Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	death_n	great_a	life_n	4,353	5	4.2040	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59033	Sad and dreadful news from New-England being a true relation of the barbarous cruelty lately committed by the Spaniards upon the English.		1684 (1684)	Wing S236; ESTC R17052	4,977	6

Sad and dreadful News FROM New-England BEING A True Relation of the Barbarous Cruelty lately committed by the Spaniards upon the English THE following Relation being an unquestionable Truth attested before the Magistrates of Boston in New-England I shall not trouble the Reader with any Preface but Impartially relate the matter of Fact and be rather contented to deliver less then the Truth then add in the least thereto as thus A Small Pink called The Blessing c. belonging to Boston in New-England and bound thither set Sail from Iamaica the 26 of March 1683 having on Board her David East Master Charles Cretchet Mate Robert Peirce Philip Churchwood Peter Rowland Peter Clement Marriners and Iohn Bath Passenger the latter having on Board the said Pink Goods to the Value of Forty Pound when the first of April following we were taken off the Isle of Pines about four Leagues Westwardly and about one hundred Leagues from Iamaica by a half Gally with 36 Oars and Forty Men which came up with us about Eight of the Clock at Night and without Haling us poured in a Valley of small Shot whereupon we Haled them several times but could have no Answer yet they kept Firing upon us a considerable time after which they left Firing and Haled us upon which we answered Then they Commanding us to hoist out our Boat we returned Answer that if they would leave off Firing we would do it yet they Fired a Valley of Small Shot which made us fall upon our Bellies to prevent the danger then they Haled us again in English and we answered them as before but being Board and Board they still commanded us to hoist out our Boat and we being but a Small Pink and having neither Guns Powder nor Shot to make Resistance as also becalmed having no means to get away hoisted out our Boat accordingly with Iohn Bath and Peter Rowland in her whom they dragged out and filled her with their own Men and then they Rowed into the Harbour of the Isle of Pines into which the next Morning about Eight of the Clock they brought our Pink where being at Anchor they sent for Iohn Bath and Peter Rowland from a Board and put all into the Hold saving the Master and his Mate when having made fast a Block to the Yard-Arm and reved a Rope in it they took the Mate and twisted a piece of Sea-net about his Head till his Eyes were ready to start out and then Hanged him up by the two Thumbs that they might make him confess what Money there was a Board but when they saw they could make him confess nothing by that Punishment they made fast the Rope about his Neck and their Men asked the Commander whether they should hoist him up or not Then the Captain and the rest of the Officers consulted amongst themselves whether they should Hang us all or not but could not agree in the point At last they concluded upon what was more Cruel as it appeared by the event though the over-ruling Providence prevented our utter Destruction For they Commanded the Master and five more into the Boat leaving Philip Churchwood on Board at which time they took into the Boat Seanet Spun-yarn small Ropes and a Shovel and Rowed us a Shore on the Isle of Pines and conveyed us among the Mangrove Trees then they took Iohn Bath and Peter Clement and carried them a Shore looking for a convenient place to Hang them but ofterwards changing their Resolution they Commanded them to put off their Cloaths Shirt and all and then caused them to turn their Backs to the Branch of the Tree and spread their Arms abroad in which posture they bound their Arms to the Branches then the forenamed Iohn Bath and Peter Clement asked them whither they intended to leave them there to be Starved To which one of them replyed Hold your peace least it should be worse with you and call upon the Virgin Mary and it may be she may come and loose you To whom they replyed We hope our Saviour Christ will loose us out of this Bondage Then leaving them bound in that miserable condition they took the Master and his Mate and carried them a quarter of a Mile and then served them in the like manner And in like manner carrying the other two viz. Peter Rowland and Robert Peirce the same distance beyond each Master and his Mate they bound them likewise as they had done the other four And when they had so done they went to their Vessel without the least pity or compassion And so it was that they had bound them in such places that each couple stood up to the middle Legg in Water their Feet touching one another and their Faces so turned that they might behold each others miserable condition In this Dismal and helpless condition they continued for some time and must have ended their days had not the Divine Goodness out of unbounded Compassion found a way for their deliverance which was effected in the manner following About three hours after they were thus bound and left by the Spaniards expecting nothing less then Starving Iohn Bath Espied a Stick with a crook at one end not far from him whereupon he said to his Companion If it pleases God we get that Stick into our Hands it might be a means to work our Deliverance and thereupon they tryed to bring it towards them with their Feet which in a little time they happily effected and bore it up betwixt their Leggs in such manner that at last Iohn Bath got hold of it in his Hand with which by degrees they loosened the Knot which was upon the bowing of the Arms and shifting it into their Fingers did by little and little loosen it until they had quite undone it and by that means set themselves at Liberty when having lifted up their Hearts and Hands to Heaven through whose Goodness they had obtain'd such unexpected deliverance they hastened to unbind the rest of their Companions whom they found bemoaning their condition without all hope of Relief So that this great deliverance seemed as Life from Death Being all set at Liberty their next care was to keep themselves out of the Sight of those Barbarous Villains from whom they had received such usage least meeting with them again they should Kill them Yet they had not Travelled above a Mile e're they espied some of them upon a high Tree to discover Ships that passed that way which so affrighted them that they run among the Thickets and lost one another nor meeting again until the Third Night after and having met with no water all that time they were forced to lick the Dew from off the leaves of the Trees when they had met again being very weary they laid themselves down to rest and in the middle of the Night a great Allegator came among them and caught the Masters Arm in his Mouth but he and the rest crying out it pleased God so to order it that the