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01 - The New Atlantis - Sir Francis Bacon · Classic Science Fiction Books

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  Speaker 1: The New Atlantis by Francis Bacon. Section one. We sailed
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  Speaker 1: from Peru, where we had continued for the space of
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  Speaker 1: one whole year for China and Japan by the South sea,
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  Speaker 1: taking with us vittals for twelve months, and had good
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  Speaker 1: winds from the east, though soft and weak, for five
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  Speaker 1: months apace and more. But the wind came about and
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  Speaker 1: settled in the west for many days, so as we
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  Speaker 1: could make little or no way, and were some time
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  Speaker 1: in purpose to turn back. But then again there arose
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  Speaker 1: strong and great winds from the south with a point east,
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  Speaker 1: which carried us up for all that we could do
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  Speaker 1: towards the north, by which time our vittals failed us,
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  Speaker 1: though we had made good spare of them, so that
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  Speaker 1: finding ourselves in the midst of the greatest wilderness of
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  Speaker 1: waters in the world, without vittals, we gave ourselves for
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  Speaker 1: lost men, and prepared for death. Yet we did lift
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  Speaker 1: up our hearts and voices to God above, who showeth
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  Speaker 1: his wonders in the deep, beseeching him of his mercy,
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  Speaker 1: that as in the beginning he discovered the face of
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  Speaker 1: the deep and brought forth dry land, so he would
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  Speaker 1: now discover land to us that we might not perish,
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  Speaker 1: and it came to pass that the next day, about evening,
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  Speaker 1: we saw within a canning before us towards the north,
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  Speaker 1: as it were thick clouds, which did put us in
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  Speaker 1: some hope of land, knowing how that part of the
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  Speaker 1: South Sea was utterly unknown and might have islands or
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  Speaker 1: continents that hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore we
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  Speaker 1: bent our course thither where we saw the appearance of
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  Speaker 1: land all that night, and in the dawning of the
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  Speaker 1: next day we might plainly discern that it was a land,
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  Speaker 1: flat to our sight and full of baskage, which made
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  Speaker 1: it show the more dark. And after an hour and
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  Speaker 1: a half's sailing, we entered into a good haven, being
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  Speaker 1: the port of a fair city, not great indeed, but
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  Speaker 1: well built, and that gave a pleasant view from the sea.
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  Speaker 1: And we, thinking every minute long till we were on land,
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  Speaker 1: came close to the shore and offered to land. But
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  Speaker 1: straightways we saw diverse of the people with bastions in
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  Speaker 1: their hands, as it were, forbidding us to land, yet
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  Speaker 1: without any cries of fierceness, but only as warning us
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  Speaker 1: off by signs that they made, whereupon, being not a
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  Speaker 1: little discomforted. We were advising with ourselves what we should do,
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  Speaker 1: during which time there made forth to us a small
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  Speaker 1: boat with about eight persons in it, whereof one of
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  Speaker 1: them had in his hand a tip staff of a
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  Speaker 1: yellow cane, tipped at both ends with blue, who came
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  Speaker 1: aboard our ship without any show of distrust at all.
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  Speaker 1: And when he saw one of our number present himself
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  Speaker 1: somewhat before the rest, he drew forth a little scroll
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  Speaker 1: of parchment, somewhat yellower than our parchment, and shining like
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  Speaker 1: the leaves of writing tables, but otherwise soft and flexible,
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  Speaker 1: and delivered it to our foremost man, in which scroll
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  Speaker 1: were written in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and
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  Speaker 1: in good Latin of the School, and in Spanish, these
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  Speaker 1: words land ye not none of you, and provide to
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  Speaker 1: be gone from this coast within sixteen days, except you
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  Speaker 1: have further time given you. Meanwhile, if you want fresh water,
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  Speaker 1: or victuals, or help for your sick, or that your
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  Speaker 1: ship needeth repairs, write down your wants, and you shall
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  Speaker 1: have that which belongeth to mercy. This scroll was signed
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  Speaker 1: with a stamp of cherubim wings not spread but hanging downwards,
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  Speaker 1: and by them across. This being delivered, the officer returned
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  Speaker 1: and left only a servant with us to receive our answer.
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  Speaker 1: Consulting hereupon amongst ourselves we were much perplexed. The denial
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  Speaker 1: of landing and hasty warning us away troubled us much.
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  Speaker 1: On the other side, to find that the people had
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  Speaker 1: languages and were so full of humanity did comfort us
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  Speaker 1: not a little. And above all the sign of the
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  Speaker 1: cross to that instrument was to us a great rejoicing,
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  Speaker 1: and as it were a certain presage of good. Our
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  Speaker 1: answer was in the Spanish tongue, that for our ship
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  Speaker 1: it was well, for we had rather met with calms
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  Speaker 1: and contrary winds than any tempests for our sick They
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  Speaker 1: were many, and in very ill case, so that if
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  Speaker 1: they were not permitted to land, they ran danger of
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  Speaker 1: their lives. Our other wants we set down, in particular,
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  Speaker 1: adding that we had some little store of merchandise, which,
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  Speaker 1: if it pleased them to deal for it, might supply
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  Speaker 1: our wants without being chargeable. Unto them. We offered some
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  Speaker 1: reward in pistolets unto the servant, and a piece of
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  Speaker 1: crimson velvet to be presented to the officer. But the
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  Speaker 1: servant took them not, nor would Scarce look upon them,
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  Speaker 1: and so left us and went back in another little boat,
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  Speaker 1: which was sent for him. About three hours after we
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  Speaker 1: had dispatched our answer, there came towards us a person,
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  Speaker 1: as it seemed of place. He had on him a
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  Speaker 1: gown with wide sleeves of a kind of water chemolae
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  Speaker 1: of an excellent azure color, fair more glossy than ours.
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  Speaker 1: His under apparel was green, and so was his hat,
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  Speaker 1: being in the form of a turban, daintily made and
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  Speaker 1: not so huge as the Turkish turbans, and the locks
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  Speaker 1: of his hair came down below the brims of it.
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  Speaker 1: A reverend man was he to behold. He came in
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  Speaker 1: a boat, guilt in some part of it, with four
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  Speaker 1: persons more only in that boat, and was followed by
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  Speaker 1: another boat, wherein were some twenty. When he was come
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  Speaker 1: within a flight shot of our ship, signs were made
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  Speaker 1: to us that we should send forth some to meet
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  Speaker 1: him upon the water, which we presently did in our shipboat,
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  Speaker 1: sending the principal man amongst us save one and four
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  Speaker 1: of our number, with him. When we were come within
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  Speaker 1: some six yards of their boat, they called to us
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  Speaker 1: to stay and not to approach farther, which we did.
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  Speaker 1: And thereupon the man whom I before described stood up, and,
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  Speaker 1: with a loud voice in Spanish, asked, are ye Christians?
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  Speaker 1: We answered, we were fearing the less because of the
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  Speaker 1: cross we had seen in the subscription, at which answer
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  Speaker 1: the said person lifted up his right hand towards heaven
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  Speaker 1: and drew it softly to his mouth, which is the
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  Speaker 1: gesture they use when they thanked God, and then said,
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  Speaker 1: if ye will swear all of you by the merits
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  Speaker 1: of the Savior, that ye are no pirates, nor have
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  Speaker 1: shed blood lawfully nor unlawfully within forty days past, you
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  Speaker 1: may have license to come on land. We said, we
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  Speaker 1: were all ready to take that oath. Whereupon one of
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  Speaker 1: those that were with him, being as it seemed, a notary,
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  Speaker 1: made an entry of this act, which done another of
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  Speaker 1: the attendants of the great person, which was with him
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  Speaker 1: in the same boat, after his lord had spoken a
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  Speaker 1: little to him, said aloud, my lord would have you
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  Speaker 1: know that it is not of pride or greatness that
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  Speaker 1: he cometh not aboard your ship, but for that in
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  Speaker 1: your answer you declare that you have many sick amongst you.
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  Speaker 1: He was warned by the conservator of health of the
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  Speaker 1: city that he should keep a distance. We bowed ourselves
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  Speaker 1: towards him, and answered, we were his humble servants, and
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  Speaker 1: accounted for great honor and singular humanity towards us that
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  Speaker 1: which was already done. But hoped well that the nature
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  Speaker 1: of the sickness of our men was not infectious. So
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  Speaker 1: he returned, and a while after came the notary to
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  Speaker 1: us aboard our ship, holding in his hand a fruit
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  Speaker 1: of that country, like an orange, but of color between orange,
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  Speaker 1: tawny and scarlet, which cast a most excellent odor. He
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  Speaker 1: used it, as it seemeth for a preservative against infection.
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  Speaker 1: He gave us our oath by the name of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: and his merits, and after told us that the next day,
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  Speaker 1: by six of the clock of the morning, we should
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  Speaker 1: be sent to and brought to the Stranger's house, so
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  Speaker 1: he called it, where we should be accommodated of things,
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  Speaker 1: both for our whole and for our sick So he
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  Speaker 1: left us, and when we offered him some pistolets, he
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  Speaker 1: smiling said he must not be twice paid for one labor, meaning,
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  Speaker 1: as I take it that he had salary sufficient of
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  Speaker 1: the state for his service. For as I after learned,
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  Speaker 1: they call an officer that taketh rewards twice paid. The
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  Speaker 1: next morning, early there came to us the same officer
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  Speaker 1: that came to us at first, with his cane, and
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  Speaker 1: told us he came to conduct us to the stranger's house,
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  Speaker 1: and that he had prevented the hour because we might
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  Speaker 1: have the whole day before us for our business. Four
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  Speaker 1: said he, if you will follow my advice, there shall
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  Speaker 1: first go with me some few of you and see
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  Speaker 1: the place and how it may be he made convenient
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  Speaker 1: for you, and then you may send for your sick
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  Speaker 1: and the rest of your number, which ye will bring
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  Speaker 1: on land. We thanked him and said that this care
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  Speaker 1: which he took of desolate strangers, God would reward. And
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  Speaker 1: so six of us went on land with him. And
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  Speaker 1: when we were on land, he went before us and
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  Speaker 1: turned to us and said he was but our servant
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  Speaker 1: and our guide. He led us through three fair streets,
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  Speaker 1: and all the way we went there were gathered some
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  Speaker 1: people on both sides, standing in a row, but in
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  Speaker 1: so civil a fashion as if it had been not
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  Speaker 1: to wonder at us, but to welcome us. And diverse
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  Speaker 1: of them. As we passed by them, put their arms
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  Speaker 1: a little abroad, which is their gesture when they did
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  Speaker 1: bid any welcome. The stranger's house is a fair and
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  Speaker 1: spacious house, built of brick, of somewhat a bluer color
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  Speaker 1: than our brick, and with handsome windows, some of glass,
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  Speaker 1: some of a kind of cambric oiled. He brought us
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  Speaker 1: first into a fair parlor above stairs, and then asked
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  Speaker 1: us what number of persons we were, and how many sick.
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  Speaker 1: We answered, we were in all sick and whole one
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  Speaker 1: and fifty persons, whereof our sick were seventeen. He desired
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  Speaker 1: us to have patience a little and to stay till
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  Speaker 1: he came back to us, which was about an hour after,
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  Speaker 1: and then he led us to see the chambers which
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  Speaker 1: were provided for us, being in number nineteen. They having
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  Speaker 1: cast it as it seemeth, that four of those chambers,
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  Speaker 1: which were better than the rest, might receive four of
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  Speaker 1: the principal men of our company, and lodged them alone
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  Speaker 1: by themselves, and the other fifteen chambers were to lodge
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  Speaker 1: us two and two together. The chambers were handsome and
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  Speaker 1: cheerful chambers, and furnished civilly. Then he led us to
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  Speaker 1: a long gallery like a dorcher, where he showed us
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  Speaker 1: all along the one side, for the other side was
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  Speaker 1: but wall and window, seventeen cells, very neat ones having
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  Speaker 1: partitions of cedar wood, which gallery and cells being in
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  Speaker 1: all forty many more than we needed, were instituted as
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  Speaker 1: an infirmary for sick persons. And he told us withal
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  Speaker 1: that as any of ours sick waxed well, he might
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  Speaker 1: be removed from his cell to a chamber, for which
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  Speaker 1: purpose there were set forth ten spare chambers, besides the
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  Speaker 1: number we spake of. Before this done, he brought us
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  Speaker 1: back to the parlor, and, lifting up his cane a
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  Speaker 1: little as they do when they give any charge or command,
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  Speaker 1: said to us, ye are to know that the custom
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  Speaker 1: of the land requireth that after this day and tomorrow,
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  Speaker 1: which we give you for removing your people from your ship,
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  Speaker 1: you are to keep within doors for three days. But
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  Speaker 1: let it not trouble you, nor do not think yourselves restrained,
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  Speaker 1: but rather left to your rest and ease. You shall
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  Speaker 1: want nothing. And there are six of our people appointed
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  Speaker 1: to attend you for any business you may have abroad.
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  Speaker 1: We gave him thanks with all affection and respipt, and said,
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  Speaker 1: God surely is manifested in this land. We offered him
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  Speaker 1: also twenty pistolets, but he smiled and only said what
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  Speaker 1: twice paid, and so he left us. Soon after. Our
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  Speaker 1: dinner was served, in which was right good viands, both
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  Speaker 1: for bread and treat, better than any collegiate diet that
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  Speaker 1: I have known in Europe. We had also drink of
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  Speaker 1: three sorts, all wholesome and good wine of the grape,
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  Speaker 1: such as is with us our ale, but more clear,
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  Speaker 1: and a kind of cider made of a fruit of
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  Speaker 1: that country, a wonderful, pleasing and refreshing drink. Besides, they
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  Speaker 1: were brought in to us great store of those scarlet
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  Speaker 1: oranges for our sick, which they said were an assured
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  Speaker 1: remedy for sickness taken at sea. There was given us
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  Speaker 1: also a box of small gray or whitish pills, which
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  Speaker 1: they wished our sick should take one of the pills
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  Speaker 1: every night before sleep, which they said would hasten their
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  Speaker 1: recovery the next day. After that, our trouble of carriage
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  Speaker 1: and removing of our men and goods out of our
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  Speaker 1: ship was somewhat settled and quiet, I thought, good to
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  Speaker 1: call our company together, And when they were assembled, said
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  Speaker 1: unto them, my dear friends, let us know ourselves and
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  Speaker 1: how it standeth with us. We are men cast on land,
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  Speaker 1: as Jonas was out of the whales belly, when we
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  Speaker 1: were as buried in the deep, and now we are
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  Speaker 1: on land. We are but between death and life, for
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  Speaker 1: we are beyond both the old world and the new.
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  Speaker 1: Whether ever we shall see Europe, God only knoweth. It
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  Speaker 1: is a kind of miracle hath brought us hither, and
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  Speaker 1: it must be little less that shall bring us. Hence, Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: in regard of our deliverance past and our danger present
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  Speaker 1: and to come, let us look up to God, and
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  Speaker 1: every man reform his own ways. Besides, we are come
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  Speaker 1: here amongst a Christian people full oft and humanity. Let
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  Speaker 1: us not bring that confusion of faith upon ourselves, as
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  Speaker 1: to show our vices or unworthiness before them. Yet there
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  Speaker 1: is more, For they have by commandment, though in form
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  Speaker 1: of courtesy, cloistered us within these walls for three days.
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  Speaker 1: Who knoweth whether it be not to take some taste
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  Speaker 1: of our manners and conditions, and if they find them bad,
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  Speaker 1: to banish us straightways, if good to give us further time,
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  Speaker 1: for these men that they have given us for attendance,
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  Speaker 1: may withal have an eye upon us. Therefore, for God's love,
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  Speaker 1: and as we love the weal of our souls and bodies,
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  Speaker 1: let us so behave ourselves as we may be at
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  Speaker 1: peace with God, and may find grace in the eyes
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  Speaker 1: of this people. Our company with one voice thanked me
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  Speaker 1: for my good admonition, and promised me to live soberly
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  Speaker 1: and civilly, and without giving any the least occasion of offense.
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  Speaker 1: So we spend our three days joyfully and without care
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  Speaker 1: in expectation what would be done with us when they
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  Speaker 1: were expired, during which time we had every hour joy
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  Speaker 1: of the amendment of our sick, who thought themselves cast
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  Speaker 1: into some divine pool of healing, they mended so kindly
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  Speaker 1: and so fast. End of Section one.