Page 71 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

LIFE AT SEA IN TILE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 71

ponents of Calvinism, then so much in vogue. Each ship
was also equipped with a full supply of Bibles and Books
of the Psalms for the services which were held daily when
time and circumstance permitted.
• The moral welfare of the crews was specially entrusted
to “ preachers,” who accompanied all the larger ships.
Evidence of the pains taken to select these early prede­
cessors of the Indian chaplains is to be found in the Com­
pany’s minutes. Apparently candidates for the office
had to preach trial sermons before the directors. Nor
when they had emerged from this ordeal successfully were
they sure of selection, for a careful scrutiny of their ante­
cedents was made, and if any adverse facts came to light
a ban was put upon the applicant. One, a certain William
Evans, who had “ practised physic for twenty years in
France and England and studied divinity for eight years,”
was rejected because it was found that “ as ill a report goeth
as any about this town of his coat (cloth),” while another
failed to pass muster as it was discovered that “ he hath
a.straggling humour, can frame himself to all company as
he finds men affected and delighteth in tobacco and wine.”
The Company’s commanders re-inforced the teachings
of the regular ministers of religion. A discourse of Keel­
ing to the factors he took out with him, which figures in
the records, dwells upon the care which the Company took
to furnish them with things needful for their spiritual
comfort and the health of their bodies, and admonishes
them to be more “ respective,” and “ to shun all sin and
evil behaviour that the heathen may take no advantage
to blaspheme our religion by the abuses and ungodly
behaviour of our men.” In a similar strain Nicholas
Downton enjoined the representatives he left behind at