The Travels and Adventures of James Massey. Simon Tyssot de Patot

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СКАЧАТЬ at this unexpected Sight, that they all trembled, and several dy'd with Fear. The most daring of them were willing, however, to see the Issue of it, and they were wonderfully surpris'd when, by and by, they saw Humane Creatures start all at once out of their Graves, and press in a Hurry thro' the Multitude, who made way for them by tumbling to the Ground, as if they were all going to take Possession of their Sepulchres. No one cou'd discern, added Michob, was he ever so attentive, of what Sex the risen Bodies were, for they seem'd to be all of the same Bigness, the same Age, and Complexion, and had no visible Mark by which they cou'd be distinguish'd from one another. They had not a Hair upon all their Bodies; their Bellies were flat, and seem'd as if they stuck to their Ribs; several held their Mouths open, but there were no Teeth to be seen; and their round and smooth Fingers seem'd to be intirely bare of Nails. This made him conclude, that all the Excremental Parts, and those which serve to grind, to swallow and digest Food while we are in a State of Mortality, will not accompany us to the other World, where, in short, they would be useless. In fine, according to his Discourse, it was never positively known what became of those Persons; but it was reported some Days after, that they were gone to Galilee, where they were to confer with Jesus Christ, and from thence to be carry'd to the Mansion of the Blessed. It may well be suppos'd that this curious Subject did not fail to occasion a tedious Conversation: 'Twas Midnight when our Guest left us, tho' my Master, notwithstanding the Conversation he had had with him elsewhere, wou'd fain have kept him till next Day. As the Magistrates look'd upon him to be a Visionary, they did not much mind what he said, consequently he was not a dangerous Person, and ask'd no favour of any Body; for the common People, and abundance of credulous and superstitious Gossips, who thought him a Prodigy, gave him what Necessaries he wanted; besides that he stay'd but a little while in a Place, and was no more than a Wanderer up and down in the World.

      His Departure, added to all the fine Things I had heard him say of Foreign Countries, very much whetted my natural Desire to travel. I imparted my Design to M. La Croix, and as he had already been so good as to watch all Opportunities of publishing the Progress I had made in my Profession, it was not at all difficult for me to enter my self as a Surgeon on Board the Ship of Captain Le Sage, then preparing for a Voyage to Martinico. We sail'd therefore from Diep the 21st of May, 1643. Our Ship carry'd but four Guns, and the Crew consisted but of Fifty-two Persons. Tho' the Captain was a Huguenot, yet he was a perfect honest Man, strictly just, and extremely devout. He wou'd not suffer a Day to pass over his Head without Publick Prayers on Board, every Morning and Evening, which were perform'd with great Zeal and Edification by Peter du Quesne, a young Student in Divinity, with whom, I can truly say, for my own part, I was so affected, that I immediately conceiv'd an Esteem for him, and that I had not been in his Company a Fortnight, but the Veneration, which the Monks had impress'd me with for the holy Men and Women in Paradise, was very much abated; but as ill Luck would have it, the Benefit I receiv'd from the wholsom Lectures of this agreeable Companion, was of no long Duration.

      Twenty-seven Days after our Departure, when we were off of Cape Finisterre, we perceiv'd that our Ship took in much more Water than ordinary. The Carpenters, who were never idle, were as diligent as possible to find out the Cause of this Disaster; but notwithstanding all their Care, and the plying of the Pumps Day and Night, they were never the nearer, and at the end of Thirty-six Hours the Water was risen to such a Height, that it run out at the Port-Holes. The Captain seeing there was no Remedy, order'd us to put to Sea in the two Long-Boats, without taking any thing with us but our Money, of which we had not much. M. Le Sage was still on Board, with the Master, the Pilots, and four other young Gentlemen, who were only making a Voyage of Pleasure, when the Ship sunk to the bottom like a Stone. Tho' they were prepar'd for the Event, yet they were intangled in one another; but as we were at hand, we gave them all the Assistance in our Power, and had only the Misfortune to lose one of those four Lads, Colombier, a young Gentleman of Picardy, who was scarce Fifteen Years of Age.

      We were oblig'd to be as easy as possible under our Loss, and to consider what Course to steer next; for tho' we had try'd to make to Land for above two Days, yet the Wind, which was at S.E. hinder'd us. The most mortifying Circumstance of all was, that thro' a Misconstruction of the Captain's Meaning, and for want of Time to supply our selves, we had very little Provision, and no Compass to guide us. The Sky was serene, the Sea calm, and the Weather agreeable; but every one dreaded a Change. Mean time, with the Light of the Sun by Day, and of the Stars by Night, we us'd the utmost Diligence to get ashore, but cou'd not observe that we made any considerable Advance; so that we began to despair of our Lives, especially upon the third Day, when there fell so thick a Fog, that it was impossible to see the Distance of two Foot. At this very time, the little Long-Boat separated from ours, which the Captain perceiving by the Cries we made to one another, press'd the feeble Rowers to strain hard to rejoin us, which they did indeed, with a Vengeance; for falling foul upon our little Vessel, those on Board us were so alarm'd, that they all rose up at once, and gave such a Shock to theirs, that it turn'd Keel upwards. We had a great deal of Difficulty to save them, and much more to make room for them; for we all lay one upon another, and had not eat any thing for above Forty Eight Hours.

      In short, it pleased God that about Noon, when the Sun had dispers'd the Fog, we discover'd several Sail coming towards us, which agreeable Sight gave us Joy inexpressible. We tack'd about immediately to meet them, and in three or four Hours time they came up with us, when Captain Davidson was so kind as to take us on Board his Ship. He was bound from Portsmouth, as Convoy to Seventeen English Merchant Ships, that were going to Lisbon. As our Bowels had been so much relax'd, and it being the Opinion of the Physicians (whom, however, we did not go to consult on purpose) that there was no danger in Eating and Drinking heartily, no sooner were the Provisions brought, but we were all glad to see our Beards wag. Every thing that was serv'd up to us was absorb'd as quick as if it had been thrown into a Well; but tho' our Bellies were full, we were not satisfy'd. We had no sooner granted a Respite to our Jaws, but we fell into a profound Sleep, and I question if there was one of us that did not sleep at least Twenty Hours before he was thoroughly awake. The Second Meal set us intirely to rights again. A Lieutenant of the Ship who spoke French, would needs have me give him the Particulars of our Misfortunes, some of which rais'd his Pity, and others his Laughter. At last we arriv'd at a good Harbour, and landed at Lisbon the first of July, without the Loss of one Man besides Colombier.

CHAP. II.

       Table of Contents

      The Author's Stay at Lisbon, &c.

      Lisbon stands near the Mouth of the Tagus, in a Situation extremely diverting; and certainly 'tis one of the finest Cities in Europe. It has a considerable Trade, which renders it very populous and wealthy. According, to the Calculation I made of it in the Bulk, there cannot be less than 20000 Houses. There are Thirty-five or Forty Gates for the Conveniency of the Inhabitants; and I am very much mistaken if it be not two long Leagues in Compass.

      The Person to whom I made my Application, was one M. Du Pre, a Surgeon by Profession, a Man who had a great deal of Practice, and was capable of finding me Employment. In short, the good Man receiv'd me with open Arms. I had been with him but a very little while ere I discover'd that he was one of the Reformed, for he went very seldom to Mass, often read Sermons to his Children, and not a Sunday went over his Head but he catechis'd them privately: And he, for his part, quickly perceiv'd also that I was very far from a Bigot; so that he confess'd to me he kept the Bible at home for the Instruction of his Family, which he carry'd me to see.

      To speak the Truth, the first time that I gave it a Reading, which was dispatch'd in a very little time, I took it for an ill-concerted Romance, to which however I gave the Name of Sacred Stories. The Book of Genesis seem'd to me to be meer Fiction; the Jewish Law and Ceremonies a Medley of Trifles and Childish Vanities; the Prophesies an Abyss of Obscurities, and СКАЧАТЬ