deep belowe Wee tumbled were and then againe so soone So high as if the same f Birth with the Moone To have or Glorious Argoe But observe In Earthquakes how the strongest Buildings swerve Totter cast Firebrands and all their loose Vtensils round promiscuously loe thus Did our Poore Fleet so g seel on that throughout The Decks all stowage with our selves to boot From side to side in medly flew and even So was the great Ann-Royall likewise driven Amid the Franticke Waves to roule and reele And tosse and tumble up her mighty Keele That in the hurlie two of her sonore And Brazen Bandogs maugre any store Of Pitchy cordage ominously broke At randome out and but with mutuall shock Poysing each other like the Vipers young Turn'd into Paricid's had split her strong And Masay Ribs Nor could the rest but mourn As hideous outrages our Long-Boates torne From their bigg Hawsers rudely bandied were By VVaves and Monsters for the i Catches there Some could like Seamews make a shift to live In this Combustion other some declive And broken waies not brooking overwrought And sadly swallow'd were Our k Prams distraught Cuff'd up and downe and rack'd by severall Seas Both l fore and aft were driven to lose and leaze Their lading with the wilder Hypotams Nay yet more Fatall opening all her seams The Poore long Robert founder'd was gave or'e Sunke in the Weathers stresse and now what more Can m Fisher Hacket Gerling but attend While the Sea yeelds her dead That I transcend Expence of n trim and shipping loe this Storme How grown yet wrought a further and the worme Of Conscience startl'd so that who while-ere With all his canvase out could snugly beare Vp an ill boding course now springs his o Luffe Cries guilty Lord and pardon Coates of Buffe High temper'd Corslets are to weake to Ward The worme of Conscience and how Galiard Luxurio lately was yet now he lowes His Saile close to the Board now humbly throwes Off Livia's haire and his Corinn'as Ring To leeward over wisely Husbanding Oyle to his Lamp now as the Righteous dye Likewise will he So horrid was and high This Spirituall p Furacane that on his lees Thoughred Bassianus for a time may Freeze And seeme to settle here he turnes againe Thick and bemudder'd like the Furious maine Casting up Stones and dirt his Faeces boile Vp now for Vent making him perbrake vile q Prodigious sins This was the storme thus great Thus ruthlesse double thus nor to be beat Out but in many an houre the Weathers scorne Thus were we made thus were we toss d and torne By the mad Billowes and though Baal Repose And sleep supinely or pursue his Foes Or seriously be talking nor discerne As has been dream'd yet thus we likewise learne That God is Omnipresent has his way Even in the Whirlwind in the furious Sea In even the toughest Conscience and how sure A Ionas in the Cradle of secure Apostacie be lull'd though even his Bed Of the most curious Thistle Downe be made Or that of Silver Swans yet if the bright r Tyndaridae shall once each other Fight Among the shrouds and Hellen chasing thence Her Nobler Brothers with malevolence Vnkennels all the Winter Winds and Billowes Maugre the softest lullabies and Pillowes He wakes and finds his Cradle now at last Far worse then that upon the topling Mast. ANd now after these Passive expressions in Verse I return again in the following Prose to relate that when upon Friday the fourteenth the Winde became more favourable admitting a search into our scattered condition wee found but Twenty two of the Fleet together our owne Ship one of the best sailers being continually Imploied abroad for their reduction till Thursday the Twentieth when we rallied again about the Southern cape continuing our course till upon the next Saturday we came before Cales entring the Haven with such Reputation and Incussion that the Citizens in a long File and much affrighted were posting thence into the Continent The Valiance of our old English came as it seems now fresh againe in remembrance and the flying Opinion was that had we Troop'd up immediately to the City Ports their own feare might have swaied much in their overthrow For though a pacer often declines the shower which a Galloper may overtake yet Minutius also if fitly timing it knowes to win the day when Fabius with his cunctation proves a loser Howsoever my Lord Marshall like an experienc'd Gamester chose rather to goe in upon certainties and had no doubt good Cards for what he did though he let not everie one see his hand We came I say into the Haven with a fresh briese and all serenity happy omens My Lord of Essex and his Squadron had the Van his Vice-Admirall and Rere-Admirall followed him ours was the fourth Ship where while I stood observing what might issue the Spaniard at my Lords comming within distance propounded to him in Fire receiving againe the like answer and still did the Swift-sure so beare in amongst them that in the dispute she was six times shot through but her opposites as fearing yet a further Ingagement and the generall Storme now close to Windward and coming on amaine chose rather to give way and deferr at least what now they had but little possibilitie to divert Three of their Gallies flying to St. Mary-Port eight other with about twelve Ships through a narrow Channell to Port-Royall when loe Minutius againe upon his close Pursuit might have stroke a Rich hand and in all likelyhood cheap enough wch the Vice-Admirall of Naples a Ship by report of about eight and fifty Brasse Pieces must needs acknovvledge vvith me since by dravving much Water shee ran on ground while shee ran away and was thus sit-fasted for tvvo daies together but here Sr. Thomas Love held a Leviathan for Marine abilities hal'd us vvith a countermaund injoyning vvee should cast Anchor to discourse the birth of vvhich prodigious Remora vve had but one heat to take neither could it last long and all our Irons must be in the fire together Concerning the Ships and Galleyes there might bee novv much hast yet aftervvards as good speed if they could saile over land vvell and good they might take their course otherwise they were locked up close at Port-Royall and our owne sure enough My Lord Marshall a cording to this happy beginning might now rather fix upon some Land Service and Improve himselfe by Mastering the Iland and City which were indeed to full of diffidence as by a sodaine engagement might be forced to despaire and this againe would humble both at his Devotion these discourses I say might perhaps beget this Procrastination and our being here so jaded with an after Game for when the fourth day following Sr. Thomas intended their immediate seisure advancing up to tow them out and after him in Triumph then arrow Channell was become so much obstructed
with Bottomes purposely sunck in it that what he could bring back was but a generall Imputation of either palpable Negligence or Ignorance Not to dwell upon these meerly Water-Works but now proceed to what was mixt and partly at Land five of our Hollanders were this night imployed in the batterie of Pointall a strong Obvious Fort vvith eight Brasse Pieces halfe Cannon and Culverin beating tightly and point blank upon the Channell and these vvere likevvise seconded the next morning by as many Colliars to as little purpose vvell might they Bark and Bellovv furiously but it vvas vvithout biting nay vvhen our ovvn Squadron next and the rest of the Fleet successively Vomited their utmost Thunder yet stood Pointall immoveable and whether it vvere the toughnesse of the Pile or that our Ship Batteries have a more fluid a more yielding Center vvhich vvith an indisposition a spissitude of the mediate Aire might dull and vveaken Execution or some other Originall to be discussed among the curious Criticks Poyntall vvas directly shot-free vve vvere but philliping a Rocke of Marble yet having at length vvth our much prejudice Dismounted their Ordinance even at the heavy losse of Sr. John Bruse Mr. George Raymond Captaine of the Great Saphire some Souldiers in our ovvn Ship as also diverse others and the deare Rate of above four Thousand great shot vve novv this 23 being the Lords Day vvent still more metteldly to vvorke For my Lord Marshall had been formerly taught by his old * Martiall Master that to fight such passionate Ambitious Papalins doth rather Damaske then Dishonour vvee vvere novv I say more Actingly fired Sr. John Burroughs and his Regiment being Imploy'd on shore to take it by Scalado The Weather vvas novv Faire and Calme and our Navie Rode about Pointall in a neer semicircle circumstances admitting such intelligence and infixing vvith so much impression that methinks I still see hovv such of our Long Boates as had Evaded the Tempestuous Bay of Biscay vvere novv plying amaine tovvards the Fatall Fort and vvhat Pity vvas it that Men of such height and daringnes should so precipitately run upon their Ruine vvhen not the Celebrated old Roman Braverie but vvould here have been interposing either with their Panosaids or other like Defensatives Methinks I still see how Mr. Bromingham the Dukes Captaine who had the point and was to steele it how and with what Gallantrie he stood in the prow of his Boate couragiously Wavâ—â—ing his Sword about his Head nor this only when Faire and further off while all was whist and still neither Man nor Musquetade stirring but in the same threatning posture Engaged home amongst their thickest Volleys even when the Fort like a many headed Hydra plied him with such a storme of hissing Lead as what Massie Pillar but must needs suffer under it and though he fell at length like a Glorious Starr and was seemingly extinguished yet will his height and Gallantrie never be forgotten Concerning those Engaged with him in the same Bottome one alone of them to prevent the Harquebuse of his Active distance could nimbly spring under the Castle Wall where it had lesse play yet there likewise instead of shelter met with his slaughter the rest were in their mettle so melted down with Death and many Wounds that we could still see the Boat like an empty shell beating upon the fatall strand but not a man stirring which being well observed by Sr John Burroughes and how unhappilie spault the point had been through an over-heate he cautiously declining to the left hand Landed there the rest without disturbance and with such approbation that we of my Lords Regiment presently hudled after so piecing with him and consequently streightning the besieged that though they were securely Walled even Eleven paces thick and with the toughest Stone yet a Treaty instantly succeded and then againe as sodaine a surrender whereby we tooke up our Lodging this Night at the Signe of the Starr fuller both of quiet and confidence The next day being all Landed our Designe was farr higher neither would we now goe lesse then very Cales it selfe to which we must advance upon a surface of uneven and broken ground even of many little hils and holes and so presupposing danger that a Forlorne of some small dissever'd parties was imployed first to discover it our maine Grosse still following by degrees by which circuit of Action as some of our Enemies must needs be further recollected other-some were still evading by us and as it were from between our teeth into the Continent till at length a Reformado of my own Company affectionately byting at such a bait so tendered it likewise to some commanded men next the Passage that they quit their post charging home in hope of booty the cautious manage whereof had doubtlesse found responsible satisfaction but as they fell up entire in a wedge part of the Calizians fled back to the City others made as unrecoverably along the Passe so that their purchase was only some few trifling pieces casually fallen from the run-awaies however thus was the City more expeditely surrounded in order to the further threats of War but alas we were now at the full of our prosecution so waining alwaies after and far from any nearer approaches that leaving the two Collonels Burroughs and Bruce to make head before the Towne we were immediately faces about and marching up the Pass formerly specified perhaps to seize the Bridge of Swaco which joynes it upwardly with the Continent perhaps to refresh our Troopes accommodated so very poorely that for Eighty men my land allowance was but Eight little Cheeses and some few Biskets To proceed great was the perill the prejudice that followed it for having marched like Knights arrant till towards Evening upon the deep sandy stony Causey we came at length to the house of Bacchus there taking up our quarters and who shall consider the plenty of excellent wines then and there stowed in Magazin or the swinish or disordinate abuse of them will own this expression to be proper enough for mine own particular as not knowing vvhat danger might be lurking under such a precious baite I referred my thirst to the satisfaction of such Oranges and Lemons as the neighbour trees imparted but for many of the common sort so palpable vvas their excesse so vvildly hooted out in obstreperous clamours firings and like vvhimsicall distempers as beat up all the Rules of Discipline before it seizing our Commanders vvith extraordinary amazement neither vvas there other addresse novv left us but immediately to heaven vvhich my Lord Marshall like a true Christian Souldier as presently put in practice by giving out God blesse us for the Word And what shall I further say but that this tyght and little prayer did by an often repetition and going continually the round so strangely stickle for us as puzzel'd both the counsell and courage of our enemies vvhereas had they found to time it and but given us novv a
a sense of honour their heeles had possibly been much more nimble than their hands a disaster so stiflie aimed by the pursuers that through the broken ground they still beat all along upon our Reare and about this time was it that for intelligence at the first hand I now left my Musketteers haling themselves aboard that I might help wheele up one of our Drake areare to some already at the point where I found our enemies so risen high in crest that they were now advancing out of covert after us into an open Levell neare the sea-side but then againe began our little Guns to play with so much terrour and incussion so fatally spattering in upon their violence that they as suddenlie relented and shrunke back locking themselves up againe in covert and thus after a passionate dispute of neare foure houres we wrought out the convenience though with some losse to quit Pointall and ship our selves againe in safety for now was all our hope among the briny Billowes all our confidence in Neptunes Kingdome a wild and open champion I confesse yet where the severall roades were full of pretious ware and sumptuous plunder by these did Cortez heretofore transport his golden handmill of 3400 * castelanes his famous golden Colverin infinite other treasure by these came the vast east Indie caract of 1000000 ducates taken by our Leveson and Monson I here the wealth here the rarieties of the World are continually transient a motive so considerable that though some would rather urge for the taking of Dunshaul a rich city in the Madera Iland yet our admirall and the Major voice declining it our orders were rather to stand off to Sea amongst these considerable passes and in the height of thirty six and thirty seven the halfe to bid on still for an honourable welcome home fortune would perhaps be brought about with importunitie either ministring to us of the plate Fleet or some such after-game from the spiceries as with remarkable stakes might draw likewise an extraordinary reputation or if the winds should againe spit their winter venome tyrannously chasing us as before Budgrave in the Streights was appointed us Southerlie to rally in Northerly the Isles of Bayon Nay we had other stormes here also to weather out a dangerous gust a personall clash rising at this time between Viscount Valentia and my Lord de la Ware Vice-Admirall to the Head-Squadron whose command being transferr'd upon the former and my Lord not digesting it there ensued a peremptorie competition of two red fore-tops borne out and pretending to the same place of honour for severall daies together till at length a temper being found and the Viscount made Admirall to the said Squadron with my Lord in his remitter and continuing as before we bore up unanimously to the heights premised there beating to and againe for purchase and to snap some of the Spanish golden Ingots Neither was the Scene unfitly laid since October the 31. we had three of their Ships in chase and with such a neere capacitie as some will report that had one of our Captaines kept his Luffe when he bore roome and gave over they happilie might have defraied all our charges but to chew this a little and distinguish whether it may be safely swallowed let me here vouch the Ship in which my own Companie was mounted one so yare of saile above others that my Lord Admirall had formerly own'd and imploy'd it as his Page yet was our condition now so sad and sober that though the being in chase often started me from my Cabine 't was all in vaine we never could engage many a faire course we had where there was neither bush nor brier for the game to Tapish in but still lost ground till we were at last run out of sight an instance so roundly pointing out our indisposition that doubtlesse he that runs may likewise read it and which must needs also scatter the cloud of prejudice injuriouslie gathering over Captaine Osborne Nay so now began our Navy to groane under severall disabilities that the Rainbow and some other of our Shipping were the eighth of this November dismissed againe for England we which were still behind though likewise in our declination persevering as before neither could the jolting watry wildernesse yet awake us from our soft and silver dreames the plate fleet was now indeed our ultimate errand our immediate masterpiece but without any piece of Plate finger'd save one of inferiour value and this at the drunken quarter beyond Cales In conclusion having for ten daies after been vainely tacking to and fro and with much paine and patience hitherto weathered out the wrathfull Winter our wants and weaknesses now at length became importunate and at a Councell aboord the Admirall both moved for an immediate returne and joyfully carried it yet as the sowre sauce to this sweet refection so were we hurried back in the stresse of a mighty working sea and even with such a witnesse that part of our Fleet was beaten in at Bastable part at Bristoll some into Sylly our English Scylla and Charybdis in respect of the Bishop and his Chaplaines into Falmouth Plymouth and Dartmouth some the waves like wild horses had thus torne asunder and scattered the limbes of our Armado that mighty bulke of our predominant Anne-royall was yet tost and tumbled into Ireland Then concerning our Vice-Admirall the Swiftsure she spent her fore-saile in the Tempest split her Tillar and vvas so full of sicknesse that an imprest of fresh men was imployed in bringing her from Falmouth about to Plymouth The Constant Reformation in which my Lord of Valentia commanded spent her maine mast by the Cradle yet far more unhappie was her name-sake the Mary-Constance and even beyond comparison as being wholly over-wrought in this boyling Tempest and swallowed dovvne into the Sea Captaine Hone Captaine Shudborough and some fevv others being hardly recovered from the Shrovvds To come nearer home and speake the bottome allotted that valiant Gentleman Captaine Richard Bowles the younger my selfe and our tvvo Companies though exteriorly it made as good vveather as many other of the Fleet yet our dangers since intestine and neare the heart vvere therefore more fatall that fire vvhich a Kettle of pitch accidentallie kindled in our Cook-roome may witnesse it and though by Gods speciall providence this was againe opportunely smothered yet the Combustion betweene our souldiers and the seamen became unextinguishable nay sometimes so flaming hot as would needs have prompted in our pistols The sea Captaine though sufficiently seene in marine affaires as having often sayled between Temple staires and Westminster yet referred all to his Mr. for this he was indeed and such a rough-hewn Palinure as meerely sway'd by passion made little or no bones of equity a caveat against Captaine Syllie-soule hereafter and demanding those of more experience better government the want whereof had like a continuall dropping so dayly fretted out our patience that being arived at