A RELATION Strange and true, OF A SHIP OF BRISTOL named the Jacob, of 120. Tons, which was about the end of Octob. last 1621. taken by the Turkish Pirates of ARGIER.  
And how within five days after, four English Youths did valiantly overcome 13. of the said Turks, and brought the Ship to S. LUCAS in SPAIN, where they sold nine of the Turks for Galleyslaves.   three-masted ship in full sail 
LONDON, Printed for Nathaniel Butter, and are to be sold at his shop, at the sign of the Pied Bull near S. Augustine's Gate. 1622   

A STRANGE AND TRUE RELATION of a Ship of BRISTOL named the JACOB, of 120. Tons, which was about the end of Octob. last 1621. taken by the Turkish Pirates of Argier: and how within five days after, four English Youths did valiantly overcome thirteen of the said Turks, and brought the Ship to SAINT LUCAS in SPAIN, where they sold nine of the TURKS for Galley-slaves.  
AS all Relations of any goodness that befalls to men, or of any evil that they are defended or delivered from, are manifest declarations of God's power in man's weakness, and the richness of the Almighty's mercy graciously extended to our poverty and misery, wherein from time to time in all ages the omnipotency of the Creator hath protected and regarded the impotency of his creatures, thereby to stir us up to the love, fear and obedience of his eternal Majesty.  
Omitting therefore to fill up this discourse with many old examples, or to delay the Readers expectation with impertinent stuff, I will here relate briefly and in succinct and plain manner, the strange and true deliverance of a ship and four English Mariners: in which report I doubt not, but God will be glorified, and those that read or hear it well satisfied.  
near the latter end of October last, 1621. a ship belonging to the City of Bristol, being about the burden of 120. Tons, was met withal and set upon by Turks or Pirates of Argier, where after a long and sharp fight (being in the mouth of the Straits of Gibraltar) the English ship being oppressed with the multitude of their enemies, was taken, their Ordnance, Cables, Anchors, Sails, Ship and men pillaged, ransacked, and at the mercy of the insulting Barbarians, who to make their work the surer, took all the Englishmen out of the ship, except four youths, whose names were john Cook, William Ling, David jones, and Robert Tuckey, into which ship the Turks did put thirteen of their own men to command the English, and to bring the ship as a prize to Argier; amongst which one of the Pirates was appointed Captain, being a strong, able, stern, and resolute fellow.  
These four poor youths being thus fallen into the hands of merciless Infidels, began to study and complot all the means they could for the obtaining of their freedoms: First they considered the lamentable and miserable estates that they were like to be in, as to be debarred for ever from seeing their friends and Country, to be chained, beaten, made slaves, and to eat the bread of affliction in the Galleys all the remainder of their unfortunate lives, to have their heads shaved, to feed on course diet, to have hard boards for beds, and which was worst of all, never to be partakers of the heavenly word and Sacraments. These and the like heavy and sad cogitations were like so many whetstones to sharpen their wits, to device means for their deliverance, and withal their desperate cases were spurs to rouse their courages to attempt any dangerous exploit for their enlargement, for they did consider wisely that death was better than bondage, and that noble resolutions were the begetters or forerunners of worthy actions, which made them resolve rather than they would suffer a slavish life, to try the hazard of a memorable death.  
Thus being quite hopeless, hapless, and for any thing they knew, for ever helpless, they sailed five days and nights under the command of the Pirates, when on the fift night, God in his great mercy shown them a means for their wished-for escape, for in the dead of the night the wind began to rise, and in short space it blew so stiff that they were enforced to strike both their top sails; and at last it increased to such a gust or storm, that they must take in their main Sail, and being unable to do it themselves, john Cook and William Ling did call to the Turks for help: whereupon the Captain himself came to help them; who standing by the ships side, between the aforesaid john and David jones, lending his hand to hale in the sail, the said john and David suddenly took him by the breech and threw him over board, but by fortune he fell into the bunt of the sail, where quickly catching hold of a rope, he (being a very strong man) had almost gotten into the ship again: which john Cook perceiving, leapt speedily to the Pump, and took off the Pump broke or handle, and cast it to William Ling, bidding him knock him down, which he was not long in doing, but lifting up the wooden weapon he gave him such a pelt on the pate, as made his brains forsake the possession of his head, with which his body fell into the Sea.  
An Objection may be made here, why the Turk cried not to his fellows at first for help, or how these things could be done but the rest of his company must either see or hear it: to which I answer, that at Sea a Gust, Flaw, or Storm, hath many times a louder voice than a man; besides when Mariners do hale or pull any thing, they do make a noise, as it were crying ha' woet hale men hale, which with the noise of the wind whizzing and hizzing in the shrouds and cordage, would overcome and drown the voice or cry of any man whatsoever. Besides, his companions were all busy, some at the mizzen, some at the spritsail, some to trim the foresail, and the night exceeding dark, all these things concurring, and chief God graciously assisting, thus these brave Lads began the business luckily.  
Nor must I forget Robert Tuckey, who was employed all this while in a place of main importance, for he stood at the Helm, and in all the weather guided the ship; now after the Captain was thus cashiered, john Cook ran hastily up the half deck to the Master's , near which were standing six or seven Turks, but he being nothing daunted or discouraged for them, slipped roughly by them, and got out two good cuttleaxes, or short swords, one of which he delivered to William Ling, withal saying, Courage my fellows and country men, God strengthen and assist us; with that they laid about them so manfully, that they driven the Turks from place to place in the ship, and having coursed them from the Poop to the Forecastle, they there valiantly killed two of them, and gave another a dangerous wound or two, who to escape the further fury of their swords, leapt suddenly overboard to go seek his Captain. Thus four of the thirteen Turks being made sure for doing any harm, they chased and followed the other nine so close, that they (to save themselves) being also many of them sore hurt and wounded, ran between the ships decks; whereupon the English men fastened the decks to keep them under: the Turks, not knowing how to be revenged, ran aftward toward the helm, and unshipt their whipstaffe, or as some call it a whipstock, (which is the staff that a Mariner holds in his hand, when he guides or steers a ship) by which means the English men were in some distress, by reason the ship lay tumbling and rolling unguided in the raging and boisterous billows of the Sea: at last john Cook and William Ling got each of them a Musket, which they quickly charged, and went down where the nine Turks were, making offers to shoot at them, at which they were much terrified; whereupon they quickly shipped their whipstock again, delivering the helm to Robert Tuckey, and then presently they stowed all the Turks under the hatches, where they kept them close till the next morning, and then as they had occasion to use them, they would call up two or three of them at a time, to hale and pull sheets, tacks, braces, and boleins, to hoist and strike sails, or any such necessary and laborious employments, in all which the English made the Turks attend them, and directing their course for the Port of Saint Lucas in Spain, they in short time (by God's aid) happily and safely arrived at the said Port, where they sold the nine Turks for Galleyslaves, for a good sum of money, and as I think a great deal more than they are worth.  
Thus have I set down a true relation and description of these men's Captivity, and joyful deliverance, in which the Reader may see the instability of humane accidents, and that the supernal power and providence hath a ruling hand to dispose all the purposes of men to his own glory, and the good of those that depend upon him. For what expectation of redress or comfort could these distressed youths have, they being but four in number, their enemies being their masters, and thirteen to the dozen, strong, lusty, able, and merciless Turks: In the reason of man, the poor men's case was desperate and past recovery; but see, God's arm is not shortened, he that overcame Pharaoh with Lice, Grasshoppers, Frogs, and Caterpillars, to make Gedeon victorious with the breaking of Earthen Pitchers, to cause Foxes with firebrands to consume the Corn of the Philistims; to make Samson kill a thousand men, with a silly Asses saw bone, to strengthen David (being but a young Lad, and a Shepherd) that with his own hands he slew a raging Lion, and a ravening Bear, and after that with a sling and a stone, to conquer and kill a mighty Giant: Innumerable are the examples that I could recite in this kind, but they are so manifest and frequent, that with admiration and adoration, our humane reason is strooke blind and dumb, whilst our faith with thankfulness should ascend to the author of our happiness.  
Nor can I forget to commend unto memory the good and well bestowed courage of these four young men, for as a wise man said, the talk of a soldier ought to hang upon the point of his sword, and courage cannot justly be called courage but where the cause is just, and their cause being good, they thought it more courage to dye free, then to live slaves, they contemned all dangers, they despised all miseries, and they with fortitude conquered their Conquerors: How many dejected slaves would have sat whining like whelps, and like vassals have put their necks into the noose of perpetual servitude, crying only, God help, but never endeavouring to use the means that God hath given them, whilst these brave sparks and spirits, the darlings of valour, to their own long lasting fame and their countries never dying honour, makes Bristol famous, Britain glorious, their reputations precious, and the Turks contemptuous.  
Had john Cook been some Colonel, Captain, or Commander, or William Ling, some navigating Lord, or David jones some gentleman of land and riches, or had Robert Tuckey been one of fortunes minions, to have had more money than wit, or more wealth than valour, oh what a triumphing had here been then, what rare Muses would have toiled like Mules, to have galloped with their flattering encomiums, beyond the 32. points of the compass; whilst these 4 rich caskets of homespun valour and courage, have no pen to publish their deserved commendations, no invention to emblazon their salt-water honour, but the poor lines and labours of a freshwater Poet.  
Nor do I write this to the intent that any man should presume that their own strengths, valour, or courage is sufficient to do these or the like actions, for they are not ordinary, and therefore man is but made the ordinary instrument of an extraordinary power, and he that shall attribute such things as these to the arm of flesh and blood, is forgetful, ingrateful, and in a manner Atheistical.  
One john Fox an expert Mariner, and a good approved and sufficient Gunner, was (in the reign of Qu. Elizabeth) taken by the Turks, and kept eighteen years in most miserable bondage and slavery, at the end of which time, he espied his opportunity, (and God assisting him withal) that he slew his keeper, and fled to the seas side, where he found a Galley with one hundred and fifty captive Christians, which he speedily weighing their Anchor set sail, and fell to work like men, and safely arrived in Spain, by which means he freed himself and a number of poor souls from long and intolerable servitude, after which the said john Fox came into England, and the Queen (being rightly informed of his brave exploit) did graciously entertain him for her servant, and allowed him a yearly pension.  
Captain nicols with a ship of London called the Dolphin, fought a long and bloody fight, with many of the Turkish men of war at one time, at which time he sunk some of them, slew many of their men, and having his own ship exceedingly rend and torn with the enemies great shot, yet at last it pleased God to deliver him from them, so that he safely arrived at home.  
Master William Malam of Rotherhith, within these three years was set upon by these Rovers, and after a long fight, being much hurt by the Ordnance of the Turks, (the night coming on) which made the fight to cease, when the General of the Pirates past his word, and bound it with an oath, that if M. Malam would come aboard his ship all night, that he should well and safely be set aboard again his own ship the next morning, upon which word and oath M. Malam went aboard the Turk and a Merchant with him; but first before he went commanded his Mate to watch his opportunity, and steal away with the ship in the night if he could, which fell out as he wished, whereby all the Merchant's goods were saved, and the ship safely arrived here at London: but in the morning, when the Turks did perceive the English ship was gone, then would they have put M. Malam and the Merchant that was with him to death, whereupon he urged him with his oath and promise, which was that he should come and go safely, and that if a Christian had made him or any man such a promise, and bound it with a vow, he would have kept his word. And that (for any thing he knew) his ship being so dangerously hurt by them might be sunk in the night, and not escaped away as he imagined. Now whilst they were in this discourse, presently came a sail in sight, which afterwards they found to be a small Scottish ship bound for England, whom the Turks quickly taken, and pillaged at their pleasure, taking from them their Sails, Cables, Anchors, and all things necessary for their use or preservation, and having robbed and rifled the poor Scot in that manner, they put Mr. Malam and the Merchant into her to try their fortunes, either to sink or swim, but it pleased God they safely arrived in the west part of England, where they came home by land sad and disconsolate because they could not hear any news of the ship: but the same night that he came home, before day there was happy tidings brought of the ships safe arrival into the river of Thames.  
All these things are true upon mine own knowledge, and these worthy Mariners that have been so delivered, do, and ever did, attribute all the means of their deliverance to the mighty hand of God; and they are so far from taking any of these things to their own praise or glory, that some of them have ever done their best to suppress them from being printed. But as it were a mere vanity to boast or brag, so I hold it a great pity, that either God's mercies, or man's benefits received, should be concealed.  
Here is matter sufficient related, to persuade men that as they should not presumptuously ascribe God's honour to themselves, so on the other side here are main motives and examples to keep men from despair in their greatest distresses: for as you see here when all man's help failed, than Gods help prevailed, to whom alone, as it is due, be ascribed all the honour.  
FINIS.