Epistolæ Ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by James Howell.

XI. To Captain Tho: Porter upon his return from Algier voyage.

Noble Captain,

I Congratulat your safe return from the Streights, but am sory you were so streigh•…•…ned in your Commission, that you could not attempt what such a brave navall power of •…•…o▪ men of War, such a gallant Generall and other choice knowing Commanders might have performed, if they h•…•…d had line enough; I know the lightnesse and nimblenesse of Algier ships, when I lived lately in Alicant and other places upon the Mediterranean, we should every week hear som of them chas'd, but very seldom taken; for a great ship following one of them, may be said to be as a Mastiff dog running after a hare; I wonder the Spaniard came short of the promised supply for furtherance of that notable adventurous design you had to fire the Ships and Gallies in Algier road; And according to the relation you pleased to send me▪ it was one of the bravest enterprises, and had prov'd such a glorious exploit, that no story could have paralleld; But it seems their Hoggies, Magitians and Maribotts, were tampring with the ill Spirit of the Air all the while, which brought down su•…•… a still cataract of rain water•…•… suddenly upon you to hinder the working of your fire-works; such a disaster the story tells us b•…•…fell Charles the Emperour, but far

worse than yours, for he lost ships and multitudes of men, wh•…•… were made slaves, but you came off with losse of eight men only, and Algier is another gets thing now, than she was then, being I beleeve a hundred degrees stronger by Land and Sea, and for the latter strength we may thank our Countreyman Ward, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the butterbag Hollander, which may be said to have bin two of the fatallest and most infamoust men that ever Christendom b•…•…ed; for the one taking all Englishmen, and the other all Dutchmen, and bringing the Spips and Ordnance to Algier, they may be said •…•…o have bin the chief Raysers of those Picaroons to be Pirats, which are now come to that height of strength, that they daily endam∣mage and affront all Christendom. When I consider all the cir∣cumstances and successe of this your voyage, when I consider th•…•… narrownes of your Commission, which was as lame as the Cl•…•… that kept it; when I find that you secured the Seas, and •…•…rafick all the while, for I did not hear of one Ship taken while you were abroad; when I hear how you brought back all the Fleet without the least disgrace or damm•…•…ge by foe or •…•…oul weather •…•…o any ship▪ I conclude, and so doe far b•…•…ter judgements than mine, that you did what possibly could be done: let those that repine at the one in the hundred (which was impos'd upon all the Levant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for the support of this Fleet) mutter what they will, that you went first to Gravesend, then to the Lands end, and after to no end.

I have sent you for your welcome home (in part) two barrells of Colchester oysters, which were provided for my Lord of Colchester himself, therfore I pre•…•…ume they are good, and all green finnd; I shall shortly follow, but not to stay long in England, for I thin•…•… I must over again speedily to push on my fortunes: so my dear Tom▪ I am de todas m•…•…s entran•…•…s, from the center of my heart I am

St. Osith, December

Yours, J. H.