rave no mercy; but
rather killed many of the Pirates with his own hands, and not a few of
his own soldiers, because they did not stand to their arms. And although
the Pirates asked him if he would have quarter, yet he constantly
answered: 'By no means; I had rather die as a valiant soldier, than be
hanged as a coward.' They endeavoured as much as they could to take him
prisoner. But he defended himself so obstinately that they were forced
to kill him; notwithstanding all the cries and tears of his own wife and
daughter, who begged of him upon their knees he would demand quarter and
save his life. When the Pirates had possessed themselves of the castle,
which was about night, they enclosed therein all the prisoners they had
taken, placing the women and men by themselves, with some guards upon
them. All the wounded were put into a certain apartment by itself, to
the intent their own complaints might be the cure of their diseases; for
no other was afforded them.

"This being done, they fell to eating and drinking after their usual
manner; that is to say, committing in both these things all manner of
debauchery and excess.... After such manner they delivered themselves up
unto all sort of debauchery, that if there had been found only fifty
courageous men, they might easily have re-taken the city, and killed all
the Pirates. The next day, having plundered all they could find, they
began to examine some of the prisoners (who had been persuaded by their
companions to say they were the richest of the town), charging them
severely to discover where they had hidden their riches and goods. But
not being able to extort anything out of them, as they were not the
right persons that possessed any wealth, they at last resolved to
torture them. This they performed with such cruelty that many of them
died upon the rack, or presently after. Soon after, the President of
Panama had news brought him of the pillage and ruin of Porto Bello. This
intelligence caused him to employ all his care and industry to raise
forces, with design to pursue and cast out the Pirates from thence. But
these cared little for what extraordinary means the President used, as
having their ships nigh at hand, and being determined to set fire unto
the city and retreat. They had now been at Porto Bello fifteen days, in
which space of time they had lost many of their men, both by the
unhealthiness of the country and the extravagant debaucheries they had
committed.[270]