3606New Atlantis.
and ſhining like the Leaves of Writing-Tables, but other wiſe ſoft and flexi-
ble) and delivered it to our foremoſt man. In which Scroul were written
in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latine of the School,
and in Spaniſh, theſe words, “Land ye not, none of you, and provide to be
“gone from this Coaſt within ſixteen days, except you have fur ther time
“given you: Mean while, if you want Freſh-water or Victual, or help for
“your Sick, or that your Ship needeth repair, write down your wants, and
“you ſhall have that which belongeth to Mercy. This Scroul was ſigned
with a ſtamp of Cherubims VVings, not ſpred, but hanging down wards, and
by them a Croß. This being delivered, the Officer returned, and left onely
a Servant with us to receive our anſwer. Conſulting hereupon amongſt our
ſelves, we were much perplexed. The denial of Landing, and haſty warn-
ing us away, troubled us much. On the other ſide, to finde that the peo-
ple had Languages, and were ſo full of Humanity, did comfort us not a
little; and above all, the Sign of the Croß to that Inſtrument, was to us a
great rejoycing, and, as it were, a certain preſage of good. Our anſwer was
in the Spaniſh Tongue, “That for our Ship it was well, for we had rather
“met with Calms and contrary Winds then any Tempeſts. For our Sick,
“they were many, and in very ill caſe; ſo that if they were not permitted to
“land, they ran in danger of their lives. Our other wants we ſet down in
particular, adding, “That we had ſome little ſtore of Merchandize, which
“if it pleaſed them to deal for, it might ſupply our wants without being
“chargeable unto them. We offered ſome re ward in Piſtolets unto the
Servant, and a piece of Crimſon Velvet to be preſented to the Officer;
but the Servant took them not, nor would ſcarce look upon them, and
ſo leſt us, and went back in another little Boat which was ſent ſor
him.
ble) and delivered it to our foremoſt man. In which Scroul were written
in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latine of the School,
and in Spaniſh, theſe words, “Land ye not, none of you, and provide to be
“gone from this Coaſt within ſixteen days, except you have fur ther time
“given you: Mean while, if you want Freſh-water or Victual, or help for
“your Sick, or that your Ship needeth repair, write down your wants, and
“you ſhall have that which belongeth to Mercy. This Scroul was ſigned
with a ſtamp of Cherubims VVings, not ſpred, but hanging down wards, and
by them a Croß. This being delivered, the Officer returned, and left onely
a Servant with us to receive our anſwer. Conſulting hereupon amongſt our
ſelves, we were much perplexed. The denial of Landing, and haſty warn-
ing us away, troubled us much. On the other ſide, to finde that the peo-
ple had Languages, and were ſo full of Humanity, did comfort us not a
little; and above all, the Sign of the Croß to that Inſtrument, was to us a
great rejoycing, and, as it were, a certain preſage of good. Our anſwer was
in the Spaniſh Tongue, “That for our Ship it was well, for we had rather
“met with Calms and contrary Winds then any Tempeſts. For our Sick,
“they were many, and in very ill caſe; ſo that if they were not permitted to
“land, they ran in danger of their lives. Our other wants we ſet down in
particular, adding, “That we had ſome little ſtore of Merchandize, which
“if it pleaſed them to deal for, it might ſupply our wants without being
“chargeable unto them. We offered ſome re ward in Piſtolets unto the
Servant, and a piece of Crimſon Velvet to be preſented to the Officer;
but the Servant took them not, nor would ſcarce look upon them, and
ſo leſt us, and went back in another little Boat which was ſent ſor
him.
About three hours after we had diſpatched our Anſwer, there came to-
wards us a perſon (as it ſeemed) of place: He had on him a Gown with
wide Sleeves of a kinde of Water-Chamolet, of an excellent Azure colour,
far more gloſſie then ours; his under apparel was green, and ſo was his Hat,
being in the form of a Turbant, daintily made, and not ſo huge as the
Turkiſh Turbants; and the Locks of his Hair came down below the brims
of it: A Reverend Man was he to behold. He came in a Boat gilt in ſome
part of it, with four perſons more onely in that Boat, and was followed by
another Boat wherein were ſome twenty. When he was come within a
flight-ſhot of our Ship, ſigns were made to us, that we ſhould ſend forth
ſome to meet him upon the Water; which we preſently did in our Ship-
boat, ſending the principal Man amongſt us ſave one, and four of our num-
ber with him. When we were come within ſix yards of their Boat, they
called to us to ſtay, and not to approach further; which we did: And there-
upon the Man whom I before deſcribed ſtood up, and with a loud voice in
Spaniſh, asked, Are ye Chriſtians? We anſwered, VVe were; fearing the leſs,
becauſe of the Croß we had ſeen in the Subſcription. At which anſvver, the
ſaid perſon lift up his right hand tovvards Heaven, and drevvit ſoftly to his
mouth, (vvhich is the geſture they uſe vvhen they thank God) and then ſaid,
“If you vvill ſvvear (all of you) by the Merits of the Saviour that ye are no
“Pirates, nor have ſhed blood, lavvfully nor unlavvfully, vvithin forty
“days paſt, you may have Licenſe to come on Land. VVe ſaid, “VVe vvere
“all ready to take that Oath. VVhere upon one of thoſe that vvere vvith
him, being (as it ſeemed) a Notary, made an Entry of this Act. VVhich
done, another of the attendants of the Great Perſon, vvhich vvas
wards us a perſon (as it ſeemed) of place: He had on him a Gown with
wide Sleeves of a kinde of Water-Chamolet, of an excellent Azure colour,
far more gloſſie then ours; his under apparel was green, and ſo was his Hat,
being in the form of a Turbant, daintily made, and not ſo huge as the
Turkiſh Turbants; and the Locks of his Hair came down below the brims
of it: A Reverend Man was he to behold. He came in a Boat gilt in ſome
part of it, with four perſons more onely in that Boat, and was followed by
another Boat wherein were ſome twenty. When he was come within a
flight-ſhot of our Ship, ſigns were made to us, that we ſhould ſend forth
ſome to meet him upon the Water; which we preſently did in our Ship-
boat, ſending the principal Man amongſt us ſave one, and four of our num-
ber with him. When we were come within ſix yards of their Boat, they
called to us to ſtay, and not to approach further; which we did: And there-
upon the Man whom I before deſcribed ſtood up, and with a loud voice in
Spaniſh, asked, Are ye Chriſtians? We anſwered, VVe were; fearing the leſs,
becauſe of the Croß we had ſeen in the Subſcription. At which anſvver, the
ſaid perſon lift up his right hand tovvards Heaven, and drevvit ſoftly to his
mouth, (vvhich is the geſture they uſe vvhen they thank God) and then ſaid,
“If you vvill ſvvear (all of you) by the Merits of the Saviour that ye are no
“Pirates, nor have ſhed blood, lavvfully nor unlavvfully, vvithin forty
“days paſt, you may have Licenſe to come on Land. VVe ſaid, “VVe vvere
“all ready to take that Oath. VVhere upon one of thoſe that vvere vvith
him, being (as it ſeemed) a Notary, made an Entry of this Act. VVhich
done, another of the attendants of the Great Perſon, vvhich vvas