THE TRANSLATORTO THEREADER(OF 1684).
TO THE
READER(OF 1684).
Thepresent Volume, both for its Curiosity and Ingenuity, I dare recommend unto the perusal of our English Nation, whose glorious actions it containeth. What relateth unto the curiosity hereof, this Piece, both of Natural and Humane History, was no sooner published in theDutch Original,than it was snatch’t up for the most curious Library’s ofHolland; it was Translated intoSpanish(two impressions thereof being sent intoSpainin one year); it was taken notice of by the learned Academy of Paris; and finally recommended as worthy our esteem, by the ingenious Author of theWeekly Memorials for the Ingenious, printed here atLondonabout two years ago. Neither all this undeservedly, seeing it enlargeth our acquaintance of Natural History, so much prized and enquired for, by the Learned of this present Age, with several observations not easily to be found in other accounts already received fromAmerica: and besides, it informeth us (with huge novelty) of as great and bold attempts, in point of Military conduct and valour, as ever were performed by mankind; without excepting, here, eitherAlexander the Great, orJulius Cæsar,or the rest of theNine Worthy’s of Fame. Of all which actions, as we cannot confess ourselves to have been ignorant hitherto (the very name ofBucaniersbeing, as yet, known but unto few of theIngenious; as their Lives, Laws, and Conversation, are in a manner unto none) so can they not choose but be admired, out of this ingenuous Author, by whosoever is curious to learn the various revolutions of humane affairs. But, more especially by ourEnglish Nation; as unto whom these things more narrowly do appertain. We having here more than half theBookfilled with the unparallel’d, if not inimitable, adventures andHeroickexploits of our own Country-men, and Relations; whose undaunted, and exemplary courage, when called upon by our King and Country, we ought to emulate.
From whence it hath proceeded, that nothing of this kind was ever, as yet, published inEngland, I cannot easily determine; except, as some will say, from some secretRagion di Stato. Let the reason be as t’will; this is certain, so much the more we are obliged unto this present Author, who though a stranger unto our Nation, yet with that Candour and Fidelity hath recorded our Actions, as to render the Metal of our true English Valour to be the more believed and feared abroad, than if these things had been divulged by our selves at home. From hence peradventure will other Nations learn, that the English people are of their Genius more inclinable to act than to write; seeing as well they as we have lived unacquainted with these actions of our Nation, until such time as a Foreign Author to our Country came to tell them.
Besides the merits of this Piece for its curiosity, another point of no less esteem, is the truth and sincerity wherewith everything seemeth to be penned. No greater ornament or dignity can be added unto History, either humane or natural, than truth. All other embellishments, if this be failing, are of little or no esteem; if this be delivered, are either needless or superfluous. What concerneth this requisite in our Author, his lines do every-where declare the faithfulness and sincerity of his mind. He writeth not by hearsay, but was an eye witness, as he somewhere telleth you, unto all and every one of the bold and hazardous attempts which he relateth. And these he delivereth with such candour of stile, such ingenuity of mind, such plainness of words, such conciseness of periods, so much divested of Rhetorical Hyperboles, or the least flourishes of Eloquence, so hugely void of Passion or national Reflections, as that he strongly perswadeth all-along to the credit of what he saith; yea, raiseth the mind of the Reader to believe these things far greater than what he hath said; and having read him, leaveth onely this scruple or concern behind, that you can read him no longer. In a word, such are his deserts, that some persons peradventure would not stickle to compare him to the Father of Historians,Philip de Comines; at least thus much may be said, with all truth imaginable, that he resembleth that great Author in many of his excellent qualities.
I know some persons have objected against the greatness of these prodigious Adventures, intimating that the resistance ourBucaniersfound inAmerica, was every-where but small. For theSpaniards, say they, in theWest Indies, are become of late years nothing less, but rather much more degenerate than inEurope. The continual Peace they have enjoyed in those parts, the defect of Military Discipline, andEuropeanSouldiers for their Commanders, much contributing hereunto. But more especially, and above all other reasons, the very luxury of the Soil and Riches, the extreme heat of those Countries, and influence of the Stars being such, as totally inclineth their bodies unto an infinite effeminacy and cowardize of minds.
Unto these Reasons I shall only answer in brief. This History will convince them to be manifestly false. For as to the continual Peace here alleadged, we know that no Peace could ever be establishedbeyond the Line, since the first possession of theWest-Indiesby theSpaniards, till the burning ofPanama. At that time, or few months before,Sir William Godolphinby his prudent negotiation in quality of Embassadour for our most Gracious Monarch, did conclude atMadrida peace to be observed evenbeyond the Line, and through the whole extent of the Spanish Dominions in theWest-Indies. This transaction gave the Spaniards new causes of complaints against our proceedings, that no sooner a Peace had been established for those parts ofAmerica, but our forces had taken and burnt bothChagre,St. Catherine, andPanama. But our reply was convincing. That whereas eight or ten months of time had been allowed by Articles for the publishing of the said Peace through all the Dominions of both Monarchies inAmerica, those Hostilities had been committed, not onely without orders from his Majesty ofEngland,but also within the space of the said eight or ten months of time. Until that time the Spanish Inhabitants ofAmericabeing, as it were, in a perpetual War withEurope, certain it is that no Coasts nor Kingdoms in the World have been more frequently infested nor alarm’d with the invasions of several Nations than theirs. Thus from the very beginning of their Conquests in America, bothEnglish,French,Dutch,Portuguese,Swedes,Danes,Curlanders, and all other nations that navigate theOcean, have frequented theWest-Indies, and filled them with their Robberies and Assaults. From these occasions have they been in continual watch and ward, and kept theirMilitiain constant exercise, as also their Garrisons pretty well provided and paid; as fearing every sail they discovered at Sea, to bePiratsof one Nation or another. But much more especially, since thatCurasao,Tortuga, andJamaicahave been inhabited byEnglish,French, andDutch, and bred up that race ofHunts-men, than which, no other ever was more desperate, nor more mortal enemies to the Spaniards, called Bucaniers. Now shall we say, that these People, through too long continuation of Peace, have utterly abolished the exercises of War, having been all-along incessantly vexed with the Tumults and Alarms thereof?
In like manner is it false, to accuse their defect of Military Discipline for want ofEuropeanCommanders. For who knoweth not that all places, both Military and Civil, through those vast dominions of the West-Indies, are provided out ofSpain? And those of the Militia most commonly given unto expert Commanders, trained up from their infancy in the Wars ofEurope, either inAfrica,Milan,Sicily,Naples, orFlanders, fighting against eitherEnglish,French,Dutch,Portuguese, orMoors? Yea, their very Garrisons, if you search them in those parts, will peradventure be found to be stock’d three parts to four with Souldiers both born and bred in the Kingdom ofSpain.
From these Considerations it may be inferr’d, what little difference ought to be allowed betwixt the Spanish Souldiers, Inhabitants of theWest-Indies, and those ofEurope. And how little the Soil or Climate hath influenced or caused their Courage to degenerate towards cowardize or baseness of mind. As if the very same Argument, deduced from the nature of that Climate, did not equally militate against the valour of our famous Bucaniers, and represent this to be of as degenerate Metal as theirs.
But nothing can be more clearly evinced, than is the Valour of theAmerican Spaniards, either Souldiers or Officers, by the sequel of this History. What men ever fought more desperately than the Garrison ofChagre? Their number being 314, and of all these, only thirty remaining; of which number scarce ten were unwounded; and among them, not one officer found alive? Were not 600 killed upon the spot atPanama, 500 atGibraltar, almost as many more atPuerto del Principe, all dying with their Arms in their hands, and facing bravely the Enemy for the defence of their Country and private Concerns? Did not those of the Town ofSan Pedrobothfortifiethemselves, lay several Ambuscades, and lastly sell their lives as dear as any European Souldier could do; Lolonois being forced to gain step by step his advance unto the Town, with huge loss both of bloud and men? Many other instances might be produced out of this compendious Volume, of the generous resistance theSpaniardsmade in several places, though Fortune favoured not their Arms.
Next, as to the personal Valour of many of their Commanders, What man ever behaved himself more briskly than the Governour ofGibraltar, than the Governour ofPuerto del Principe, both dying for the defence of their Towns; than Don Alonso del Campo, and others? Or what examples can easily parallel the desperate courage of the Governour ofChagre? who, though thePalizada’swere fired, the Terraplens were sunk into the Ditch, the Breaches were entred, the Houses all burnt above him, the whole Castle taken, his men all killed; yet would not admit of any quarter, but chose rather to die under his Arms, being shot into the brain, than surrender himself as a Prisoner unto theBucaniers. What Lion ever fought to the last gasp more obstinately than the Governour ofPuerto Velo? who, seeing the Town enter’d by surprizal in the night, one chief Castle blown up into the Air, all the other Forts and Castles taken, his own assaulted several ways, both Religious men and women placed at the front of the Enemy to fix the Ladders against the Walls; yet spared not to kill as many of the said Religious persons as he could. And at last, the walls being scaled, the Castle enter’d and taken, all his own men overcome by fire and smoke, who had cast down their Arms, and begged mercy from the Enemy; yet would admit of none for his own life. Yea, with his own hands killed several of his Souldiers, to force them to stand to their Arms, though all were lost. Yea, though his own Wife and Daughter begged of him upon their knees that he would save his life by craving quarter, though the Enemy desired of him the same thing; yet would hearken to no cries nor perswasions, but they were forced to kill him, combating with his Arms in his hands, being not otherwise able to take him Prisoner, as they were desirous to do. Shall these men be said to be influenced with Cowardize, who thus acted to the very lastSceneof their ownTragedies? Or shall we rather say that they wanted not Courage, but Fortune? It being certainly true, that he who is killed in a Battle, may be equally couragious with him that killeth. And that whosoever derogateth from the Valour of theSpaniardsin theWest-Indies, diminisheth in like manner the Courage of theBucaniers, his own Country-men, who have seemed to act beyond mortal men inAmerica.
Now, to say something concerningJohn Esquemeling, the first Author of this History. I take him to be aDutch-man, or at least born inFlanders, notwithstanding that the Spanish Translation representeth him to be Native of the Kingdom ofFrance. His printing this History originally in Dutch, which doubtless must be his native Tongue, who otherwise was but an illiterate man, together with the very sound of his name, convincing me thereunto. True it is, he set sail fromFrance, and was some years at Tortuga; but neither of these two Arguments, drawn from the History, are prevalent. For were he to be aFrench-manborn, how came he to learn theDutchlanguage so perfectly as to prefer it to his own? Especially that not being spoken atTortuganorJamaica, where he resided all the while.
I hope I have made this English Translation something more plain and correct than the Spanish. Some few notorious faults either of the Printer or the Interpreter, I am sure I have redressed. But the Spanish Translator complaining much of the intricacy of Stile in the Original (as flowing from a person who, as hath been said, was no Scholar) as he was pardonable, being in great haste, for not rendring his own Version so distinct and elaborate as he could desire; so must I be excused from the one, that is to say, Elegancy, if I have cautiously declined the other, I mean Confusion.