N01600:65
Instructions to the living, from the condition of the dead. A brief relation of…
Instructions to the living, from the condition of the dead. A brief relation of remarkables in the shipwreck of above one hundred pirates, who were cast away in the ship Whido, on the coast of New-England, April 26. 1717. And in the death of six, who after a fair trial at Boston, were convicted & condemned, Octob. 22. And executed, Novemb. 15. 1717. : With some account of the discourse had with them on the way to their execution. And a sermon preached on their occasion.
Boston: printed by John Allen for Nicholas Boone, 1717
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
V. V. We were Forced Men.
Min. Forced! No; There is no man who can say, He is Forced unto any Sin against the Glorious GOD! Forced! No; You had better have Suffered any thing, than to […] Sinned as you have done. Better have died a ⟨p. 18⟩Martyr by the cruel Hands of your Brethren, than have become one of their Brethren. Or, If I should allow that you were at first a Forced Man, what were you […], when you came upon the Coast of Cape-Cod? Were not you one of those, who came […] Aboard the Prize, wherein you were Lost? When the Ma•e so managed the Tack, that you Lost the Sight of the Whidau, and you might have Escaped easily from your Masters into our Arms, did not you Ca•se the Mate, and Compel him with a thousand Menaces, to Recover the Sight of your Sh•p? After your Shipwreck, did you fly into our Arms like men Escaped […] of Prison? Or, did not you Endeavour still such a Flight from us, as […] Enable you […] Return unto the Trade you were now used •nto? Is this the Conduct of a Forced Man? We are Blessed with one of the Best GOVERNORS […] a Person of uncommon Goodness, and Candour, and Clemency. He was is full of Desire to have shown Mercy, unto you and your Friend Baker here, as was possible. ⟨p. 19⟩Instances were made unto him on your behalf, by Friends; whom he set all possible value upon: I my self bore my part in the pressing. Instances. But, when he Remonstrated unto us, the strong and full Proofs which there were of your being Active Pirates; and of your having the Cry of so much Innocent Blood against you; and we saw, his Apprehension, that he could not answer it unto GOD, no more than unto the King, (whose Commands for all Severity upon you were very positive) we could say no more; but must Approve and Applaud the Inflexible Justice that we see joined with a Temper full of Mercy in him. Say now; What think you of the Bad Life, wherein you have Wandered from God? Can you say nothing, that your Worthy Parents, (whom you have so killed!.) may take a little Comfort from! have some Light in their Darkness?