Concerning Severall Remarkable Passages of my Life that hath hapned since my Deliverance out of my Captivity. By Robert Knox. From the Manuscript in the Bodleian Library. Pressmark Fol. A. 623. Fter I came out of my Captivity one the Folio 1. The first place I landed at was Erith ; haveing noe mony I had borrowed 5 shillings of Capt John Bromaell, he then was Boaswaine of the Ceaser the Ship I came whome in, but before I landed one Mr Short a Druggtor came one board & seeing me with an old fashion beard (longe whiskers) asked the captaine who I was: he telling him I was Cap' Knoxs son come from Zelone he came & discoursed mee, & told me he knew my Brother, & that my Sister was Married to a second husband & had severall Children, & gave me directions in writing whare each of them dwelt in London; this I looked one as a providence, for tell then I knew not wheather they weare Dead or Living, nor whare to Inquire after them. The same day evening that I left the ship wee landed at And lands at the Hermitage, Stephen Rutland my fellow Captive being Erith. with me; that night we lodged thare in an Alehouse, & spent with Boatehire good part of my 5 shillings; next 1680. He finds his sisters house. Folio 2. morning with my Consort Stephen I went up into the Citty, & although the Citty had bin burned, without inquiry, by my memory I came to the Royall Exchange, which by the magnificece thare of beyound what it was formerly appeared to me very strange, & I inquired in threadneedle Streete for Mr Lascelles my sisters husband and soone found his house; thare being onely an Apprentice in the Warehouse, I inquired of him for Mrs Lascelles, he told mee she was at theire Country house at Beadnall Greene; without discovering myselfe I asked him if he knew her Maiden name, he said yes, it was Knox, then I blessed God in my heart that had directed me to find my fathers daughters house. I said noe more, onely told the younge man I would call againe, by & by, for he had told me shee would be there anon. As I was goeing away he desired to aske me one question which was if I ware not his Mistresses Brother; I asked him why he put that question to me, he said because he had heard that his mistreese had a Brother longe Absent in the Eastindies, & my speeche was so like to hers. I told him I was the same & would goe & see for my Brother, which he gave me further directions to doe; he was a lodger in St Maries Churchyard; when I came to the house I inquired for Mr Knox who soone came to me. I knew him onely by the unhappie marke I had given him in his eye, but my Brother knew not mee, I told him I came from the place whare his father & Brother ware taken, & knew them boath, & began to talke aboute them, tell I could noe longer refraine weeping for Joy, like Joseph one the same occation, & as he did I fell one my Brothers necke & kissed him, blessing God that had brought me to see my Brother, my And his sister. owne Mothers Sonn againe. After Congratulations we went togeather to my Sister, who was then come whome with her eldest sonn John; truly we knew not one the other by sight for she asked me if I had not a pockehole by my left eye, & puting my haire away she saw it which I knew not of; after Congratulations I told her I had thought never to have seene her, but now God had dealt He discovers his brother. by me as by old Jacob, had showed me her seede also, at which I greatly rejoyced. 1680. East India House. Soone after my owne Brother, and Brother Lascelles & He is Welfriends went with me to the Eastindia house to make comed at the my appearance in person before the Comitty of said Company, for I had advised them in a letter from the Downs that I was come so far. At my appearing before them, they all bid me welcome to England, & told me they would not detaine me with discours of inquires to keepe me from my Relations, but defered that to heereafter, & the next time I appeared before them they ordered twenty pounds to be paid to me, & ten pounds to Stephen Rutland which we received accordingly; but Sir Jeremy Folio 3. Sambrooke called a little one side & put two Gunieas into my hand, who then I knew not, but afterward I went to his owne house to thanke him againe for that Great faviour. After Congratulations, & discourses with all my Relations, most of which I found alive to my great Joy & Consolation, I began to thinke how I should now gitt a living in this new world, which I was as new borne into, & all my abilities in kniting & pedling &c that I lived by, as I may say in the world that I came from now stood me in noe steed, & my fortune that my father left me was but small & none of my Relations, ware in such Stations that they could imploy & prefer me to any buisnesse that I was Capable to performe. At length God brought me to one Capt John Brookehaven, an old East india Commander, who was one of my fathers acquaintance, but longe had left the seas, & in discoursing with him he, pittying my forlorn Condition, asked me what way & means I thought one to gitt a living. I told him I thought it best to follow the Seas againe, hoping to meete with better fortune then heather too I had had, telling him that my best abillityes as well as inclination led me that way; he liked well my resolution, & told me he would advise me as if I ware his sonn, viz' to put myselfe to a mathematicall Schoole, & offered to goe He thinks how he should get a living. |