The woorthy enterprise of Iohn Foxe an Englishman in deliuering 266.
Christians out of the captiuitie of the Turkes at Alexandria, the 3 of
Ianuarie 1577.

Among our Merchants here in England, it is a common voiage to traffike into
Spaine: whereunto a ship, being called The three halfe Moones, manned with
38. men, and well fensed with munitions, the better to encounter their
enemies withall, and hauing wind and tide, set from Portsmouth, 1563. and
bended her iourney toward Siuill a citie in Spaine, intending there to
traffique with them. [Sidenote: Iohn Foxe taken 1563.] And felling neere
the Streights, they perceiued themselues to be beset round with eight
gallies of the Turkes, in such wise, that there was no way for them to flie
or escape away, but that either they must yeeld or els be sunke. Which the
owner perceiuing, manfully encouraged his company, exhorting them valiantly
to shew their manhood, shewing them that God was their God, and not their
enemies, requesting them also not to faint in seeing such a heape of their
enemies ready to deuour them; putting them in mind also, that if it were
Gods pleasure to giue them into their enemies hands, it was not they that
ought to shew one displeasant looke or countenance there against; but to
take it patiently, and not to prescribe a day and time for their
deliuerance, as the citizens of Bethulia did, but to put themselues vnder
his mercy. And againe, if it were his mind and good will to shew his mighty
power by them, if their enemies were ten times so many, they were not able
to stand in their hands; putting them likewise in mind of the old and
ancient woorthinesse of their countreymen, who in the hardest extremities
haue alwayes most preuailed and gone away conquerors, yea, and where it
hath bene almost impossible. Such (quoth he) hath bene the valiantnesse of
our countreymen, and such hath bene the mightie power of our God.

With other like incouragements, exhorting them to behaue themselues