This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
THese Gallions are alwayes commanded by a Gentleman of Venice, no other Nation being admittable to that Charge; the roguery of some forreigners who ran away with some of these Ves∣sels ready rigg'd, having taught them more wit than to trust them for the future: but their Work∣men and Mechanicks are indiffe∣rently
of all Countreys. Some∣times they hire Ships of the Hollan∣der or English, ready equip'd, and pay them every moneth, but they must be Commanded by a noble Venetian.
The great Vessels which they take now and then from the Turk, they call Sultans, and they are set out again at the expence of the publick: though the Comman∣der of a Sultan be in reality no more than the simple Captain of a Ship, yet he is more considerable, it be∣ing look'd upon as the mark of a particular esteem, when one is ad∣vanc'd to such an authority as that.
And this they do to diffuse an insensible jealousie among their Commanders, recompensing him whom they judge to have deserv'd well, with the honour of a Charge, which has nothing in it above the
rest, but an innovated name. In this particular they seem to imitate the example of the Romans, who (to animate their Souldiers) pre∣sented them with rewards, very trivial and inconsiderable to the eye, but (if measured with the honour they brought along with them to the party) they were vast accumulations of glory.
This General having all the Ma∣gazines of the Fleet on board his Gallions, he is of no mean impor∣tance amongst them, and to speak truth no man is ever admitted to that Command till he has given undeniable evidence of his prudence and Conduct. They seldom come to grapple, or to a very close fight with their enemy, but with their broad sides they do terrible execu∣tion.