PIRATES AT HOME. 27 



Majesty did not think worthy the name of subjects. " There now remained nothing- but 

 to proceed to their executions, by virtue of his commission ; for which purpose he had brought 

 a gallows ready framed, which he caused to be set up, intending to begin the mournful dance 

 with the two men they thought had been merry-making aboard the ship. As to the English- 

 man, he should come next, because being an Englishman his offence did surpass the rest. 

 He told the schoolmaster he was a fit tutor for the children of the devil, and that as members 

 are governed by the head, the way to make his members sound was to shorten him by the 

 head, and therefore willed him to admonish his scholars from the top of the gallows, which 

 should be a pulpit prepared for him. He condemned the merchant as a receiver of stolen 

 goods, and worse than the thief himself ; reminding him that his time was not long, and 

 hoping that he might make his account with God, and that he might be found a good 

 merchant and factor to Him, though he had been a malefactor to the law." One can imagine 

 the change which came over the assembly ; all their high spirits were quenched in a minute, 

 while the principals abandoned themselves to despair, believing that their hour was at hand. 

 When Sir William left them to go aboard, the carpenter was still hammering away at the 

 gallows. 



Next morning the prisoners were brought out to meet their doom, and were kept waiting 

 in an agony of terror, while the people generally were sueing for their lives, and promising 

 that they would never assist or connive at pirates again. Sir William had never really the 

 intention to hang any of them, and "after four-and-twenty hours' fright in irons he 

 pardoned them ; " the Englishman being the only one who suffered any actual punishment. 

 He was banished from the coast, and the sheriff was admonished to be more careful in 

 granting passes for the future. 



The very next day, while still at Broad Haven, Sir William nearly captured a pirate 

 who was entering the harbour, when the latter took alarm at seeing a strange vessel, and 

 stood off to sea, where he remained six days in foul weather. A day later the pirate anchored 

 at an island near Broad Haven, and contrived to forward a letter to Cormat, who having just 

 escaped one danger, did not desire to risk his neck again ; he accordingly showed the letter 

 to Monson. It ran as follows : (( Dear Friend, I was bearing into Broad Haven to give 

 you corn for ballast, but I was frightened by the king's ship I supposed to be there. I pray 

 you send me word what ship it is, for we stand in great fear. I pray you, provide me two 

 kine, for we are in great want of victuals ; whensoever you shall make a fire on shore, I 

 will send my boat to you/' This just suited Monson, who had a particular aptitude for 

 stratagem. He directed Cormat to answer his request in the affirmative." " He bid him 

 be confident this ship could not endanger him ; for she was not the king's, as he imagined, 

 but one of London that came from the Indies with her men sick, and many dead. He 

 promised him two oxen and a calf; to observe his directions by making a fire; and gave 

 him hope to see him within two nights." A few of the ship's company, disguised in Irish 

 costumes of the period, were sent to accompany the messenger, with instructions to remain 

 in ambush. The hungry pirates were keeping a sharp look out for the beacon fire, and it 

 was no sooner lighted, than they hastily rowed ashore, and received the letter, which gave 

 them great satisfaction. Sir William meanwhile was quietly laying plans for their capture. 

 Guided by the Irish peasantry, he took a number of his company a roundabout trip by land 



