was not two seconds of time that
I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath and
new courage. I was covered again with water a good while, but not so
long but I held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and
began to return, I struck forward against the return of the waves, and
felt ground again with my feet. I stood still a few moments to recover
breath, and till the water went from me, and then took to my heels and
ran with what strength I had farther towards the shore. But neither
would this deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring in
after me again; and twice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried
forward as before, the shore being very flat.

The last time of these two had well-nigh been fatal to me; for the sea
having hurried me along as before, landed me, or rather dashed me,
against a piece of rock, and that with such force that it left me
senseless, and indeed helpless as to my own deliverance; for the blow
taking my side and breast, beat the breath as it were quite out of my
body, and had it returned again immediately I must have been strangled
in the water; but I recovered a little before the return of the waves,
and seeing I should again be covered with the water, I resolved to hold
fast by a piece of the rock, and so to hold my breath if possible till
the wave went back. Now, as the waves were not so high as the first,
being nearer land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched
another run, which brought me so near the shore, that the next wave,
though it went over me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry me
away; and the next run I took, I got to the mainland, where to my great
comfort I clambered up the cliffs of the shore, and sat me down upon the
grass, free from danger and quite out of the reach of the water.

I was now landed, and safe on shore; and began to look up and thank God
that my life was saved, in a case wherein there were, some minutes
before, scarce any room to hope. I believe it is impossible to express,
to the life, what the ecstasies and transports of the soul are when it
is so saved, as I may say, out of the grave: and I did not wonder now at
the custom, viz., that when a malefactor who has the halter about his
neck is tied up, and just going to be turned off, and has a reprieve
brought to him,--I say I do not wonder that they bring a surgeon with
it, to let him blood that very moment they tell him of it; that the