Adol. Upon this, up starts an old Priest about threescore Years of Age, his Name was Adam.  He strips himself to his Shirt, throws away his Boots and Shoes, and bids us all in like Manner to prepare ourselves for swimming.  Then standing in the middle of the Ship, he preach’d a Sermon to us, upon the five Truths of the Benefit of Confession, and exhorted every Man to prepare himself, for either Life or Death.  There was a Dominican there too, and they confess’d those that had a Mind to it.

Ant. What did you do?

Adol. I seeing that every thing was in a Hurry, confess’d privately to God, condemning before him my Iniquity, and imploring his Mercy.

Ant. And whither should you have gone, do you think, if you had perished?

Adol. I left that to God, who is my Judge; I would not be my own Judge.  But I was not without comfortable Hopes neither.  While these Things were transacting, the Steersman comes to us again all in Tears; Prepare your selves every one of you, says he, for the Ship will be of no Service to us for a quarter of an Hour.  For now she leak’d in several Places.  Presently after this he brings us Word that he saw a Steeple a good Way off, and exhorts us to implore the Aid of that Saint, whoever it was, who had the protection of that Temple.  They all fall down and pray to the unknown Saint.

Ant. Perhaps he would have heard ye, if ye had call’d upon him by his Name.

Adol. But that we did not know.  In the mean Time the Pilate steers the Ship, torn and leaking every where, and ready to fall in Pieces, if she had not been undergirt with Cables, as much as he could toward that Place.

Ant. A miserable Condition.

Adol. We were now come so near the Shoar, that the Inhabitants of the Place could see us in Distress, and ran down in Throngs to the utmost Edge of the Shoar, and holding up Gowns and Hats upon Spears, invited us to make towards them, and stretching out their Arms towards Heaven, signified to us that they pitied our Misfortune.

Ant. I long to know what happened.

Adol. The Ship was now every where full of Water, that we were no safer in the Ship than if we had been in the Sea.

Ant. Now was your Time to betake yourself to divine Help.

Adol. Ay, to a wretched one.  The Sailors emptied the Ship’s Boat of Water, and let it down into the Sea.  Every Body was for getting into it, the Mariners cry’d out amain, they’ll sink the Boat, it will not hold so many; that every one should take what he could get, and swim for it.  There was no Time now for long Deliberation.  One gets an Oar, another a Pole, another a Gutter, another a Bucket, another a Plank, and every one relying upon their Security, they commit themselves to the Billows.

Ant. But what became of the Woman that was the only Person that made no Bawling?