“A Foe to All Christians”: The Notorious English Corsair Captain and Ottoman Reis John Ward in Early Seventeenth Century English Literature

Abstract

Privateering in England, permitting private ships to attack enemy merchant ships and confiscate their crew and goods was only ‘legally’ possible under a licence known as a ‘letter of marque’, commissioned by a sovereign. In the Elizabethan Period (1558-1603), it proved to be an effective and less expensive way of dealing with Catholic Spain, especially during the Spanish War (1585-1603). When King James I ended the war with Spain in 1604, however, privateers such as John Ward –left without valid licenses– had to find other means of support. Under these new circumstances, the former Captain John Ward first became a pirate, and then a Barbary corsair (Yusuf Reis) and Muslim operating from Tunis. This study will provide a survey of early seventeenth century texts in English literature that deal with the EnglishOttoman ‘pirate’ John Ward, someone who has been both glorified and condemned in literary texts. In this respect, early seventeenth century ballads, Samuel Rowlands’ poems, and Robert Daborne’s play A Christian turn’d Turke (1610-1612) focusing on Ward will be examined in the light of two pamphlets claiming to be providing “true” reports of his proceedings, Andrew Barker’s A true and certaine report of the beginning, proceedings, overthrowes, and now present estate of Captaine Ward and Danseker (1609) and the anonymous Newes from Sea, of Two Notorious Pirates Ward the Englishman and Danseker the Dutchman (1609). It will be argued that, apart from the imaginary ballad “Ward and the Rainbow”, Ward’s literary representation has been largely dominated by the aforementioned two pamphlets, as well as political and moral concerns.