University of Virginia Library

Chapter II.

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7

The notable villany of foure French Gallants;
and his revenge; Smith throwne over-board;
Captaine La Roche of Saint Malo releeves him.

THUS when France and Netherlands had taught him to ride a
Horse and use his Armes, with such rudiments of warre, as his
tender yeeres in those martiall Schooles could attaine unto; he was

desirous to see more of the world, and trie his fortune against the
Turkes, both lamenting and repenting to have seene so many Christians
slaughter one another. Opportunitie casting him into the company
of foure French Gallants well attended, faining to him the one
to be a great Lord, the rest his Gentlemen, and that they were all
devoted that way; over-perswaded him to goe with them into France,
to the Dutchesse of Mercury, from whom they should not only have
meanes, but also Letters of favour to her noble Duke, then Generall
for the Emperour Rodolphus in Hungary; which he did, with such
ill weather as winter affordeth, in the darke night they arrived in the
broad shallow In-let of Saint Valleries sur Some in Picardie; his
French Lord knowing he had good apparell, and better furnished
with money than themselves, so plotted with the Master of the ship
to set his and their owne trunckes a shore leaving Smith aboard till
the boat could returne, which was the next day after towards evening;
the reason hee alleaged was the sea went so high hee could come
no sooner, and that his Lord was gone to Amiens where they would
stay his comming; which treacherous villany, when divers other
souldiers, and passengers understood, they had like to have slaine the
Master, and had they knowne how, would have runne away with
the ship.

Comming on shore hee had but one Carralue,

was forced to
sell his cloake to pay for his passage. One of the souldiers, called
Curzianvere, compassionating his injury, assured him this great
Lord Depreau was only the sonne of a Lawyer of Mortaigne in base
Britany, and his Attendants Cursell, La Nelie, and Monferrat, three
young citizens, as arrant cheats as himselfe; but if he would accompany
him, he would bring him to their friends, but in the interim
supplied his wants: thus travelling by Deepe, Codebeck, Humphla,
Pount-demer in Normandie, they came to Cane in base Normandie;
where both this noble Curzianvere, and the great Prior of
the great Abbey of Saint Steven (where is the ruinous Tombe of
William the Conquerour,) and many other of his friends kindly welcomed
him, and brought him to Mortaigne, where hee found
Depreau and the rest, but to small purpose; for Master Curzianvere
was a banished man, and durst not be seene, but to his friends: yet
the bruit of their cosenage occasioned the Lady Collumber, the Baron
Larshan, the Lord Shasghe, and divers other honourable persons,
to supply his wants, and with them to recreate himselfe so long as
hee would: but such pleasant pleasures suited little with his poore
estate, and his restlesse spirit, that could never finde content, to
receive such noble favours, as he could neither deserve nor re- ∥ quite:
but wandring from Port to Port to finde some man of war, spent
that he had, and in a Forest, neere dead with griefe and cold, a rich
Farmer found him by a faire Fountaine under a tree: This kinde
Pesant releeved him againe to his content, to follow his intent. Not
long after, as he passed thorowa great grove of trees, betweene
Pounterson and Dina in Britaine, it was his chance to meet Cursell,
more miserable than himselfe: His piercing injuries had so small
patience, as without any word they both drew, and in a short time
Cursell fell to the ground, where from an old ruinated Tower the
inhabitants seeing them, were satisfied, when they heard Cursell
confesse what had formerly passed; and that how in the dividing
that they had stolne from him, they fell by the ears amongst themselves,
that were actors in it; but for his part, he excused himselfe to
be innocent as well of the one, as of the other. In regard of his hurt,
Smith was glad to be so rid of him, directing his course to an honourable
Lord, the Earle of Ployer, who during the warre in France,
with his two brethren, Viscount Poomory, and Baron d' Mercy, who
had beene brought up in England; by him he was better refurnished
than ever. When they had shewed him Saint Malo, Mount Saint
Michael, Lambal, Simbreack, Lanion, and their owne faire Castle
of Tuncadeck, Gingan, and divers other places in Britanny, (and
their Brittish Cornwaile) taking his leave, he tooke his way to
Raynes, the Britaines chiefe Citie, and so to Nantes, Poyters, Rochell,
and Burdeaux. The rumour of the strength of Bayon in Biskay,
caused him to see it; and from thence tooke his way from Leskar in
Biearne, and Paw in the kingdom of Navar to Tolouza in Gascoigne,
Bezers and Carcassone, Narbone, Montpellier, Nimes in Languedock,
and thorowthe Country of Avignion, by Arles to Marcellos in
Province, there imbarking himselfe for Italy, the ship was enforced
to Tolonne, and putting againe to sea, ill weather so grew upon them,
they anchored close aboard the shore, under the little Isle of S. Mary,
against Neice in Savoy. Here the inhumane Provincialls, with a
rabble of Pilgrimes of divers Nations going to Rome, hourely cursing
him, not only for a Hugonoit, but his Nation they swore were all
Pyrats, and so vildly railed on his dread Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth,
and that they never should have faire weather so long as hee
was aboard them; their disputations grew to that passion, that they
threw him over-board, yet God brought him to that little Isle, where
was no inhabitants, but a few kine and goats. The next morning he
espied two ships more riding by them, put in by the storme, that
fetched him aboard, well refreshed him, and so kindly used him, that
he was well contented to trie the rest of his fortune with them. After
he had related unto them his former discourse, what for pitie, and
the love of the Honourable Earle of Ployer, this noble Britaine his
neighbour, Captaine la Roche of Saint Malo, regarded and entertained
him for his well respected friend. With the next faire wind
they sailed along by the Coast of Corsica and Sardinia, and crossing
the gulfe of Tunis, passed by Cape Bona to the Isle of Lampadosa,
leaving the coast of Barbary till they came at Cape Rosata, and so
along the African shore, for Alexandria in Ægypt. There delivering
their fraught, they went to Scandaroone; rather to view what ships
was in the Roade, than any thing else: keeping their ∥ course by
Cypres and the coast of Asia, sayling by Rhodes, the Archipellagans,
Candia, and the coast of Grecia, and the Isle of Zaffalonia. They lay
to and againe a few dayes betwixt the Isle of Corfue and the Cape
of Otranto in the Kingdome of Naples, in the Entrance of the
Adriatike sea.