24. An Account of two ships bound for New-found-Land, from some part in the ⟨p. 54⟩West of England, whom by distress of Weather, lost Company; some days after, being fair weather, one of the ships sprang a leak, and foundered in the Sea, where every Soul perished, except one Old Man, who had lashed himself on the main Hatch, and committed himself to the mercy of the Sea and God's Providence, where he was floating three days and three nights; in which time, about the middle of the second day, the Devil assuming a Mare-maid, starts up before him, and bids him be of good heart, for, if he would but make a Contract with him, he would engage a deliverance for him in 24 hours; the Old Man being sensible it was the Devil, and doubtless, having been a proving of his heart to God, as the Circumstance of Providence he was under, more immediately called for, found in himself a renewed strength put into him, enabling him to hold up his head, and looking the Tempter in the Face; Replies, Ah Satan, if thou canst prophesy deliverance for me; know, my God, in whom I trust, will deliver me without thy help; but however, know, I will not comply to thy wiles, therefore avoid Satan, avoid; so immediately he Vanished, and appeared no more to him: But so it fell ⟨p. 51⟩out, the other ship being at that time in the same parallel or Latitude, that night the Cabin-Boy dreams a dream, that such a ship their Comfort was foundered, and every Soul lost, except such an Old Man, naming his name, who was saved on a piece of a ship, and floating in the Sea; which dream, the Boy in the Morning, confidently tells it to the Company and his Master; at last, the Boy began to show more Confidence, affirming it, as if it must be true; insomuch, received some checks from his Master; but however, at last, the Boy grew so restless, that he, running up from one Mast to another, sometimes at Fore-top-masthead, and then on the Main-top-masthead, looking abroad, that at last, crying out aloud; Allow there, I see him, I see him under our Lee-bow; thus confidently affirming it, some of the men stepped up, and spied something at a distance no bigger than a Crow to appearance, floating, which advised the Master it, who presently commanded the Helm to be born up, and stood a-way to it; and when come near, found it the Old Man as the Boy said;
24. An Account of two ships bound for New-found-Land, from some part in the ⟨p. 54⟩West of England, whom by distress of Weather, lost Company; some days after, being fair weather, one of the ships sprang a leak, and foundred in the Sea, where every Soul perished, except one Old Man, who had lasht himself on the main Hatch, and committed himself to the mercy of the Sea and God's Providence, where he was floating three days and three nights; in which time, about the middle of the second day, the Devil assuming a Mare-maid, starts up before him, and bids him be of good heart, for, if he would but make a Contract with him, he would ingage a deliverance for him in 24 hours; the Old Man being sensible it was the Devil, and doubtless, having been a proving of his heart to God, as the Circumstance of Providence he was under, more immediatly called for, found in himself a renewed strength put into him, inabling him to hold up his head, and looking the Tempter in the Face; Replyes, Ah Satan, if thou can'st prophesy deliverance for me; know, my God, in whom I trust, will deliver me without thy help; but however, know, I will not comply to thy wiles, therefore avoyd Satan, avoyd; so immedately he Vanished, and appeared no more to him: But so it fell ⟨p. 51⟩out, the other ship being at that time in the same parallel or Latitude, that night the Cabben-Boy dreams a dream, that such a ship their Confort was foundred, and every Soul lost, except such an Old Man, nameing his name, who was saved on a piece of a ship, and floating in the Sea; which dream, the Boy in the Morning, confidently tells it to the Company and his Master; at last, the Boy began to shew more Confidence, affirming it, as if it must be true; insomuch, received some checks from his Master; but however, at last, the Boy grew so restless, that he, running up from one Mast to another, sometimes at Fore-top-masthead, and then on the Main-top-masthead, looking abroad, that at last, crying out aloud; Alow there, I see him, I see him under our Lee-bow; thus confidently affirming it, some of the men stept up, and spy'd something at a distance no bigger than a Crow to appearance, floating, which advised the Master it, who presently commanded the Helm to be born up, and stood a-way to it; and when come near, found it the Old Man as the Boy said;
