Volume 1

A new and complete collection of voyages and travels / [John Hamilton Moore].

  • John Hamilton Moore
Date:
[1785?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new and complete collection of voyages and travels / [John Hamilton Moore]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    k o •> Sentence of death pro¬ nounced on Doughty. Opened a certain bundle of letters and bills, and look- irig on them, laid God’s will, I have left in my cabin that Ifbould efpecially have had, (as if lie had there for¬ gotten his commiffi.Oii :) but whethbr he forgot his commillion or no, he much forgot him(elf, to fit as judge without (hewing that he had any ; but, truly, I think he (hewed to the uttermoft what he had : for here he (hewed forth, firft, letters that were written, as he faid, by Mafter Hankins to my Lord of Effex For his entertainment; fecondly, he (hewed letters of thanks from my Lord of EfTex unto him, and how milch he had pleafured him, then read the letters that pad from fny Lord of EfTex unto Secretary Walfingham in his great commendation ; then (hewed he letters of Mafter Hatton’s unto himfelf, tending for the acceptance of his men John Thomas and John Brewer, for their well ufage in this voyage; and laftly, he read a bill of her Majefty’s adventure of a thoufand crowns (but I mod marvelled that fo many noblemen and gentle¬ men did leave their letters in his hands, except it were to (hew in this place for his credit.) So when he had all done, he faid, Now, my mafters, you may fee whether this fellow hath fought my diferedit or no, and what (hould hereby be meant but the very overthrow of the voyage ; as firft, by taking away of my good name, and altogether diferediting me, and then my life ; which I being bereaved of, what then will you do ? you will fain one to-drink another’s blood, and fo to return again unto your own country : you will never be able to find the way thither. And now, my mafters, confider what a great voyage we are like to make, the like was never made out of England ; for by the fame the word in this fleet (hall become a gentle¬ man, and if this voyage go not forward, which I cannot fee how poflibly it (hould, if this man live, what a reproach it will be, not only unto our coun¬ try, but efpecially unto us, the very fimpleft here may confider of. Therefore, my mafters, they that think this man worthy to die, let them with me hold up their hands ; and they that think him not worthy to die, hold down their hands ; at the which, divers that envied his former felicity, held up their hands ; fome others again, for fear of his favourity, fticked not to lift their hands, although againft their hearts ; but fome, again lifted up their hands and very hearts unto the Lord; to deliver us of this tyrannous and cruel tyrant; who upon the fame, coming to his for¬ mer judgment feat? pronounced him the child of death, and perfuadeil him withal, that he would by this means make him the fervant of God : and faid farther, if any man could, between this and next meeting, devife any way that might fave his life he would hear it; and wifhed himfelf to devife fome way for his own fafeguard. Well, general, quoth he, feeing it is come to this pafs, that I fee you would have me made away, I pray you carry me with you to Peru, and there let me alhore. No, truly, Mafter Doughty, I cannot anfwer it to her Majefty, if I (hould fodo ; but, how fay you, Thomas Doughty, if any man will warrant me to be fafe from yo.ur hands, and will undertake to keep you fure, you fhall fee what I will fay unto you. Mafter Doughty then calling on Mafter Winter, faid, will you be fo good as to undertake this for me ? Then Mafter Winter faid unto Mafter Drake, that he (hould be fafe of his perfon, and he would warrant him, if he did commit him to his cuf- tody. Then Drake, a little paufing, faid, See then, my mafters, we muft do thus ; we muft nail him clofe under the hatches, and return home again without making any voyage, and if you will do fo, then fpeak your minds. Then a company of defperate bankrupts that could not live in their own country without the fpcil of that, as others had by the fweat of their brows, cried, God forbid, good general! which voice was no lefs attentively heard, for there needs no fpur to a willing horfe. Thus telling Ma¬ fter Doughty to prepare for his death, and having given him one whole day’s refpite, to fet all things in order, he rofe and departed, promifing that his con¬ tinual prayers to God (hould not c&afe, that i-jt would pleafe him to put it into his head how he might do him good ; blit he had fo often before ('worn that he would liang him, that, 1 think, at this prelent he meant to do him little good! Thus Mafter Doughty continuing all this night, the next day, and the le- cond night in his prayers, except fome linall time that he ufed in fettling his worldly bufinefs in fome way, and diftributihg to fuch as he thought good; fufch things as he then had with him, was tile 2d day of July commanded to prepare himfelf, and to make ready to die. Then Mafter Doughty, with a more chearful countenance than ever he had in all his life, to the (hew, as one that did altogether contemn life, prayed him, that ere he died he might receive the facra- meht ; which was not only granted, but Drake him¬ felf offered to accompany him to the Lord’s table, for the which Mafter Doughty gave him hearty thanks, never Worfe terming him than; My Good Captain. Mafter Drake offered him withal to make choice of his own death, and for that he faid he was a gentle¬ man, he (hould but lofe his head, the which kind of death was moft agreeable to his mind, in as much as he muft needs die. And, truly, I heard fay, that Mafter Drake offered him if he would, that he (hould be (hotteii to death with a piece, and that he him- Ji felf would do that exploit, and fo he (hould die by He (ccdi-esthc the hands of a gentleman. But, in fine, they toge- communion ; ther received the Lord’s fupper; the which I do ever aflure myfelf that lie did take with as uncorrupted a mind as ever did any innocent of the world ; for he fure (hewed himfelf to have ail his affiance and only truft in God ; he (hewed himfelf fo valiant in this ex¬ tremity, as the world might wonder at it; he feemed to have conquered death itfelf, and it was riot fecn, that on all this day before his death, that ever he altered one jot of his countenance, but kept it as (laid and firm as if he had fome meffage to deliver to fome noble¬ man. They having thtis received the facramerit, there Dines with the was a banquet made, fifcli as the place might yield, admiral, and there they dined together, in wdiich time, the place of execution being made ready, after dinner, as one not willing any longer to delay the time, he told the general that he was ready as foon as pleaded him, but prayed him, that he might fpeak alone with him a few words, with the which they talked apart the fpace of half a quarter of an hour, and then with bills and ftaves he was brought to the place of execution, where he (hewed himfelf no lefs valiant than all the time before; for here kneeling on his knees, he firft prayed for the queen’s majefty of England,-his fovereign lady and miftrefs ; he then prayed to God for the happy fuccefs of this voyage, and prayed to 4 God to turn it to the profit of his country : he re¬ membered alfo therein divers his good friends, and efpecially Sir William Winter, praying Mafter John Winter to commend him to that good knight; *all which he did with fo chearful a countenance, as if he had gone to fome great prepared banquet, the which, I fure think, that he was fully refolved that God had provided for him ; fo at the laft, turning to the general, he prayed him that he might make water ere he died, For, quoth he, the flefli is frail, and with¬ al turned him about and did fo ; and coming again, faid, Now truly I may fay as faid Sir Thomas More, that he that cuts off my head (hall have little honefty [credit] my neck is fo (hort; fo turning him, and looking about on the whole company, he defired them all to forgive him, and efpecially fome that he did perceive to have difpleafure borne them for his fake, whereof Thomas Cuttle was one, Hugh Smith was another, and divers others ; whereupon Smith prayed him to fay before the general then, whether ever they had any conference together that might redound to his (the general’s) prejudice or detriment. He declared it at his death, that neither he nor any man elfe, ever pradfifed any treachery towards the general with him ; neither did he himfelf ever think any villainous thought againft. Then he prayed the general to be good unto the fame Hugh Smith, and to forgive him for his fake. So the General faid. Well, Smith, for Mafter
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