past the Syllies and thence also were forced by the Tempest to return into their former Harbour to refresh their Ships and Companies only some of their Scouts at Sea descried some of the Spanish Ships which likewise had been dispersed with the storm but before the English could come near them the wind veering about carryed them back to the Groine where the rest of their Fleet lay in Harbour Intelligence being brought that the Spaniards were in want their great Ships dispersed and the rest sorely shaken with the storm and their men dying by multitudes of the Pestilence the Lord Admiral Howard intended with the first Northerly wind to take advantage which coming about upon the eighth of July he lanched forth and bore his Sails almost within the sight of Spain purposing to surprise their weather-beaten Ships and to fight them upon their own Coast. But then the wind suddenly changing into the South and he wisely foreseeing that the Enemy might pass by without his discovery that the Seas might be stormy or his Fleet wind-bound and that whilst he thus lay abroad his service might be more necessary at home and that his work was to defend the Coasts of England he therefore presently returned and Anchored his Fleet in the Haven at Plimouth suffering his men to refresh themselves upon the Land At the same time there came more confident advertisement though false not only to the Lord Admiral but to the Court that the Spanish Fleet could not possibly come forth again that year upon which reports a dangerous matter in State affairs so confident was our Queen that She sent for four of her biggest Royal Ships to be brought back to Chattam But the Lord Admiral suspecting the worst by a mild and moderate answer retarded it desiring that nothing might be lightly believed in so weighty a matter and that he might retain them though at his own charge Wherein indeed a special providence of God did appear for just at that time news was brought to the Lord Admiral by one Captain Thomas Flemming that the Spanish Fleet was entred into the British Seas commonly called the Channel and was seen near unto the Lizard-point which came thus to pass The Spanish Ships being new rigged and their wants supplyed their King still hot on his former resolutions instantly urged and hastened his Commanders to put forth again to Sea which accordingly they did upon the eleventh of July with the same South wind which as was said before brought back our Navy into Plimouth and so having a more favourable Gale with brave shews and full Sails they entred our Channel where casting Anchor they dispatched certain small Pinnaces to the Prince of Parma to signifie their arrival and readiness and to command him in the name of their King to forward his charge for that service July the twentieth about noon this terrible Fleet was descried by the English coming forward amain with a South-west wind It was a kind of surprise For that as was said many of our men were gone to land and our Ships ready to depart Nevertheless our undaunted Admiral towed forth such Ships as he could get in readiness into the deep Sea not without great difficulty certainly with singular diligence and admirable alacrity of our Mariners cheered up with the Admirals own presence and assistance among them at their halserwork the wind blowing strongly into the Haven When they were forth they saw the Spanish Ships with lofty Towers like Castles in front like an half-moon the horns whereof stretched forth in breadth about seven miles sayling as it were with labour to the winds the Ocean groaning under them so that though with full sails yet they came but slowly forward They seemed as it were to make for Plymouth but whether their Commission was otherwise or because contrary to their expectation they saw the English Ships out of the Harbour they steered by towards Calice hoping to meet with the Prince of Parma the English willingly suffered them to pass by that they might the more commodiously chase them in the Reer with a fore-right wind July the twenty first the Lord Admiral of England sent before him a Pinnace called the Defiance to denounce War by discharging her Ordnance himself following in the Ark-Royal set upon the Admiral as he thought of the Spaniards but it proved to be Leva's Ship where fire smoke and loud thundring Cannons began the parley and rending Bullets most freely enterchanged betwixt them were fiery Messengers of each others minds Soon after came up Drake Hawkins and Forbusher playing with their Ordnance upon the hindmost Squadron of the Enemies which was commanded by Rechalde who laboured all he could to stay his Men from flying for shelter to the Fleet till his own Ship being much battered with shot and now grown unserviceable was with much difficulty drawn into the main Fleet. At which time the Duke of Medina gathered together his whole Fleet scattered here and there by the English and hoising more Sail kept on his intended course toward Callice neither indeed could he do otherwise the wind favouring the English and himself finding the inconvenience of their great and high built Ships powerful to defend but not to offend to stand but not to move whereas on the contrary their enemies were nimble and ready on all sides to annoy them and as apt to escape harms themselves being low built and so easily shot over Hereupon he caused them to gather themselves up close in the form of an half-moon and to slacken their Sails that their whole Fleet might keep together But our English Admiral having maintained an hot fight for the space of two hours thought not good to continue it any longer thirty of his Ships scarce coming to the work the rest being as yet scarce gotten out of the Harbour In this first days fight the Saint Katherine a Spanish Ship having been sorely battered and much torn was taken into the middest of their Fleet to be repaired And an huge Ship of Biscaie of Don Oquendoes in which was a great part of the Kings treasure began to be all in a Flame by force of Gunpowder which was fired on purpose by a Flemish Gunner for being misused by them But the fire was soon quenched by the assistance of some other Ships sent in to her help All this while the Spaniards for want of Courage which they called Commission did what they could to decline the Fight casting themselves continually into Roundels their strongest Ships walling in the rest in which posture they made a flying march towards Callice yet in the former medly a great Gallion wherein was Don Pedro de Valdez Vasques de Silva Alenzo de Saias with other Noble men being sore battered with the English shot in avoyding whereof she fell foul upon another Ship and ere she could be cleared had her Fore-mast broken off which so hindred her Sailing that she was unable to keep way with the rest of the Fleet nor
were their friends of courage to succour these distressed Lords but left both Ship and them in this sudden and unexpected danger But the night coming on our Lord Admiral supposing that they had left neither men nor Mariners aboard within her and fearing to lose sight of the Spaniards past by her and followed the Lanthorn which he supposed to be carried by Sir Francis Drake as it was appointed but that brave Knight was eagerly pursuing five great Hulks which he took to be of the Spaniards but when he came up and haled them they proved Easterlings and friends and so were dismissed yet by this mistake of his the greatest part of our Fleet wanting the direction of his light was forced to lye still so that he and the rest of the Fleet till towards night the next day could not recover sight of the Lord Admiral who all the night before with two other Ships the Bear and the Mary-Rose followed the Spanish Lanthorn July the twenty second Sir Francis Drake espied the aforementioned lagging Gallion whereupon he sent forth a Pinnace to command them to yield otherwise his bullets without any delay should force them to it Valdes to seem valorous answered that they were four hundred and fifty strong that himself was Don Pedro and stood on his honour and thereupon propounded certain conditions But the Knight returned this reply that he had no leisure to parley if he would immediately yield so otherwise he should soon prove that Drake was no Dastard Pedro hearing that it was the fiery Drake whose name was very terrible to the Spaniards that had him in chase presently yielded and with forty of his Companions came on board Sir Francis his Ship where first giving him the Conge he protested that he and all his were resolved to have dyed fighting had they not fallen into his hands whose valour and felicity was so great that Mars and Neptune seemed to wait on him in all his attempts and whose noble and generous mind towards the vanquished had often been experienced even of his greatest Foes Sir Francis to requite his Spanish Complements with English Courtesie placed him at his own Table and lodged him in his own Cabin the residue of that Company he sent to Plimouth where they remained Prisoners for the space of eighteen months till by payment of their ransoms they obtained their liberty But Drakes Souldiers had well paid themselves by the plunder of the Ship wherein they found 55000 Ducats of Gold which they merrily shared amongst them The same day Michael de Oquendo Admiral of the Squadron Guypusco and Vice-Admiral of the whole Fleet suffered no less a disaster whose Ship being one of the greatest Gallions fell on fire and all the upper part of the Ship being burnt most also of the persons therein were consumed howbeit the Gunpowder in the hold not taking fire the Ship fell into the hands of the English which together with the scorched Spaniards therein was brought into Plimouth a joyful spectacle to the beholders All this day the Duke of Medina laboured securely to set his Fleet in order To Alphonso de Leva he gave in charge to joyne the first and last Squadron together To every Ship he assigned his quarter to ride in according to the form prescribed in Spain commanding them upon pain of death not to desert their stations Glitch an Ensign-bearer he sent to the Prince of Parma to acquaint him with his condition July the twenty third early in the morning the Spaniards taking the benefit of a Northerly wind when they approached right against Portland turned about against the English but the English nimble and foreseeing all advantages soon turned aside to the Westward each striving to get the wind of the other which at last the English got and so they prepared themselves on each side to Fight and the English continued all day from morning till night to batter those wooden Castles with great and small shot The fight was very confused and variable whilst on the one side the English bravely rescued the London Ships that were hemmed in by the Spaniards and on the other side the Spaniards as stoutly delivered Rechalde being in danger Never was there heard greater thundring of Ordnance on both sides the chiefest fight being performed on this day yet notwithstanding the shot from the Spanish Ships for the most part flew over the English without hurting them only Cock an English man dyed with honour in the midst of his Enemies in a little Ship of his The English Ships being far the lesser charged that Sea-Gyant with marvellous agility and having given them their broad sides flew off again presently and then coming up levelled their shot directly without missing those heavy and unweildy Ships of the Spaniards But the Lord Admiral would not hazard a fight by grappling with them as some unadvised persons would have perswaded him For he considered that the Enemy had a strong Army in the Fleet whereas he had none that their Ships were more in number of bigger burden stronger and huger built so that they could not be boarded but with extreme disadvantage He foresaw also that the overthrow would turn to a greater dammage than the victory would avail him For being vanquished he should have brought England into extreme hazzard and being Conquerour he should only have gained a little glory to himself for overthrowing the Fleet and beating the Enemy On this day the sorest fight was performed wherein besides other remarkable harms which the Enemy sustained a great Venetian Ship with some other smaller were surprized and taken by the English and the Spaniards were forced for their further safety to gather themselves close into a Roundel their best and greatest Ships standing without that they might secure those that were battered and less July the twenty fourth the Fight was only between the four great Galliasses and some of the English Ships the Spaniards having great advantage theirs being rowed with Oars and ours by reason of the calm having no use of their Sails notwithstanding which they sorely galled the Enemy with their great and Chain shot wherewith they cut in sunder their tacklings Cables and Cordage to their no little prejudice But wanting Powder which they had spent so freely and other provision to maintain the fight the Lord Admiral sent some of his smaller Ships to the next Ports of England to fetch supply which stirred up jealousies in the heads of many that we should thus want upon our own Coasts In which Interim a Council was called wherein it was resolved that the English Fleet should be divided into four Squadrons and those committed to four brave Captains and skilful Seamen whereof the Lord Admiral in the Ark Royal was chief Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge led the second Captain Hawkins the third and Captain Forbusher the fourth Other most valiant Captains there were in others of Her Majesties Ships as the Lord Thomas Howard in the Lion the Lord Sheffield
neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee But in the second place knowing that Prayers without endeavours and means are like Rachel beautiful but barren that She might not be taken unprovided She prepared with all diligence as strong a Fleet as She could and all things necessary for War and She that in discerning mens parts and abilities was of a most sharp judgment and ever most happy having the free choice in her self and not by the commendations of others assigned to every office by name the best and fittest men The charge of her Navy She committed to Charles Howard of Effingham Lord Admiral of England of whose skill She had had former experience and whom She knew both by his Moderation and Nobility to be wary in providence valiant industrious and of great authority among the Seamen and well beloved of them Her Vice-Admiral She made the famous Sir Francis Drake and these She sent to the West parts of England and for the Guard of the narrow Seas She appointed Henry Lord Seimore second Son to the Duke of Somerset whom She commanded also to lie upon the Coasts of the Low-Countries with forty Ships to watch that the Prince of Parma might not come forth with his Forces By Land She commanded the General Forces of the Realm to be mustered trained and put in readiness in their special Shires for the defence of the whole which accordingly was done and whereof the Lord Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester was appointed Lieutenant twenty thousand whereof were disposed along our South-Coast for the guard thereof besides which She had two Armies one of which consisting of a thousand Horse and twenty two thousand Foot was encamped at Tilbury near the Thames mouth whither the Enemy fully intended to come The other which was led by the Lord Hunsdon consisted of thirty four thousand Foot and two thousand Horse which were to be the Guard of the Queens person Her self in courage far surmounting her Sex as another Zenobia or rather Deborah led forth the Lords Host against this great Sisera and her Souldiers valiant and skilful both for courage and quick dispatch might well be compared to those Gadites that came to aid David whose faces were like the faces of Lions and were compared to the Roes in the Mountains for swiftness Arthur Lord Grey Sir Francis Knolles Sir John Knorris Sir Richard Bingham and Sir Roger Williams all gallant men and brave Souldiers were appointed to consult about managing the Land Service These advised that all the commodious landing places for the Enemy as well from Spain as from the Low-Countries should be manned and fortified as Milford Haven Falmouth Plimmouth Portland the Isle of Weight Portsmouth the open Coast of Kent commonly called the Downs the Thames mouth Harwich Yarmouth Hull c. and that the Trained Bands throughout the Coast Shires should meet upon a signal given to defend the said places and do their best to prohibit the Enemies landing But in case he should land that then they should leave all the Country round about wast that so they might find nothing for food but what from their Ships they should carry upon their shoulders and that they should hold the Enemies busied both night and day with continual Alarms but not to hazard a Battel till more Commanders with their Companies were come together Some suggested also to the Queen that the Spaniards abroad were not so much to be feared as the Papists at home for that the Spaniards would not attempt the Invasion of England but upon confidence of aid from them She thereupon committed some of them to Prison at Wisbeach in the Fenns by her Letters also She directed Sir William Fitz-Williams Lord Deputy of Ireland what he should do The King of Scots She put in mind to beware of the Papists and Spanish Factions By her frequent Letters She wrote to the States of the Vnited Provinces not to be deficient in assisting her what they could But amongst these preparations for War on both sides Philip King of Spain to cast a mist over her Majesties eyes and to rock her into a sleep of security importuned by all means the Realms unto peace imploying the Prince of Parma to be his instrument therein who dealt earnestly by Letters with the help of Sir James Crofts a privy Counsellor and a man much addicted to peace as also by Andrew Van Loey a Netherlander that a Treaty of Peace might be entred upon affirming that he had Warrant thereunto from the King of Spain Our Queen measuring other Princes by her own guileless heart gave ear to this deceitful lullaby little suspecting that a deadly Snake could be hid in so fair a Garden yet resolved to treat of Peace with her Sword in her hand neither was the Prince of Parma against her so doing In the month therefore of February Commissioners were sent into Flanders Henry Earl of Darby William Brook Lord Cobham Sir James Crofts Valentine Dale and John Rogers Doctors of the Law who arriving there were received in the Prince of Parma's name with all courtesy who thereupon sent away Dale presently to him to know where the place of meeting should be and to see his Commission from the King of Spain the place he appointed to be near Ostend the Town it self being then in the English hands and as for his Commission he promised it should be produced at their meeting Only he wished them to hasten the matter lest any thing should happen in the interim to interrupt the Treaty and one Richardot which stood by him said more openly That he knew not what in the mean time might be done against England Which being reported to the Queen She sent Rogers to the Prince to know whether there was any design for the Invading of England as he and Richardot by their words seemed to imply The Prince answered that he had never any thought for the Invading England when he wished the Treaty to be hastened and was angry with Richardot who denied that any such words had fallen from him Commissioners for the King of Spain were Maximilian Earl of Aremberg Governor of Antwerp Richardot President of Artois with some other Civilians These stayed at Bruges and for all their pretended haste much time was cunningly spun out about the place of their meeting which should have the Precedency and what hostages should be given for security of the Commissioners yet at length the Spaniards yielded to the English Precedency both in going and sitting and the place was in Tents near unto Ostend The demands for the Queen were that there might be a surcease of Arms with a present and undelayed Truce She mitrusting the Spanish preparations at Sea The sending away of foreign Souldiers out of the Low-Countries for Englands security A restitution of such sums of money as the Queen had lent to the States and which the King had promised to restore That the Netherlanders might enjoy their ancient liberties and
priviledges nor be governed by a stranger but by a Native Prince That they might have liberty to serve God with Freedom of Conscience And lastly that the Articles of the Pacification of Gaunt and other like treaties might be observed which things if they were granted She would condescend upon reasonable conditions to deliver up the Towns in the Netherlands which She then had in possession that it might appear that she had not for her own advantage but for the necessary defence of the Netherlands and her self taken up arms To these the Spaniards replyed that touching their preparations at Sea they did assure them that it nothing concerned England That to send away the Souldiers the King could not resolve till the Netherlanders had submitted themselves to him Concerning their priviledges that it appertained nothing to the Queen neither should She prescribe to the King a Law And so far was he from tolerating Religion that he would not so much as hear thereof otherwise than he had allowed to other Towns that had submitted to his obedience And as for those Towns which had been taken from the King and the mony expended about them They said that the Spaniard might demand as many Myriades of Ducats to be repayed to him by the Queen as he had expended upon the Low-Country War from the time that She supported the revolting Netherlanders and took them into her Protection About this time went Dale by the Queens command to the Prince of Parma and mildly expostulated with him about a Book lately published by Cardinal Allen that English Renegado wherein he exhorted the Nobility and People of England and Ireland to joyn with the Spanish Forces under the Conduct of the Prince of Parma to execute the Popes sentence already published by his Bull against Queen Elizabeth wherein she was declared an Heretick Illegitimate cruel for putting to death the Queen of Scots c. And her Subjects absolved from their Oath of Allegiance and commanded to aid the Prince of Parma against Her And indeed there was a great number of these Bulls and Books printed at Antwerp from thence to be dispersed all over England The Prince denied that he had ever seen any such Book or Bull neither would he undertake any thing in the Popes name howbeit that he must obey his Prince But for the Queen of England he protested that he did so honour her for her Vertues that next to the King his Master he esteemed Her above all others and would be ready to do Her service For the manifestation whereof he said that he had perswaded the King to condescend to this treaty of peace which would be more advantagious for the English than for the Spaniard For said he if the Spaniards be overcome they will soon recover their loss but if You be overcome your Kingdom and all is lost To which Dale made this reply Our Queen is provided with strength sufficient to defend her Kingdom and you your self in your wisdom may foresee that a Kingdom cannot be lost with the fortune of one Battel seeing the King of Spain after so long Wars is not able to recover his ancient inheritance in the Netherlánds Be it so said the Prince These things are in the hands of the Almighty After this the Commissioners contended with mutual debates and replies still twisting and untwisting the same thread For when the English pressed that a Toleration of Religion might be granted for the Vnited Provinces at least for two years It was answered That as the Spaniard demanded not this for the English Catholicks so they hoped the Queen in her Wisdom would require nothing of him which might be against the Honour Oath and Conscience of the Spaniard When they demanded the mony due from the States of Brabant to our Queen They answered that it was lent without the Kings Knowledge or Warrant and that the accounts being cast up how much the said mony was and how much the King had disbursed about the War it would soon be known to whom the most ought to be repayed With such answers as these they dallied with the English Commissioners till the Spanish Fleet was come within the view of England and the thundring of the Ordnance was heard from the Sea which put the English Commissioners into some suspicion and fear having no hostages for their safe return But they received a safe conduct from the Prince of Parma who had in the mean time drawn down all his Forces to the Sea-Coast and so were conducted to the borders near Calice Thus came this Treaty to nothing undertaken by our Queen as was conceived to divert the coming of the Spanish Fleet and continued by the Spaniard to surprize England unprovided and at unawares So both sides put the Foxes skin upon the Lions head And now we are come to speak of this Invincible Armado which was the preparation of five whole years at least It bare it self also upon Divine assistance having received a special Blessing from the Pope and was assigned as an Apostolical Mission for the reducement of this Kingdom to the obedience of the See of Rome and in further token of this holy Warfare there were amongst the rest of the Ships twelve called by the names of the twelve Apostles The Gallions and Galliasses were of such a vast size that they were like floating Towers and Castles so that the swelling waves of the Sea could hardly be seen and the Flags Streamers and Ensigns so spread in the wind that they seemed even to darken the Sun and to threaten destruction which way soever they turned On the nine and twentieth day of May this Fleet set Sail out of the River Tayo bending its course towards the Groin in Galizia the place appointed for the general Rendezvous as being the nearest Haven unto England But whilest they hoysed and spread abroad their proud Sailes to the wind God who is an Enemy to such Nimrod-like undertakings and hating such hostile actions suddenly manifested his displeasure and poured out revenge by a sudden and hideous tempest which drave the Duke of Medina the General back again into the Groin eight other of the Ships being dispersed on the Seas had their Masts broken and blown over board besides three other Portugal Gallies which were driven upon the Coasts of Bayon in France where by the valour of one David Gwin an English slave and the help of other slaves French and Turks they were delivered into the hands of the French and they freed themselves by the slaughter of the Spaniards amongst whom Don Diego de Mondrana was one About the same time the English Admiral and Vice-Admiral who had in all about one hundred Ships whereof fifteen were Victuallers and nine Voluntaries of Devonshire Gentlemen hearing for certainty that the Spanish Fleet was ready to hoise up their Sails resolved to put forth from Plymouth and to meet and fight them by the way but were so met with by the same wind that they could not get
in the Bear Sir Robert Southwel in the Elizabeth Captain Baker in the Victory and Captain George Fenner in the Gallion-Leicester It was also further appointed that out of every Squadron certain small Vessels should give you a charge from divers parts in the dead time of the night but the calm continuing this design could not be effected July the twenty fifth being Saint James day the Spaniards were arrived against the Isle of Wight where was a most terrible encounter each shooting off their whole broad sides and not above sixscore yards the one from the other There the Saint Anne a Gallion of Portugal which could not hold course with the rest was set upon by certain small English Vessels to whose rescue came Leva and Don Diego Telles Enriques with three Galliasses which the Lord Admiral himself and the Lord Thomas Howard in the Golden Lion rowing their Ships with their Boats so great was the calm charged in such sort with their roaring Canons that they had much ado and that not without loss to save the Gallion from which time forward none of the Galliasses would undertake the fight The Spaniards reported that the English the same day beat the Spanish Admiral in the utter Squadron rending her sore with their Great Ordnance and having slain many of her men shot down her main Mast and would have much endanger'd her but that Mexia and Rechalde came in good time to her rescue That the Spanish Admiral assisted by Rechalde and others set upon the English Admiral which happily escaped by the sudden turning of the wind That thereupon the Spaniards gave over the pursuit and holding on their Course dispatched again a Messenger to the Prince of Parma to joyn his Fleet with all speed to the Kings Armado and withal to send them a supply of great shot But these things were unknown to the English who wrote that from one of the Spanish Ships they had shot down their Lanthorn and from another the Beak-head and that they had done much hurt to the third that the Non-parrella and the Mary Rose had fought a while with the Spaniards and that other Ships had rescued the Triumph which was in danger The truth is they had so sorely battered those huge wooden Castles that once more they forced them for their further safety to gather themselves into a Roundel July the twenty sixth the Lord Admiral to encourage and reward the Noble Attempts of his gallant Captains bestowed the Order of Knighthood upon the Lords Howard and Sheffield Roger Townsend John Hawkings Martin Forbusher and others And yet the vain glorious and boasting Spaniards caused a report to be spread in France that England was wholly conquered by them It was resolved by our men that from thenceforth they should assail the Enemy no more till they came to the British Frith or strait of Callis where the Lord Henry Seimore and Sir William Winter with the Ships which they had for the guard of the narrow Seas waited their coming and so with a fair gale from the South-West and by South the Spanish Fleet sailed forward the English Fleet following it close at the heels And so far was it from terrifying our English Coasts with the name of Invincible or with its huge and terrible spectacle that our brave English youth with an incredible alacrity leaveing Parents Wives Children Kinsfolk and Friends out of their entire love to their native Country hired Ships from all parts at their own proper charges and joyned with the Fleet in great numbers amongst whom were the Earl of Oxford Northumberland and Cumberland Thomas and Robert Cecil Henry Brook Charles Blunt Walter Raleigh William Hatton Robert Carey Ambrose Willoughby Thomas Gerard Arthur Gorges and many others of great note July the twenty seventh the Spanish Fleet making forward towards Evening came over against Dover and Anchored before Callis intending for Dunkirk there to joyn with the Prince of Parma's Forces wel perceiving that without their assistance they could do nothing They were also warned by the Pilots that if they proceeded any farther it was to be feared lest they should be driven by the force of the Tide into the Northern Ocean The English Fleet following up hard upon them cast Anchor so near that they lay within Culvering shot at which time the Lord Henry Seimore and Winter joyned their Ships to them so that now the English Fleet consisted of one hundred and forty Sail all able Ships to fight Sail and turn about which way soever they pleased Yet were they not above fifteen that sustained the greatest burden of the fight From hence once more the Duke of Medina sent to the Prince of Parma to hasten forth his long expected and much desired Forces with which Messengers many of the Spanish Noblemen went to Land having had enough of the Sea amongst whom was the Prince of Ascoli the Kings base Son who returned to his Ship no more and indeed well it was for him for that his Gallion was afterwards cast away upon the Irish Coast and never returned to salute Spain These Messengers earnestly prayed the Prince of Parma to put forth to Sea with his Army which the Spanish Fleet should protect as it were under her wings till it was landed in England And indeed the Prince of Parma hearing the best and not the worst of this Voyage made all things ready that lay in his charge whose hopes were so fixed upon Englands Conquest and the glittering Diadem upon Queen Elizabeths head did so dazel his ambitious Eyes being assured by Cardinal Allen that he was the man designed to be Crowned therewith that neglecting the Coronet of the Low-Country Government he transferred the charge thereof upon Count Mansfield the Elder and having made his vows to the Lady of Hall in Heinault he was already in conceit no less than a King But the date of his Reign was soon expired and his swelling tide fallen into a low shallow ebb For the day following in his march to Dunkirk he heard the thundring Ordnance ringing the passing Peal of his hopes and title and the same Evening had news of the hard success of the Spaniards the hoped advancers of his dreamed felicity and indeed do what he could he could not be ready at the Spaniards call His flat-bottomed Boats for the shallow Channels leaked his provision of Victuals proved unready and his Mariners having hitherto been detained against their wills had withdrawn themselves there lay also watching before the Havens of Dunkirk and Newport whence he was to put forth to Sea the men of War of the Hollanders and Zelanders so well provided with great Ordnance and Musketiers that he could not put from the shore unless he would wilfully cast himself and his men upon eminent perils and dangers of destruction and yet he being a skilful and experienced Commander omitted no means being inflamed with a desire to Conquer England But Queen Elizabeths foresight prevented both his diligence and the credulous