ferēbant nāvem suam in hostium potestātem vēnisse: itaque eōrum dux, Bēnbrigius nōmine, litterās clam mīsit, quibus[1] hortātus est alium praefectum Americānum, quī eōdem in marī nāvigābat, ut cīvibus auxiliō[2] venīret praedamque ē manibus hostium ēripere cōnārētur. Ille, litterīs acceptīs, suspīciōnis vītandae causā liburnicam[3] mīsit; quae nocte intempestā portum ingressa, ad nāvem longam cursū tam incertō nāvigāvit, ut pīrātae quī in eā[4] custōdiās agēbant, veritī nē liburnica in nāvem inlīderētur, magnā[5] voce gubernātōrī imperārent ut ancorās iaceret. Is autem respondit ancorās āmissās esse.
Quō respōnsō[6] dēceptī[7], pīrātae liburnicam vagantem propius[8] accēdere patiēbantur, cum subitō ex eā septuāgintā armātī gladiīs dēstrīctīs[9] in nāvem longam ascendērunt atque in hostīs perturbātōs impetum fēcērunt ācerrimum. Pīrātae fortissimē dīmicāvērunt; brevī autem paene ad ūnum[10] occīsī sunt. Tum, cum reliquī sē in mare iēcissent, ignēs multīs simul locīs nāvī longae Americānī ipsī admōvērunt, quattuorque tantum vulnerātīs, liburnicā salvā[11] ad classem sē recēpērunt.
Paulō post oppidum ipsum classe est oppugnātum, atque invītus[12] rēx pīrātārum captīvōs Americānōs incolumēs[13] abīre patī coāctus est.
- ↑ quibus: cf. the note on p. 38, l. 16.
- ↑ cīvibus auxiliō: cf. the same construction with the verb sum.
- ↑ liburnicam: f, this being the type of vessel used by the pirates themselves (cf. p. 113, l. 17).
- ↑ eā: i.e. nāve longā.
- ↑ magnā: see the Vocab. for the varied meanings of this adj..
- ↑ respōnsō: n, noun.
- ↑ dēceptī: dēcipiō, 3, -cēpī, -ceptus: throw off (one's) guard, vagantem: erratic; lit. what? (cf. vagantēs, p. 114, l. 12).
- ↑ propius: adv., absol. compar., very close.
- ↑ dēstrīctīs: dēstrictus, -a, -um: part., drawn.
- ↑ ad ūnum: to a man.
- ↑ salvā: i.e. incolumī; translate the abl. by “with.”.
- ↑ invītus: translate by a phrase.
- ↑ incolumēs: scot free.
