seized his dagger, laid them both dead, bridled his horse, and in the midst of the uproar, forced his way. To the number of a hundred and fifty, armed with clubs, pitchforks, rakes, and whatever rustic weapons they could find, pursued him, drove him from his horse, but to the astonishment of all, he again mounted, and, with his sword, cut his way through the crowd.
Multitudes flocking from all quarters, the pursuit was renewed. He was, a second time, dismounted, and now employed his feet: he ran for the space of two miles; but when he halted to breathe a little, three hundred men were ready to oppose him. His courage and strength, however, still remaining unsubdued, he burst through them, fled over a valley, threw off his clothes, seized his sword in his teeth, and plunged into a river in order to gain the opposite bank.
To his sad surprise, however, he perceived it covered with new opponents: he swam down the river, was pursued by several boats, until he took refuge on a small island. Determined to give him no time to recover from his fatigue, they attacked him there. Thus closely pursued, he plunged again into the river with his sword in his teeth; he was pursued by the boats, repeatedly struck with their oars; and having received several strokes on the head, was at last vanquished.
He was conducted to a surgeon to have his wounds dressed, then led before a magistrate, who sent him to Bedford jail under a strong guard. Remaining there two weeks, until he was considerably recovered, a scaffold was erected in the market place, and, without a formal trial, he was led forth to execution. When the two executioners approached him, he warned them of their danger if they should lay hands on him; he accordingly grasped both, and nine times overthrew them upon the stage before his strength was exhausted, so that they could not perform their duty. His hands were first chopped off at the wrist; then his arms at the elbow; next, about an inch from the shoulders; his feet below the ankles; his legs at the knee; and his thighs about five inches from his trunk; a horrible scene was closed by severing his head from the body, and consuming it to ashes; the other parts of his body were fixed up in the principle places of Bedfordshire, as a warning to his companions. The quantity of blood that was shed during his wicked career, restrains even the tear of pity upon his miserable fate.
Adventures of Morgan, Prince of Free-Booters: Torture and Horrors!
Morgan continued at Maracäibo three weeks, and then advanced towards Gibraltar, whither he was persuaded all the opulent fugitives had fled. It was now three years since Olonois with his free-booters had appeared there. Peter the Picard, who accompanied him then, and who served as a guide to the present expedition, recollecting the bloody obstacles he had to surmount, prepared his comrades not to expect an easy victory. They were agreeably deceived. Some resistance, indeed, was at first made; but the inhabitants shortly saved themselves by flight into the woods, where they intrenched themselves behind the trees.
Thus was Gibraltar a second time taken: that city which had been reduced to ashes by the freebooters, had been rebuilt since their departure, and again became the theatre of new horrors. The scenes so familiar to these covetous brigands, were again repeated: they hunted the fugitives, pillaged to a great distance, exercised tortures, and put in practice every horror that could dishonour victory. The pirates seemed now even to improve upon their accustomed ferocity: two hundred and fifty inhabitants were brought to them, chained and trembling. Never was their cruelty more terribly ingenious than in the inventions to which they resorted. Some of these wretched victims were fastened naked to crosses, and tortured with burning fire-brands; many others were hung up by their arms, while stones of a prodigious weight were attached to them, and consequently by this horrible extension the
Multitudes flocking from all quarters, the pursuit was renewed. He was, a second time, dismounted, and now employed his feet: he ran for the space of two miles; but when he halted to breathe a little, three hundred men were ready to oppose him. His courage and strength, however, still remaining unsubdued, he burst through them, fled over a valley, threw off his clothes, seized his sword in his teeth, and plunged into a river in order to gain the opposite bank.
To his sad surprise, however, he perceived it covered with new opponents: he swam down the river, was pursued by several boats, until he took refuge on a small island. Determined to give him no time to recover from his fatigue, they attacked him there. Thus closely pursued, he plunged again into the river with his sword in his teeth; he was pursued by the boats, repeatedly struck with their oars; and having received several strokes on the head, was at last vanquished.
He was conducted to a surgeon to have his wounds dressed, then led before a magistrate, who sent him to Bedford jail under a strong guard. Remaining there two weeks, until he was considerably recovered, a scaffold was erected in the market place, and, without a formal trial, he was led forth to execution. When the two executioners approached him, he warned them of their danger if they should lay hands on him; he accordingly grasped both, and nine times overthrew them upon the stage before his strength was exhausted, so that they could not perform their duty. His hands were first chopped off at the wrist; then his arms at the elbow; next, about an inch from the shoulders; his feet below the ankles; his legs at the knee; and his thighs about five inches from his trunk; a horrible scene was closed by severing his head from the body, and consuming it to ashes; the other parts of his body were fixed up in the principle places of Bedfordshire, as a warning to his companions. The quantity of blood that was shed during his wicked career, restrains even the tear of pity upon his miserable fate.
Adventures of Morgan, Prince of Free-Booters: Torture and Horrors!
Morgan continued at Maracäibo three weeks, and then advanced towards Gibraltar, whither he was persuaded all the opulent fugitives had fled. It was now three years since Olonois with his free-booters had appeared there. Peter the Picard, who accompanied him then, and who served as a guide to the present expedition, recollecting the bloody obstacles he had to surmount, prepared his comrades not to expect an easy victory. They were agreeably deceived. Some resistance, indeed, was at first made; but the inhabitants shortly saved themselves by flight into the woods, where they intrenched themselves behind the trees.
Thus was Gibraltar a second time taken: that city which had been reduced to ashes by the freebooters, had been rebuilt since their departure, and again became the theatre of new horrors. The scenes so familiar to these covetous brigands, were again repeated: they hunted the fugitives, pillaged to a great distance, exercised tortures, and put in practice every horror that could dishonour victory. The pirates seemed now even to improve upon their accustomed ferocity: two hundred and fifty inhabitants were brought to them, chained and trembling. Never was their cruelty more terribly ingenious than in the inventions to which they resorted. Some of these wretched victims were fastened naked to crosses, and tortured with burning fire-brands; many others were hung up by their arms, while stones of a prodigious weight were attached to them, and consequently by this horrible extension the
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