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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05269	The copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza 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 Spaniardes and others. This letter, although it was sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza, yet, by good hap, the copies therof aswell in English as in French, were found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh a seminarie priest, who was lately executed for high treason committed in the time that the Spanish Armada was on the seas. Whereunto are adioyned certaine late aduertisements, concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish nauie, aswell in fight with the English nauie in the narrow seas of England, as also by tempests, and contrarie winds, vpon the west, and north coasts of Ireland, in their returne from the northerne isles beyond Scotland.	Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.; Leigh, Richard, 1561?-1588, attributed name.; Mendoza, Bernardino de, 1540 or 41-1604.	1588 (1588)	STC 15413; ESTC S108408	47,041	60

THE COPIE OF A LETTER SENT OVT OF ENGLAND TO DON BERNARDIN MENDOZA AMBASSADOVR IN FRANCE FOR the King of Spaine declaring the state of England contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin and of all his partizans Spaniardes and others This Letter although it was sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza yet by good hap the Copies therof aswell in English as in French were found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh a Seminarie Priest who was lately executed for high treason committed in the time that the Spanish Armada was on the seas Whereunto are adioyned certaine late Aduertisements concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish Nauie aswell in fight with the English Nauie in the narrow seas of England as also by tempests and contrarie winds vpon the West and North coasts of Ireland in their returne from the Northerne Isles beyond Scotland Imprinted at London by I. Vautrollier for Richard Field 1588. THE COPIE OF A LETTER SENT OVT OF ENGLAND TO DON BERNARDINE MENDOZA AMBASSADOVR IN FRANCE FOR THE KING OF SPAINE MY Lord Ambassadour though at the time of my last large writing to you of the state of this countrey of our long desired expectation of succours promised I did not thinke to haue had such a sorrowfull occasion of any second writing as nowe I haue of a lamentable change of matters of estate here yet I can not forbeare though it be with as many sighs as liues to aduertise you of the truth of our miserable condition as now to me others of our partie the same appeareth to be that by comparing of all things past in hope with the present nowe in despaire your L. who haue had the principall managing hitherto of all our causes of long time both here there in France betwixt the King Catholique assisted with the Potentates of the holy League all our countrimen which haue professed obedience to the Church of Rome may now fall into some new better consideration how our state both for our selues at home and our brethren abroade now at this present fallen as it were into vtter despaire may be reuiued restored to some new hope with better assurance of successe then hath happened hitherto For which purpose I haue thought it necessary to aduertise you in what termes this countrey now standeth farre otherwise then of late both we at home and others abroad did make accompt of You know how we haue depended in firme hope of a change of the state of this countrey by the meanes of the deuout and earnest incitations of the Popes holines and the King Catholique and of other Potentates of the holy League to take vpon them the Inuasion and conquest of this Realme and by your assurances and firme promises we were now of a long season past perswaded that the King Catholique had taken vpon him the same glorious Act and thereof from yeare to yeare we looked for the execution being continually fed and nourished from you to continue our hope and sundrie times solicited by your earnest requests and perswasions to encourage our partie at home not to wauer as many were disposed by sight of continuall delaies but to be ready to ioyne with the outward forces that should come for this Inuasion Neuerthelesse the delayes and prolongations of times appointed for the comming of the Kings forces specially by Sea haue bene so manie as vntill this last Spring we were in despaire at what time you aduertised vs with great assurance that al the Kings preparations which had bene in making readie these thrée or foure yeares together were now in full perfection and without faile would this Sommer come into our Seas with such mightie strength as no Nauie of England or of Christendome could resist or abide their force and for more suretie and for auoiding of all doubts to make the intended conquest sure the same should also haue ioyned to it the mightie Army which the Duke of Parma had made readie and kept in readinesse in the low countries all this yeare past wherewith he should land and so both by Sea and land this Realme should be inuaded and a spéedie conquest made thereof to the which were alwaies added sundry reasons whereupon was gathered that neither by sea nor by land there would be any great resistance found here but a strong party in this Realme to ioyne with the forreine force For otherwise then with such helps to be assuredly had from hence I know it was alwaies doubted that no forreine force could preuaile against this realme being as it is enuironed by sea and notably replenished with more mightie and stronger people then any country in Christendome But with the hope of the landing of these great Armies and our assistance in taking part we here continued all this yeare past in assured hope of a full victorie vntill this last moneth But alas and with a deadly sorrow we must all at home and abroad lament our sudden fall from an immeasurable high ioy to an vnmeasurable déepe despaire and that so hastilie fallen out as I may say we haue séene in the space of eight or nine dayes in this last moneth of Iuly which was from the apparance of the Catholique great Nauie vpon the coast of England vntill it was forced to flie from the coast of Flanders neare Callice towardes the vnknowen parts of the cold North all our hopes all our buildings as it now appeareth but vpon an imagined conquest vtterly ouerthrowen and as it were with an earthquake all our castles of comfort brought to the ground which now it séemeth were builded but in the aire or vpon waues of the sea for they are all perished all vanished away from our thoughtes And here with I am astonished what I may best thinke of such a worke so long time in framing to be so suddenly ouerthrown as by no reason could procéed of man or of any earthly power but only of God And if so it be as no body can otherwise impute this late change fall from our expected fortune but to God almighty then surely our case is either dangerous or doubtfull how to iudge thereof whether we haue bene these many yeares in the right or not For I do find and know that many good and wise men which of long time haue secretly continued in most earnest deuotion to the Popes authoritie begin now to stagger in their mindes and to conceiue that this way of reformation intended by the Popes holines is not allowable in the sight of God by leauing the auncient course of the Church by Excommunication which was the exercise of the spirituall sword and in place thereof to take the temporall sword and put it into a Monarches hand to inuade this realme with force and Armes yea to destroy the Quéene thereof and all her people addicted to her which are in very truth now féene by great proofe this yeare to be in a sort infinite and

of the Iesuites that more care and choice be had of such English men as are hereafter to be sent into England and not to send euery yong man that hath more boldnesse then learning and temperance for such a function In the former part of this my declaration to you of the vniuersall concurrence of all men of value wealth and strength in the body of the Realme to serue and defend the Quéene the Realme I forgot to report vnto you the great numbers of Ships of the subiectes of the Realme as of London and other port townes and cities that voluntarily this yeare were armed able to make a full Nauie of themselues for an armie all at the proper costes of the Burgesses for certain moneths with men victuall and munition which did ioyne with the Quéenes owne Nauie all this Sommer a thing neuer in any former age heard of otherwise then that such ships were alwayes hired waged victualled by the Kings of the Realme which argued to the griefe of me and some others a most vehement and vnaccustomed affection deuotion in the Cities and port townes such as they shewed them selues therein ready to fight as it had bene pro aris focis Of the number and strength of the Quéenes owne ships of warre I thinke you haue bene sufficiently enfourmed many times heretofore But yet I will make you a true report of the state of them this present Sommer what I haue credibly heard thereof because I haue bene very sory to heare how you others haue bene therein abused and that not onely in this matter of the Quéenes ships but in some other things also of late whereof some part hath bene here by very many maliciously and in common spéeches imputed to your owne inuention and publication whereof in a few wordes I will make some digression before I shall shewe the estate of the Quéenes Nauie In this Sommer past there was Printed in Paris by your direction as it was reported a notable vntruth which I did sée reade that the King of Scots 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 bene but not for any good will that I now beare to that King but for the trouble to this Quéene For in truth there is no good for vs to be hoped for from the King of Scots howsoeuer the Scottish Bishops in France haue sought to make you beléeue otherwise who is so rooted in the Caluinists Religion as there is neuer hope that he can be recouered to the church of Rome and so I thinke you are of late duely enfourmed and by his violent actions against diuers Catholiques against all that fauour the Spaniards may certainly appeare And likewise another great vntruth was lately Printed as your enemies say by your direction also in Paris that now in Iuly last when the Spanish Fléete and English had met and fought betwixt France and England the Spaniards had then a great victorie wherein they had sonke the Lord Admirall of England with sixtéene of the Quéenes great ships into the bottome of the Seas and that all the rest were driuen to flie with the Uice admirall Frances Drake Upon these two so notable vntruthes which the Aduersaries spitefully called Don Bernardin Mendozas mendacia many who honour you were right sory that you should giue so hastie credite to publish the same as your enemies say you did though I haue to my power for cléering of you honour giuen it out that these and such like haue procéeded of the lightnes of the Frēch who cōmonly Print more lies then truths in such doubtfull times and not of you whose honour and wisedome I thought would not be iustly touched with so great vntruthes and lies considering alwayes a small time will discouer things that are in facts reported vntruly and bringeth the Authours to discredit and infamy There hath béene a spéech also reported here to haue procéeded 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 brauery say that the young King of Scots whom you called in your language a boy had deceiued the King your master but if the Kings Nauy might prosper against England the King of Scots should loose his Crowne and of this the King of Scots hath bene aduertised out of France and vseth very euill language of you which I will not report But now to leaue this digression and to returne to let you know the truth of the state of the Quéens Nauy this Sommer The same was in the beginning of the yeare when the brute was brought of the readines of the Kings Armada in Lisbone and of the Army by land vpon the Sea coasts in Flanders with their shipping deuided into thrée companies the greatest vnder the charge of Charles L. Haward high Admirall of England whose father grandfather vncles great vncles and others of his house being of the noble house of the Dukes of Norfolke had also bene high Admirals afore him wherof both France and Scotland haue had proofe An other company were appointed to remaine with the L. Henry Seymour second son to the Duke of Somerset that was Protector in King Edwards time brother to the now Earle of Hartfort and these companies for a time continued in the Narrow seas betwixt England and Flanders vnder 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 Spaine vnder the conduct of Sir Francis Drake a man by name and fame knowne too too well to all Spaine and to the Kings Indias and of great reputation in England and this was compounded partly of some of the Quéenes owne ships and partly of the ships of the West parts But after that it was certainely vnderstood that the great Nauy of Spaine was ready to come out from Lisbone and that the fame therof was blowne abroad in Christendome to be inuincible and so published by bookes in print the Quéene and all her Counsel I am sure whatsoeuer good countenance they made were not a little perplexed as looking certainely for a daungerous fight vpon the Seas and after that for a landing and Inuasion Whereupon the Lord Admirall was commaunded to saile with the greatest ships to the West of England towardes Spaine to ioyne with Drake whom he made Viceadmiral to continue in the seas betwixt France and England to stop the landing of the Nauy of Spaine And with the Lord Admirall went in certaine of the Quéens ships the Lord Thomas Haward second sonne to the last Duke of Norfolke and the Lord Sheffeld sonne to the Admirals sister who is wife to the Quéenes Ambassadour in France with a great number of Knights of great liuelode And at that time

London whereby they haue obserued the countrie and the people doe speake marueilously thereof counting the same inuincible otherwise then by treason of some great partie within the Realme But whether all these spéeches which are commonly reported of them procéede from their hartes or that they speake thus to please the English because they are well vsed by them who also are easily deceiued with flattery I know not but sure I am they do thus speake dayly with outward shewe of great passions against such as haue bene perswaders to the King for this iourney Diuers of them also which are of good iudgemēt haue heard of such of the English banished men as haue bene in Spaine haue knowen some of them there as of long time Sir Francis Englefield of late the Lord Paget his brother haue curiously inquired of what power they were credit here to haue a partie They also inquired of the Earle of Westmerland although of him they confesse he is a man but of small gouernement But our Aduersaries here haue so abased these all the rest to haue bene of no credit to cary any numbers of men but by the Quéenes authoritie when they were at their best as the prisoners wonder how the king could be so deceiued to giue them pentions otherwise then for charitie because of their religion But they confesse they haue often heard in Spaine how the King was once notably deceiued when one Thomas Stukeley a priuat Englishman who fled out of Ireland for debt other lewd Actions into Spaine not being worth one peny his debts being paied but the second sonne of a meane Gentleman pretended and was beléeued in Spaine by so intitling of him selfe to be a Duke a Marquis and an Earle of Ireland and so was a long time enterteined as a man that could do great seruice against the Quéene of England vntill at length the King vnderstood his falshood and banished him out of Spaine And after repairing to Rome was by the Pope also mainteined for a time vntill he was discouered euen by some good Catholiques that could not endure the Popes holines to be so grossely mocked of whom some of the prisoners vsing mery spéeches how both the Emperour Charles and afterward this King and the Pope were so notably deceiued by this Stukeley do conclude merely that they thinke some of these English that haue thus abused the King haue followed Stukeleys steppes And in very truth I and many others haue bene very often ashamed to heare so brode spéeches of the King and of the Pope yea of the Emperour Charles whom such a companion as Stukeley was could so notably deceiue and it was the more to be marueiled how he could deceiue the King Catholique considering he was knowen to many of his Counsell at the Kings being in England to haue bene but a vaunting beggar and a Ruffian and afterwards a Pirat against the Spaniards Now my Lord Ambassadour by these my large relations of the things euil past and of the opinions of such as I haue lately dealt withall with mine owne conceit also which I doe not vainely imagine your Lordship may sée in the first part our present calamitie and miserable estate in the second part the state of this Quéene her Realme her people their mindes their strength so far contrary to the expectation of the Popes holines the King Catholique and specially of you my Lord and all others that haue bene in hand these many yeares with this Actiō as I know not what course shal or may be thought méete to take séeing it is séene by experience that by force our cause cannot be reléeued Neither will any change amend the matter when this Quéene shall end her daies as all Princes are mortall For both the vniuersalitie of the people through the Realme are so firmely and desperately bent against our religion as nothing can preuaile against their vnited forces and whosoeuer shall by right sucéede to this Crowne after the Quéene who is likely to liue as long as any King in Christendome if the Crowne should come to the King of Scots or to any other of the blood Royall as there are very many within this Realme descended both of the Royall houses of York and Lancaster there is no accompt to be made but euery one of them that now liue at this day are knowen to be as vehemently disposed to withstand the authoritie of the Pope as any of the most earnest Protestant or Heretique in the world So as to conclude after all circumstances well considered for the present I know no other way but to commit the cause to Almightie God and to all the Saints in heauen without continuall prayers and in earth to the holy Counsels of the Pope and his Cardinals with our supplications to reléeue the afflicted number of our exiled brethren and to send into the Realme discrete holy and learned men that may only in secrete maner without intermedling in matters of estate by teaching vs confirme vs in our faith and gaine with charitable instruction others that are not rooted in heresie And for reliefe of such as are forced to pay yearely great sommes of money out of their reuenue because they forbeare to come to the Church it were to be charitably considered whether there might not be some dispensation from the Popes holines for some fewe yeares to tollerate their comming to the Church without changing of their faith considering a great number do stand therein not for any thing as they say vsed in this Church that is directly contrary to Gods law but for that the Rites and praiers though they are collected out of the body of the Scripture are not allowed by the Catholique Church and the head thereof which is the Popes holines and for that cause iustly al true Catholiques accompt this Church to be schismaticall By which remedie of tolleration a great number of such as will be perpetually Catholiques might enioy their liuings and libertie and in proces of time the Catholique religion by Gods goodnesse might with more suretie be increased to the honour of God then euer it can be by any force whatsoeuer For so did all Christian religion at the first begin and spread it selfe ouer the world not by force but only by teaching and example of holines in the teachers against all humane forces And so I will end my long Letters with the sentence which King Dauid vsed foure times in one of his Psalmes Et clamauerunt ad Dominum in tribulatione eorum de angustia eorum liberauit eos And so must we make that for our foundation to lay our hope vpon for all other hopes are vaine and false At London the of August 1588. AFter that I had made an end of this my letter which I found by perusall thereof to haue bene at more length then I looked for although the matters therein conteined did draw

inuincible so as some begin to say that this purpose by violence by blood by slaughter by conquest agréeth not with Christes doctrine nor the doctrine of S. Peter or S. Paule And to tell your Lordship truly I finde presently a great number of wise and deuout people though they continue in their former religion yet do they secretely condemne this intended reformation by blood and force Insomuch that I heard a good diuine alledge a textout of S. Gregorie in these words Quid de Episcopis qui verberibus timeri volunt Canones dicunt benè paternitas vestra nouit pastores sumus nō percussores Noua enim est predicatio quae verberibus exigit fidem This sentence I obtained of him because it séemeth to be charitably written But leauing this authoritie among Doctors I must néedes say that in very trueth no one thing hath done at this time more hurt to the action then the vntimely hasty publishing abroad in this Realme before this Armie of Spaine was readie to come foorth to the seas of sundrie things written and put in Print sent into this realme to notifie to the people that all the Realme should be inuaded and conquered that the Quéene should be destroied al the Nobilitie men of reputation of honour and wealth that did obey her and would defend her or that would withstand the Inuasion should be with all their families rooted out and their places their honours their houses and landes bestowed vpon the conquerers things vniuersally so odiously taken as the harts of all sorts of people were enflamed some with ire some with feare but all sortes almost without exception resolued to venture their liues for the withstanding of all maner of conquest wherewith euery body can say this Realme was not threatned these fiue hundreth yeares and more These reports were brought to this realme with good credit not in secret but in publique writings printings and tooke déepe roote in all kind of people of this land and in déede was of the more credit first by reason of a new Bull lately published at Rome by the Popes holines which I haue séene with more seueritie then other of his predecessours whereby the Quéene here was accursed and pronounced to be depriued of her Crowne the Inuasion and conquest of the Realme committed by the Pope to y e King Catholique to execute the same with his armies both by sea and land and to take the Crowne to him selfe or to limit it to such a Potentate as the Pope he should name And secondly there followed a large explanation of this Bull by sending hither a number of English bookes printed in Antwerp euen when the Nauy of Spaine was daily looked for the originall whereof was written by the reuerend father Cardinall Allen in Aprill last called in his owne writing the Cardinall of England which booke was so violently sharply and bitterly written yea say the Aduersaries so arrogantly falsly and slaunderously against the person of the Quéene against her father King Henrie the eight against all her Nobilitie and Counsell as in very truth I was heartily sory to perceiue so many good men of our owne religion offended therewith in that there should be found in one accompted a father of the Church who was also a borne subiect of this crowne though by the Aduersaries reported to be very basely borne such foule vile irreuerent and violent spéeches such ireful and bloody threatnings of a Quéene of a Nobilitie yea of the whole people of his owne nation Sory and most sory I am to report the generall cuill conceipt of these vnordinate and vnaduised procéedings of this Cardinall of whose rash choise to such a place the world speaketh strangely as though he came to it through corruption of the Popes sister without liking of the Colledge of Cardinals where otherwise the blessed intention of our holy Father and the desire also of the said Cardinall might without such fatall bloody premonitions and threatnings of future Inuasions and conquests by the Catholique Kings noble forces haue taken better place There was also to adde the more credite to these terrible prognostications such kind of other bookes printed in Spaine and translated into French as it is said by your Lorship containing particular long descriptions and catalogues of Armadas of Castile of Andaluzia of Biscaye of Guipusque of Portingall of Naples of Sicil of Ragusa and other Countries of the Leuant with a masse of all kinde of prouisions beyond measure for the said Armadas sufficient in estimation to be able to make conquest of many kingdomes or countries And one great Argument is published by the Aduersaries to stirre vp the mindes of the Nobilitie of England against the Spaniards which is very maliciously inuented to shew the intention of the conquest not only of England but of the whole Isle of Britaine mouing all men specially to marke by the descriptiō of the Armada that there are specially named such a number of Noblemen as Princes Marquises Condes and Dons that are called Aduenturers without any office or pay such another number also of men with great titles of honour and many of them named Captaines and Alferez without office but yet in sold and therefore called Entertenidos as all those being for no seruice in the Armada may be wel presumed say they to haue come to haue possessed the roomes of all the Noblemen in England and Scotland and this fiction hath taken more place then it is worth And though these armies were in déede excéeding great and mightie yet they were so amplified beyond all measure in these bookes as in no preparation of Christendome in former times against the Sarracins or Turks could be greater By this meanes this Queene and her realme being thus forewarned and terrified tooke occasion with the aide of her people being not onely firmely as she was perswaded deuoted to her but throughly irritated to stirre vp their whole forces for their defence against such prognosticated conquests as in a very short time all her whole Realme and euery corner were spéedily furnished with armed people on horsebacke and on foote and those continually trained exercised and put into Bands in warlike maner as in no age euer was before in this Realme Here was no sparing of money to prouide horse armour weapon powder and all necessaries no not want of prouision of Pioners carriages and victuals in euery Countie of the realme without exception to attend vpon the Armies And to this generall furniture euery man voluntarily offered very many their seruice personally without wages others money for armour and weapons and to wage souldiers a matter strange and neuer the like heard of in this realme or else where And this general reason moued all men to large contributions that to withstand a Conquest where all should be lost there was no time to spare a portion The numbers made ready in the Realme I cannot affirme of

mine owne knowledge but I haue heard it reported when I was gréeued to thinke the same to be so true that there was through England no quarter East West North and South but all concurred in one mynde to be in readines to serue for the Realme and that some one countrie was able to make a sufficient Armie of twentie thousand men fit to fight and fiftéene thousand of them well armed weaponed and in some countries the number of fortie thousand able men The maritime Countries from Cornewall all along the Southside of England to Kent and from Kent Eastward by Essex Suffolk and Norfolk to Lincolnshire which Countries with their Hauens were well described vnto you in perfect Plots when Francis Throgmorton first did treat with your Lordship about the same were so furnished of men of warre both of themselues with resort of aide from their next shires as there was no place to be doubted for landing of any forrein forces but there were within eight and fortie houres to come to the place aboue twentie thousand fighting mē on horsebacke and on foote with field ordinance victuals pioners and cariages and all those gouerned by the principal Noble men of the Countries and reduced vnder Captaines of knowledge And one thing I heard of that was very politikely ordered and executed at this time as of many late yeares was not vsed that as the Leaders officers of the particuler Bāds were men of experience in the warres so to make the Bands strong and constant choise was made of the principall Knights of all Countries to bring their renantes to the field being men of strength landed of wealth whereby all the forces of compounded were of a resolute disposition to sticke to their Lords and Chieftaines the Chieftaines to trust to their owne tenants And to remember one strāge spéech that I heard spoken may be marueiled at but it was auowed to me for a truth that one Gentlemā in Kent had a Band of one hundred fiftie footmen which were worth in goods aboue one hundred fiftie thousand pounds sterling besides their lands such men would fight stoutely before they would haue lost their goods and by likelihood at this time many other Bands were made of such principall men both of wealth and strength Of these thinges I am sory to haue cause to write in this sort because you may see how heretofore you haue bene deceiued with aduertisemēts of many which had no proofe to know the truth thereof and so I confesse my selfe in some thinges to haue erred namely in imagining that whēsoeuer any forreine power should be séene ready to land in any part of this Realme there would haue bene found but a small number resolute to withstand the same or to defend the Quéene but that the same would haue bene very vnable for the warres vntrained raw and ignorant in all warlike actions without sufficient armour and weapons and that also the Noble men and Gentlemē that were in this Realme of our Religion whereof you know we made accōpt when you were here in England of very many although many of thē be dead since that time but at this time there are not so many tens as we accompted hundreds whom we thought would haue shewed them selues like men of courage for our common cause and would haue sodenly surprised the houses families and strength of the heretiques and aduersaries But now such is our calamitie that it hath pleased God as I thinke for our sinnes or els for confounding of our bold opinions and presumptions of our owne strength to put in the hearts of all persons here one like mynde courage to withstand the intended Inuasion as well in such as we accompted Catholiques as also in the Heretiques so as it hath appeared manifestly that for all earnest procéeding for arming and for contributions of money and for all other warlike actions there was no difference to be séene betwixt the Catholique and the heretique But in this case to withstand the threatned conquest yea to defend the person of the Quéene there appeared such a sympathie concourse and consent of all sortes of persons without respect of Religion as they all appeared to be ready to fight against all strangers as it were with one heart and one body And though some few principall Gentlemen of whom heretofore you haue had the names in such Catalogues of Catholiques as you haue bene acquainted withall werelately vpon the report of the comming out of the Armie to the seas sent to the Isle of Ely there to remaine restrained of their former libertie during the expectation of this intended Inuasion yet it hath appeared that they were not so restrained for any doubt that they would with their powers haue assisted our Army but onely thereby to make it knowen to all our friends and countrimen in Spaine and Flaunders yea euen to your selfe for so I heard it spoken as accompting you to haue bene the most principall Author and perswader of this action that there should be no hope to haue any of them or of their fréends to assist these great Armies And in very truth I see now whosoeuer of our fréends in Spaine or in Flaunders or els where made any such accompt of any aide against the Quéene or against her partie here they should haue bene deceaued if the Army had offered to haue landed For I my selfe haue heard that the best of those that were sent to Elie did make offers yea by their letters to the Counsell here signed with their hands that they would aduenture their liues in defence of the Quéene whom they named their vndoubted Soueraigne Lady and Queene against all forrein forces though the same were sent from the Pope or by his commandement Yea diuers of them did offer that in this quarell of inuading of the Realme with strangers they would present their owne bodies in the formost rankes with their countrie men against all strangers Whereupon I heard also by a secrete friende of mine in the Court that it was once in some towardnes of resolution amongst the Counsellers that they should haue bene returned and put to their former libertie But the heate of the warre being kindled with the knowledge of the Kings Armada being at that time come to the Groigne and the Duke of Parmas readines with so great an Armie and shipping in Flaunders daily looked for to land in England yea to come to London and a generall murmur of the people against all such Recusants of reputation was the cause of the staying of these Gentlemen at Elie notwithstanding their offers of their seruice to the Quéene and so they doe remaine in the Bishops pallace there with fruition of large walkes about the same altogether without any imprisonment other then that they are not suffred to depart into the towne or countrey and yet for their religion I thinke surely they doe and will remaine

me therto and that I had made choice of a friend of mine who had more knowledge in the French tong then I to turne the same into French my mishap was that when he had done some part thereof he fell sicke of a burning feuer whereby my letter remained with him vpon hope of recouery for tenne or twelue daies and séeing no hope thereof I entreated another very trustie a sound Catholique hauing perfect knowledge in the French tong who tooke vpon him to put it into French wherein was also longer time spent so as my letter being written in the midst of August I am forced to end it in September And thereupon I thought good whiles my former letter was in translating to adde some things happened in the meanetime méet for your knowledge About the seuenth of August the Lord Admirall returned with the Nauie hauing followed the Spanish Nauie as they reported as farre as the 55. degrée Northwards the Spanish Nauie taking a course either to the furthest partes of Norwey or to the Orcades beyond Scotland which if they did then it was here iudged that they would goe about Scotland and Ireland but if they should go to Norwey then it might be that if they could recouer prouisions of mastes whereof the English Nauy had made great spoile they might returne But I for my part wished them a prosperous winde to passe home about Ireland considering I despaired of their returne for many respects both of their wants which could not be furnished in Norwey and of the lacke of the Duke of Parmas abilitie to bring his Armie on the Sea for want of Mariners Neuertheles vpon knowledge from Scotland that they were beyond the Orcades and that the King of Scots had giuen strict commandement vpon all the sea coastes that the Spaniardes should not be suffered to land in any part but that the English might land and be reléeued of any wants order was giuen to discharge all the Nauie sauing twentie ships that were vnder the Lord Henry Seymours charge to attend Spaniardes Upon these shewes great reioycing followed And as in Iune and Iuly past all Churches were filled daily with people exercised with praiers and shewes of repentance and petitions to God for defence against their enemies and in many Churches continually thrice in the wéeke exercises of prayers Sermons fastings all the day long from morning to euening with great admiration to sée such generall deuotion which I and others did iudge to procéede more of feare then of deuotion so now since the English Nauy is returned and the Spanish Nauie defeated and intelligence brought of the disorders in Flaunders of the discentions betwixt the Spaniards and the other souldiers of the contempt of the Duke of Parma by the Spaniards being thereto maintained by a Duke called the Duke of Pastraw the King Catholiques bastard and of the departure and running away of the Dukes Mariners here is a like cōcourse of the people to Sermons in all Churches wherein is remembred the great goodnes of God towards England by the deliuery therof from the threatned Conquest praiers also publikely to giue thankes to God for the same At London this of September 1588. The Printer to the Reader ALthough it be well known that neither the first writer of these Letters nowe by me printed nor yet the Spaniard Don Bernardin to whome 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 grieued to make any good report of England other then of meere necessitie he was vrged 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 victorie had by the Spaniards euen when the victorie was notable on the part of England and the Spanish vanquished yet whilest I was occupied in the printing hereof a good time after the letters were sent into Fraunce there came to this Citie certaine knowledge to all our great comfort of sundrie happie Accidents to the diminution of our mortall enemies in their famous Fleete that was driuen out of our seas about the stla of Iuly towards the farthermost North partes of Scotland Wherfore I haue thought it not amisse to ioine the same to this Lettre of Don Bernardin that he may beware not to be so hastie of himselfe nor yet to permit one Capella who is his common sower of reports to write these false things for truthes The particularities wherof are these The Fleete was by tempest driuen beyond the Isles of Orknay about the first of August which is now more then sixe weekes past the place being aboue three score degrees from the North Pole an vnaccustomed place for the yong Gallants of Spaine that neuer had felt stormes on the sea or cold weather in August And about those North Islands their mariners and souldiers died daily by multiutdes as by their bodies cast on land did appeare And after twentie dayes or more hauing spent their time in miseries they being desirous to returne home to Spaine sayled very farre Southwestward into the Ocean to recouer Spaine But the Almightie God who alwayes auengeth the cause of his afflicted people which put their confidence in him and bringeth downe his enemies that exalt themselues with pride to the heauens ordred the winds to be so violently contrarious to this proud Nauie as it was with force disseuered on the high seas West vpon Ireland and so a great number of them driuen into sundrie dangerous bayes and vpon rockes all along the West and North parts of Ireland in sundrie places distant aboue an hundred miles asunder there cast away some sonke some broken some runne on sands some burned by the Spaniards themselues As in the North part of Ireland towardes Scotland betwixt the two riuers of Loughfoile and Lough Svvilley nine were driuen to land and many of them broken and the Spaniardes forced to come to land for succour amongst the wilde Irish. In another place twentie miles Southwest from thence in a Bay called Calbeggy three other ships driuen also vpon rockes In another place Southward being a Bay called the Borreys twentie miles North from Gallowey belonging to the Erle of Ormond one speciall great ship of a thousand tonne with fiftie brasse peeces and foure Canons was sonke and all the people drowned sauing sixteene who by their apparell as it is aduertised out of Ireland seeme to be persons of great estimation Then to come more to the Sowthward thirty miles vppon the coasts of Thomond North from the riuer of Shennan two or three mo perished whereof one was burned by the Spaniards them selues and so driuen to the shore an other was of S. Sebastians wherein were three hundred men who were also all drowned sauing three score A third ship with all her lading was cast away at a place called Breckan In

the Duke is by this time nere Spaine the Dukes desire was after his stay before Callice to go to Flanders but by reason of the contrariety of the winds the shallownesse of the water his ships being great he could not arriue there Besides the ships before mentioned he remembreth that two ships were sonke vpon the coast of Scotland by reason of shottes receiued from the English ships the one called S. Matthew of fiue hundred tonnes wherein were drowned foure hundred and fifty men the other ship a Biskey of S. Sebastian of foure hundred tonnes wherein were drowned thrée hundred and fiftie men and the ship wherein he was called S. Marie Rose of one thousand tonnes wherein of fiue hundred there escaped but himselfe in which ship of principall men there were drowned these principall men following The Prince of Ascule base sonne to the King of Spaine Captaine Matuta Captaine Conualle a Portingall Rupecho de la Vego of Castill Suryuero of Castill Montanese of Castill Villa Franca of S. Sebastian Captaine of the said ship The Generall of all the Fléete of Guipusque called Don Michael d'Oquendo twentie other Knights and Aduenturers vpon their owne charges He saith that the Fléete was in great want of fresh water and being examined what ordinance wines or other matters of moment were in the ship here cast away saith there were fiftie great brasse péeces all Canons for the field fiue twenty péeces of brasse and cast iron belonging to the ship there is also in her fiftie tonnes of Secke In siluer there are in her fiftéene thousand Duckets in gold as much more much rich apparell and plate and cups of gold He saith also that the Duke of Medina appointed all the Fléete to resort and méete at the Groyne none of them vpon paine of death not to depart there hence afore they should know his farther pleasure The examination of Emanuell Fremosa a Portingall 12. September 1588. HE saith he was in the ship called S. Iohn of the porte of Portingall of one thousand one hundred tonne In which Don Iohn Martines de Ricalde is who is Admirall of the whole Fléete and is next vnder the Duke who is Generall in which ship at their comming foorth there were eight hundred souldiers and for marriners thréescore Portingales and fortie Biskeyns this is the greatest ship of the whole Nauie He saith they were in all at their comming foorth a hundred thirty and fiue saile wherof foure were Galliasses foure Gallies and nine of them were victuallers They came from the Groyne on the fifteenth day next arter Midsommer last past by their accompt He saith they were directed to the Duke of Parma and by him to be imployed for England at such time as Parma should appoint He saith after their departure from the Groine about eight daies the Fléete came to the Lysardes He saith about that place the Generall strake saile whereupon they all stroke saile all night and the next morning they saw the English Fléete whereupon they hoised their sailes He saith they were before enformed that the English Fléet was in Plimmouth and Dartmouth He saith on the Northeast of the Lysards the first fight began betwéene the Fléets in that fight their ship lost fiftéene men He saith that there were other fights within a foure or fiue daies after along the coasts in which the ship that this examinat was in lost fiue and twenty men what were lost in these fights out of the other ships he can not tell and in these fights they lost two ships in the one of which Don Pedro was and one other that was burned They ankered at Callice expecting the Duke of Parma where through the fiering of the English ships they were driuen to leaue their ankers and to depart so as ech of the ships lost two ankers at that place the next morning the fight began about eight of the clocke in the morning and continued eight houres along the chanell to the North all which time the English Fléete pressed the Spanish Fléete in such sort as if they had offred to boord the Spanish Fléete they saw their Admirall so fearefull that he thinketh they had all yéelded He saith that in the said fight the Spanish Fléete lost one Galliasse which ranne a shore about Callice two Gallions of Lisbone which were sonke being the kings and one Biskeine ship sonke of betwéene foure and fiue hundred tonnes and one other ship sonke also after which fight the Generall tooke accompt of the whole Nauy found that they were left about a hundred twenty sailes of the whole Fléete as was deliuered by those that came frō the top but of his owne sight he saw not passing fourescore and fiue saile or there about but what was become of the rest he cannot tell He saith that there were also in that fight thrée great Venetian ships which were in danger of sinking being sore beaten and shot through in many places but were for that time holpen by the Carpenters and as he hath heard for that they were not able to kéepe the Seas tooke them selues toward the coast of Flanders but what is become of them he cannot tell He saith they were pursued by some of the English Fléet about fiue daies after this fight Northward out of the sight of any land and as he thinketh of the North part of Scotland He saith that about foure daies after the English Fléete left them the whole Fléet remaining being towards one hundred and twentie saile as it was said came to an Iland as he thinketh of the North part of Scotland where they stayed not nor had reliefe but at this place the General called all the ships together giuing them in charge that they should with the best they could hast them to the first place they could get to of the coast of Spaine or Portingal for that they were in such great distresse through their great wants of victuals and otherwise He saith they came foorth the worse furnished thereof for that they expected to be reléeued of those things more amply by the Duke of Parma he saith that out of this ship there died foure or fiue euery day of hunger and thirst and yet this ship was one that was best furnished for victuals which he knoweth for out of some of the other ships some people were sent to be reléeued in this ship After this for a ten daies the whole Fléete remaining held together holding their course the best they could towardes Spaine He saith that at the same time which is now about twentie daies or more past they were seuered by a great storme which held from foure of the clocke in the after noone of one day to tenne of the clocke in y e morning the next day in which storme the Admirall came away with seuen and twentie saile which this examinat did tell and that one of them was a Galliasse of eight and

twenty owers on a side what is become of the rest of the Nauy he can not tell He saith also that about ten dayes past they had one other great storme with a mist by which storme they were againe seuered so as of those seuen twenty saile there came into the coast by Dingle Cushe but the Admirall one other ship of foure hundred tonnes and a barke of about forty tonnes and what is become of the rest of the seuen and twenty saile he can not tel but of one great Hulke of foure hundred tonnes which was so spoiled as she cast towards the shore about twenty leagues from Dingle Cushe he knoweth not who was Captaine of this Hulke he saith that of all sorts there be now remaining in the Admirall néere about fiue hundred of which there be fiue twenty Biskers fourty Portingals which are marriners the Master being very sicke and one of the Pilots He saith there be foure score souldiers twenty of the mariners in the Admirall very sicke and do lie downe and die daily and the rest he saith be all very weake and the Captaine very sad and weake he saith this Admirall hath in her fiftie foure brasse peeces and about foure score kintals of pouder He saith they were so néere the coast before they found it that by meanes of the strong Westerly winde they were not able to double out from it There is in the Admirall left but fiue and twenty Pipes of wine and very little bread and no water but what they brought out of Spaine which stinketh maruellously and their flesh meate they can not eate their drought is so great He saith no part of the Nauy to his knowledge euer touched vpō any land vntil such time as they came to this coast at Dingle Cushe nor hath had any water victuall or other relief from any coast or place sithence the English Fléete left them He saith that when they lay before Callice there came a Pinnace to their fléete from the Duke of Parma who told them the Duke could not be ready for them vntill the Friday following but by reason of this fight of the English Fléete with them they were not able to tarry there so long He saith that the Admirals purpose is vpon the first winde that serueth to passe away for Spaine He saith also that it is a common brute amongst the souldiers if they may once get home againe they will not meddle againe with the English He saith there be of principall men in the Admirals ship Don Iohn de Lina a Spaniard who is chiefe Captaine of the souldiers of that ship Don Gomes a Spaniard an other Captaine Don Sebastian a Portingall gentleman an Aduenturer and a Marquesse an Italian who is also an Aduenturer and one other Portingall Gentleman whom he knoweth not but that they are principal men that haue crosses on their garments other meane Gentlemen there be also in the same ship He saith al the souldiers in this ship were Spaniards he saith there are in the small Barke that is with them about fiue and twenty persons how many are in the Hulke that is there he knoweth not He saith he thinketh that the Duke is past towards Spaine for that he was some twelue leagues more Westerly then the Admirall was in the first storme He saith that the great Gallion which came from the Duke of Florence was neuer séene sithence they were in the sight at Callice He saith the people of the Galliasses were most spoiled by the English Fléete The examination of Emanuell Francisco a Portingall 12. September 1588. EManuell Francisco a Portingall saith in all things as the former examinat till the fight at Callice in which fight he saith he knoweth there was lost a Galliasse that ran ashoare at Callice two Gallions of the Kings the one called S. Philip of the burden of seuen hundred and the other called S. Matthew of eight hundred a Biskeine ship of about fiue hundred and a Castillian ship about foure hundred tonne all sunke This he knoweth for that some of the men of those ships were deuided into the Admirals ship in which this examinat was He saith after this fight ended it was deliuered by him at the top that there was one hundred and twentie saile left of the Spanish Fléet and saith that those were very sore beaten and the Admirall was many times shot through and one shot in their mast and their deck at the prow spoiled and doth confesse that they were in great feare of the English Fléete and doubted much of bording He saith the Admirals mast is so weake by reason of the shot in it as they dare not abide any storme nor beare such saile as otherwise he might doe for the rest he agréeth in euery thing with the former examinat sauing that he saw not or vnderstood of any Pinnace that came from the Duke of Parma nor doth remember that he saw aboue twentie saile with the Admirall after the first storme and saith that those in the shippe that he is in doe say that they will rather go into the ground themselues then come in such a iourney againe for England and saith the best that be in the Admirals ship are scarse able to stand and that if they tarry where they are any time they will all perish as he thinketh for himself he would not passe into Portingall againe if he might choose for that he would not be constrained to such an other iourney Iohn de le Conido of Lekit in Biskey mariner 12. September 1588. IOhn de le Conido of Lekit in Biskey mariner saith he was in the ship that the Admirall is in and that he told the Nauie after the fight ended at Callice that there were then remaining not passing a hundred and ten or a hundred and twelue of the whole Spanish Nauie and saith that a leake fell vpon one of the Galliasses about fiteene daies past which he taketh to be fallen vpon the North coast of this land he saith he doth not remember that there were aboue twentie saile left in the company of the Admirall after the first great storme which fell on them about thirtie daies sithence he saith the Duke did giue them expresse commaundement that they should not goe on land in any place without his order he confesseth that the Nauie that remained after the last fight were maruelously beatē and shot through and their tackle much cut and spoiled with the shot and for the rest of the matter agréeth with the former examinat in euery point in effect and saith there was an English Pilot with the Duke He saith that the Scot that is taken was taken in the North part after the English fléete parted from them in a ship of fifty tonnes in which were about seuen men which the fléete hath caried with them both the ship and people sixe of which Scottes were aboord the Admirall whereof one is he that is taken He saith

after a Portingall Gallion ouertaking this ship told vnto those of this ship that there were xxv ships of the whole Nauie passed away with the Duke and that the rest then remaining of the whole Nauy were dispersed by this tempest some eight in one company and foure in another and thus dispearsedly passed on the seas But how many ships remained after their departure from the coast of Scotland of the whole Nauy this examinat can not tell He saith that after this first tempest which was about xxv dayes now past growing of a Southwest wind they had sundry tēpests before they were lost with variable winds sometime one way and sometimes an other The reexamination of Emanuell Fremosa 17. September 1588. EManuel Fremosa mariner examined the same day saith that the day next before the great tempest in which the Duke was seuered from them being a very calme day him selfe counted the Nauie then remaining which then were about lxxviij saile in all when they were farthest of in the North they were at lxii degrées Northward and were then about foure score leagues and somewhat more from any land and at the Northwest part of Scotland Cape Clere being then from them South and by West and this was about foure or fiue dayes before the said great tempest and from that time vntill the same tempest they had the winde most West and West Southwest and sometimes West Northwest but that not very long he saith that it was knowne to very few of the Nauy that the Prince the Kings base sonne was in this Nauie vntill they came to Callice where this Prince about the time of the fight was said to take him selfe into a little boate vpon the coast of Callice but before that he kept him selfe as priuate in the Dukes owne ship as it was said and not noted or spoken of in the Nauy vntill then But he saith there was a great Prince an Italian that was a chiefe man in a great Argosie very wel furnished who before their comming to the English coast did very often banket the Duke and the other great men of the Nauy This Argosie was called the Ratte he saith he did not perceiue if this shippe were in this Fléete the day before the said tempest or not but he saith this being a famous ship it was often demanded if she were in their company and it was answered that she was he saith the chiefest of the treasure that serued for the pay was as he heard in the Galliasse that arriued on the shore at Callice and in a shippe of Siuil made in Galisia called the Gallega of about vij hundred tonnes in which Don Pedro de Valdez was which was taken on the South coast The examination of Pierre Carrea Flemming HE saith that in the ship that he came hither in called Saint Iohn a Galliō of nine hundred tonnes besides Iohn Martin de Ricalde there are fiue Captaines Don Iohn de Lune Don Gomes de Galanezar Don Pedro de Madri the Count of Parades Don Felice and there is also an Italian Marquesse of Piemont called the Marquesse of Faruara He saith also that the Admirall after such time as the fight was at Callice came not out of his bed vntill this day seuen nights in the morning that they ranne vpō the shore He saith his Admirall is of Biskeye either of Bilbo or Allerede and of lxii yeares of age and a man of seruice He saith that there were in this nauie of the old souldiers of Naples vnder the conduct of Don Alonso de Sono of the old souldiers of Sicile vnder the conduct of Don Diego de Piementell● whose ship was lost néere Callice There was also Don Alonso de Leua maister of the cāp of the Cauallery of Millan he saith there is a bastard sonne of King Phillips of xxviii yeares of age in this Fleete in the ship with the Duke called the Prince of Ascule in Italie who passed from thē in a Pinnace about Callice as he tooke it By other Aduertisements of the fourteenth of September it is certified to the Lord Deputie of Ireland from the Earle of Tyron being at his Castle of Dongannon that vpon intelligence brought to him of the landing of certaine Spaniards in the North of Ireland he sent two English Captaines with their bandes towardes them to the nomber of an hundred and fiftie who found them at Sir Iohn Odogherties towne called Illagh and there discouering their nomber to be aboue six hundred did that night encamp within a musket shot of them and about midnight did skirmish with them for the space of two houres in which skirmish the Spanish Lieutenant of the field and twentie moe of the Spaniardes were slaine besides many that were hurt The next day following they did offer skirmish agayne to the Spaniardes whereupon they all yelded and so as prisoniers were caried to Dongannon to the Earle who meant to send them to the Lord Deputie being iudged to be men of good value and one thought to be a man that hath had some great charge and conduct of men for many yeares whereof the Lord Deputie will geue knowledge as soone as they shall be brought to Dublin There may be some errours in the writing of the Spanish names in English because the same are written by way of interpretation but there is no errour in the nombring of the persons that are either dead or aliue 26. September 1588. SHIPS AND MEN SONKE DROWned killed and taken vpon the coast of Ireland in the moneth of September 1588. In Tyreconnell In Loughfoyle 1. ship 1100 men Of that ship and others that escaped In Connaught In Sligo hauen 3. great ships 1500 In Tireawley 1. ship 400 In Clere Iland 1. ship 300 In Finglasse 1. ship 400 In Oflartie 1. ship 200 In Irrise 2. ships The men fled into other vessels In Galway bay 1. ship 70 In Munster In the Shennan 2. ships 600 In Traylie 1. ship 24 In Dingle 1. ship 500 In Desmond 1. ship 300 In the Shennan 1. ship burnt The mē embarqued in another shippe     Totall 17. ship of men 5394. AFORE THE LOSSE OF THE FORE-said seuenteene ships in Ireland there perished in Iuly August fifteene other great ships in the fight betwixt the English and Spanish Nauies in the narrowe seas of England where no one English Vessell or person of any reputation perished or was taken   Ships Men   First Gallies 4 1622.   Neare Ediston by Plimouth at the first conflict 1 0000.   The same time was distressed taken Don Pedro de Valdes ship 1 422. These two remaine in England At the same time by fire a great Biscaine ship 1 289. Afore Callis spoiled the principall Galeasse of Naples 1 686.   In the conflict was sonke a great Biscaine 1 000.   The Gallion S. Philip. 1 532. These two forced into Flushing being sore beaten by the English great shot The Gallion S. Matthew