Christian caitiffs likewise that came aboard of us made spoil of our
goods, and used us as ill as the Turks did. And our master's mate,
having a Geneva Bible in his hand, there came the king's chief gunner
and took it out from him, who showed me of it; and I, having the
language, went presently to the king's treasurer, and told him of it,
saying that since it was the will of God that we should fall into their
hands, yet that they should grant us to use our consciences to our own
discretion, as they suffered the Spaniards and other nations to use
theirs; and he granted us. Then I told him that the master gunner had
taken away a Bible from one of our men: the treasurer went presently
and commanded him to deliver up the Bible again, which he did. And
within a little after he took it from the man again, and I showed the
treasurer of it, and presently he commanded him to deliver it again,
saying, "Thou villain! wilt thou turn to Christianity again?" for he
was a relagado, which is one that was first a Christian and afterwards
becometh a Turk; and so he delivered me the Bible the second time. And
then I, having it in my hand, the gunner came to me, and spake these
words, saying, "Thou dog! I will have the book in despite of thee!"
and took it from me, saying, "If you tell the king's treasurer of it
any more, by Mahomet I will be revenged of thee!" Notwithstanding I
went the third time unto the king's treasurer, and told him of it; and
he came with me, saying thus unto the gunner: "By the head of the
Great Turk if thou take it from him again thou shalt have a hundred
bastinadoes." And forthwith he delivered me the book, saying he had
not the value of a pin of the spoil of the ship--which was the better
for him, as hereafter you shall hear; for there was none, either
Christian or Turk, that took the value of a pennyworth of our goods
from us but perished both body and goods within seventeen months
following, as hereafter shall plainly appear.