“We answered, ‘We were’; fearing the less, because of the cross we had seen in the subscription.

“At which answer the said person lifted up his right hand towards heaven, and drew it softly to his mouth (which is the gesture they use when they thank God) and then said:  ’If ye will swear (all of you) by the merits of the Saviour that ye are not pirates, nor have shed blood lawfully or unlawfully within forty days past, you may have licence to come on land.’

“We said, ‘We were all ready to take that oath.’

“Whereupon one of those that were with him, being (as it seemed) a notary, made an entry of this act.  Which done, another of the attendants of the great person, which was with him in the same boat, after his lord had spoken a little to him, said aloud:  ’My lord would have you know, that it is not of pride or greatness that he cometh out aboard your ship; but for that in your answer you declare that you have many sick amongst you, he was warned by the Conservator of Health of the city that he should keep a distance.’

“We bowed ourselves towards him, and answered, ’We were his humble servants; and accounted for great honour and singular humanity towards us that which was already done; but hoped well that the nature of the sickness of our men was not infectious.’

“So he returned; and a while after came the notary to us aboard our ship, holding in his hand a fruit of that country, like an orange, but of colour between orange-tawny and scarlet, which cast a most excellent odour.  He used it (as it seemeth) for a preservative against infection.

“He gave us our oath; ‘By the name of Jesus and of his merits,’ and after told us that the next day by six of the clock in the morning we should be sent to, and brought to the Strangers’ House (so he called it), where we should be accommodated of things both for our whole and for our sick.

“So he left us.  And when we offered him some pistolets he smiling said, ‘He must not be twice paid for one labour,’ meaning, as I take it, that he had salary sufficient of the State for his service.  For (as I after leaned) they call an officer that taketh rewards, twice paid.”

So next morning the people landed from the ship, and Bacon goes on to tell us of the wonderful things they saw and learned in the island.  The most wonderful thing was a place called Solomon’s House.  In describing it Bacon was describing such a house as he hoped one day to see in England.  It was a great establishment in which everything that might be of use to mankind was studied and taught.  And Bacon speaks of many things which were only guessed at in his time.  He speaks of high towers wherein people watched “winds, rain, snow, hail and some of the fiery meteors also.”  To-day we have observatories.  He speaks of “help for the sight far above spectacles and glasses,” also “glasses and means to see small and minute bodies perfectly and distinctly, as the shapes and