A FULL AND TRUE RELATION OF AN English Vessel, Newly taken by a Company of French Pirates:  
Who, after they had cruelly Robbed her of all her Goods, killed part of her Men:  
But being afterwards taken by the English, their Ships were ordered to be sent Prisoners to Wapping Dock, and their Captains to be confined to the Marshalsees; there at next Sessions to be tried for their Lives.  
With Allowance.  
London, Printed for W. Harris, next door to the Turnstile in the Postern.   

A full and true Account of an English Vessel, which was lately robbed by French Pirates.  
SO prone are the generality of Mankind to Impieties, that rather than not commit them, they will do it on an Element which seems as unnatural as incommodious for them to effect their horrid Villainies upon. Who would imagine that men who live in those fleeting Houses, called Ships, who are daily subject to be destroyed by every blast or Hurricane, and every minute ride within three Inches of their liquid Grave, should extract from the fear of mortality so much leisure as serves them for the plotting their wicked Designs? Who would conceit they could have while to think on any thing but mortality? and since they lie liable to so many Accidents, which they have no security from, but that they may even the very next minute tumble them into Eternity? I say upon these Considerations who can imagine they should ponder any thing but their latter Ends? or ought contemplate, but their everlasting Happiness or Misery in the World to come? and yet we hear there are every day as many Outrages committed at Sea as Land: Pirates on the Ocean, like Pickpockets near the Gallows, forfeit their lives even in the sight of death; when every Rock with its craggy Brow seems to scold them into Piety, and every Storm with majestic Eloquence to drive them into the security of an honest life.  
Nor are we in Reason to blame that Monarchy or Government, to which these excursive Sea-Robbers owe their Nativities, and consequently aught to do their obedience and subjection, any more than we would censure a wholesome Law or Constitution, because some incorrigible Malefactors will forfeit their lives in breaking it. Though Maritine Laws are in all Nations very severe, yet the main Ocean affords so large a Scene, that it is impossible for any Magistrate, though never so inspective or circumspect, to behold every Action that is done thereon. There is no Kingdom so virtuous but there are some vicious in it, nor no Constitutions so firm, as to constrain every one to Obedience; wherefore since we see by daily Experience, That there is no Nation free from Malefactors at Land, we may reasonably imagine, none are clear from Pirates at Sea; the nice distinction betwixt a Pirate and Thief, being so little, that we may not altogether improperly term the first a Sea-Thief, and the latter a Land-Pyrate, especially since the Laws of Nations run as strict against the one as the other.  
It being therefore granted, that every Country is incident too much to abound with these Caterpillars, I hope I shall be thought free from all Reflections, when I have related a Passage which lately happened. In the Channel betwixt Calais and Dover, where a small Pink of ours then riding, kened at a distance a Sail which made swiftly up towards her, which caused our Seamen to make all the Sail they could before her, hoping to gain some Port, or meet with some Assistance before they could be overtaken: But these hopes were altogether fruitless, for the Pirate which pursued them was so swift of sail, that in five or six Leagues she overtook them; and after she had thrown off her Chain, and locked them fast together, presently boarded our little Pink, who though not man'd for such an Assault made some Resistance; in which Contest her Surgeon was slain by an accidental blow from one of the contrary Party, whom the English perceived by this time to be Frenchmen, by whom being overpowered with number, they were forced to see their Ship robbed without any hopes of redress.  
After these cruel Pirates had carried off all they thought valuable out of this little Pink they left her to the merciless Ocean; but she making all the sail she could towards the Downs, made her Complaint to Sir john Holms, Admiral, who was riding there at that time; and he according to the usual Civility which he daily dispenses to all his injured Countrymen; ordered forthwith the Castle Frigate and the Soldody, to go a cruising for the aforesaid French Pirates; and not only so, but hearing that there were others abroad, which used the same cruel, illegal, and wicked employment, gave the Commanders of those Ships Orders to bring in not only any that were to be suspected for Pirates, but any Privateer belonging to the French. Whereupon it was their fortune to light upon two little French Vessels, which they suspected to be concerned in the aforesaid Piracy, or robbing the English Pink: One of these which was the lesser of them had about 50 men in her; and the other about seventy or eighty.  
Both these Vessels were after some small Resistance taken by the English, and having no good Commissions to show for their sailing, were on suspicion of being Pirates brought to the Downs before the Right Honourable Sir john Holms, who upon mature Examination, thought fit to send up both their Vessels into the River, where they now lie over against Wapping Stairs; and after he had heard the Captains of both Ships what they could say in their own defence, thought fit likewise to order them to be sent to the Marshalsees, there to have their Trials according to Law in those Cases: Which the Reader, I suppose, may hear at the Sessions held there about five weeks hence, as I remember beginning the Twelfth day of August next.  
Any one who will take so much pains as to go as far as the Marshalsees in Southwark may see these two Captains, being both very brisk men to look on, and the one of them very gallant; but, if I were capable of guessing a Man's mind by his Countenance, I should be persuaded they are somewhat discontented, whether by reason of their Confinement, or Gild, I am not able to resolve.  
I suppose it is in the hubbubs of War, as at the lamentable exigent of a great Fire, where many Rascally Fellows, who have no Habitations of their own to gratify the Ravenous Appetite of those devouring Flames, forget all Humanity, and under pretence of helping their distressed Brethren, by carrying away and securing to themselves their Neighbour's Goods, become a greater Judgement, than those Flames they would be thought to oppose.  
How easy is it for a base spirited Seaman, to be guilty of resembling such Knavery? who having either by direct, or indirect means, made himself Master of a convenient Vessel, calls to his Assistance a Company of Vagabonds, Men of desperate resolutions and fortunes like himself, and with these under pretences of opposing his Countries Enemies, falls promiscuously either upon them or her Friends, not sparing upon occasion the Merchantmen of his own Nation, if he light on them in a place convenient to secure their Cargo to his own secular use. Thus are the Leagues and Contracts of Princes often in danger to be unriveted, by a company of impious wretches, whose Souls are as narrow as their Fortunes, and their Births if it were possible more abject than either.  
FINIS.