The bad Life, Qualities and Conditions of Pirates; and how they taught theTurksandMoorsto become men of Warr.
As in all Landswhere there are many People, there are some Thieves, so in all Seas much frequented, there are some Pirates; the most Ancient within the Memory of threescore Years, was oneCallis,who most refreshed himself upon the Coast ofWales; ClintonandPurserhis Companions, who grew famous till QueenElizabethof Blessed Memory, hanged them atWapping; Flemmingwas as expert and as much sought for as they, yet such a Friend to his Country, that discovering theSpanish Armado,he voluntarily came toPlimouth,yielded himself freely to my Lord Admiral, and gave him notice of theSpaniardscoming; which good warning came so happily and unexpectedly, that he had his Pardon, and a good Reward; some few Pirates there then remained; notwithstanding it is incredible how many great and rich Prizes the little Barques of the West Country daily brought home, in regard of their small Charge; {MN} for there are so many difficulties in a great Navy, by Wind and Weather, Victual, Sickness, losing and finding one another, they seldom defray half the charge: But for the Grace, State and Defence of the Coast and narrow Seas, a great Navy is most necessary, but not to Attempt any far Voyage, except there be such a Competent flock, they want not wherewith to furnish and supply all things with expedition; but to the purpose.
{MN}The difficulties of a great Navy.
{MN} After the death of our most Gracious Queen Elizabeth of Blessed Memory, our Royal KingJames,who from his Infancy had Reigned in Peace with all Nations; had no imployment for those Men of Warr, so that those that were Rich relied with that they had; those that were poor and had nothing but from hand to Mouth, turned Pirates; some, because they became slighted of those for whom they had got much Wealth; some for that they could not get their Due; some that had lived bravely, would not abase themselves to Poverty; some vainly, only to get a name; others for Revenge, Covetousness, or as ill; and as they found themselves more and more oppressed, their Passions increasing with discontent, made them turn Pirates.
{MN}What occasioneth Pirates.
{MN} Now because they grew hatefull to allChristianPrinces, they retired to Barbary, where altho' there be not many good Harbours, butTunis, Argier, Sally, Mamora,andTituane,there are many convenient Rodes, or the open Sea, which is their chief Lordship: For their best HarboursMassalqueber,the Towns ofOran, Mellila, Tangier,andCeuta,within the Streights, are possessed by theSpaniards;without the Streights they have alsoArzellaandMazagan; Mamorathey have likewise lately taken, and Fortified.Warda poorEnglishSailer, andDanskeraDutchman,made first here their Marts; when theMoorsknew scarce how to sail a Ship;Bishopwas Ancient and did little hurt; butEastongot so much as made himself a Marquess inSavoy;andWardlived like a Bashay inBarbary;those were the first that taught theMoorsto be Men of War.Gennings, Harris, Tompson,and divers others were taken in Ireland, a Coast they much frequented, and died atWapping. Haws, Bough, Smith, Walsingham, Ellis, Collins, Sawkwel, Wollingstone, Barrow, Wilson, Sayres,and divers others, all these were Captains amongst the Pirates, whom KingJamesMercifully Pardon'd; and was it not strange, a few of those should command the Seas. Notwithstanding theMalteses,the Pope,Florentines, Genoeses, French, DutchandEngish,Gallies and Men of War, they Would rob before their Faces, and even at their own Ports, yet seldom more than three, four, five, or six in a Fleet: many times they had very good Ships, and well Man'd, but commonly in such Factions amongst themselves, and so Riotous, Quarrellous, Treacherous, Blasphemous and Villainous, it is more than a wonder they could so long continue, to do so much Mischief; and all they got, they basely consumed it amongstJews, Turks, Moors,and Whores.
{MN}Their chief Rendezvous.
The best was, they would seldom go to Sea, so long as they could possibly live on shoar, being compiled ofEnglish, French, DutchandMoors,(but very fewSpaniardsorItalians) commonly running one from another, till they became so disjointed, disordered, debauched, and miserable, {MN} that theTurksandMoorsbegan to command them as Slaves, and force them to instruct them in their best skill, which many an accursed Runnagado, orChristianturnedTurkdid, till they have made those Sally-men orMoorsofBarbaryso Powerful as they be, to the Terror of all the Streights, and many times they take Purchase in the Main Ocean, yea sometimes in the narrow Seas inEngland,and those are the most cruel Villains inTurkyorBarbary;whose Natives are very Noble, and of good Natures, in comparison of them.
{MN}Renegados.
{MN} To conclude, The Misery of a Pirate, (altho' many are sufficient Seamen as any) yet in regard of his superfluity, you shall find it such, that any wise Man would rather live amongst wild Beasts, than them; therefore let all unadvised Persons take heed they entertain that quality; and I could how wish Merchants, Gentlemen, and all Setters forth of Ships, not to be sparing of a Competent Pay, nor true Payment; for neither Soldiers nor Seamen can live without Means, but necessity will force them to steal; and when they are once entered into that Trade, they are hardly reclaimed. Those Titles of Seamen and Soldiers, have been most worthily honoured and esteemed, but now regarded for the most part, but as the scum of the World; regain therefore your wonted Reputations and endeavour rather to Adventure to those fair Plantations of our English Nation; which however in the beginning were scorned contemned, yet now you see how many Rich and Gallant People come from thence, who went thither as Poor as any Soldier or Sailer, and gets more in one Year, than you by Piracy in seven. I intreat you therefore to consider how many Thousands yearly go thither; also how many Ships and Sailers are imployed to Transport them, and what Custom they Yearly pay to our most Royal King Charles, whole Prosperity and his Kingdom's good, I humbly beseech the Immortal God to preserve and increase.
{MN}Advertisements for Wild heads.