the guarding of his Coasts and securing of his Trade and though there was little fear of any Fleet from England to impeach him besides this in the Indies yet because he would shew his greatness and satisfie the Portugal of the care he had in preserving their Carrecks he sent the Count of Feria a young Nobleman of Portugal who desired to gain Experience with 20 Ships to the Islands but the Carrecks did as they used to do in many other years miss both Islands and Fleets and arrived at Lisbon safely The other Fleets of the King of Spain in the Indies consisted of 24 Ships their General Don Bernardino de Villa nova an approved Coward as it appeared when he came to encounter the English Fleet but his Defects were supplied by the Valor of his Vice-admiral who behaved himself much to his Honor His Name was John Garanay The Earl of Essex and the Lord Admiral of England Generals equally both by Sea and Land Anno 1596. Ships Commanders The Repulse The Earl of Essex Capt. under him The Ark-royal Sir Will. Monson The Mere-honor The Lord Admiral Capt. under him The Warspite Ames Preston The Lyon The Lord Thomas Howard The Rainbow Sir Walter Rawleigh The Nonperil Sir Robert Southwell The Vauntguard Sir Francis Vere The Mary Rose Sir Robert Dudley The Dreadnought Sir John Wingfield The Swiftsuer Sir George Carew The Quittance Sir Alexander Clifford The Tremontary with several others Sir Robert Crosse  Sir George Clifford  Sir Robert Mansfield  Capt. King THE first of June 1596. we departed from Plymouth and our Departure was the more speedy by reason of the great pains care and industry of the 16 Captains who in their own Persons labored the Night before to get out some of their Ships riding at Catwater which otherwise had not been easily effected The Third we set Sail from Cansom Bay the Wind which when we weighed was at West and by South instantly cast up to the North East and so continued untill it brought us up as high as the North Cape of Spain and this fortunate beginning put us in great hopes of a lucky Success to ensue We being now come upon our Enemies Coast it behoved the Generals to be vigilant in keeping them from Intelligence of us who therefore appointed the Litness the True Love and the Lion's Whelp the three chief Sailors of our Fleet to run a Head suspecting the Spaniards had some Carvels of Advice out which they did usually send to discover at Sea upon any Rumor of a less Fleet than this was made ready in England No Ship or Carvel escaped from us which I hold a second Happiness to our Voyage For you shall understand hereafter the Inconvenience that might have happened upon our Discovery The 10th of June the said three Ships took three Fly-Boats that came from Cadiz 14 days before by them we understood the State of the Town and that they had no suspition of us which we looked on as a third Omen of our good Fortune to come The 12th of June the Swan a Ship of London being commanded as the other three to keep a good way off the Fleet to prevent discovery she met with a Fly-boat which made Resistance and escaped from her This Fly-boat came from the Streights bound Home who discovering our Fleet and thinking to gain Reputation and Reward from the Spaniards shhaped her Course for Lisbon but she was luckily prevented by the John and Francis another Ship of London commanded by Sir Marmaduke Darrel who took her within a League of the Shore and this we may account a fourth Happiness to our Voyage The first as hath been said was for the Wind to take us so suddainly and to continue so long For our Souldiers being Shipped and in Harbor would have consumed their Victuals and have been so pester'd that it would have endangered a Sickness amongst them The Second was the taking all Ships that were seen which kept the Enemy from Intelligence The Third was the intercepting of the Fly-Boats from Cadiz whither we were bound who assured us our coming was not suspected which made us more careful to hail from the Coast than otherwise we should have been They told us likewise of the daily expectation of the Gallions to come from St. Jacar to Cadiz and of the Merchant-men that lay there and were ready bound for the Indies These Intelligences were of great moment and made the Generals presently to contrive their business both by Sea and Land which otherwise would have taken up a longer time after their coming thither and whether all men would have consented to attempt their Ships in Harbor if they had not known the most part of them to consist of Merchants I hold very doubtful The Fourth and fortunatest of all was the taking of the Fly-boat by the John and Francis which the Swan let go For if she had reached Lisbon she had been able to make report of the number and greatness of our Ships and might have endangered the loss of the whole Design she seeing the course we bore and that we had passed Lisbon which was the place the Enemy most suspected and made there his greatest preparation for Defence But had the Enemy been freed of that doubt he had then no place to fear but Andulozia and Cadiz above the rest which upon the lest warning might have been strengthened and we put to great Hazard he might also have secured his Ships by towing them out with Gallies and howsoever the Wind had been might have sent them into the Streights where it had been in vain to have pursued them or over the Bar of St. Lucar where it had been in vain to have attempted them And indeed of the good and ill of Intelligence we had had sufficient experience formerly Of the good in 1588. For how suddainly had we been taken and surprized when it we lest suspected had it not been for Captain Flemming Of the ill in the year before this by the Spaniards taking a Barque of Sir Francis Drake's Fleet which was the Occasion of the Overthrow of himself and the whole Action The 20th of June we came to Cadiz earlier in the morning than the Masters made reckoning of Before our coming thither it was determined in Council that we should land at St. Sebastians the Westermost part of the Land and thither came all the Ships to an Anchor every man preparing to land as he was formerly directed but the Wind being so great and the Sea so grown and four Gallies lying too to intercept our Boats there was no attempting to land there without the hazard of all This day was spent in vain in returning Messengers from one General to another and in the end they were forced to resolve upon a Course which Sir William Monson Captain under my Lord of Essex advised him to the same morning he discovered the Town which was to surprize the Ships and to be possessors of the Harbor before
Squadron two days after us the 10th of August where he found the Army in that perfect Health as the like hath not been seen for so many to go out of England to such great Enterprises and so well to return home again He himself rid up to the Court to advise with her Majesty about the winning of Callis which the Spaniards took the Easter before Here was a good opportunity to have re-gained the Ancient Patrimony of England but the French King thought he might with more ease re-gain it from the Spaniard who was his Enemy than recover it again from us who were his Friends My Lord Admiral with the Fleet went to the Downs where he landed and left the Charge of the Navy to Sir Robert Dudley and Sir William Monson In going from thence to Chatham they endured more foul Weather and contrary Winds than in the whole Voyage besides A Voyage to the Islands the Earl of Essex General Anno 1597. Ships Commanders The Mere-honor The Earl of Essex Capt. under him After in the Repulse Sir Robert Mansell The Lyon The Lord Thomas Howard The Warspite Sir Walter Rawleigh The Garland The Earl of Southampton The Defiance The Lord Mountioy The Mary Rose Sir Francis Vere The Hope Sir Richard Lewson The Matthew Sir George Carew The Rainbow Sir Will. Monson The Bonaventure Sir Will. Harvey The Dreadnought Sir Will. Brooke The Swiftsuer Sir Gilly Merick The Antelope Sir John Gilbert he went not The Nonperil Sir Tho. Vavasor The St. Andrew Capt. Throgmorton HER Majesty having Knowledge of the King of Spain's drawing down his Fleet and Army to the Groyn and Ferrol with an intent to enter into some Action against Her and that notwithstanding the loss of thirty six Sail of his Ships that were cast away upon the North Cape in their coming thither He prepared with all possible means to revenge the Disgraces we did him the year last past at Cadiz Her Majesty likewise prepared to defend her self and fitted out the most part of her Ships for the Sea but at length perceiving his Drift was more to afright than offend her though he gave it it out otherwise because she should provide to resist him at home rather than to annoy him abroad She was unwilling the great Charges she had been at should be bestowed in vain and therefore turned her Preparations another way than that for which she first intended them The Project of this Voyage was to assault the King of Spain's Shipping in the Harbor of Ferrol which the Queen chiefly desired to do for her own Security at home and afterwards to go and take the Islands of Tercera and there to expect the coming home of the Indian Fleet. But neither of these two Designs took that effect which was expected For in our setting forth the same day we put to Sea we were taken with a most violent Storm and contrary Winds and the General was seperated from the Fleet and one Ship from another so that the one half of the Fleet were compelled to return home and the rest that kept the Sea having reached the Coast of Spain were commanded home by order of the Lord General Thus after their return they were to advise upon a new Voyage finding by their Ships and Victuals they were unable to perform the former Whereupon it was thought convenient all the Army should be discharged for the prolonging of the Victuals except a thousand of the prime Souldiers of the Low Countries which were put into her Majesties Ships that they might be the better prepared if they should chance to encounter the Spanish Fleet. Thus the second time they departed England though not without some danger of the Ships by reason of the Winter 's near approach The first Land in Spain we fell withal was the North Cape the place whither our Directions led us if we happened to lose Company being there descried from the Shore and not above 12 Leagues from the Groyn where the Spanish Armado lay We were in good hopes to have enticed them out of the Harbor to fight us but spending some time thereabouts and finding no such Disposition in them it was thought fit no longer to linger about that Coast lest we should lose our opportunity upon the Indian Fleet therefore every Captain received his Directions to stand his Course into 36 Degrees there to spread our selves North and South it being a heighth that commonly the Spaniards sail in from the Indies At this time the Lord General complained of a Leak in his Ship and two days after towards midnight he brought himself upon the Lee to stop it Sir Walter Rawleigh and some other Ships being a head the Fleet and it growing dark they could not discern the Lord General 's Working but stood their Course as before directed and through this unadvised working of my Lord they lost him and his Fleet. The day following Sir Walter Rawleigh was informed by a Pinnace he met that the great Armado which we supposed to be in the Groyn and Ferrol was gone to the Islands for the Guard of the Indian Fleet. This Pinnace with this Intelligence it gave us Sir Walter Rawleigh immediately sent to look out the General My Lord had no sooner received this Advice but at the very instant he directed his Course to the Islands and dispatched some small Vessels to Sir Walter Rawleigh to inform him of the suddain Alteration of his Course upon the News received from him commanding him with all Expedition to repair to Flores where he would not fail to be at our Arrival At the Islands we found this Intelligence utterly false For neither the Spanish Ships were there nor were expected there We met likewise with divers English men that came out of the Indies but they could give us no assurance of the coming home of the Fleet neither could we recive any Advertisement from the Shore which made us half in despair of them By that time we had watered our Ships and refreshed our selves at Flores Sir Walter Rawleigh arrived there who was willed by the Lord General after he was furnished of such Wants as that poor Island afforded to make his repair to the Island of Fayal which my Lord intended to take Here grew great Questions and Heart-burnings against Sir Walter Rawleigh For he coming to Fayal and missing the Lord General and yet knowing my Lord's Resolution to take the Island he held it more advisable to land with those Forces he had than to expect the coming of my Lord For in that space the Island might be better provided whereupon he landed and took it before my Lord's approach This Act was held such an Indignity to my Lord and urged with that Vehemence by those that hated Sir Walter that if my Lord though naturally kind and flexible had not feared how it would have been taken in England I think Sir Walter had smarted for it From this Island we went to Graciosa which did willingly relieve our Wants as
sprung upon her was forced to be cast off and the men with much difficulty recovered the Shore and saved their Lives The other being sent for England and tossed with contrary Winds was for want of Victuals forced into the Groyn where they rend'red themselves to the Enemies mercy The Spices were determined to be sent for England and a Ship appointed for that purpose with other Ships to guard her and Captain Monson was sent on Board her to the Islands of the Burlings with a Charge to see her dispatched for England But the other Ships not observing the Directions which were given them and the Night falling calm early in the Morning this scattered Ship was set upon by six Gallies and after a long and bloody Fight the Captain and the Principallest men being slain both Ship and Spices were taken but whether it was the respect they had to the Queen's Ship which was Admiral of that Fleet or Honor to my Lord that commanded it or Hope by good Usage of our men to receive the like again I know not but true it is that the ordinary men were treated with more Courtesie than they had been from the beginning of the Wars My Lord of Cumberland considering the Disasters that thus befell him and knowing the Spanish Fleet 's readiness to put out of Harbor but especially finding his Ship but ill of Sail it being the first Voyage she ever went to Sea he durst not abide the Coast of Spain but thought it more Discretion to return for England having as you have heard sent a Pinnace to my Lord Thomas with the Intelligence aforesaid A Voyage undertook by Sir Walter Rawleigh but himself returning left the Charge thereof to Sir Martin Forbisher Anno 1592. Ships Commanders by Sea Commander by Land The Garland Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir John Boroughs The Foresight with divers Merchants Ships Capt. Cross and others Sir Walter went not but Sir Martin Fobisher  SIR Walter Rawleigh who had tasted abundantly of the Queen's Love and found it now began to decline put himself upon a Voyage at Sea and drew unto him divers friends of great Quality and others thinking to have attempted some place in the West Indies and with this resolution he put out of Harbour but spending two or three days in fowl Weather Her Majesty was pleased to command his Return and to commit the Charge of the Ships to Sir Martin Forbisher who was sent down for that purpose but with an express Command not to follow the Design of the West Indies This suddain Alteration being known unto the rest of the Captains for the present made some Confusion as commonly it happens in all voluntary Actions Their General leaving them they thought themselves free in point of Reputation and at liberty to take what course they pleased Few of them therefore did submit themselves to the Command of Sir Martin Forbisher but chose rather each one to take his particular Fortune and Adventure at Sea Sir Martin with two or three other Ships repaired to the Coast of Spain where he took a Spaniard laden with Iron and a Portugal with Sugar He remained there not without some danger his Ship being ill of Sail and the Enemy having a Fleet at Sea Sir John Boroughs Captain Cross and another stood to the Islands where they met with as many Ships of my Lord of Cumberland's with whom they consorted After some time spent thereabouts they had sight of a Carreck which they chased but she recoverd the Island of Flores before they could approach her but the Carreck seeing the Islands could not defend her from the Strength and Force of the English chose rather after the men were got on Shore to fire her self than we the Enemy should reap Benefit by her The Purser of her was taken and by Threats compell'd to tell of another of their Company behind that had Order to fall with that Island and gave us such particular Advertisement that indeed she fell to be ours In the mean time Don Alonso de Bassan was furnishing at Lisbon 23 of those Gallions which the Year before he had when he took the Revenge he was directed with those Ships to go immediately to Flores to expect the coming of the Carrecks who had order to fall with that Island there to put on Shore divers Ordnance for strength'ning the Town and Castle Don Alonso breaking his Directions unadvisedly made his repair first to St. Michaels and there delivered his Ordnance before he arrived at Flores and in the mean time one of the Carrecks was burnt and the other taken as you have heard This he held to be such a Disreputation to him and especially for that it happened through his own Error and Default that he became much perplex'd and pursued the English 100 Leagues but in vain they being so far a Head The King of Spain being advertised of his two Carrecks mishap and the Error of Don Alonso though he had much favoured him before in respect of divers Actions he had been in with his Brother the Marquess of St. Cruz and for what he had lately performed by taking the Revenge Yet the King held it for such a Blemish to his Honor not to have his Instructions obeyed and observed that he did not only take from Don Alonso his Command but he lived and died too in Disgrace which in my Opinion he worthily deserved The Queens Adventure in this Voyage was only two Ships one of which and the least of them too was at the taking of the Carreck which title joyned with her Regal Authority she made such use of that the rest of the Adventures were fain to submit themselves to her Pleasure with whom she dealt but indifferently The Earl of Cumberland to the Coast of Spain Anno Dom. 1593. Ships Commanders The Lyon The Earl of Cumberland The Bonaventure and seven other Ships Capt. under him Capt. Monson Sir Edward Yorke THE Earl of Cumberland finding that many of his Voyages had miscarried through the Negligence or Unfaithfulness of those who were entrusted to lay in necessary Provisions and yet being incouraged by the good Success he had the last year obtained two of her Majesty's Ships and Victualled them himself together with seven others that did accompany them and arriving upon the Coast of Spain He took two French Ships of the League which did more than treble the Expence of his Voyage My Lord being one day severed from his Fleet it was his hap to meet with 12 Hulks at the same place where Captain Monson was taken the same day two years before He required that Respect from them that was due unto Her Majesties Ship which they peremptorily refused presuming upon the Strength of their 12 Ships against one only but they found themselves deceived For after two hours Fight he brought them to his Mercy and made them acknowledge their Error and not only so but they willingly discovered and delivered up to him a great quantity of Powder and
yet they were forc'd to quit them and to retire into the Castle My Lord at last in despite of the Enemy gained the Market place where he found greatest Resistance from the Houses thereabouts and where it was that that Worthy Gentleman Sir John Wingfield was unluckily slain The Lord General Essex caused it to be proclaimed by Beat of Drum through the Town that all that would yield should repair to the Town-House where they should have promise of Mercy and those that would not to expect no Favor The Castle desired Respite to consider untill the morning following and then by one general Consent they surrend'red themselves to the two Lord Generals Mercies The Chief Prisoners Men and Women were brought into the Castle where they remained a little space and were sent away with Honorable Usage The noble treating of the Prisoners hath gained an everlasting Honor to our Nation and the General 's in particular It cannot be supposed the Lord Generals had leisure to be idle the day following having so great business to consider of as the securing the Town and enjoying the Merchants Ships Wherefore for the speedier dispatch they had Speech with the best men of the City about the Ransom to be given for their Town and Liberties 120000 Duckets was the Summ concluded on and for Security thereof many of them became Hostages There was likewise an Overture for the Ransom of their Ships and Goods which the Duke of Medina hearing of rather than we should reap any profit by them he caused them to be fired We found by Experience that the destroying of this Fleet which did amount to the value of six or seven Millions was the general impoverishing of the whole Country For when the Pledges sent to Sevil to take up money for their Redemption they were answered that all the Town was not able to raise such a Summ their Loss was so great by the loss of their Fleet. And to speak truth Spain never received so great an Overthrow so great a Spoil so great an Indignity at our Hands as this For our Attempt was at his own Home in his Port that he thought as safe as his Chamber where we took and destroy'd his Ships of War burnt and consumed the Wealth of his Merchants sack'd his City ransomed his Subjects and entred his Country without Impeachment To write all Accidents of this Voyage wete too tedious and would weary the Reader but he that would desire to know the Behavior of the Spaniards as well as of us many confer with divers English men that were redeemed out the Gallies in exchange for others and brought into England After we had enjoyed the Town of Cadiz a Fortnight and our men were grown rich by the Spoil of it the Generals imbarqued their Army with an intent to perform greater Services before their Return but such was the Covetousness of the better Sort who were inriched there and the fear of Hunger in others who complained for want of Victuals as they could not willingly be drawn to any farther Action to gain more Reputation The only thing that was afterwards attempted was Pharoah a Town of Algarula in Portugal a place of no Resistance or Wealth only famous by the Library of Osorius who was Bishop of that place which Library was brought into England by us and many of the Books bestowed upon the new erected Library of Oxford Some Prisoners were taken but of small account who told us that the greatest Strength of the Country was in Lawgust the chief Town of Argarula twelve miles distant from thence because most part of the Gentlemen thereabouts were gone thither to make it good expecting our coming This News was acceptable to my Lord of Essex who preferred Honor before Wealth And having had his Will and the Spoil of the Town of Pharoah and Country thereabouts He Shipped his Army and took Council of the Lord Admiral how to proceed My Lord Admiral diverted his course for Lawgust alleadging the place was strong of no Wealth always held in the nature of a Fisher-Town belonging to the Portugals who in their Hearts were our Friends that the winning of it after so eminent a place as Cadiz could add no Honor though it should be carried yet it would be the Loss of his best Troops and Gentlemen who would rather to die than receive Indignity of a Repulse My Lord of Essex much against his Will was forc'd to yield unto these Reasons and desist from that Enterprise About this time there was a general Complaint for want of Victuals which proceeded rather out of a desire that some had to be at home than out of any necessity For Sir William Monson and Mr. Darrel were appointed to examine the Condition of every Ship and found seven weeks Victuals Drink excepted which might have been supplied from the Shore in Water and this put the Generals in great hope to perform something more than they had done The only Service that was now to be thought on was to lie in wait for the Carrecks which in all probability could not escape us though there were many Doubts to the contrary but easily answered by men of Experience But in truth some mens desire homeward were so great that no Reason could prevail with or persuade them Coming into the height of the Rock the Generals took Council once again and then the Earl of Essex and the Lord Thomas Howard offered with great earnestness to stay out the time our Victuals lasted and desired to have but 12 Ships furnished out of the rest to stay with them but this would not be granted though the Squadron of the Hollanders offered voluntarily to stay Sir Walter Rawleigh alleadged the scarcity of Victuals and the Infection of his Men. My Lord General Essex offered in the Greatness of his Mind and the Desire he had to stay to supply his want of Men and Victuals and to exchange Ships but all Proposals were in vain For the Riches kept them that got much from attempting more as if it had been otherwise pure want though not Honour would have enforced them to greater Enterprises This being the last Hopes of the Voyage and being generally withstood it was concluded to steer away for the North Cape and afterwards to view and search the Harbors of the Groyn and Ferrol and if any of the King of Spain's Ships chanced to be there to give an Attempt upon them The Lord Admiral sent a Carvel of our Fleet into these two Harbors and aparrelled the men in Spanish Cloaths to avoid Suspicion This Carvel returned the next day with a true Relation that there were no Ships in the Harbors And now passing all places where there was any hope of doing good our Return for England was resolved upon and the 8th of August the Lord Admiral arrived in Plymouth with the greatest part of the Army And the Lord General Essex who staid to accompany the St. Andrew which was under his Charge and reputed of his
the Carrecks and Mexico Fleet before they could join them But the Carrecks being formerly warned by the taking of one of them and burning of another in 1591. had ever since that year endeavored to shun the sight of that Island so that our Fleet being now prevented as they had often before been nothing being more uncertain than Actions at Sea where Ships are to meet one another casually they returned home having consumed time and Victuals to no purpose and seen not so much as one Sail from the time they quitted the Coast of England till their return two Ships of Holland excepted that came from the East Indies for then began their Trade thither which Ships Sir Richard Lewson relieved finding them in great distress and want Sir Richard Lewson into Ireland Anno 1601. Ships Commanders The Warsight Sir Richard Lewson The Garland Sir Amias Preston The Defiance Capt. Goer The Swiftsuer Capt. Sommers The Crane Capt. Mainwaring IN the Year 1600. and part of the Year 1601. there was a kind of cessation from Arms though not by agreement for this Year gave a hope of Peace which failing the former course of annoying each other was revived we in relieving the Low Countries the Spaniards in assisting the Rebels in Ireland This was the Summer that the Arch-Duke besieged Ostend which was bravely defended but principally by the Supplies out of England And towards Winter when the Spaniards thought we least looked for War Don Diego de Borachero with 48 Sail of Ships and 4000 Soldiers was sent to Invade Ireland In his way thither he lost the company of his Vice-Admiral Siriago who returned to the Groyn which when the King heard he was much distasted with Siriago and commanded him upon his Allegiance to hasten with all speed for Ireland as he was formerly directed Don Diego his Landing being known in England when it was too late to prevent it yet least he should be supplied with further Forces Sir Richard Lewson valiantly entred the Harbor drew near their Fortifications and fought the Enemy for the space of one whole day his Ship being an Hundred times shot through and yet but Eight men slain God so blest him that he prevailed in his Enterprize destroyed their whole Shipping and made Siriago fly by Land into another Harbor where he obscurely Imbarqued himself in a French Vessel for Spain All this while was the main Army which Landed with their General Don Juan de Aquila seated in Kinsale expecting the aid of Tyroen who promised every day to be with him Our Army commanded by the Lord Montjoy Lord Deputy of Ireland besieged the Town so that he prevented their meeting and many skirmishes past betwixt them The Siege continued with great miseries to both the Armies and not without cause considering the Season of the Year and the condition of the Country that afforded little relief to either some few days before Christmas Tyroen appeared with his Forces which was some little heartning to the Enemy in hopes to be freed of their Imprisonment for so may I call it they were so strictly beleagured The day of agreement betwixt the Spaniards and Tyroen was Christmas Eve on which day there happened an Earthquake in England and as many times such Signs prove aut bonum aut malum Omen this proved Fortunate to us the Victory being obtained with so little loss as it is almost incredible This was the day of Tryal whether Ireland should continue a parcel of our Crown or no for if the Enemy had prevailed in the Battel and a Treaty had not afterwards obtained more then Force it was to be feared Ireland would hardly have been ever recovered The Spaniards in Ireland seeing the success of Tyroen and the impossibility for him to re-inforce his Army being hopeless of supplies out of Spain and their Poverty daily increasing they made offers of a Parly which was granted and after ensued a Peace there The Conditions whereof are extant in Print They were furnished with Ships and secured of their Passage into Spain where arriving in English Vessels the Ships returned back for England Sir Richard Lewson and Sir William Monson to the Coast of Spain Anno 1602. Ships Commanders The Repulse Sir Richard Lewson Admiral The Garland Sir Will. Monson Vice-Admiral The Defiance Capt. Goer The Mary Rose Capt. Slingsby The Warspight Capt. Sommers The Nonperil Capt. Reynolds The Dreadnought Capt. Mainwaring The Adventure Capt. Trevor The English Carvel Capt. Sawkel THE last Attempt of the Spaniards in Ireland awakened the Queen who it seemeth for two or three Years together entertained the Hopes of Peace and therefore was sparing in setting forth her Fleets But now perceiving the Enemy had found the way into Ireland and that it behoved her to be more vigilant than ever she resolved as the safest course to infest the Spanish Coasts with a continual Fleet and in this year furnished the Ships aforesaid having Promise from the States of Holland to joyn to them twelve Sail of theirs and because this important Service required great speed she had not time enough to man them or supply them with Provisions altogether so well as they were usually wont to be but was content with what could be gotten in so short a warning so desirous was she to see her Ships at Sea Sir Richard Lewson set sail with five of them the 19th of March and left Sir William Monson behind with the other four to attend the coming of the Hollanders though within two or three days after Sir William received Command from the Queen to hasten with all speed to Sir Richard Lewson for that she was advertised that the Silver Ships were arrived at the Tercera's Sir William Monson hereupon neglected no time nor stayed either to see himself better Manned or his Ships better furnished but put to Sea the 26th of March This Intelligence of the Queen 's was true For the Plate Fleet had been at the Tercera's and departing from thence in their Course for Spain Sir Richard Lewson with his few Ships met them but to little purpose wanting the rest of his Fleet and the help of the 12 Hollanders We may very well account this not the least Error or Negligence that hath been committed in our Voyages For if the Hollanders had kept touch according to Promise and the Queen's Ships had been fitted out with Care we had made her Majesty Mistress of more Treasure than any of her Progenitors ever enjoyed Sir Richard Lewson's Design against the Indian Fleet notwithstanding his Renowned Valor being thus frustrated and by the Hollanders slackness crossed he plied towards the Rock to meet Sir William Monson as the place resolved on between them but Sir William having spent 14 days thereabouts and hearing no Tidings of him went round to the Southward Cape where he was likewise frustrated of a most promising Hope For meeting with certain French-men and Scots at the same instant he descried three Ships of ours sent by Sir Richard to
Children make you to disrelish and abandon all other delights and pleasures of the world in respect of the comfort and joy you receive by them Make account then that Somer is past and the melancholy Winter approacheth for a careful and provident Father cannot take delight in the world and provide for his Children For a conclusion I will recommend two principal Virtues to you the one is Secrecy the other Patience Secrecy is necessarily required in all especially publick persons for many times they are trusted with things the revealing whereof may cost them their lives and hinder the designs of their Masters It is a folly to trust any man with a secret that can give no assistance in the business he is trusted with Councellors of State and Generals of Armies of all other ought to be most secret for their designs being once discovered their Enterprizes fail Silence was so much esteemed among the Persians that she was adored for a Goddess The Romans kept their Expeditions so secret as that alone was a principal cause of their Victories But of all others trust not Women with a Secret for the weakness of their Sex makes them unsecret Be patient after the example of Job and you shall become a true Servant of God Patience deserveth to be painted with a Sword in her hand for she conquers and subdues all difficulties If you will take advantage of your Enemy make him cholerick and by patience you shall overcome him Marcus Aurelius being both Emperour and Philosopher confessed he attained not the Empire by Philosophy but by Patience What man in the world was ever so patient as our Saviour himself by following whose example his Ministers have converted more by their words then all the persecuting Emperours could deterr by rigour or cruelty of Laws The impatient man contests with God himself who giveth and taketh away at his good will and pleasure Let me good Son be your Patern of Patience for you can witness with me that the Disgraces I have unjustly suffered my Estate being through my misfortunes ruined my Health by imprisonments decayed and my Services undervalued and unrecompensed have not bred the least distaste or discontent in me or altered my resolution from my infancy that is I was never so base as to insinuate into any mans favour who was favoured by the times I was never so ambitious as to seek or crave Imployment or to undertake any that was not put upon me My great and onely comfort is that I served my Princes both faithfully and fortunately but seeing my Services have been no better accepted I can as well content my self in being a Spectator as if I were an Actor in the world Before I treat of the Sea I will shew what Laws Richard the First established in his Expedition by Sea which in some points are observed to this day 1. That whosoever should kill a man should be tied to him killed and thrown into the Sea with him 2. If any be killed on Land the party to be buried alive with him killed 3. Whosoever shall strike another and not draw bloud shall be duck'd three times at the Yards Arm. 4. Whosoever revileth or curseth another so often as he revileth shall pay an ounce of Silver 5. Whosoever draweth his Knife or draweth Bloud shall lose his Hand 6. Whosoever doth steal shall have his Head shorn and boiled Pitch poured upon it and Feathers strewed upon the same whereby he may be known and at the first Landing place he shall be towed on shore A Yearly Account of the English and Spanish Fleets which were set forth from the Year 1585 when the Wars with Spain first began untill the Year 1602 when King James made his happy Entrance into this Kingdom shewing the Designs Escapes and Errors on both English and Spanish sides with the Names of the Queens Ships and Commanders in every Expedition A Voyage of Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies Anno Dom. 1585. Ships Commanders The Elizabeth Bonaventure Sir Francis Drake The Ayde Capt. Forbisher  Capt. Carlee Lieutenant General by Land UPon the knowledge of the Imbargo made by the King of Spain in Anno 1585 of the English Ships Men and Goods found in his Country Her Majesty having no means to help or relieve her Subjects by friendly Treaty authorized such as sustained loss by the said Arrest to repair themselves upon the Subjects of the King of Spain and to that end gave them Letters of Reprisal to take and arrest all Ships and Merchandizes that they should find at Sea or elsewhere belonging to the Vassals of the said King Her Majesty at the same time to revenge the wrongs offered her and to resist the King of Spains Preparations made against her equipped a Fleet of 25 Sail of Ships and imployed them under the command of Sir Francis Drake as the fittest man by reason of his Experience and Success in sundry Actions It is not my intent to set down all the particulars of the Voyages treated of but the Services done and the Escapes and Oversights past as a warning to those that shall read them and to prevent the like Errors hereafter This Voyage of Sir Francis Drake being the first undertaking on either side for it ensued immediately after the Arrest of our Ships and Goods in Spain I will deliver my Opinion of it before I proceed any further One impediment to the Voyage was that to which the ill success of divers others that after followed is to be imputed viz. the want of Victuals and other necessaries fit for so great an Expedition for had not the Fleet by chance met with a Ship laden with Fish that came from New found Land which relieved their necessities they would have found themselves reduced to great extremity The Service that was performed in this Action was the taking and sacking Sancta Domingo in Hispaniola Cartagena in Terra firma and the Fonta aqua in Florida three Towns of great importance in the West Indies This Fleet was the greatest of any Nation but the Spaniards that had been ever seen in those Seas since the first discovery of them and if it had been as well considered of before their going from home as it was happily performed by the Valour of the Undertakers it had more annoyed the King of Spain than all other Actions that ensued during the time of the War But it seems our long Peace made us uncapable of advice in War for had we kept and defended those places being in our possession and provided to have been relieved and succoured out of England we had diverted the war from this part of Europe for at that time there was no comparison betwixt the strength of Spain and England by Sea by means whereof we might have better defended them and with more ease incroached upon the rest of the Indies than the King of Spain could have aided or succoured them But now we see and find by experience that those places
carry them alleadging that if the Indian Fleet came home that Year by computation of the last light Moon from which time their disimboguing in the Indies must be reckoned they could not be above 200 Leagues short of that Island and whensoever the Wind should chop up Westernly he bearing a slack Sail they would in a few days overtake him This Advice my Lord seemed to take but was diverted by divers Gentlemen who coming principally for Land Service found themselves tired by the tediousness of the Sea Certain it is if my Lord had followed his Advice within less than 40 hours he had made the Queen owner of that Fleet For by the Pilot's Card which was taken in the Frigat the Spanish Fleet was but 50 Leagues in traverse with that Eastern Wind when my Lord was at Flores which made my Lord wish the first time Sir William Monson repaired to him after the Escape of the Fleet that he had lost his Hand so he had been ruled by him Being met Aboard Sir Francis Vere we consulted what to do and resolved to acquaint my Lord with what had happened desiring his Presence with us to see if there were any possibility to attempt the Shipping or surprize the Island and so to possess the Treasure My Lord received this Advertisement just as he was ready with his Troops to have landed in St. Michaels but this Message diverted his Landing and made him presently cast about for the Islands of the Tercera's where we lay all this while expecting his coming In his Course from St. Michaels it was his hap to to take three Ships that departed the Havana the day after the Fleet Which three Ships did more than countervail the whole Voyage At my Lord's meeting with us at Tercera there was a Consultation how the Enemies Ships might be fetched off or destroyed as they lay but all men with one consent agreed the impossibility of it The attempting the Island was propounded but withstood for these reasons the difficulty in Landing the strength of the Island which was increased by fourteen or fifteen Hundred Souldiers in the Ships and our want of Victuals to abide by the Siege Seeing then we were frustrate of our Hopes at the Tercera we resolved upon landing in St. Michaels and arrived the day following at Punta Delgada the Chief City Here my Lord imbarqued his small Army in Boats with offer to Land and having thereby drawn the Enemies greatest Force thither to resist him suddainly he rowed to Villa Franca three or four Leagues distant from thence which not being defended by the Enemy he took The Ships had order to abide in the Road of Delgada for that my Lord made account to march thither by Land but being on Shore at Villa Franca he was informed that the March was impossible by reason of the high and craggy Mountains which diverted his purpose Victuals now grew short with us and my Lord General began discreetly to foresee the danger in abiding towards Winter upon these Coasts which could not afford him an Harbor only open Roads that were subject to Southern Winds and upon every Wind he must put to Sea for his safety He considered that if this should happen when his Troops were on Shore and he not able to reach the Land in a Fortnight or more which is a thing ordinary what a desperate case he should put himself into especially in so great a want of Victuals And so concluding that he had seen the end of all his Hopes by the Escape of the Fleet he imbarqued himself and Army though with some difficulty the Seas were now grown so high By this the one half of the Fleet that rid in Punta Delgada put room for Villa Franca and those that remained behind being thought by a Ship of Brazile to be the Spanish Fleet she came in amongst them and so was betrayed After her there followed a Carreck who had been served in the like manner but for the hasty and indiscreet weighing of a Hollander which made her run a Shore under the Castle when the Wind lessened Sir William Monson weighted with the Rainbow thinking to give an Attempt upon her notwithstanding the Castle which she perceiving as he drew near unto her she set her self on fire and burned down to the very Keel She was a Ship of 1400 Tuns Burden that the year before was not able to double the Cape of bona Esperansa in her Voyage to the East Indies but put into Brazile where she was laden with Sugars and afterwards thus destroyed The Spaniards who presumed more upon their Advantages than Valors thought themselves in too weak a Condition to follow us to the Islands and put their Fortunes upon a days Service but subtilly devised how to intercept us as we came Home when we had least Thought or Suspicion of them and their Fleet that was all this while in the Groyn and Ferrol not daring to put forwards while they knew ours to be upon the Coast their General the Adelantada came for England with a Resolution to land at Falmouth and fortifie it and afterwards with their Ships to keep the Sea and expect our coming home scattered Having thus cut off our Sea Forces and possessing the Harbor of Falmouth they thought with a second supply of 37 Levantisco's Ships which the Marquess Arumbullo commanded to have returned and gained a good footing in England These Designs of theirs were not foreseen by us For we came Home scattered as they made reckoning not 20 in number together We may say and that truly that God sought for us For the Adalantada being within a few Leagues of the Island of Silly he commanded all his Captains on Board him to receive his Directions but whilst they were in Consultation a violent Storm took them at East insomuch that the Captains could hardly recover their Ships but in no case were able to save their Boats the Storm continued so furious and happy was he that could recover home seeing their Design thus overthrown by loss of their Boats whereby their means of Landing was taken away Some who were willing to stay and receive the farther Commands of the General kept the Seas so long upon our Coast that in the end they were taken others put themselves into our Harbors for Refuge and Succor and it is certainly known that in this Voyage the Spaniards lost eighteen Ships the St. Luke and the St. Bartholomew being two and in the rank of his best Gallions We must ascribe this Success to God only For certainly the Enemies Designs were dangerous and not to be diverted by our Force but by his Will who would not suffer the Spaniards in any of their Attempts to set footing in England as we have done in all the Quarters of Spain Portugal the Islands and both the Indies The Lord Thomas Howard Admiral to the Downs from whence he returned in one Month Anno 1599. Ships Commanders The Elizabeth Jonas The Lord Thomas Howard The Ark
put on shoar with their Arms. To the Second That he was contented that they should be set on shoar that Night except Eight or Ten of the Principal Gentlemen whom he would detain Three Days To the Third He held it idle and frivolous to imagine he would consent to separate Ship and Goods and esteemed it Por Cosa de burla To the Fourth He would not consent being resolved never to permit a Spanish Flag to be worn in the presence of the Queens Ships unless it were disgracefully over the Poop There was long expostulations upon these points and Sir William Monson seeing the obstinacy of the Captain offered in a great rage to leap into his Boat resolving to break the Treaty which the rest of the Gentlemen perceiving and that he had propounded nothing but what might very well stand with their Reputation they intreated him once more to ascend into the Carreck and they would enter into new Capitulations The effect whereof as it was agreed upon were these that follow That a Messenger should be sent to the Admiral to have his Confirmation of the points concluded on and that in the mean time the Flag and Ancient should be taken down and if the Admiral should not consent to the Agreement they to have leisure to put out their Flag and Ancient tofore the Fight should begin That the Company should be presently set on Shore but the Captain with eight other of the principal Gentlemen three days after That the Ship with her Goods should be surrendered without any Practice or Treason That they should use their endeavors that the Castle should forbear shooting whilst we rid in the Road and this was the effect of the Conditions agreed upon This Carreck Wintered in Mosambicke in her return from the Indies a place of great Infection as appeared by the Mortality among them For of 600 and odd men twenty of them lived not to return Home After a great deal of Calamity and Mortality she arrived at this Port of Cisembre as you have heard the Viceroy of Portugal having sent 11 Gallies to her Rescue and 400 mocas de Camera which is a Title of Gentlemen that serve the King upon any Honourable Occasion when they are commanded That she was brought to this pass and forc'd to yield on these Conditions Sir Robert Cecil was wont to impute to the Gentlemens Acquaintance with Sir William Monson Although three days were limited for setting the Captain on Shore yet it was held Discretion not to detain them longer than untill the Carreck was brought off safely to our Ships and therefore Sir William Monson having carried the Captain and the rest of the Gentlemen on board him where they Supped had variety of Musick and spent the Night in great Jollity the Morning following accompanied them on Shore himself whither the Conde de Vitagera had drawn down all the Force of the whole Country amounting to the number of 10000 men I must not omit to describe the Behavior of the Gallies in the Fight that every Man may have that Honor that is due to him Those of Portugal being of the Squadron of the Marquess of St. Cruz betook themselves with their General to Flight in the middle of the Fight but Frederico Spinola who was to convey his Gallies out of Spain into the Low Countreys followed not the Example of the Marquess but made good the Road which the other seeing with Shame returned but to both their Costs for before they departed they found the Climate so hot as they were forc'd to fly their Gallies being so miserably beaten and their Slaves so pitifully slain as there wanted nothing but Boats to possess them all as well as the two we took and burnt which is a thing hath been seldom seen or heard of for Ships to take and destroy Gallies The number of Men slain in the Town the Castle the Carreck and Gallies are unknown though they could not chuse but be many the Wealth of the Carreck could then as ill be estimated though after found to be great the Value of the two Gallies burnt with their Loading of Powder is hard to judge though it 's known to have been a Service of great Importance For our Loss it was not much only one man killed in the Fly-Boat five slain and as many hurt in the Garland and one hurt in the Adventure Sir William Monson had the left Wing of his Doublet shot off but received no other Hurt The day following with a favourable Wind we stood our Course for England which brought us into 47 Degrees and there we met a Pinnace sent with a Pacquet from the Lords signifying the readiness of a second Fleet to supply us and the setting out of the Hollanders which were so long looked for which Fleet of Holland was in View of the Pinnace the same Night but pass'd by us unseen This unlooked for Accident made the Admiral and Vice-Admiral consider what to do and concluded they could not both appear at Home and have a Fleet of so great Importance upon the Enemies Coast without a Guide or Head and therefore they held it fit the Vice-Admiral should put himself into the Nonperil as the ablest Ship of the Fleet and make his Return once more to the Coast of Spain but he having taken his Leave and standing his Course for the Coast a most violent Storm with a contrary Wind took him which continued ten days and discovered the weakness of his Ship who had like to have foundered in the Deep The Carpenters and Company seeing the apparent Danger if he bore not up before the Wind presented him with a Petition beseeching him to have a regard to their Lives for by keeping the Seas they should all perish Thus was he forc'd by mere Extremity to bear room for England and coming for Plymouth he found the Carreck safely arrived and the Fleet he went back to take Charge of not to have quitted the Coast of England Though it be somewhat impertinent to this Voyage to treat of more than the Success thereof yet I will a little digress and relate the Mishap of that worthy Young Gentleman Don Diego de Lobo Captain of the Carreck and because his Worth will more appear by his Answer to Sir William Monson's Offer to him when he was his Prisoner thus it was Sir William Monson told him he doubted that by the loss of the Carreck he had lost his best Means for that he supposed what he had gained in the Indies was laden in her and therefore offered that what he would challenge upon his Reputation to be his own he should have Freedom to carry along with him The Gentleman acknowledged the Favor to be extraordinary but replied that what he had he had gained by his Sword and that his Sword he doubted not would repair his Fortunes again utterly refusing to accept any Courtesie in that kind But poor Gentleman ill Fortune thus left him not For the Viceroy Don Cristoball
de Moro holding it for a great indignity to have the Carreck taken out of the Port that was defended by a Castle and guarded with 11 Gallies and especially in his hearing of the Ordnance to Lisbon and in the view of thousands of People who beheld it some of them feeling it too by the loss of their Goods that were in her others grieving for the Death of their Friends that were slain but every man finding himself touched in Reputation The Names of the Carrecks and Eleven Gallies The St. Valentine a Carreck of one Thousand seven Hundred Tuns The Christopher the Admiral of Portugal wherein the Marquess de Sancta Cruz went The St. Lewis wherein Frederick Spinola went General of the Gallies of Spain The Forteleza Vice-Admiral to the Marquess The Trividad Vice-Admiral to Frederick Spinola burnt The Snis in which Sir William Monson was Prisoner 1591. The Occasion burnt and the Captain taken Prisoner The St. John Baptist The Lazear The Padillar The Philip. The St. John And the Viceroy not knowing how to clear himself so well as the laying it upon the Gentlemen he put on Board her the same Night they returned to their Lodging he caused the most part of them with their Captain to be apprehended imputing the loss of the Carreck to their Cowardise and Fear if not Treason and Connivance with the Enemy After some time of Imprisonment by mediation of Friends all the Gentlemen were released but the Captain who received secret Advice that the Viceroy intended his Death and that he should seek by Escape to prevent it Don Diego being thus perplexed practised with his Sister who finding means for his Escape out of a Window he fled into Italy where he lived in Exile from 1602. when this happened untill 1615. His Government in the Indies for which he had a Patent in Reversion was confiscate and he left hopeless ever to return into his Native Country much less to be restored to his Command an ill Welcome after so long and painful a Navigation Having thus spent thirteen years in Exile at the last he advised with Friends whose Councel he followed to repair into England there to enquire after some Commanders that had been at the taking of the Carreck by whose Certificate he might be cleared of Cowardise or Treason in the loss of her which would be a good Motive to restore him to his Government again In the Year 1515. he arrived in London and after some Enquiry found out Sir William Monson to whom he complained of his hard Mishap craving the Assistance of him and some others whom Sir William knew to be at the taking of the Carreck and desired him to testifie the manner of surprizing her which he alleadged was no more than one Gentleman was bound to afford another in such a case Sir William wondered to see him and especially upon such an Occasion For the present he entertained him with all Courtesie and the longer his stay was in England the Courtesies were the greater which Sir William did him Sir William procured him a true and effectual Certificate from himself Sir Francis Howard Captain Barlow and some others who were Witnesses of that Service and to give it the more Reputation he caused it to be inrolled in the Office of the Admiralty The Gentleman being well satisfied with his Entertainment and having what he desired returned to Flanders where he presented his Certificate to the Arch-Duke and the Infanta by whose means he got Assurance not only of the King's Favor but of Restitution likewise to his Government The poor Gentleman having been thus tossed by the Waves of Calamity from one Country to another and never finding rest Death that masters all men now cut him off short in the midst of his hopes as he was preparing his Journy for Spain and this was an end of an unfortunate gallant young Gentleman whose Deserts might justly have challenged a better reward if God had pleased to afford it him Sir William Monson to the Coast of Spain Anno 1602. Ships Commanders The Swiftsuer Sir Will. Monson The Mary Rose Capt. Trevers The Dreadnought Capt. Cawfield The Adventure Capt. Norris The Answer Capt. Brodgate The Quittance Capt. Browne The Lions Whelp Capt. May The Paragon A Merchant Capt. Jason A small Carvel Capt. Hooper THe Fleet of Sir Richard Lewson being happily returned with the fortune of a Carreck as you have heard and the Queen having now no Ships upon the Spanish Coast to impeach the Enemies preparations she feared the Fleet which was ready at the Groyne would give a Second Assault upon Ireland whereupon Sir William Monson who by this time was arrived at Plymouth was sent for in great haste by her Majesty to advise about and take on him the charge of the Fleet then at Plymouth After a long Conference with Sir William Monson in the presence of her Majesty her Lord Admiral Treasurer and Secretary it was Resolved That Sir William should repair to Plymouth and with all speed get forth those Ships and others that were there making ready His directions were to present himself before the Harbor of the Groyne being the place where the Spaniards made their Randevouz and if he found any likelihood of a design upon Ireland not to quit that Coast untill he saw the Issue but if he found Ireland secure and the Enemies preparations to be intended only for defence of their own Coasts then his instructions led him thence to the place where the Holland Fleet had order to attend and expect him and afterwards the whole carriage of the Action was referred to his discretion but with this caution that above all respects of other profit or advantage he attended the affair of Ireland The Wind this part of the Summer hung contrary and it was Six Weeks before he could clear the Coast during which time he lost his greatest hopes by the return of the Carrecks of the Indian Fleet which happened a full Month before his arrival He set Sail from Plymouth the last of August with a scant Wind which continued with foul Weather untill he recovered the Groyne choosing rather to keep the Sea then hazard the overthrow of the Voyage by his return He stayed at the Groyne until he understood that the Fleet which was suspected to be prepared for Ireland was gone to Lisbone to join with Don Diego de Borachero who all that Summer durst not budge forth for fear of our Fleet that made good the Coast thereabouts Sir William in his way to the Rock commanded his Carvel to repair to the Islands of Bayon as the likeliest place to procure Intelligence of the State of those parts as the Carvel drew near the Islands he discerned the Spanish Fleet consisting of Twenty Four Sail whose design was as she understood by a Boat she took to look out the English Fleet whose comming they daily expected upon the Coast and meeting Sir William with this news he held it a good Service to be
I would do it if it were to kill the greatest subject in England whom I named and in truth then hated No no said he let him live to his greater fall and ruine of his house 2 It is the Queen I mean I had him as I wished and told him it were soon done if it might be lawfully done and warranted in the opinion of some learned Divines And so the doubt once resolved though as you have heard I was before reasonably well satisfied I vowed to undertake the enterprise for the restitution of England to the ancient obedience of the Sea Apostolick Divers Divines were named Doctor Allein I desired Parsons I refused And by chance came Master Wattes a learned Priest with whom I conferred and was over-ruled 3 For he plainly pronounced the case onely altered in name that it was utterly unlawful with whom many English Priests did agree as I have heard if it be not altered since the book made in answer of The execution of the English Justice was published which I must confess hath taken hard hold in me and I fear me will do in others if it be not prevented by more gracious handling of the quiet and obedient Catholick subjects whereof there is good and greater store in England than this age will extinguish Well notwithstanding all these doubts I was gone so far by letters and conference in Italy that I could not go back but promised faithfully to perform the enterprise if his Holiness upon my offer and letters would allow it and grant me full remission of my sins 4 I wrote my letters the first of January 1584. by their computation took advice upon them in confession of Father Anibal a Codreto a learned Jesuite in Paris was lovingly embraced commended confessed and communicated at the Jesuites at one altar with the Cardinals of Vandosmi and Narbone whereof I prayed certificate and enclosed the same in my Letter to his Holiness to lead him the rather to absolve me which I required by my Letters in consideration of so great an enterprise undertaken without promise or reward 5 I went with Morgan to the Nuntio Ragazzoni to whom I read the Letter and certificate enclosed sealed it and left it with him to send to Rome he promised great care of it and to procure answer And so lovingly imbraced me wished me good speed and promised that I should be remembred at the altar 6 After this I desired Morgan that some special man might be made privy to this matter lest he dying and I miscarrying in the execution and my intent never truly discovered it might stick for an everlasting spot in my Race Divers were named but none agreed upon for fear of beraying 7 This being done Morgan assured me that shortly after my departure the L. Fernehurst then in Paris should go into Scotland and be ready upon the first news of the Queens fall to enter into England with 20 or 30000 Men to defend the Queen of Scotland whom and the King her Son I do in my conscience acquit of any privity liking or consent to this or any other bad action for any thing that ever I did know I shortly departed for England and arrived at Rie in January 1583. from whence I wrote to the Court advertised some that I had a special service to discover to the Queens Majesty 8 which I did more to prepare access and credit than for any care I had of her Person though I were fully resolved never to touch her notwithstanding any Warrant if by any device perswasion or policy she might be wrought to deal more graciously with the Catholicks than she doth or by our manner of proceeding in Parliament meaneth to do or any thing yet seen I came to the Court then at Whitehall prayed audience had it at large and very privately discovered to her Majesty this Conspiracy much to this effect though covered with all the skill I had she took it doubtfully I departed with fear And amongst other things I cannot forget her Majesties gratious speech then uttered touching the Catholicks which of late after a sort I avowed in Parliament she said to me that never a Catholick should be troubled for Religion or Supremacy so long as they lived like good Subjects Whereby I mistrusted that her Majesty is born in hand that none is troubled for the one or the other It may be truly said that it is better than it hath been though it be not yet as it should be In March last while I was at Greenwich as I remember suing for St. Katherines came Letters to me from Cardinal Como dated at Rome the last of January before whereby I found the enterprise commended and allowed and my self absolved in his Holiness name of all my sins and willed to go forward in the name of God That Letter I shewed to some in Court who imparted it to the Queen what it wrought or may work in her Majesty God knoweth onely this I know 9 that it confirmed my resolution to kill her and made it clear in my conscience that it was lawful and meritorious And yet was I determined never to do it if either policy practice perswasion or motion in Parliament could prevail I feared to be tempted and therefore always when I came near her I left my Dagger at home 10 When I looked upon her Majesty and remembred her many excellencies I was greatly troubled And yet I saw no remedy for my Vows were in Heaven my Letters and Promises in Earth and the case of the Catholick Recusants and others little bettered Sometimes I said to my self Why should I care for her what hath she done for me have I not spent 10000 Marks since I knew her service and never had peny by her It may be said she gave me my life But I say as my case stood it had been Tyranny to take it And I fear me it is little less yet If it please her gratiously to look into my discontentments I would to Jesus Christ she had it for I am weary of it And now to come to an end of this tragical discourse In July I left the Court utterly rejected discontented and as her Majesty might perceive by my passionate Letters careless of my self I came to London Doctor Alleins Book was sent me out of France 11 it redoubled my former conceits Every word in it was a warrant to a prepared mind It taught that Kings may be excommunicated deprived and violently handled It proveth that all Wars Civil or Forraign undertaken for Religion is Honorable Her Majesty may do well to read it and to be out of doubt if things be not amended that it is a warning and a Doctrine full dangerous This is the Book I shewed in some places read and lent it to my Cousin Nevil the accuser who came often to mine house put his finger in my Dish his hand in my Purse and the night wherein he accused me was wrapped in my Gown six moneths at least
ajutata da quel buon Spirito che l'ha mosso le concede sua Beneditione plenaria Indulgenza remissione di tutti li peccati secondo che V. S. ha chiesto assicurandos si che oltre il merito che n'havera in cielo vuole anco sua Santita constituir si debitore a riconoscere li meriti di V. S. in ogni miglior modo che potra cio tanto piu quanto che V. S. ùsa maggior modestia in non pretender niente Metta dunque ad effetto lìesuoi santi honorati pensieri attenda astar sano Che per fine io me le offero di core le desidero ogni buono felice suceesso Di Roma a 30 di Gennaro MDLXXXIV Al piacer di V. S. N. Cardinale di Como Al Sig. Guglielmo Parri Cardinal de Como's Letter to Will Parry January 30th 1584. by accompt of Rome MOnsignor the Holiness of our Lord hath seen the Letter of your Signory of the first with the assurance included and cannot but commend the good disposition and resolution which you write to hold towards the Service and Benefit publick Wherein his Holiness doth exhort you to persevere with causing to bring forth the effects which your Signorie promiseth And to the end you may be so much the more holpen by that good Spirit which hath moved you thereunto his Blessedness doth grant to you plenary Indulgence and Remission of all your Sins according to your request Assuring you that besides the Merit that you shall receive therefore in Heaven his Holiness will further make himself Debtour to re-acknowledge the deservings of your Signorie in the best manner that he can And that so much the more in that your Signorie useth the greater Modesty in not pretending any thing Put therefore to effect your holy and honourable thoughts and attend your Health And to conclude I offer my self unto you heartily and do desire all good and happy success From Rome the 30th of January 1584. At the pleasure of your Signorie N. Card. of Como UPon all which former Accusation Declaration Confessions and Proofs upon Munday the 22th day of February last past at Westminster-Hall before Sir Christopher Wray Knight Chief Justice of England Sir Gilbert Gerrard Knight Master of the Rolls Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Roger Manwood Knight Chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Gawdy Knight one of the Justices of the Pleas before her Majesty to be holden and Will. Perriam one of the Justices of the Common Pleas by vertue of her Majesties Commission to them and others in that behalf directed The same Parry was Indicted of High Treason for intending and practising the Death and Destruction of her Majesty whom God long prosper and preserve from all such wicked attempts The tenour of which Indictment appeareth more particularly in the course of his Arraignment following The manner of the Arraignment of Will Parry the 25th of February 1584. at Westminster in the place where the Court commonly called the Kings-Bench is usually kept by vertue of her Majesties Commission of Oyer and Terminer before Henry Lord Hunsdon Governour of Barwick Sir Francis Knolles Knight Treasurer of the Queens Majesties Houshold Sir James Croft Knight Comptroller of the same Houshold Sir Christopher Hatton Knight Vice-Chamberlain to her Majesty Sir Christopher Wray Knight Chief Justice of England Sir Gilbert Gerrard Knight Master of the Rolls Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Chief-Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Roger Manwood Knight Chief-Baron of the Exchequer and Sir Thomas Hennage Knight Treasurer of the Chamber FIrst three Proclamations for silence were made according to the usual course in such cases Then the Lieutenant was commanded to return his Precept which did so and brought the Prisoner to the Bar to whom Miles Sandes Esquire Clerk of the Crown said William Parry hold up thy hand and he did so Then said the Clerk of the Crown Thou art here Indicted by the Oaths of twelve good and lawful men of the County of Middlesex before Sir Christopher Wray Knight and others which took the Indictment by the name of William Parry late of London Gentleman otherwise called William Parry late of London Doctor of the Law for that thou as a false Traitor against the most Noble and Christian Prince Queen Elizabeth thy most gracious Soveraign and Liege-Lady not having the fear of God before thine eyes nor regarding thy due Allegiance but being seduced by the instigation of the Devil and intending to withdraw and extinguish the hearty Love and due Obedience which true and faithful Subjects should bear unto the same our Soveraign Lady didst at Westminster in the County of Middlesex on the first day of February in the 26th year of her Highness Reign and at divers other times and places in the same County maliciously and traiterously conspire and compass not only to deprive and depose the same our Sovereign Lady of her Royal Estate Title and Dignity but also to bring her Highness to Death and final Destruction and Sedition in the Realm to make and the Government thereof to subvert and the sincere Religion of God established in her Highness Dominions to alter and subvert And that whereas thou William Parry by thy Letters sent unto Gregory Bishop of Rome didst signifie unto the same Bishop thy purposes and intentions aforesaid and thereby didst pray and require the same Bishop to give thee Absolution that thou afterwards that is to say the last day of March in the 26th year aforesaid didst traiterously receive Letters from one called Cardinal de Como directed unto thee William Parry whereby the same Cardinal did signifie unto thee that the Bishop of Rome had perused thy Letters and allowed of thine intent and that to that end he had absolved thee of all thy Sins and by the same Letter did animate and stir thee to proceed with thine Enterprize and that thereupon thou the last day of August in the 26th year aforesaid at Saint Giles in the fields in the same County of Middlesex didst traiterously confer with one Edmund Nevil Esquire uttering to him all thy wicked and traiterous devises and then and there didst move him to assist thee therein and to joyn with thee in those wicked Treasons aforesaid against the Peace of our said Soveraign Lady the Queen her Crown and Dignity What sayest thou William Parry Art thou guilty of these Treasons whereof thou standest here Indicted or not guilty Then Parry said Before I plead not guilty or confess my self guilty I pray you give me leave to speak a few words and with humbling himself began in this manner God save Queen Elizabeth and God send me grace to discharge my duty to her and to send you home in charity But touching the matters that I am Indicted of some were in one place and some in another and done so secretly as none can see into them except that they had eyes like
Munition which they carried for the King of Spain's Service My Lord of Cumberland having spent some time thereabouts and understanding that Fervanteles de Menega a Portugal and the King's General of a Fleet of 24 Sail was gone to the Islands he pursued them thinking to meet the Carrecks before they should joyn together At his coming to Flores he met and took one of the Fleet with the Death of the Captain who yet lived so long as to inform him both where the Fleet was and of their Strength The day after he met the Fleet it self but being far too weak for them he was forced to leave them and spent his time thereabouts till he understood the Carrecks were passed by without seeing either Fleet or Island Sir Martin Forbisher with a Fleet to Brest in Brittany Anno 1594. Ships Commanders The Vauntguard Sir Martin Forbisher The Rainbow Capt. Fenner The Dreadnought Capt. Clifford The Quittance Capt. Savil ABout three years past Anno 1591. the Queen sent Sir John Norris with 3000 Souldiers to joyn with the French King's Party in those Parts The King of Spain who upheld the Faction of the League sent Don John de Aquila with the like Forces to joyn with the Duke de Merceur who was of the contrary side The Spaniards had fortified themselves very strongly near the Town of Brest expecting new Succors from Spain by Sea which the French King fearing craved Assistance from the Queen which her Majesty was the more willing to grant because the Spaniards had gotten the Haven of Brest to entertain their Shipping in and were like to prove there very dangerous Neighbors Wherefore she sent Sir Martin Forbisher thither in this year 1594 with four of her Ships And upon his Arrival there Sir John Norris with his Forces and Sir Martin with his Seaman assailed the Fort and though it was as bravely defended as men could do yet in the end it was taken with the loss of divers Captains Sir Martin Forbisher being himself sore wounded of which Hurt he died at Plymouth after his return A Fleet to the Indies Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins Generals wherein they adventured deeply and died in the Voyage Anno 1594. Ships Commanders by Sea Commander by Land The Defiance Sir Francis Drake Sir Tho. Baskervile The Garland Sir John Hawkins  The Hope Capt. Gilbert Yorke  The Bonaventure Capt. Troughton  The Foresight Capt. Winter  The Adventure Capt. Tho. Drake  THese two Generals presuming much upon their own Experience and Knowledge used many Persuasions to the Queen to undertake a Voyage to the West Indies giving much assurance to perform great Services and promising to engage themselves very deeply therein with the Adventure of both Substance and Life And as all Actions of this Nature promise fair till they come to be performed so did this the more in the Opinion of all Men in respect of the two Generals Experience There were many Impediments and Let ts to this Voyage before they could clear themselves of the Coast which put them to greater Charge than they expected the chiefest cause of their Lingring was a mistrust our State had of an Invasion and the Danger to spare so many good Ships and men out of England as they carried with them The Spaniards with their usual subtilty let slip no opportunity to put us in amazement thereby to dissolve the Action and sent four Gallies to Bleuret in Brittany from thence to seize some part of our Coast that so we might apprehend a greater Force was to follow These Gallies landed at Pensants in Cornwall where finding the Town abandoned they sack'd and burnt it but this Design of theirs took little effect for the Voyage proceeded notwithstanding The Intent of the Voyage was to land at Nombre de dois and from thence to march to Panuma to possess the Treasure that comes from Peru and if they saw reason for it to inhabite and keep it A few days before their going from Plymouth they received Letters from her Majesty of an Advertisement she had out of Spain that the Indian Fleet was arrived and that one of them with loss of her Mast was put room to the Island of Porto Ricom She commanded them seeing there was so good an opportunity offered as the readiness of this her Fleet and the weakness of Porto Ricom to possess themselves of that Treasure and the rather for that it was not much out of their way to Nombre de dois It is neither Years nor Experience that can foresee and prevent all mishaps which is a manifest Proof that God is the Guider and Disposer of Mens Actions For nothing could seem more probable to be effected than this later Design especially considering the Ability and Wisdom of the two Generals and yet was unhappily prevented and failed in the Execution For there being five Frigats sent out of Spain to fetch this Treasure from Porto Ricom in their way it was their hap to take a Pinnace of the English Fleet by whom they understood the Secrets of the Voyage and to prevent the Attempt of Porto Ricom they hastened thither with all speed whilst our Generals lingred at Quadrupa to set up their Boats and at their Arrival so strengthened the Town with the Souldiers brought in the Prigats that when our Fleet came thither not expecting Resistance they found themselves frustrate of their Hopes which indeed they themselves were the occasion of in managing their Design with no more Secresie This Repulse bred so great a Disconceit in Sir John Hawkins as it is thought to have hastened his days and being great and unexpected did not a little discourage Sir Francis Drake's great Mind who yet proceeded upon his first resolved Design for Nombre de dios though with no better Success For the Enemy having knowledge of their coming fortified the Passage to Panuma and forced them to return with loss Sir Francis Drake who was wont to rule Fortune now finding his Error and the difference between the present strength of the Indies and what it was when he first knew it grew melancholly upon this Disappointment and suddenly and I hope naturally died at Nombre de dios where he got his first Reputation The two Generals dying and all other Hopes being taken away by their Deaths Sir Thomas Baskervile succeeded them in their Command and began now to think upon his return for England but coming near Cuba he met and fought with a Fleet of Spain though not long by reason of the Sickness and Weakness of his Men. This Fleet was sent to take the Advantage of ours in its Return thinking as indeed it happened that they should find them both weak and in want but the swiftness of our Ships in which we had the Advantage of the Spaniards preserved us You may observe that from the year the Revenge was taken untill this present year 1595. there was no Summer but the King of Spain furnished a Fleet for
Royal Sir Walter Rawleigh The Triumph Sir Fulke Grivel The Mere-honor Sir Henry Palmer The Repulse Sir Tho. Vavasor The Garland Sir Will. Harvey The Defiance Sir Will. Monson The Nonperil Sir Robert Cross The Lyon Sir Richard Lewson The Rainbow Sir Alexander Clifford The Hope Sir John Gilbert The Foresight Sir Tho. Sherley The Mary Rose Mr. Fortescue The Bonaventure Capt. Troughton The Crane Capt. Jonas The Swiftsuer Capt. Bradgate The Tremontary Capt. Slingsby The Advantage Capt. Hoer The Quittance Capt. Reynolds I Cannot write of any thing done in this Year of 1599. For there was never greater Expectation of War with less Performance Whether it was a Mistrust the one Nation had of the other or a Policy held on both sides to make Peace with Sword in Hand a Treaty being entertained by consent of each Prince I am not to examine but sure I am the Preparation was on both sides very great as if the one expected an Invasion from the other and yet it was generally conceived not to be intended by either but that ours had only relation to my Lord of Essex who was then in Ireland and had a Design to try his Friends in England and to be revenged of his Enemies as he pretended and as it proved afterwards by his Fall Howsoever it was the Charge was not so great as necessary For it was commonly known that the Adalantada had drawn both his Ships and Gallies to the Groyne which was not usually done but for some Action intended upon England or Ireland though he converted them after to another use as you shall hear The Gallies were sent into the Low Countreys and pass'd the Narrow Seas while our Ships lay there and with the Fleet the Atalantada pursued the Hollanders to the Islands whither he suspected they were gone This Fleet of Hollanders which consisted of 73 Sail were the first Ships that ever displayed their Colors in War-like sort against the Spaniards in any Action of their own For how cruel soever the War seemed to be in Holland they maintained a peaceable Trade in Spain and abused us This first Action of the Hollanders at Sea proved not very successful For after the Spoil of a Town in the Canary's and some Hurt done at the Island of St. Ome they kept the Sea for some seven or eight months in which time their General and most of their Men sickned and died and the rest returned with Loss and Shame Another Benefit which we received by this Preparation was that our Men were now taught suddainly to Arme every man knowing his Command and how to be commanded which before they were ignorant of and who knows not that sudden and false Alarms in an Army are sometimes necessary To say truth the Expedition which was then used in drawing together so great an Army by Land and rigging so great and Royal a Navy to Sea in so little a space of Time was so admirable in other Coutreys that they received a Terror by it and many that came from beyond Sea said the Queen was never more dreaded abroad for any thing she ever did French-men that came Aboard our Ships did wonder as at a thing incredible that her Majesty had rigged victualled and furnished her Royal Ships to Sea in 12 days time And Spain as an Enemy had reason to fear and grieve to see this suddain Preparation but more when they understood how the Hearts of Her Majesty's Subjects joyned with their Hands being all ready to spend their dearest Blood for her and her Service Holland might likewise see that if they became insolent we could be assoon provided as they not did they expect to find such celerity in any Nation but themselves It is probable too that the King of Spain and the Arch-Duke were hereby drawn to entertain Thoughts of Peace For as soon as our Fleet was at Sea a Gentleman was sent from Brussells with some Overtures although for that time they succeeded not However whether it was that the intended Invasion from Spain was diverted or that her Majesty was fully satisfied of my Lord of Essex I know not but so it was that she commanded the suddain Return of her Ships from Sea after they had layn three weeks or a month in the Downs Sir Richard Lewson to the Islands Anno Dom. 1600. Ships Commanders The Repulse Sir Richard Lewson The Warspight Capt. Troughton The Vauntguard Capt. Sommers THE last Year as you have heard put all men in expectation of War which yet came to nothing This Summer gave us great hope of Peace but with the like effect For by consent of the Queen the King of Spain and the Arch-Duke their Commissioners met at Bulloign in Piccardie to treat of Peace a place chosen indifferently the French King being in League and Friendship with them all Whether this Treaty were intended but in shew only or that they were out of hopes to come to any conclusion or what else was the true and real cause of its breaking off so suddenly I know not but the pretence was but slender for there grew a difference about Precedency betwixt the two Crowns though it was ever due to England and so the hopes of Peace were frustrated though had it been really intended matters might easily have been accommodated The Queen suspecting the Event hereof before their meeting and the rather because the Spaniards entertained with the like Treaty in 1588 when at the same instant his Navy appeared upon her Coast to Invade her therefore least she should be guilty of too great security in relying upon the success of this doubtful Treaty she furnished the Three Ships before named under pretence to guard the Western Coast which at that time was infested by the Dunkirkers And because there should be the less notice taken part of the Victuals was provided at Plymouth and Sir Richard Lewson who was then Admiral of the Narrow Seas was appointed General for the more secret carriage of the business so as it could not be conjectured either by their Victualling or by their Captain being Admiral of the Narrow Seas that it was a Service from home As they were in a readiness at Plymouth expecting Orders the Queen beingfully satisfied that the Treaty of Bulloign would break off without effect she commanded Sir Richard Lawson to hasten to the Islands there to expect the Carrecks and Mexico Fleet. The Spaniards on the other side being as circumspect to prevent a mischief as we were subtil to contrive it and believing as we did that the Treaty of Peace would prove a vain hopeless shew of what was never meant they furnished Eighteen tall Ships to the Islands as they had usually done since the Year 1591. The General of this Fleet was Don Diego de Borachero Our Ships coming to the Islands they and the Spaniards had intelligence of one another but not the sight for that Sir Richard Lewson hailed Sixty Leagues Westward not only to avoid them but in hopes to meet with