had besieged Barwicke and had won it by assault and possessed it quietly whereof no part was true nor any cause to imagine the same though I wish it had so been but not for any good will that I now beare to that King but for the trouble to this Queen For in truth there is no good for us to be hoped for from the King of Scots howsoever the Scottish Bishops in France have sought to make you beleeve otherwise who is so rooted in the Calvinists Religion as there is never hope that he can be recovered to the Church of Rome and so I thinke you are of late duely informed and by his violent actions against divers Catholikes and against all that favour the Spaniards may certainly appeare And likewise another great untruth was lately printed as your enemies say by your direction also in Paris that now in Iuly last when the Spanish Fleet and English had met and fought betwixt France and England the Spaniards had then a great victory wherein they had sunke the Lord Admirall of England with sixteen of the Queens great ships into the bottome of the Seas and that all the rest were driven to fly with the Vice-Admirall Francis Drake Upon these two so notable untruths which the adversaries spightfully called Don Bernardin Mendozas mendacia many who honour you were right sorry that you should give so hasty credit to publish the same as your enemies say you did though I have to my power for clearing of your honour given it out that these and such like have proceeded of the lightnesse of the French who commonly print more lies then truths in such doubtfull times and not of you whose honour and wisedome I thought would not be justly touched with so great untruths and lies considering alwayes a small time will discover things that are in facts reported untruly and bringeth the Authors to discredit and infamy There hath been a speech also reported here to have proceeded from you in France that hath caused a great misliking of you in Scotland which is that you should in open assembly and in a bravery say that the young King of Scots whom you called in your language a boy had deceived the K. your master but if the Kings Navy might prosper against England the K. of Scots should lose his Crowne and of this the King of Scots hath been advertised out of France and useth very evill language of you which I will not report But now to leave this digression and to returne to let you know the truth of the state of the Queens Navy this Summer The same was in the beginning of the yeare when the brute was brought of the readines of the Kings Armado in Lisbone and of the army by land upon the Sea-coasts in Flanders with their shipping divided into three companies the greatest under the charge of Charles L. Haward high Admirall of England whose father grandfather uncles great unckles and other of his house being of the noble house of the Dukes of Norfolk had also been high Admirals afore him whereof both France and Scotland have had proof Another company were appointed to remaine with the L. Henry Seymour second son to the Duke of Somerset that was Protector in King Edwards time and brother to the Earle of Hartford and these companies for a time continued in the narrow seas betwixt England and Flanders under the charge of the said high Admirall to attend on the Duke of Parmas actions A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spain under the conduct of Sir Francis Drake a man by name and fame known too too well to all Spam and to the Kings Indias and of great reputation in England and this was compounded partly of some of the Queens owne ships and partly of the ships of the West parts But after that it was certainly understood that the great Navy of Spaine was ready to come out from Lisbone and that the fame thereof was blowne abroad in Christendome to be invincible and so published by books in print The Queen and all her Councell I am sure whatsoever good countenance they made were not a little perplexed as looking certainly for a dangerous fight upon the Seas and after that for a landing and invasion Whereupon the Lord Admirall was commanded to saile with the greatest ships to the West of England towards Spaine to joyne with Drake whom he made Vice-Admirall and to continue in the Seas betwixt France and England to stop the landing of the Navy of Spaine And with the Lord Admirall went in certaine of the Queens ships the Lord Thomas Haward second son to the last Duke of Norfolke and the Lord Sheffeld sonne to the Admirals sister who is wife to the Queenes Embassadour in France with a great number of Knights of great livelihood And at that time the Lord Henry Seymour was left with a good number of ships in the narrow Seas upon the coast of Flanders to attend on the Duke of Parma Whilst these two Navies were thus divided I confesse to you that I and others of our part secrerly made a full account that none of all these English ships durst abide the sight of the Armado of Spaine or if they would abide any sight yet they should all be sunke at the first encounter For such constant opinion we had conceived by the reports of the world that the greatnesse and the number of the ships and the army of Spaine being the chosen vessell of all the Kings Dominions was so excessive monstrous beyond all the Navies that ever had been seen in Christendome not excepting the Armado at Lepanto that no power could abide in their way But how far deceived we were therein a very short time even the first day did manifestly to the great dishonour of Spaine discover For when the Catholique army came to the coast of England which indeed the English confesse did seeme far greater then they looked for and that they were astonied with the sight of them yet the Lord Admirall and Drake having but onely fifty of the English ships out of the haven of Plimmouth where the rest remained for a new revictualling without tarrying for the rest of the Navy that was in Plimmouth they did offer present sight and furiously pursued the whole Navy of Spaine being above 160 ships so as the same with the furious and continuall shot of the English one whole day fled without any returning And after the English Navy being increased to an hundred great and small renued their fight with terrible great shot all the whole day gaining alwayes the wind of the Spanish Navy And as I am sorry to remember the particularities which the English have largely written to their owne praise so to speake all in one word for nine dayes together they still forced them to flye and destroyed sunke and tooke in three dayes fight divers of the greatest ships out of which
THE COPIE OF A LETTER SENT OVT OF ENGLAND TO AN AMBASSADOUR in FRANCE for the KING of SPAINE declaring the State of ENGLAND contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin and of all his partizans Spaniards and others Wherunto are adioyned certain Advertisements concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish Navy as well in fight with the English Navie in the narrow Seas of England as also by tempests and contrary winds upon the West and North coasts of Ireland in their returne from the Northerne Isles beyond Scotland LONDON Printed by George Miller dwelling in Black-Friers 1641. The Printer to the Reader ALthough it be well known that neither the first writers of these Letters now by me printed nor yet the Spaniard Don Bernardin to whom they are directed had any desire to heare of any good successe to the State of England as may appeare in the writer by shewing himselfe grieved to make any good report of England other then of meere necessity he was urged And in Don Bernardin who was so impudent or at the least so blindly rash as to disperse in print both in French Italian and Spanish most false reports of a victory had by the Spaniards even when the victory was notable on the part of England and the Spanish vanquished yet whilst I was occupied in the printing heerof a good time after the Letters were sent into France there came to this City certaine knowledge to all our great comfort of sundry happy Accidents to the diminution of our mortall enemies in their famous Fleet that was driven out of our Seas about the last of July 1588 towards the farthermost North parts of Scotland Wherefore I have thought it not amisse to joyne the same to this Letter of Don Bernardin that he may beware not to be so hasty of himselfe nor yet to permit one Capella who is his common sower of reports to write these false things for truthes The particularities whereof are these The Fleet was by tempest driven beyond the Isles of Orknay about the first of August 1588. the place being aboue threescore degrees from the North Pole an unaccustomed place for the young Gallants of Spaine that never had felt stormes on the Sea or cold weather in August And about those North Islands their Mariners and Souldiers died daily by multitudes as by their bodies cast on land did appeare And after twenty daies or more having spent their time in miseries they being desirous to returne home to Spain sailed very farre Southwestward into the Ocean to recover Spaine But the Almighty God who alwaies avengeth the cause of his afflicted people which put their confidence in him and bringeth downe his enemies that exalt themselves with pride to the Heavens ordered the windes to be so violently contrarious to this proud Navie as it was with force dissevered on the high Seas West upon Ireland and so a great number of them driven into sundry dangerous bayes and upon rockes all along the West and North parts of Ireland in sundry places distant above an hundred miles asunder and there cast away some sunke some broken some run on sands some burned by the Spaniards themselves As in the North part of Ireland towards Scotland betwixt the two rivers of Loughfoâ—le and Lough Swilley nine were driven to land and many of them broken and the Spaniards forced to come to land for succour amongst the wilde Irish In another place twenty miles South-west from thence in a Bay called Calbeggy three other ships driven also upon rockes In another place Southward being a Bay called the Borreys twentie miles North from Gâ—llowey belonging to the Earle of Ormond one speciall great Ship of a thousand tunne with fifty brasse peeces and foure Cannons was sunke and all the people drowned saving sixteene who by their apparell as it is advertised out of Ireland seeme to be persons of great estimation Then to come more to the Southward thirtie miles upon the coasts of Thomond North from the river Shennan two or three moe perished whereof one was burned by the Spaniards themselves and so driven to the shore another was of S. Sebastians wherin were three hundred men who were also all drowned saving threescore A third Ship with all her lading was cast away at a place called Breckan In another place afore Sir Tirlogh Obrynes house there was also another great Ship lost supposed to be a Galliasse These losses above mentioned were betwixt the fift and tenth of September as was advertised from sundry places out of Ireland so as by account from the one and twentieth of July when this Navy was first beaten with the Navie of England untill the tenth of September being the space of seven weekes and more it is most likely that the said Navie had never good day nor night Of the rest of the Navie report is also made that many of them have bene seene lying of and on upon the coast of Ireland tossed with the windes in such sort as it is also doubted that many of them shall hardly recover Spaine if they be so weakned with lacke of victuals and Mariners as part of their companies that were left on land do lamentably report These accidents I thought good to adde to the printed Copies of the Letters of Don Bernardin that he may see how God doth favour the just cause of that gracious Queen in shewing his anger towards those proud boasting enemies of Christian peace as the whole world from Rome to the uttermost parts of Christendome may see that she and her Realme professing the Gospell of his sonne Christ were kept and defended as the words of the Psalme are Under the shadow of his wings from the face of the wicked that sought to afflict her and compasse her round about to take away her soule Which I doubt not by thankfullnesse yeelded by her Majestie and her whole Realme will alwaies cotinue The 9. of Octob. 1588. The Copie of a Letter sent out of ENGLAND to an Ambassadour in FRANCE for the Kings of SPAIN MY Lord Embassador though at the time of my last large writing to you of the state of this countrey and of our long desired expectation of succours promised I did not thinke to have had such a sorrowfull occasion of any second writing as now I have of alamentable change of matters of estate here yet I cannot forbeare though it be with as many sighes as lines to advertise you of the truth of our miserable condition as now to me and others of our party the same appeareth to be That by comparing of all things past in hope with the present now in despaire your L. who have had the principall mannaging hitherto of all our causes of long time both here and there in France betwixt the King Catholique assisted with the Potentates of the holy League and all our countrey men which have professed obedience to the Church of Rome may now fall into some new and better consideration how our state
to adventure their lives against all invasions whatsover without respect of Pope or other Potentate The Recusants are not put in danger of their lives for their Religion but are fined at sums of money The Jesuites are not executed for Religion but for treasons The Seminaries for the most part come disguised like Russians Babington suffered for his treasons voluntarily confessed not for Religion though at his death he professed the Romane Religion A multitude of gentlemen suspected to be Papists yet never endangered of their lives Many of the Priests that are sent into the Realme are young rash and of lewd life A great strength of the English Navy by the ships of the Port Townes that did serve without wages Two notable lyes printed in Paris and imputed to Don Bernardia Mendoza A most manifest lye printed in Paris of a Spanish victory when it was altogether an English victory Mendacia of Mendoza The state of the Navy of England this Summer L. Haward L. Admirall L. Hen. Seymour Sir Francis Drake L. Tho. Haward L. Sheffeld The fight of the English Navy with the Spanish The flying away of the Spanish Navy The Spaniard prisoners say that Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran in this Summer voyage of the Spanish Navy God shewed no favour to the Spanish Navy from the beginning to the ending Don Pedro de Valdez Captaine Generall of the Armado of Andaluzia Hugo de Moncada Generall of the Galliasses of Naples Diego de Pimentelli Captain of the Galleon named St Matthew I consider him 1. The three hopes conceived against England are now all frustrated 2. 3. The English Navy will be stronger the next yeare Offer of Hollanders and Zelanders to joyne with the English Navy Iustinian Nassan Admirall of Holland with 46. ships of war ioyned to the English Navy against the Duke of Parma Arguments to prove no miscontentment of the people toward the Queen The providence of the Queene to make her Realme strong The Queene being in the army in Essex when most danger was threatened by the enemies in landing The nottable applause of the people to the Queene for her presence in the camp The singing of Psalmes by the English army in the camp An army provided for the Queen beside the army ready to withstand the landing of the enemy Great power of horsmen brought by the Nobility to attend on the Queens person The Viscount Mountagues show of horsemen was the first A number of great Lords shewed their horsmen Earle of Lincolne L. Windesor L. Chancelour Earle of Warwick L. Treasurer L. Compton Earle of Leycester L. Rich. S. Walt Mildmay S. Hen. Cromwell S. Iohn Points Earle of Essex with a great band of hors-men and footmen aforethe Queen at St. Iames Course at the field Tourney Earle of Worcester Earle of Hertford L. Audley L. Morley L. Dacres L. Lomeley L. Mounâ—joy L. Sturton L. Darcy L. Sands L. Mordant Marques of Winchester Earle of Sussex Earle of Shrowsbury L. Talbot Earle of Darby L. Strange Earle of Bath Earle of Pembroks noble offer Earle of Northumberland Earle of Cumberland M. Henry Brooke Sir tho Cecil Sir Wil. Hatton Sir Horatio Pallavicino M. Robert Cary Sir Charles Blunt M. Tho Gerard M. Wil. Hervy Earle of Oxford M. Robert Cecil L. Dudley S. Wal. Rawlegh M. Wil. Cecil M. Edward Darcy M. Arthur Gorge Earle of Huntington L. Scroope L. Darcy L. Evers Earle of Kent L. Hunsdon L. Cobham L. Grave L. North L. Chandos L. St. Iohn L. Buckhurst Earle of Rutland Earle of South-hampton Earle of Bedford Offer of the King of Scots to the 〈◊〉 of England Bands of horsemen and footmen erected by the Bishâ—ps The third and last hope which the Catholikes had of a party in the realme was all frustrate The Spanish prisoners condemne the Kings purpose as being abused by the exiled Catholiques whom the Spaniards call traitors to their countrey No possibility to invade and conquer a Realme without favour of a party inward The Spanish prisoners condemne the enterprise course of Don Bernardin of Mendoza Sir Francis Euglefield Lord Paget Earle of Westmerland Thomas Stukeleyes abusing of the King of Spain and the Pope newly remembred by the Spaniards A conclusion by the writer to perswade another course not by violence No hope for furtherance of the Popes authority by any now living that may succeed the Queen in the line Royall A conclusion what is best to maintaine the Catholike Religion in England A tolleration from the Pope for the Recasants in England Order taken by the K of Scots in favour of the English Great murmurs of all sorts against the Spaniards Report of the horrible cruelty intended by the Spaniards Banners Streamers and Ensignes of the Spaniards shewed to the people Daily prayers Publick prayers and giving of thanks