Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/29

Rh with Silver, as well as purple Sails; as if their greatet Delight had been to glory in their Iniquity. Nor were they content with committing Pyracies and Inolencies by Sea, they committed as great Depredations by Land, or rather made Conquets; for they took and ack’d no les than four hundred Cities, laid everal others under Contributions, plundered the Temples of the Gods, and inriched themelves with the Offerings depoited in them; they often landed Bodies of Men, who not only plundered the Villages along the Sea Coat, but ranacked the fine Houes of the Noblemen along the Tiber. A Body of them once took Sextillius and Bellinus, two Roman Prætors, in their purple Robes, going from Rome to their Governments, and carried them away with all their Sergeants, Officers and Vergers; they alo took the Daughter of Antonius a conular Peron, and one who had obtained the Honour of a Triumph, as he was going to the Country Houe of her Father.

But what was mot barbarous, was a Cutom they had when they took any Ship, of enquiring of the Peron on Board, concerning their Names and Country; if any of them aid he was a Roman, they fell down upon their Knees, as if in a Fright at the Greatnes of that Name, and begg’d Pardon for what they had done, and imploring his Mercy, they ued to perform the Offices of Servants about his Peron, and when they found they had deceived him into a Belief of their being incere, they hung out the Ladder of the Ship, and coming with a hew of Courtey, told him, he had his Liberty, deiring him to walk out of the Ship, and this in the Middle of the Sea, and when they oberved him in Surprize, as was natural, they ued to throw him overboard with mighty houts of Laughter; o wanton they were in their Cruelty. Rh