The first Booke.
A Ship which seem'd to triumph over a tempest wherewith it had beene long assaulted, cast Anchor in the rode of that happy Isle, which by a perpetuall miracle sees trilling from the leaves of trees the undrainable fountaines whence she hath her bedewing. On the poope of that proud vessell presently appeared a young Turk, who for his beauty might have been taken for one of those mar∣vells which have made the Isles of the Archipelago so much re∣nowned. He commanded a Shallop to be unshipped, with an intent to be set on shore, and those whom he had chosen to attend him, were already with the 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 downe, when a confused voice, and fearfull howlings staid him on the very side of his Ship. He turn'd his eyes towards the place whence the noise came, and standing so a while undiscovering any thing, he perceiv'd (at last) that from the point of a rock high, exstreamly steep, two men, who strictly embrac'd in the arms of each other, threw themselves headlong into the Sea. He was much mov'd with a chance so strange and pitifull, and those of his followers by a great shreek witnes∣sed their great resentment: Yea the very Mariners suspending that obduratenesse, which their manner of life makes naturall to them, offered to succour those two so desperate. The faire Turke prays'd their resolution, and commanded them to put it in execution. Thereupon some fifteen or twenty cast themselves into the Shallop, and row'd on with all the earnestnesse that ought to accompany charity, and the excesse of it was almost the cause of their losse. But the winds and the waves sensible of so rare an example, suspen∣ded their violence; and to have part in the glory to have saved two so miserable, threw the one upon a banke of sand, and carried the other aginst the Turks Shallop. Presently foure or five caught hold of him by the haire and drew him up, and strait hastened to the succour of his companion, whom they found more hard to be saved: Yet at last their agility link'd with their affection, overcame all obstacles both of sea and land, and drew him out of the sands, where those two elements seem'd to have dig'd his grave. If their joy was great for their good successe, their astonishment was far more when in unclo∣thing one of those unfortunate creatures, they found about him two chaines of gold, to which hung two boxes covered with diamonds and pearls: It is likely they had so much curiosity to amuse themselves a little while in the viewing of things of such value. But the desire they had to please the faire Turke surmounting all other, they betooke them a∣gaine to their oares, and got againe to their Ship with the same alacrity that they left it. Whilst some were recounting the strange successe of their short voyage, others were stri∣ving to bring out of their long swounding those whom they had recovered from the sea. But perceiving all their endeavours uneffectuall, they got into their Ship and with those engins us,d to raise their Canon and Merchandise, drew up the two swounded persons to them. The faire Turke commanded them to be carried into his Cabin, and seeing no signe of life, was fearfull, that nature alone was not strong enough to give them backe,