vowed that
they would seaze on the Corps de gard, and on the Fort, yea, and force mee
also, if I woulde not consent vnto their wicked desire. My Lieutenant
being hereof aduertised, came and tolde mee that he suspected some euill
practise: and the next day in the morning I was saluted at my gate with
men in complet harnesse, what time my Souldiers were about to play mee a
shrewde tricke: then I sent to seeke a couple of Gentlemen whom I most
trusted, which brought mee word that the Souldiers were determined to come
to me to make a request vnto me: But I tolde them that this was not the
fashion to present a request vnto a Captaine in this maner, and therefore
they should send some few vnto me to signifie vnto mee what they would
haue. Hereupon the fiue chiefe authors of the sedition armed with
Corslets, their Pistolles in their handes already bent, prest into my
chamber saying vnto mee, that they would goe to New Spaine to seeke their
aduenture. Then I warned them to bee well aduised what they meant to doe:
but they foorthwith replyed, that they were fully aduised already, and
that I must graunt them this request. Seeing then (quoth I) that I am
enforced to doe it, I will sende Captaine Vasseur and my Sergeant, which
will make answere and giue mee an accompt of euery thing that shall be
done in this voyage: And to content you, I thinke it good that you take
one man out of euery chamber, that they may accompany Captaine Vasseur and
my Sergeant. Whereupon, blaspheming the Name of God, they answered that
they must goe thither: and that there lacked nothing, but that I should
deliuer them the armour which I had in my custodie, for feare least I
might vse them to their disaduantage (being so villanously abused by
them:) wherein notwithstanding I would not yeeld vnto them. (M474) But
they tooke all by force, and caried it out of my house, yea and after they
had hurt a Gentleman in my chamber, which spake against their doings, they
layd hands on mee, and caried me very sicke, as I was, prisoner into a
shippe which rode at ancker in the middest of the Riuer, wherein I was the
space of fifteene dayes attended vpon with one man onely without
permission for any of my seruants to come to visite mee: from euery one of
whom, as also from the rest that tooke my part, they tooke away their
armour. And they sent mee a passeport to signe, telling me plainely after
I had denied them, that if I made any difficulty, they would all come and
cut