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In conclusion, the Christians having killed nearly all the Turks, some Spaniards put themselves on board the large ship, and called out aloud unto those whom they supposed to be Spaniards that they would come aboard them, and enjoy the reward of their victory. Ricaredo asked them in Spanish what ship that was. They told him that she was come from the Portuguese East Indies laden with spices and as many pearls and diamonds as were worth a million, and that by a storm they were driven upon that coast, all rent and torn, and without any ordnance, for the foulness of the weather and high working of the sea enforced them to throw it overboard; that their men were most of them sick, and almost dead of thirst and hunger; and that those two galleys, which were belonging to the pirate Arnaut Mamí, had taken her but the day before, without making any defence at all; and that, as it was told them, because they were not able to carry so great a quantity of riches in those two small vessels, they towed her along, with purpose to put her into the river of Larache, which was near thereunto.

Ricaredo returned them answer that if they conceived that those his two ships were Spanish they were deceived, for they were nothing less but ships belonging to the Queen of England; which news gave those that heard it occasion of fear and sorrow, imagining, and not without reason, that they were fallen out of one net into another. But Ricaredo told them that they should receive no harm, and that they should rest assured of their liberty, on condition that they should not put themselves upon their defence.

“Nor is it possible for us,” replied they, “so to do; for, as we formerly told you, this ship hath no ordnance, nor we any offensive arms. And therefore we must of force, whether we will or no, have recourse to the gentle and noble disposition of your General, and the liberality and courtesy which he shall use towards us; since that it is meet and just that he who hath freed us from the insufferable captivity of the Turks should reap the reward and benefit thereof, and shall be made famous of all those to whose ears the news shall come of this memorable victory and of his kind usage towards them.”

These words of the Spaniard did not sound ill in Ricaredo’s ears, and therefore calling those of his ship to a council, he demanded of them how he might send all the Christians to Spain, without putting themselves in danger of any sinister result, if being so many as they were they should take courage unto them for to rise up against them. Some were of opinion that he should pass them one by one to his own ship, and clapping them under hatches, kill them man after man; and so they might easily and without any noise kill them all, and carry the great ship along with them to London without any further fear or care-taking.

But to this Ricaredo thus replied:

“Since that God hath done us this so great a favour in giving us such great riches, I will not requite Him with a cruel and unthankful mind; nor is it meet that that which I may remedy by industry I should remedy by the sword. And therefore I, for my part, am of opinion that no Catholic Christian should die the death; not because I wish them so well, but because I wish well to myself, and would that this day’s noble action, neither to me nor to you, should mingle the name of valiant with the surname of cruel, for cruelty did never sort well with valour. That which is to be done is this: that all the ordnance of one of these our ships be put into the great Portugal ship, without leaving the ship any arms, or any other thing, save sufficient victual, and so manning that ship with our men, we will carry it home, and the Spaniards go in the other to Spain.”