A New Letter FROM LEGHORN, From Aboard the VAN-HERRING To a MERCHANT in LONDON, Fully discovering the present State of that SHIP.  
SInce my last to you, it is almost impossible to believe what an Alteration there is in the state of our Ship; for since the dissolution of our Council of Officers, all things seem to contrive the welfare of the Captain, the Lieutenant being placed in another Ship; though some rash and miss Sailors, that belong to our Ship, spoke unbecomingly of him, yet since his remove has he behaved himself with that Generosity and Bravery, that he hath acquired already the Repute of a most excellent Commander; and one who in the eyes of the generality of the Sailors, is fitted with Resolution, Courage and Policy sufficient to batter down all that evil Opinion that the Factious Seamen have conceived of him: His noble Acts for the Ships safety, where he now Commands, having procured him a general respect, that whenever he has been pleased to walk out of his Great , (as there so) in all the smaller Cabins he has been entertained with such Volleys of Joy and Respect, which could proceed from no other hearts than what were really tied to him in Loyalty and Affection: The Ship where he Commands being in a most thriving Posture ever since she has been under his Conduct; his Counsel, as it were, putting a new face upon things, and all matters conspiring with his Merits, to raise him from those Clouds of misapprehensions his Virtues had laboured under. And now, like the Sun, he gins to shine with greater Splendour: That plaster and dirt which Envy and Malice did so plentifully throw upon him, now are washed off; so that every Sailer perceives how he has been misled; and no doubt but the greater and better part of the Ships-company do blame themselves for so rash a conjecture as once they entertained of him. This digression should not have prevented my pursuit of my former design, had not I been desirous of your being undeceived by some advice you had in one of my former Letters, that it was suspected the Lieutenant was a Mahometan; and truly many of our Ships-Crew did give it out so to be: but to the joy of our Company, and of all good Sailors, we have Letters that inform us, that by a certain Test and Sacred Banquet, that is usually taken Aboard to discriminate a Mahometan from a Christian, he hath made it apparent to the whole World, that he is a Man sound in his Faith, and firm in his Resolution, which was always so great as would not suffer to be Catechised by the Inquisitive Sailors. Now having made a repair of my former Error, I shall proceed to give you the best Account I can of the state of our own Ship: For after the discharge of the Council of Officers, who notwithstanding they were the most choice men the Ship did afford, and who always were had in great Veneration by the Sailors; yet under some heats, did do those things that the Captain could not bear withal, neither we●e their Actions so pleasing to the Ships-Company, as could render them free from blame: for when they accord with the Captain, it renders our Ship the most considerable Vessel in Europe; and 'tis observable, that when the Captain and the Officers correspond, our Ship has increased in wealth, and abounded with the bravest Sailors in the World, insomuch that our prosperity has been envied and maligned by all our Neighbours. But the Mahometans of one part have ever been restless, to unlink the chain of Love, that ever was desired by the Captain to be preserved irrefragable: So have they by Plots and stratagems endeavoured the confusion of the Captain; they paying a Religious Allegiance to another Commander, and deeming it part of their duty to propagate their Sect by any action, the cruelty or horridness thereof never affrighting them from their designs; such inhumanity did they practise when they murdered our Boatswain, who endeavoured to check their Villainy; and since that have they openly Assassinated one of the Captain's Officers, that was faithful in putting the Laws of our Ship in force against them: But many of these Bell-Wethers of mischief are brought to condign punishment, the loss of their lives being a forfeiture justly due for their disloyalty; so restless are they in malice, they cannot think themselves wicked enough when living; but even when they are ready to dwindle into another Orb, they profess the greatest innocency conceivable, and that with the severest Protestations, that either Religion or Rhetoric can invent, thinking thereby to amuse the Ships-Crew, and force them into a charitable opinion of their dying Asseverations; this has prevailed upon some considerable Sailors; but most are of opinion their Highpriest dispenses with them to be Liars even to the last gasp: But 'tis hoped when the Captain and his Council of Officers meet next, some effectual course will be taken with them, that they that do not conform to the Rules of our Ship, may be put on Board another Vessel, that they may no more disturb our desired repose; the most excellent Captain having often caused Proclamation to be made through the Great , that they should not dare to approach his presence, nor within a certain distance of his , and withal threatened them with the severest inflictions the Law would admit; but their boldness is too great to be so easily overcome, extremity itself is little enough to curb their insolence: but 'twere well our renowned Captain had no other Enemies, for then with more ease they might be dealt withal; but these Mahometans, as is reported, Spawn other Creatures, that go under divers Appellations, that are equally as pernicious to the welfare of the Ship, the Mahometans making use of them, as the Monkey did of the Cat's foot; for though they pretend great Antipathy against those they were Brooded by, yet 'tis too too manifest they Centre in the same conclusion: For as the first are close contrivers of Ruin and Devastation, and when in Power, the propagators of Blood, Massacre and Rebellion; so the other party, their younger Brethren, they forment Jealousies, nourish and foster evil Opinions of the Captain and the Government, though a more excellent Commander, or better Discipline in Spiritual and Civil administration no Ship in Europe can pretend to; and this humour is so natural to these Factors of Division, that 'tis almost the sole Artifice they have to maintain their Post, and in this they are mighty industrious and indefatigable: for if any Office of Trust or Profit happens to fall in the Great , where they have power to Elect, they are sure to choose one of their own Colour, one that shall be as obedient to their Whispers, as a Child ought to be to the commands of his Father. And for the better effecting their designs, some that make a great bustle in the Ship are firm to their Interest: Some being designed for Counsel and Conduct, and others appointed to put their Commands in Execution; neither are those of a lower Rank less valued by the Factionists, for their great Zeal for the Cause: for at a common Assembly in the Great , the other day many thanked our Captain's Bailiffs for their mighty Service, that would not agree the Captain should be celebrated for his most auspicious Government; these Men, though their Principles are not so Bloody, are of a more Morose conversation than the Mahometans; yet have they that profound reverence for their Party, that they will never believe any of them to be naught, till they are put in the Bilboes, and then they leave their Candidates, as 'tis said the Devil forsakes the Witch when under the custody of the Law: this most manifestly appears by their declaiming against a little Weezle-faced Sailer, who for writing and dispersing Pamphlets against the Captain and his honest Sailors, was Adjudged to stand an Hour with his Head looking through a Loophole of the Ship, and to pay the Captain 500 l. And to eause him the better to remember his follies, his Papers were Burned before his face, by the hands of the Ships Executioner; yet though according to his own Prophecy, he had thousands to stand by him, and rejoiced extremely when he was discharged of his Wooden-Ruff; yet whooping and hallowing costs nothing, no Money is yet allowed for the discharge of this sufferer in the Cause; neither can I hear, though the Elephantine Agent has given a Manifesto of his large Sufferings in the Cause, that any of the Ships-Crew has yet presented his Lady with so much as a Silver Bodkin towards reparation: These Whistlers please the Faction, whilst they serve their turn, but when that's over, or they ruined, then farewell. This is evident in a late Example of one, that really was a Mahometan, pretending to know of great contrivances against the Captain; such were his Discoveries to be, the like was never heard on; this Doughty piece is greatly cried up; the Bethelians addressing the Captain daily for a Pardon for this Squire, that would unravel that Clew that we have been laboriously endeavouring these years past: Oh here was discourse enough for the Playerites, the Jenkites and Slomanites, our Coffee-rooms were big Aboard, expecting the Mountainous product of his fertile Invention; never was Inchantress hugged by Old Nick more than this man was caressed by these State-Pedlers: But the Captain grows Old, and having had several sham's put upon him, would grant such a Caitiff no Pardon, that by a most pernicious Libel had endeavoured to take away his desired Life and Government. So much was his Cause espoused by these Partyzans, that would the distributers of Justice in the Ship have admitted of it, they would have impeded the natural course of our Laws; but the slip of the Law running at him, Justice seized him, and by a deserved Death made some satisfaction to that Goodness he had offended. No sooner did this Fate overtake him, but his old acquaintance, that admired him, cried out upon him, as the veriest Villain that ever breathed; such a Metamorphosis is not usual: before he was a person of indubitable sincerity, but now not to be trusted, not a word to be believed that he says: 'Tis to be feared he told Tales, and after his Death some Relative might accuse some of the other Party, that's the difference, no credit to be given to such a Heretic; so near do the Maxims of the Bethelians and Mahometans hang together. But much more to the amazement of all men in the Ship, some Mahometan Witnesses, whose breath has slain some of the Ships-Crew they Swore against, and their Testimony reputed then to be as Valid as the best Christians, by virtue of which one of no mean Rank in our Ship lost his Head; yet when they came to Swear, and that (in conjunction with some Christian Witnesses) against a Pragmatic JOINER, that used to Wainscot Cabins in our Ship, and so had the opportunity to vilify the Captain and his Conduct, and invectively to calumniate his Administrations, for which many of the honest Sailors were extremely angry with him; but the Jenkes-men at their smoky Rendezvous backed him on, until at last he was Puppy-snatcht, and put under the Hatches, in order to a Trial: but when his Case, which was too wicked to be mentioned, came before the Jurats of the Great , though Five Witnesses Swore pat against him, (for Reservations best known to themselves;) they made an Ignoramus of the Knave, to the amazement and wonder of all the honest s●●●ers. For these Witnesses, like Dragons, devoured the Mahometans, but their Evidence is not proof against a Traitorous Railing Shimei: But 'tis to be hoped that the Jurats of a Lesser  will give this Rabshekah the Reward of his Wickedness. Since which a Broken-Sailer disgusting his natural employment, which was to fit the Ships-Crew with Rugs and Blankets, observing these Divisions, must needs be a Solicitor in the Great , being covetous of being like his Master, (who loves to fish in troubled waters) his Tongue being too long for his Mouth, the Captain and his Council have found 'Cause sufficient to clap him also under the Hatches: And though they were formerly the Right-hand-men of the Bethelites and Jenkites, yet now the best Livery they give these Brethren in Iniquity is, they were Idle Prating Rascals, and not to be owned by sober Seamen: Thus have I seen a Whore wipe off her spots from her face when she pleaseth.  
Thus stand things at present; but I must not omit to tell you, that these Triflers in Policy do not forget to amuse the Sailors, by telling them now the Council of Officers is discharged, the Captain intends to Rule Arbitrarily, to Enslave the Ships-Company, to Govern uncontrollably, as 'tis said the Algerine-Captain doth his Vessel. But as soon as ever the Captain understood, that the Jenkes-men had poisoned his honest Sailors, with apprehensions so remote from his thoughts, he immediately issues out his Royal Declaration, giving Ample satisfaction to all the Ships-Company, that the Laws of the Ship shall be the Square of all his Actions; and as he will not do Illegal things himself, so will he not suffer it in his Council of Officers, nor in no single Officer whatsoever: These condescensions of the Captain met with general Applause and acceptation from all the Sailors: Every  in the Ship have most humbly Addressed the Captain to accept of their most unfeigned Thanks for this his most Gracious Promise, especially that he has assured them he will often call his Council of Officers. This unanimous acknowledgement of the Christians has dampt the Mahometans, confounded the Bethelites, disordered the Jenkes-men, to see, that Maugre all their Whispers and Invectives, all the lying Pamphlets they could disperse, yet the Captain remains Great in the Hearts of the Christians: this puts these Busybodies upon trying their Strength once more, by endeavouring to set up Petitions, to Dun the Captain for that which he has already most solemnly Promised, viz. to call his Council of Officers, which when they meet, I hope, they will with one mind, join to curb the growing of Mahometanism, and stop the Madness of those Spirits, that dare to Malign, either the Captain or his Government. When other things occur they shall be imparted to you.  
J. S.   

LONDON, Printed for Joseph Hindmarsh, at the Black Bull in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange, 1681.