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 Sir WALTER RALEIGH.

The recapture of the Island of Sark.

[History of the World.]

But what strength cannot do; man's wit—being the most forcible engine—hath often effected: of which I will give you an example in a place of our own. The island of Sark—joining to Guernsey, and of that government—was in Queen MARY'S time surprised by the French; and could never have been recovered again by strong hand: having cattle and corn enough upon  I the place to feed so many men as will serve to defend it; and being every way so inaccessible, that it might be held against the Great Turk. Yet by the industry of a gentleman of the Netherlands; it was in this sort regained. He anchored in the road with one ship of small burden; and pretending the death of his merchant [supercargo], besought the French being some thirty in number, that they might bury their merchant in hallowed ground, and in the chapel of that isle—offering a present to the French of such commodities as they had aboard—whereto (with condition that they should not come ashore with any weapon, no, not so much as with a knife) the Frenchmen yielded. Then did the Flemings put a coffin into their boat: not filled with a dead carcase; but with swords, targets [shields] and harquebusses. The French received them at their landing; and searching every one of them so narrowly as they could not hide a penknife; gave them leave to draw their coffin up the rocks, with great difficulty. Some part of the French took the Flemish boat, and rowed aboard their ship; to fetch the commodities promised and what else they pleased: but being entered, they were taken and bound. The Flemings on land, when they had carried their coffin into the chapel, shut the door to them; and taking their weapons out of the coffin, set upon the French. They ran to the cliff and cried to their company aboard the Flemings to come to their succour: but finding the boat charged with Flemings; yielded themselves and the place.

Thus a fox's tail doth sometimes help well to piece out the lion's skin, that else would be too short.