Page:Travels and adventures of William Lithgow.pdf/12

 Italian soldiers, passing by the ruffian and his confederates, who, seeing his treachery discovered, made his escape. Smith having thus most eminently served him twice, first in freeing him from the danger of galley-slavery, and now in saving his life, Lithgow resolved to return the obligation, by discharging his debt to the captain, which was only forty-eight shillings sterling, and thereby procuring him his liberty, after having served three captains fifteen years. This our traveller happily accomplished, and embarked him for Venice. Lithgow staid in Canea near a month, before he could procure a passage for the Archipelago, and at last left the monastery (he says) with regret, as the four friars his hosts, gave him frequent and large draughts of malmsey, though often against his will. Every night too, they forced him to dance with them; but their music was drunkenness, and these beastly swine were every night so drunken, that they had not power to go to their beds, but where they fell, they lay till next morning. In short, during the twenty days of his being there, he never saw any one of them truly sober. In this island, he travelled on foot about 400 miles, and after a stay of fifty-eight days