The life of S Vincent de Paul Author:Robert Francis Wilson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. Vincent's Captivity In Barbary—Escape—He Goes To Rome—Is Sent On A Confidential Message To Paris—Accepts The Cure Of Clichy—And Afterwards The... more » Office Of Chaplain And Tutor In The House Of The Comte De Joigny—His First Mission. "TN the year 1605, Vincent had occasion to go to Marseilles to try to recover some money which had been left to him by a deceased friend; and, when about to return, the person with whom he was lodging persuaded him to go with him by sea to Narbonne, thus shortening by more than half, the land journey to Toulouse. This he willingly agreed to do, hoping, as it was about midsummer, and fair weather for sailing, to reach home the sooner. It was just at the season when the famous fair of Beaucaire was held, and some Turkish brigantines were lying in wait, in the Gulf of Lyons, to seize any vessels they fell in with, in hopes of securing a rich booty from the merchants or others who might be going to or returning from the fair. They attacked the vessel in which Vincent had embarked; killed some, and wounded the rest of the crew; Vincent himself received a wound from an arrow, which, as he says, served him as a reminder all his life. The pirates seized upon the ship, robbed and plundered the passengers, loading with chains those who made any resistance; they then set sail for Tunis, where they intended to sell their captives for slaves. In a letter written after his release, dated July 20, 1007, and addressed to M. de Commet, Junr., brother of his old friend and patron, who had died some years before, Vincent gives the following account of the treatment he and his fellow-captives received:— " After they had stripped us, they gave to each one a pair of drawers, a linen coat and cap, and walked us about the town of Tunis, where ...« less