormentor, laying the right arme above the left, and the Crowne upmost, did cast a Cord over both armes, seaven distant times: And then lying downe upon his backe, and setting both his feete on my hollow-pinched belly, he charged; and drew violently with his hands, making my Wombe support the force of his feete, till the seaven severall Cords combind in one place of my arme, (and cutting the Crowne, sinewes, and flesh to the bare bones) did pull in my fingers close to the palme of my hands: the left hand of which is Lame so still, and will be for ever.

Now mine eyes begun to startle, my mouth to foame and froath, and my teeth to chatter like to the doubling of [O cruell and inhumane murder.] Drummers stickes. O strange inhumanity of Men-monster Manglers! surpassing the limits of their nationall Law; three score Tortures beeing the tryall of Treason, which I had, and was to indure: yet thus to inflict a seaven-fold surplussage of more intolerable cruelties: And notwithstanding of my shivering lippes, in this fiery passion, my vehement groaning, and blood-springing fonts, from armes, broake sinewes, hammes, and knees; yea, and my depending weight on flesh-cutting Cords; yet they stroke mee on the face with Cudgels, to abate and cease the thundring noyse of my wrestling voyce.

At last being loosed from these Pinnacles of paine, I was hand-fast set on the floore, with this their incessant imploration: Confesse, confesse, confesse in time, for thine inevitable torments ensue: where finding nothing from me, but still innocent, O I am innocent, O Jesus! the Lambe of God have mercy upon mee, and strengthen mee with patience, to undergoe this barbarous murder.

[Here begun my mayne tortures.] Then by command of the Justice, was my trembling body layd above, and along upon the face of the Racke, with my head downe-ward, inclosed within a circled hole, my belly upmost, and my heeles upward toward the top of the Racke: my legs and armes being drawne a sunder, were fastned with pinnes and Cords, to both sides of the outward plankes; for now was I to receive my maine torments.

Now what a Pottaro or Racke is (for it stood by the wall declining downe-ward) it is made of three plankes of Timber, the upmost end whereof is larger then a ful [Loe here is the manner how I was mainly Racked.] stride; the lower end being narrow, and the three planks joyning together, are made conformable to a Mans shoulders: in the downe-most end of the middle planke there was a hole, wherein my head was layd: in length it is longer than a man, being interlaced with small cords from planke to planke, which divided my supported thighes from the middle plank: Through the sides of which exteriour planks there were three distant holes in every one of them; the use wherefore you shall presently heare.

[The manner how my body was first fastned to the Racke before my tortures were inflicted.] Now the Alcalde giving commission, the executioner layd first a cord over the calfe of my leg, then another on the middle of my thigh, and the third cord over the great of my arme; which was severally done, on both sides of my body receaving the ends of the cords, from these sixe severall places through the holes made in the outward planks, which were fastned to pinnes, and the pinnes made fast with a device: for he was to charge on the out side of the planks, with as many pinnes, as there were holes and cords; the cords being first laid meet to my skin: And on every one of these sixe parts of my body, I was to receave seven severall tortures: each torture consisting of three winding throwes, of every pinne; which amounted to twenty one throwes, in every one of these sixe parts.

Then the Tormentor having charged the first passage about my body (making fast by a device each torture as they were multiplied) he went to an earthen Jarre standing full of water, a little beneath my head: from whence carrying a pot full of water; in the bottome whereof, there was an incised hole, which being stopd by his thumb, till it came to my mouth, hee did powre it in my bellie; the measure being a Spanish Sombre, which is an English Potle: The first and second services I gladly receaved, such was the scorching drouth of my tormenting payne, and likewise I had drunke none for three dayes before.

But afterward, at the third charge, perceiving these measures of water to be inflicted upon me as tortures, O strangling tortures! I closed my lips, gaine-standing that eager crudelity.

[A cruelty beyond cruelties.] Whereat the Alcalde inraging, set my teeth asunder with a payre of iron cadges, detayning them there, at every severall turne, both mainely and manually; whereupon my hunger-clungd bellie waxing great, grew Drum-like imbolstered: for it being a suffocating payne, in regard of my head hanging downeward, and the water reingorging it selfe in my throat with a strugling force; it strangled and swallowed up my breath from youling and groaning.

And now to prevent my renewing griefe (for presently my heart fayleth and forsaketh me) I will onely briefly avouch, that betweene each one of these seven circular charges, I was aye reexamined, each examination continuing halfe an houre; each halfe houre a hell of infernall paine, and betweene each torment, a long distance of life quelling time.

[A hellish and insupportable payne.] Thus lay I sixe houres upon the Racke, betweene foure a clocke afternoone, and ten a clocke at night, having had inflicted upon me three score seven torments: Neverthelesse they continued me a large halfe houre (after all my tortures) at the full bending; where my body being all begored with blood, and cut through in every part, to the crushed and bruised bones, I pittifully remayned, stil roaring, howling, foaming, bellowing, and gnashing my teeth, with insupportable cryes, before the pinnes were undone, and my body loosed.

True it is, it passeth the capacity of man, either sensibly to conceave, or I patiently to expresse the intollerable anxiety of mind, and affliction of body in that dreadfull time I sustayned.

At last my head being by their armes advanced, and my body taken from the Rack, the water regushed abundantly from my mouth; then they recloathing my broken, bloody, and cold trembling body, being all this time starke naked, I fell twice in a sounding trance: which they againe refreshed with a little Wine, and two warme Egges, not for charity done, but that I should be reserved to further punishment; and if it were not too truely knowne these sufferings to be of trueth, it would almost seeme incredible to many, that a man being brought so low, with starving hunger, and extreame cruelties, could have subsisted any longer reserving life.

And now at last they charged my broken legs, with my former eye-frighting irons, and done, I was lamentably carryed on their armes to the Coach, being after mid-night, and secretly transported to my former Dungeon without any knowledge of the Towne, save onely these my [A lamentable remembrance of inhumane cruelty.] lawlesse, and mercilesse Tormentors: where, when come, I was layd with my head and my heeles alike high, on my former stones.

The latter end of this woefull night poore mourning Hazier the Turke, was set to keepe me, and on the morrow, the Governour entred my roome threatning me still with moe tortures to confesse, and so caused he every morning long before day, his Coach to be rumbled at his gate, and about me where I lay, a great noyse of tongues, [A dreadfull affrighting for more tortures.] and opening of doores: and all this they did of purpose to affright and distract me, and to make me beleeve I was going to be rackt againe, to make me confesse an untrueth; still thus they continued every day of five dayes till Christmas.

Upon Christmas day Mariana the Ladies Gentlewoman got permission to visit me, and with her licence, she brought abundance of teares presenting me also with a dish of Honey and Sugar, some confections, and Rasins in a great plenty to my no small comfort, besides using many sweet speeches for consolations sake.

Shee gone, and the next morning of Saint Johns day come, long ere day the Towne was in Armes, the Bells ringing backward, the people shouting, and Drummes beating; whereat my soule was over-joyed, thinking that the Moores had seazed upon all: And in the after noone the Turke comming to me with bread and water, being by chance the second day, I asked him what the fray was? [Alas too good newes not to have been true.] who replyed, be of good courage, I hope in God and Mahomet, that you and I ere long shall be set at liberty; for your Countrey-men, the English Armado, and mine the Moores, are joyned together, and comming to sacke Malaga: And this morning Post came from Allagant to premonish the Governour thereof; whereupon he and the Towne have instantly pulled downe, all the Cowper shops, and dwelling houses that were builded without by the shoare side, adjoyning to the Townes Wall: But yet sayd he it is no matter, the Towne may easily be surprised, and I hope we shall be merry in Algier, for there is above a hundred sayle seene comming hither; and therewith kissing my cheeke, hee kindly left mee.

Indeed, as for such newes from Allagant; the detriment of twenty eight houses, the shoare-planted Cannon, the suspicion they had of the English, and the Towne foure dayes in Armes were all true, save onely the confederacy of the English with the Moores, that was false.