AN ANSWER TO THE VNTRVTHES PVBLISHED AND PRINTED IN SPAINE IN GLORIE OF THEIR SVPPOSED VICTORIE atchieued against our English NAVIE and the Right Honorable CHARLES Lord HOWARD Lord high Admiral of England c. Sir FRANCIS DRAKE and the rest of the Nobles and Gentlemen Captaines and Soldiers of our said Navie First written and published in Spanish By a Spanish Gentleman who came hither out of the Lowe Countries from the service of the prince of PARMA with his wife and familie since the overthrowe of the Spanish Armada forsaking both his countrie and Romish religion as by this Treatise against the barbarous impietie of the Spaniards and dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Majestie may appeere Faithfully translated by I. L. LONDON Printed by Iohn Iackson for Thomas Cadman 1589. England to hir Queene S. D. Eternall yeeres thee prosper and vphold My soueraigne Queene the MIGHTIE HAND And grant thee morne and euening to behold Health content joy on thee and me thy land Treasure heaped up of siluer and of gold Both day and night within thy presence stand And for reward befall upon thy foe punishment and paine with euer during wo. England to hir Admirall The Lion white his lookes against the skie His visage grim his dredfull frowning browe Doth well bewraie my Howard to the eie Triumphing stands who rules my Navie now And long maist thou it rule far of thy day to die That frighted foes may never dare againe To saile my seas nor once approch my Maine I. LEA. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE CHARLES LORD HOWARD BARON OF Effingham Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter Lord high Admirall of England and one of hir Majesties most Honorable privie counsell I. L. wisheth long life in perfect health with great increase of honor WHen Caesar swaid the dictatorship of Rome those right Honorable that wrote the Romain conquests offred their papers under his patronage as coveting a martiall Mecoenas for works treating of high performed chivalrie Entring into the sight of the Romain methode chauncing upon a Spanish Pamphlet dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Majestie containing an answer against certaine untruths published and printed in Spaine when I noted that vertue coulde not but be praised even by a late enimie though now reconciled a stranger naie a Spaniard forceced by truth it selfe to defend the woorthines of our English Nobilitie against his owne countriemen I could not right Honorable but for the benefite and farther incouragement of my country publish his works in English and presume to present it to your good Lordship who being most woorthilie high Admirall of England and cheefe agent in so honorable a service did blazon to the Spaniards the matchlesse resolution of your knightly prowesse And although Sir Francis Drake be most touched in their invectives as an enimie cheefely noted for his private prejudice offered them in Spaine and in the Indies and as they thought the cheefe governor also in this honorable action Yet now feeling and knowing the valor of your honors woorthines time shal make your name as fearefull to the Spaniards as was that of high minded Scipio against the Numidians And somewhat by comparison to note right Honorable the slacknes of Englishmen in yeelding high deservers in so honorable and profitable a service their due I saie that if the Duke of Medina being in the same place for Spaine as your Honor for England had gotten as God forbid the like glorious conquest against our English Navie as your Honor woone against the Spanish Armada the chronicles of Spaine had bin stuffed with his praises the cleargie had soong him in with Te Deum thorow the streets of Toledo made him triumphs in his towne of S. Lucar and in fine Deified him and registred him amidst their catologue of Saints If then right Honorable the Spaniards setting out such hyperbolicall trophees of their cōquests seeke by such praises to incourage their nobilitie It behooveth us not to be stained with ingratitude but to publish the prowesse of such woorthy men as still with their bloud do paint out the woorthines of their resolutions Amongst whom your Honor having the cheefest place as high Admirall of so victorious a fleete and performing in your owne person such honorable service therein I humbly present this my simple translation to your Honors patronage as the Romaines did their martial discourses to the Dictator hoping your Honor will beare with the harshnes of my stile in that verbally it answers the authors minde and to accept of my well intended meaning with that honorable curtesie that your noble minde hath alwaies extended towards others In which hope resting I wish to your lordship such health and happines with such most honorable successe to all your attempts as your Honor can desire and I imagine Your Honors most humble in all obedience IAMES LEA. TO THE QVEENES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY ELIZABETH BY THE GRACE OF GOD QVEENE OF ENGLAND FRAVNCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER of the faith c. all blessednes good hap victorie with encrease of triumphant raigne and life everlasting SAint Iohn Chrysostom most renowmed Queene saith in one of his Homilies of the praise of S. Paul that such is the condition of falsehood that of it selfe it commeth to naught and on the contrarie that truth is knit togither with such strength that wel it may be assaulted but never cōquered and that deceit yeeldeth unto hir as having no power to resist hirs I remember to haue read in the 3. booke of Esdras being questioned before Darius king of Persia what might be the thing of greatest strength it was agreed and concluded that it was truth which not onely overcommeth those things that time goeth on consuming but triumpheth also over time it selfe false opinion for a while may beare authoritie but at length truth prevaileth whose nature is woonderfull for where most force is opposed against hir there becommeth she most strongest and the more they strive to throwe hir downe to the bottome and to bury hir in the bottomlesse pit of oblivion the more she ascendeth aloft and shewes hirselfe in the highest even as the oyle though it be put under the water yet straight commeth above it so is truth for in case men would put it under falshood yet it shal arise to the highest place for it abideth not to lie long in covert For even as a comet appeereth for a season in which it sheweth some brightnes but yet endureth not long bicause though it seeme a star yet is none even so is deceit though it may be beleeved for a time by a false apparance of light yet at length it shall vanish and consume away when as truth shal endure to the end Truth is a thing so pretious and belooved of God that al they who seeke to excell in vertue do preferre hir before treasure choosing to be behinde in wealth to go forward with truth And finallie they esteeme the hazarding of their life which soone passeth
awaie for wel imploied for the love of truth which abideth for ever David preferring truth before al worldly matters saith Take not ô Lord thy truth out of my mouth In ancient histories we read that Simandrus prince of Egypt commanded his picture to be engraved on his tombe and a jewell on his breast with his eies fixed thereon which jewell was the image of truth as recordeth Diodor. Sicul. Elianus saith that Pithagoras called truth a thing divine And of the same Pitha it is written that he said that for a man to make himselfe a God he ought to speake the truth Truth is a centre where vertues repose the north star of the vertuous the balme of the wounded and finally it is the butte whereat many shoote and the white that fewe do hitte All these I bring renowmed Queene that they who shall reade my answere may knowe that in the defense I make of the truth which hapned in both Navies that my intent is to deale in truth and not to flatter your Majesty you being an enimy to adulation and I knowing it to be as far from the princely nature of your Majestie to heare it as from mine to write it And that you have in memorie the saieng of S. Hierome that he that would be accounted woorthy of true praise should not seek it of men That which heer I meane to speake of are certaine truths so cleere and manifest that they publish themselves For who seeth not the great regard in your Majestie of divine woorship the great devocion to the sacred scripture the fulnes of Religion that shineth in your Majestie the alwaies opened large hand to the poore And who seeth not more clearely with his eies then I can utter with my words the singuler prudencie of your Majestie your sound justice your excellent fortitude your marvellous temperancie your firme truth your clemencie your benignitie your good government your royall condition and the shining of your works enterlaced with divine love Your Majestie may be said to be a coffer wherein nature hath laide up hir treasure and hir gathering togither of those perfections which were repartederst amongst manie Such finites answer well to the trunck from whence your Majestie descends even from that invincible king and most christian prince Henrie the 8. whose woorthie deeds live in the remembrance of this present age and shall never die in the times to come These and many such perfect vertues of your Majestie have wrought in me such love that I have bin verie desirous to do you some service determining to effectuat these my desires which long I have bread in my breast I purposed to offer to your Majesty this my answer but I chanced to meet with a new fear which made me doubt For perceiving it not to deserve to appeer before so excellent a Queene I stood in suspence what to do being driven into many and sundrie thoughts as having experience that boldnes without deliberation most commonly causeth repentance At length the one and the other considerations felt waied togither I found love to overcharge and waie downe respect Thorow which I determined to dedicate it to your Majestie thereby as well to shewe the desire I have to serve you as also that this short answer and poore woorke belonging to your Majestie may receive that auctoritie which it cannot have in being mine and the darke mist which it hath on my part may be banished by the resplendent shining that it shall receive from your Majestie whose Royall person the Lord Almightie preserve and prosper in his blessed service Amen Your Majesties humble and loyall servant which kisseth your Royall feete and hands D F. R. de M. The Answer I Marvell good Sir to see a man of so noble a linage and no lesse indued with the gifts of nature than others should have your eares so opened to heare the rumors and lies which the scoffing gibing flatterers do write you and I woonder not so much in that you credit them as at the speede wherewith your Honor doth write them Truly I am sorie for it Looke into your selfe and you shall see that they who write you such novelties do but fill your sides with sharp darts Your Honor writeth to Spaine that it is a matter most true that the Lord high Admirall of England was come running away with 25. or 26. ships unto London and that he had lost his ship that was Admirall and that this was written for a matter most certaine by persons of credit from London I knowe not what men of credit they should be that wrote a matter of so great discredit But at leastwise this I know that if your Honor were in London we might sing unto you the song of Don Pedro More enimies than friends have compassed his person For in truth I know not so much as one in that citie that is your friend You saie farther in your letter that the Admirall was lost hardly may a ship be lost that had for hir governor so noble a captain as is that noble gentleman my L. Charles Howard who when fortune should haue bin so wholy his enimie would rather have chosen to dy than flie But both the Admiral and his ship that was Admirall entred both togither as togither they erst went forth into the river of London triūphing in the victorie that the Lord vouchsafed to give them unto whom they yeeld all praise and thanks Your Honor saith farther that Drake is prisoner I demand by whom Know you not that from the Dragon the Lion flies the Beare feares the Oliphant hides himselfe the Lybard trembles the Tygre retires the Ounce dismaieth and the rest of the beasts tremble If then this be so who should he be that should take Drake that the venome and poison of his sword bereft him not of his life It was then an unbridled boldnes in him that wrote your Honor this matter Concerning which read a short letter which I make in answer of that of Diego Perez postmaster of Logronio and therin although I deale softly with him you may see who Drake is and what he hath done in the Indies and in Spaine and chawing it in the cud you shall know some part of his valor Your honor saith that if he be not prisoner he is slaine in these words Drake is either taken or dead The Ginets in Spaine deliver themselves flieng and hurt the more so that they do more harme flieng then assaulting but on the sea it is contrary For if his enimie fled from him who tooke him or slue him If your Honor in saieng Drake is prisoner or dead had added he is prisoner to hir Majestie then would I be silent for that he is so loyall a subiect unto hir that though free yet alwaies in hir prison and sacrificed day and night to do hir service and for and in all to accomplish hir will And in saieng dead had your Honor named the disease whereof
he died we would saie that the howre were come wherein the Lord almighty had called him unto himselfe but finally he is both free and alive and as loyall a vassall to hir Majestie as ever Farther your Honor saith that the Queene commanded that there should be no talke of hir Navie giving thereby to understand that it was in regard of the great dammage hir said Navie had received She commanded no such matter but had she so commanded it had bin a thing both holie and iust for as she is an enimie to all vaine-glorie even so the spoiles of hir victorie and triumph she offered it all to God from whom it came And if for not receiving these letters so plentie as at other times you gathered that it was ordained by hir Majestie that they should not write you gathered amisse for the cause was no other but that for the generall repairing of all people to give thanks to God at the Churches from whom all their good proceeded they became unmindful of all worldly affaires Great ods between this celebration of victorie and that which was used in Spaine where in steed of singing Psalmes and praises unto God they made fire and sports and blinde men in open places pirkt up upon fishmongers stals soong songs making the people beleeve that they were victors the contrarie where of is true Your letter relates farther that hir Majestie had 30000. men betweene Dover and Margate rawe soldiers heer to I answere that this ballance runneth too fast for that hir Majesties campe was hard by Tylberrie in the province of Essex a far different place from Dover Margate And that hir Majestie was with them it was so and marke your Honor what I saie that the sight of Iulius Caesar in his hoast wrought not so great effect as did the sight of hir Majestie amongst hirs for she being a valiant Mars and shewing hir selfe a most expert warrior clad hir soldiers with the webs and fels of Hercules where there was not any that esteemed himselfe in lesse than a Hanniball or a Cevola whereunto they were invited by the sight of a tender woman being the first that put hirselfe to such a travell for Christendome the peace of hir countrie and for the quietnes of hir subiects And who so had seene hir Majestie I say not that he should have seene an angrie Mars a Iulius Caesar or Charlemaine for all this is winde in comparison of hir But he should have seene a Debora a Hester a Ruth and a Iudith and finally he should have seene a Valour second to none You said farther in your letter that hir Majestie went to and from the Campe bicause the Catholikes had made a mutinie Your Honor knowes that it is an old Proverbe that when you see your neighbours beard a shaving prepare yours to the washing basen And in this countrie they remember what the Gospell saith Everie kingdome divided against it selfe shall be desolate And the experience heereof they finde in their neighbors the french men that for not having peace amongst themselves their poore kingdome is destroyed Concerning this matter I have heard it questioned in this countrie by some persons of no base calling who say plainly that while your Honor was heer they never had any perfect quietnes amongst them and since your departure they have had no broyles nor strife and it may be that the going of matters in such sort in the kingdome of Fraunce so troubled and kindled as they are that it is by reason your Honor is there and that your absence might quench so great a fire You saie farther in your letter that there was none other ship brought hither but that of Don Pedro de Valdes Heerin is the publishing of victorie gainsaid and losse evident the which ship had your Armada bin victors they had not permitted to be brought hither neither was Don Pedro de Valdes so ill a soldier nor for so little as to suffer himselfe to be taken by a people alreadie overcome and running awaie neither the soldiers which he had with him which were fower hundreth at least of lesse valor then the rest of those of the Armada they were rather everie man to conquere a kingdome and to give a thousand victories But the thrise noble Lord high Admirall not flieng but assaulting and he the captive or slaine Drake his fetters broken and risen from death fettered the conquerers and bereaved their life who lived a little before In conclusion there were no more ships brought into England but that of Don Pedro as for the rest for a better demonstration of the truth they were contented that their friends and neighbors should participate with them and so they left a Galleasse at Callis wherein amongst others was slaine Don Hugo de Moncada and Don Georje Manrique being Veedor Generall escaped to carrie the true relation thereof unto Spaine And the Saint Matthew and S. Philip being two most strong Gallions were carried to Flushing out of one of the which escaped Don Francisco de Toledo with sixe and thirtie soldiers which were the remainder of fower or five hundreth which he had with him and in the other was taken Don Diego Pimentel with all his men save those that were slaine and many other ships by divine providence by force of wind and sea were destroied upon the coast of Ireland If I have bin large in answering your Honor the occasion excuseth me and the matter which is wider then the sea makes me thinke to be woorthy reprehension for being so short Yet notwithstanding time which gave an end to these my wearisome reasonings seemed to call upon me to passe on farther And having cast about I fell into consideration with my selfe what occasion I might have to enlarge farther sith though briefely I had answered to the letter and I perceived that the lawe of love and Christianitie in the Lord did binde me to admonish you like a true neighbor The lawe of love in Christ saith Love your enimies And this said Christ after that he had said Yee have heard that it hath bin said thou shalt love thy friend and hate thy enimie and he passeth on saieng and do good to them that hate you There is another lawe which saith Yee shall not render ill for ill but good for evill These and such other sacred words do binde me to love your Honor but not your condition proceedings for if I should have respect thereunto I should followe the lawe of old Thou shalt love thy friend and hate thy enimie and I should be more bound to hate then love you But for that the Gospel commandeth me To do good to those that hurt me and to render good for evill and to love my enimies I will do both the one and the other so that I will both love and do you good I meane not to do you good by bestowing treasures upon you bicause I have them not but I wil give you of
Themistocles and the Siracusans to Hermocrates and Dion and the Romanes to Camillus and Rutilus and to Metellus And Cato Vticensis being nothing covetous nor Hercules at any time a coward Plutarch mentioneth that they noted Cato for covetous and Hercules for a coward Finally all men of great and heroicall virtues are envied and wounded by the evill toong for even as the shadow accompanieth the bodie so doth envie pursue vertue and from hence it groweth that the vertuous are so murmured at and persecuted by the wicked O England England and how art thou bound to give immortal thanks to God in seeing thy selfe persecuted and murmured at by so many an evident signe and probable token that thou art the citie of the most highest To those whome God loveth he sendeth troubles prooving them as Gold in the fornace And to his beloved people in Egypt he sent many and sundry scourges and this bicause he loved them The troubles of the just saith David are great and addeth foorthwith but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Even so thee O England hath the Lord delivered frō all thy troubles from so mightie an Armada from so much death from so many and sundrie kinds of torments as having bin overcome thou must of necessitie have tasted from these tribulations hath he delivered thee by his strong hand giving thee such valiant captaines If he gave to the people of Israell for they bringing out of Egypt a Moyses an Aaron and a Marie To thee he hath given a most Christian and puissant Queene adorned with sundrie vertues a Charles Howard a Francis Drake and manie others whom the Lord had ordained kept long before for the defence of his universal church this particular kingdome which all he yet stil preserveth for greater matters and what these thy woorthies ô England made not an end of in performing thy totall deliverance the rest did the wind the sea the rocks the sand the heavens the fowle and the fish and now lastly he delivereth thee of the untruthes wherein thine enimies boasted and slandered thee putting time for the unfolding of deceit fame for the proclaimer and truth for the certaine proofe and so their slanders and false publications remaine al untwisted But returning to my purpose Saint Anastasius saith that even as he who taketh up a viper in his hands to throw to another to bite him is first bitten of the viper himselfe so the malicious and murmurer that would persecute and infame the just doth first persecute himselfe and remaines infamed and desirous to bite the fame of another slaieth his owne soule for there is no byting of Viper or Aspe so poisonsome as the malice of the perverse But this cannot sinke into their understanding which murmur at vertue charge hir with vice and with falshood make that which is good seeme ill and of stocks make stones like to the fountaine in Almaine whereof Albertus Magnus maketh mention Of the number of these me seemeth that the Postmaster is seeing of the peace and affinitie which is betweene the English and the Scots he wil make wars saieng that the Scottishmen had taken weapon against the English a most inconvenient thing and utterly unwoorthie to be beleeved for it were the very instrument for the Scots to strike off their owne heads withall to favor their enimies in arms and religion whereby to make them Lords of their houses and possessions And without all doubt had the Spaniards taken sure footing in this land they would never have staid till they had beene Lords also of Scotland and who can doubt it for the onely blazon now adaies amongst Spaniards is nothing els but NON SVFFICIT ORBIS as if they should say All the world is too little and they cannot see that their grave sufficeth them But such was the malice of him that wrote this letter that therwith he meant to stir up the minds of English men that there might be wars betweene two kingdoms borne of one bellie brethren in religion confederate in perfect peace and of one language in a maner and the health of the one depending in not damaging the other And this the Scottishmen knowing well when the Spanish ships passed by their coasts the King commanded to take weapon against them forbidding to permit any Spaniard to land this is the truth go not then about to make of stocks stones neither to give us to understand things so contrarie to reason In this prevention the King of Scots shewed plainly that he knew the kindled and loftie minds of the Spaniards who if they had landed imitating the Goads of whom they descend though it had been under the title of peace they would soone have reacht the crowne not so much to depose the King as to become Lords of the whole world and to shew their greatnes and courage Now in fine he that will see cleerly who these glosers are let him behold what they say and be attentive to their speeches and he shall see their putrified harts laid open Saint Ambrose saith that most commonly the looking-glasse of the soule shineth in the words Saint Hierom saith that the words which issue foorth are the signes of that which remaineth within this is also asentence of Aristotle Saint Bernard saith that the mouth is a gate and servant of the hart Socrates saith that such as the man is such is his talke Themistocles compareth men that be silent unto pictures rold up and inclosed and those who talke and use speech to pictures spred abroad and laid open If thou wilt know what pictures there are in a linnen cloth painted in Flaunders spread it abroad would you know whereof the hart of a man is painted be conversant with him What need we more Christ our Saviour saith that Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh and that by our words we shall be justified or condemned Well knowen and manifestly do the writers of these letters shew heere their want of charitie and as to the sonnes of leazings it may be said unto them You have the Divell for your father This seemeth unto me like that which we reading the sacred Scripture where the incontinent mistresse of chaste Ioseph condemned him of incontinencie and the proud Hebrewes condemned divine Moses of pride and the unruly Absolon reprehended David of ill government and the mischievous Rabshaketh living by deceit accused the innocent king Hezechiah of deceit Even so the writers of these fabulous letters they being the vanquished publish themselves victors and the Englishmen by the divine favor being conquerors they accuse them for vanquished and they being those that disquiet this kingdome and make war against it lay the fault upon the Scottish men publishing them for our enimies and that they tooke armes against English men and they being the swift inventors of these novelties so false they accuse the Governor of Roan of an inventor and lightnes and the like they lay
feare at all no force nor Spanish mightie arme But with boldnes valor and force that is seldome seene regarding them in nought to foe they set their breast And with fewer men and ships to sea themselves commit determind all to die before they flie a foote And like to Tygres fierce and Lions fraught with ire they presse unto the fight armed with armor brave And this determination perceived by the foe they flie like little conie before the cruel graiehound And better for to flie they hoise sailes and cut cables and of their treasure rich yeeld part unto the sea They flie without all order like soldiers yoong and rawe some heere some there as best may serve their turne And the nobles of England do follow at their heeles chasing and charging glorie and honor they gaine Winning from them their ships and captiving their men returning with great victorie unto their English Ile Whereas they land with joie their banners brave advanst and with heavenly musicke their trumpets sound aloud Crieng with voice most shrill long live our royall Queene live live and God preserve hir from all forraine foes That all hir subjects true may long hir grace enjoie and that almightie God augment hir lands and state Then all the spoile which in the war they gained have they offer it unto the Lord their triumph and their joie And in the church they yeeld him thanks as is their due for so great grace on them bestowed so free Sundrie songs they sing to him and Davids Psalmes in verse which lives for ever and ever and raignes without all end FINIS The translator to the same effect VVHen from the Hesperian bounds with warlike bands the vowed fo-men of this happie Ile with martiall men drawne foorth from many lands gan set their saile on whom the winds did smile the rumors ran of conquest war and spoile and haplesse sacke of this renowmed soile From foorth his chanels glide the Ocean gasd To see the furrowing keeles beate on his breast And Thetis wept hir tides as one amasde To see hir watrie bosome overprest The spreading pendents and the flags from far With braieng trumps so threaten balefull war Dictimne wakened by their bitter threats Armd with hir tooles and weapons of defence Shaking hir launce for inward passion sweates Driving the thought of woonted peace from hence And gliding through the circute of the aire Vnto Elisas pallace did repaire As when the flames amidst the fields of corne With hidious noise awakes the sleepie swaine So do hir threatnings seldome heard beforne Reviue the warlike courtiers harts againe So foorth they presse since Pallas was their guide And boldly saile upon the Ocean glide The Admirall with Lion on his creast Like to Alcides on the strond of Troy Armd at assaie to battell is addreast The sea that sawe his frownes waxt calme and coy As when that Neptune with three forkedmase For Trojans sake did keepe the winds in chase De-Vere whose fame and loyaltie hath pearst The Tuscan clime and through the Belgike lands By winged Fame for valor is rehearst Like warlike Mars upon the hatches stands His tusked Bore gan fome for inwarde ire While Pallas fild his breast with warlike fire Percy whose fame the northren Albane kings With bleeding creast report and publish foorth Prest then in place him Pallas armor brings And bids him boldly to avowe his woorth Laieng hir lip upon his Ivorie browe Enjoining Fate his fortunes to allow A-downe his shoulders hang his ambar locks Like Phoebus golden tresses feately spread Manly he stands to bide the Spaniards shocks Awarlike helmet fixt upon his head May Aesculapius with his cunning charmes Preserve the toward Lord from future harmes Next him the matchlesse Clifford shakes his sword Like to Alcides faire Alcmenas sonne His lookes are sterne his locks do feare affoord Within his breast doth manly courage woone Vpon his crest the dragon list to frowne Empald and compast with a golden crowne On sodaine gan haught Howard presse in place His argent lion couched at his feete Oft lookt he backe and from his honored face The trickling teares dropt downe so ambar sweete That faire Elisa viewing of his will Avowd my Howard will be faithfull still Seymor the chiefetaine next supplied his roume A wreath of Baie his temples did adorne His arme to war Minerva first did dombe His pen by proofe brought forraine stiles in scorne Phoebus so shine upon his courage now As each his skill and poems do allow What neede I write of Brooke or Gorges praise Of Hattons will of Dudleys skill in armes Of Gerards hope of Cicils haught assaies Of Darcies power of Harvies hot alarmes Of Rawleighs art of Caries skill in lance Of haught Horatios stately checke of chance From foorth the Oxens tract to courtly state I see the treasure of all Science come Whose pen of yore the Muses stile did mate Whose sword is now unsheathd to follow drumbe Parnassus knowes my Poet by his looke Charles Blunt the pride of war and friend of booke Moorne not thou matchlesse parragon of war In these descriptions to be placed last Thy glories take their essence from a far Haught Drake himselfe the brunt of war hath past Ynough to arme these nobles to the deed Whilst matchlesse thou command advise and lead Helpe Muses now with fruitefull lines to note This warlike worke the fleets are both in sight The canons rore makes ring the trembling flote The armies ioine and grapple to the fight As he that sees the windes with bitter blast The stately towers in winter time to taste Nought sounds or ecchoeth in the woondring aire But noise of death and dreadfull drirement As when the sons of Cham sought heavens repaire Ech neighboring regions heares of languishment Thus opened Pandoras boxe of scath That fild the seas with bloud with spoiles and wrath At last the heavens gan cleare the foes gan flie Iehovahs hand assisted Englands right Our thankefull peeres lift up their hands on hie Avowing still in countries cause to fight Blessing our God that on his people spreads His grace and heapes his ire on envious heads And home returnd the dastard Spaniards gon They humbly bend at faire Elisas feete Whose praiers meane while had piersd the heavenly throne Ech one with dutie do their Princes meete Whiles midst their joie true peace gan soone returne Intending with Zabetha to sojorne Long maist thou rest sweete Nymph within hir bowre Whilest forraine countries woonder at hir wit That swaies hir Scepter with a matchlesse power Sweete muse now cease though scarsely wakened yet That when hir fame by vertues conquest shines Thou maist eternize hir within thy lines FINIS Esdras 4. Psal 119. * The word Drago which signifieth a Dragō made the Author thus to run upon Draque whom the Spaniards doo not let to call also Drago Luke 11. * Save such as he left kindled before his going Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Aristotle Hierom. Mar. Tu. Pericles Plutarch Aul. Gel. Bruson Publius Rutilius Ho ho master lier not too fast I pray you for 40. is much at one clap for them to take which stil ran away Iam. 4. Exod. 14. Judith 16. No lie Prov. 27. * Heerin they shew their pretence if they had had their will Psal 5. 1. Cor. 6. Psal 34. Matth. 12. Gen. 39. Num. 16. 2. King 15. 4. King 18. Mundanorum mundo gratiarum actio A thanksgiving of worldlings to the world a The virgin in hir song calling God hir Savior confesseth to be a sinner b There passed no such thing in England it was at sea c False witnes is no proofe d An error to call on anie saving Christ of whom Saint Paul saith we have an advocate with the father Christ Iesus e Bicause they came not in the service of God but to distroy his Church f The Armie was not vnder the government of Sir Francis Drake but under the Lord high Admirall a To flie b Assaulting the Spanish c They of the Galliasse threw themselves into the sea without boats to escape ashoare d There are no Dukes in England Luc. 3. 3. King 12. 4. King 10. Gen. 11. Exod. 23. Exod. 34. Ioshua 6. Ioshua 8. Deut. 6. 2. Kings 20. Iud. 16. Num. 33. Psal 141. * My author is a Spanyard and therfore whatsoever you thinke or know to the contrary yet you must beare with his parenthesis in this point Mat. 2. 4. King * I thinke he meaneth the posie of the gatter * The Ladie of the sea * The goddesse of war * Vnder the name of Elisa is ment our gratious Queene Elizabeth L. Admirall Earle of Oxford Earle of Northumberland * God of Physicke Earle of Cumberlād * Hercules the sonne of Iupiter and Alcmena L. Thomas L. Honrie M. Henrie Brooke M. Gorge Sir William Hatton L. Dudley M. Gerard. Sir Thomas Cicill M. William Cicill M. Darcie M. R. Harvie Sir Walter Rawleigh M. Robart Carie. * Oxford Sir Charles Blunt Sir Francis Drake * Goddesse of discorde * Peace
shall be easier for you than to becom a Chronicler A Chronicler ought to consider what he saith and of whom to write the certaintie and to follow the truest authors and of most credit You Sen̄or Gamarra observe none of all these If thou didst consider the valor of the Queenes Majestie hir courage and greatnes thou wouldest not dare to publish such falshoods And knowe that it is such and so much that for not being able to utter it I thinke it better to keepe it silent than to come short therein for that I should need for such a purpose not one Angelicall toong but a thousand To compare hir with Hester for humilitie in compassion to an Abigail in prudencie and valor to a Debora and in courage to a Iudith Notwithstanding of that little light which I have gotten of hir valor I will make you partaker and so accept of these poore verses made with a greater love and good will than with knowledge or art Praieng you that sith you are resident in Andwerpe in the affaires of the Malvendas that you write no more such fained letters using for excuse to date them from Roan SONET GReat Elizabeth whose fame at this day From thone to thother poale is spred so and knowne By having incountred fierce Mars in his way That now not a God his Godhead is flowen The glorious deeds which the world had raised To the highest roome when viewing thy acts Start backe and gave place as things all amazed Vndoing the done and hiding their facts To say that thou doest surpasse and excell All the whole world thy battels and deeds Do say now the same thy standerds it tell To search for antiquities which proove now but weeds Is for to go warme us by smoke of wet strawe Thou winnest more glorie than yet any sawe The copie of a letter which Pedro de Alva a Spanish marchant wrote from Roan unto Spaine the first of September 1588. I Write no newes of the Spanish Armada for that they be varieng and I desirous to write nothing but truth Nowe by newes which run from many places from Callis Deepe Holland by some presupposings from England and other places it is held for a matter most certaine that they have fought with the English spoiled suncke many of them and taken others and that the rest reported to be 27. ships are retourned spoiled to the river of London being al that could escape With this post there goeth one from George Seguin of Callis who saith that Masters and mariners of Zeland have affirmed to the governor of Callis Monseur de Gordan that the Armada is in a port or river of Scotland called Triffla where they saie there may ride two thousand ships this is the common report The Answer WE would have highly esteemed you Sen̄or Pedro de Alva and I would say the dog had not bitten you had you contented your selfe with the first words of your letter where you said I write no newes of the Spanish Armada for that they be varieng and I desirous to write nothing but truth without passing any farther that it might not have bin seen how ful of blots you have your understanding you say that you are a friend to soundnes and truth and an enimie to varietie and immediately you shew proofes to the contrary written with your hand and firmed with your name Such a thing is called in good Spanish a pressed follie pardon me heerein bicause the love I beare you and the respect due to your graie haires urgeth me to speake so plainelie And though my wordes scald you yet I passe not for if you remember the saieng of Salomon Better are the wounds of him that loveth thee then the false kisses of him that abhorreth thee You would not take in ill part my maner of speech But for that I know you to be sound and a friend of truth I will briefely informe you of the certaintie and such as is devoid of doubt For though time hath sufficiently shewed thee the contrarie of that whereunto thou firmedst according as you are massie sound and waightie it shall be well to recount it you yea and with hammer and naile to beate it into your head The truth then is that assoone as it was knowne in this kingdome of the comming of the Spanish Armada the noble Lord Charles Howard Lord high Admirall went foorth with his navie who reparted the saide into sundry squadrons according as time and place afforded at times making two squadrons and then three and more or lesse as was fittest for the purpose to fight and defend themselves without cumbring one another In this order they went defending their ports wherein they not onely observed hir Majesties order but there was also seen the valor in fight of the L. high Admirall who is a man not onely sufficient to rule and governe such a Navie as this of England is but if all the Christian princes of the worlde should joine make by a loving union an Armada against the Infidels they might well trust and commit the same to his Honors government and I doubt that there shall be any found more woorthy For though it be true that there are some to be found in Christendome most fit for such a charge yet none so much nor repleat with so many vertues for what is reparted amongst others is wholie in him You have in the world soldiers ripe in giving counsell others to fight and others to governe c. But manie of these are gamestars backbiters blasphemers ill Christians But in the Lord Admirall is the feare of God Christianitie science government knowledge practise policie justice forecast agilitie assaulting perseverance courage chollor patience and suffering with many other graces These are things not found in all men So that then the English Armada to be governed as is said was by the order of hir Majestie and the performance and industrie of this Lord. Observing this order the Duke of Medina durst not assault thē dreading the hurt which might ensue notwithstāding his Armada was more puissant greater ships stronger and more in number men though I beleeve not in Artillery The Spanish Armada thē entred the mouth of the chanel and the English followed by little little and tarrieng the oportunity to worke the effect and what befell afterwards I wil not detaine my selfe in recounting it aske it of Don Pedro de Valdes when you see him there who lost his ship with 400. men yeelding to Sir Francis Drake having so fewe men that for the honor of the Spanish nation I name not the nūber You may also informe your self of Don Diego Piementel which was lost with 500. men and of Don Francisoode Toledo which was lost with so many more within the sight of Newport though it be true that he saved himselfe with thirtie soldiers in the skiffe the ship and the rest perishing where none would succour thē if this suffice not thē enquire
confounded confounded Lord of Babaloth Heaven and earth are void of the workes of thy glorie The glorious companie of divines dispraise thee The goodly societie of Phisitions dispraise thee The noble armie of Philo sophers dispraise thee Everie schoole throughout the world doth knowledge thee The father of the povertie of minde to be Thy counterfeit and enormous colledge to be reprobate Also thine evill spirit Thou art the king of vaine glorie Thou art the everlasting son of pride When thou tookest upon thee to governe the church thou disorderedst the world Thou by an injoined oth of death hast shut the kingdome of heaven to all that beleeve thee Thou sittest at the right had of the divel in the pain of Lucifer Thou art beleeved that thou shalt come to be judged Wee therefore praie thee helpe thy colledges which thou hast cast away by cōtentious fury Make them to be numbred with thy fellowes in fire everlasting O Lord condemn this papacy And curse his inheritage Subdue him and cast him downe for ever Day by day ô pope we curse thee We dispraise thy name ever world without end Vouchsafe ô Lord that daie this sinner to condemne O Lord have no mercy upon him have no mercy upon him O Lord let thy curse lighten upon him as we have trusted in thee O Lord against thee hath he sinned let him for ever be confounded An answer to the songs of Christovall Bravo of Cordova blinde of bodie and soule in praise of the victorie which the Spanish Armada had against the English the yeere of our Lord God 1588 The first song O Emperour most high Iesus Christ consecrate Sonne of the virgine pure without sin begat Which wouldest for our sin suffer and die vpon the crosse whipt crowned and hung on hie Give me thy grace thou crowned king of kings to sing and recount these memorable things Which in England past as told I have beene and thou blessed virgine divine-garden and Queene Of Christ get me favor sith he is thy son that my toong may well end what I have begon Since our Armada went foorth as is prooved at last from the citie of Lishborne in May that is past Sailing with diligence care and all speede passing by the Groine a good harborough at need Heere begin the plagues of Egypt And after fewe daies great stormes there arose that unto the Groine the fleete againe gose Pharao his hart is hardned And the three and twentie of Iulie this yeere yet in hand they purpose to prosecute their voiage began Now begin the lies The second of August the Armada of Drake that pestilent man towards ours did make A lie On whom ours set with courage not thought and straight seven twenty to the bottom were brought And fower more without yards there were staid when all the rest fled they were so afraid Towards Dover in haste as written I found to enter the Thames their fortune so fround to live in their harbrough more safe and more sound The Answer to the first Song BLinde foole lier unbaptized and scald why thus devoid of feare on Christ hast thou cald To give and repart of his bountifull glorie to thee the treasure of his grace thou unhollie Saieng thou wilt sing a matter strange and true which was a loud lie as everie man knew Proclaiming dog truths yet sellest thou lies giving victorie to the vanquisht and the victors despies Abasing the victor and exalting the slaine And the glorie of England thou givest to Spaine Monster of nature borne in some lake mongst flags the sonne of a toade or a snake Lucifer thy father and Sathan thy brother a vassall of hell Leasings thy mother Thou wantest thy three powers and in steed thou hast got lieng and blindnes and of asses braines a pot I call thee Lope the Vylde blinde asse and dolt Ram ape parret munckie and colt Oystridge and ape clad in a coate of greene and sundry colours thy lightnes to note Mutinous perverse shamelesse in all things enemie to see peace amongst Christian kings Saie how durst thou sing the king of Spaine had destroide the English Navie and yet he the annoid Thou infamest thy woorthy king and dispisest his decree thou overthrowest his crowne scepter and degree And tell me bold bayard more fowle then horse gall why such words thou usest gainst a soldier so tall As is Sir Francis Drake of Gods temple a prop a defender of faith and to Britaine a hoape Of whom the universall trembles at his name the Indies for witnes can speake of his fame Galicia Cales San. Domingo Cartagena fear him at this day San. Augustine Santiago and the fierce Ocean sea The duke of Medina feard and durst not abide him Valdes that fled not may saie how he tride him He lost his strong ship and his soldiers stout but he lost not his honor by fighting it out They blind who blindfold fled are of thy side whose ships are lost displanckt and opened wide Who came out of the Groine in month of Iulie last of munition full of men powder shot and good repast These are the lost the English have the best for God was on their side who now doth give them rest The end of the answer to the first song The blinde mans second song wherein he prosecuteth his untruthes and injuries AFter the great battell was ended as before the second of August a fight most fierce and sore Our Armada retired to place most apt and meet to know if any hurt had chanced to our fleet One ship alone was mist which burned was at sea by slight regard hard mishap and lucklesse daie But all the men were saved and not a man was lost and other harme was none for that was all and most And on the sixt daie of month I named last our Armada going on thorow narrow chanell past And so did the contrarie proceed the selfe same way as neere unto England as either of them may And the English thought the wind of us to get but God would it not so their purpose he did let And when the darkesome night was come upon the skie the adverse part prepard at anker where they lie Eight ships all burning bright which seemed to the view ech ship of them a hell all what I sing is true Of powder full and stones with timber huge and great with engens many more which I can not repeat That they on our Armada at unawares might drive to burne our ships and men not leaving one alive But he the king of Heaven which rules the world wide permitted not theffect their treazons put a side For he inspirde our Duke of that his foe had wrought and then the prudent Duke to prevent the treason sought Or else they burnt must be wherefore the Duke doth send and wils each man his cable cut and all away to wend Vnto the sea where larger scoape they had his grace did so command which made
them also glad Every one did goe the way that he thought best and then the flaming ships came burning from the rest They came with loftie pride with fire which they brought but our Armada gone behind they leaving nought And their pretended ill on us tooke no effect for all their hidden harme in vaine flew up direct Now all this past and donne and that the night was spent and the resplendent Pheb his beames abroad had sent There blew a pleasant gale great joie unto all but chiefely our Armada did need it most of all So came the adverse ships that were not far behind and at this very time as fortune had assignd Both Armadas went with power and courage braue by a chanell straight made by the brackish wave And in the sight of Dunkerck appeerd another fleet and the gallion S. Martine for the duke a ship so meet Knew that they were of England the fleet which all descrie and all the rest do know them to by flag that stands on hie And in this sort they sailed on their waie untill the twelfth of August after which said daie Befell as heerafter my pen shall you declare that day into Callis a ship arrived there Which said they sawe togither the two Armadas fierce and after hir another ship which did the same rehearse And that he sawe much stuffe and riches cast in sea and that in boates to shore the English ran away To save themselves from harme which came on them so fast and then the thirteenth day more newes there came in haste From the kingdome of England most certaine and most sure by our spies and toongs which there for us endure That fifteene of their ships were sent unto the ground and that the Gallion wherein our duke was found Called the Sant Martine which is hir proper name had grappled with the ship wherein the great theefe came Cald Francis Drake who brought in his consort of all the men of England those of the highest sort Marqueses Dukes Counts and men of honor great and our great duke him tooke and did him ill intreat And then towards Scotland bicause he thought it well he went with winde in poupe as I do heare tell These lordings are the newes which hitherto we know of the estate of war that this our church doth follow Beseeche we Iesus blessed Marie divine to give us victorie for she can do it fine And preserve our great mornarch Don Phillip of Spaine and give us his grace and glorie for that must be our gaine The end of the second song The Answer BY sayeng the furious sea and Phebus shining bright by calling policie treason which is not so in fight A blind dolt and foole a foole in highest degree doth now become a Poet his verse that we may see A perfect Iewe by due descent borne in Cordova which is a Citie in the kingdome of Andaluzia And to give us to understand that verse he could devise he writs in ragged rime approoved filthy lies And singeth them in streets with musicke in his laies the people clapping hands then in his song he saies After the great battle was ended as before the second of August a fight most fierce and sore How much better mightest thou say unprofitable blind sith that there was no battaile but flying with the wind After that our Armada the English had descride they began themselves to lighten and fast away they hied Cables cut and sailes they hoise to scape awaie with vita their backs they turne to death the soldiers of Medina While Charles and his many to death do turne their breast like valiant stout champions brought up in Mars his nest And there like men couragious esteeming life in little preferring first their honor before a thing so brittle The duke flies Drake followes by order that he had of Charles the great Admirall whose sight the Drake did glad With whose onely presence Drakes valor did increase doing immortall deeds which I cannot rehearse And so the woorthy Drake like eagle high that laie closing his two wings fals downe upon his praie In this same maner and sort on Spainyard he laieth load he closeth up his wings his tallons are abroad The tallons that he opens are courage and attempt his closed wings are feare from which he is exempt His wings he doth resigne his tallons serve him best wherewith he takes or kils all them that do resist Let Valdes heerof be witnes and those with him that were also Don George Manrique which fled away for feare The Sant Phillip and S. Mathew ships of great account and all those who ruled them whose fame in Spain did mount If such be Drakes valor why then thou toong of snake dost thou defame for theefe and of no account him make But he that is base can never defame the valorous man nor yet the coward the bold nor king the rustick swaine If thou this hadst knowne thou wouldst not be so bold so openly to speake and such foule lies have told The good tree good fruite doth yeeld with blossoms faire gaie the ill yeelds none but leaves wormes and webs alwaie Thou art an evill tree thy roote all rotten lies the fruits that come from thee are false and shameles lies The English Navie to be overcome I saie it is a lie thou liest in saieng in boats the English then did flie Thou liest in calling theefe him that deserves so much and him that by his courage hath gotten honor such Thou liest in saieng you tooke prisoners that same day fourteene English ships and all they brought to sea Thou liest both loud and lowe at first and in the midst thou liest all in all thou liest in all thou didst Dogs eate thy toong the ants eate thine eares hungrie ravens eate thy guts as hellish griffen teares Thy head uppon a gibbet in heat and whorie frost let stand in desert place like one forlorne and lost Thy hands chopt off aliue thy feete and yeke thy knees thy shoulders all bewhipt thy belly burnt and thies The rest of thy members consumde to dust and Ashe the eies which thou dost want let them remaine as trash The end of the Answer to the second song The Author yelds the reasons that mooved him to answere matters so fabulous and base LEast anie man should blame me for imploieng my pen in answering matters so base as are these five letters and especially the blind mans songs and should saie that it had bin better imploied in matters of greater moment Not gainsaieng him that shall thus correct me I give him to understand that the good tennis plaier labors as much and useth as great diligence to reach that ball which commeth aloft in the aire as for that which commeth close by the grounde So that neither for the height it passeth from his sight neither for the lownes it escapeth him the consideration of this comparison hath lifted up my minde not to