station assigned according to that prescribed forme which was appointed in Spaine it was present death to forsake his station This done he sent Gliclius an Anceani to Parma which might declare to him in what case they were and left that Cantabrian ship of Oquenda to the winde and Sea having taken out the money and mariners and put them in other ships Yet it séemeth that he had not care of all for that Ship the same day with fifty Mariners and souldiers lamed and halfe burnt fell into the hands of the English and was carried to Weymuth The thrée and twentieth of the soone moneth the Spaniards having a favourable North winde turned sailes upon the English the English being much readier in the use of their ships fet about a compasse for the winde and having gotten advantage of the winde they came to the fight on both sides They fought a while confusedly with variable successe whilest on the one side the English with great courage delivered the London ships which were inclosed about by the Spaniards on the other side the Spaniards by valour fréed Ricaldus from the extreme danger he was in great were the effulminatioÌ„s which by beating of Ordnances were heard this day But the losse by the good providence of God fell upon the Spanish side their ships being so high that the shot went over our English ships and the English having such a faire mark at their taller ships never shot in vaine Amidst which encounters Cock an Englishman being caught indéed in the middest of the Spanish ships could not be recovered but perished howbeit with great honor he rebenged himselfe Thus a long time the English ships with great agility were sometimes upon the Spaniards giving them the one side and then the other and presently were off againe and still tooke the Sea to make themselves ready to come in againe Whereas the Spanish ships being of great burthen were troubled and hindred and stood to bée markes for the English Bullets For all that the Admirall would not admit the English to The Admirall would not suffer his ships to come to grapple with the Spanish come to boord their ships because they had a full army in their ships which he had not their ships were many in number and greater and higher that if they had come to grapple as some would have had if the English being much lower then the Spanish ships must néeds have had the worst of them that fought from the higher ships And if the English had béen overcome the losse would have béen greater than the victory could have béen for ours being overcome would have put the kingdome in hazard The foure and twentieth day of Iuly they gave over fighting on both sides The Admirall sent some small Barkes to the next English shore to supply the provision And divided all his Navy into foure squadrons The first whereof was under his owne government the next Drake governed the third Hawkins the last Forbisher And he appointed out of every squadron certaine little ships which on divers sides might set upon the Spaniards in the night but a sudden calme tooke them and so that advice was without effect The five and twentieth day being S. Iames The third fight day S. Anne the Galeon of Portugall not being able to hold course with the rest was set upon by some small English ships To whose aide came in Leva and Didacus Telles Enrigues with thrée Galeasses which the Admirall and the Lord Thomas Howard espying made in against the Galeasses the calme was so great that they were drawne in by boats with cords and did so beat upon the Galeasses with great shot that with much adoe and not without great losse they hardly recovered the Galeon The Spaniards reported that the Admirall of Spaine was that day in the hindmost company and being come néerer the English ships then before was sore beaten with the English great Ordnance many men flaine in her her great mast overthrowne And after that the Admirall of Spaine accompanied with Ricaldus and others did set upon the English Admirall who by the benefit of the winde suddenly turning escaped The Spaniards hold on their course againe and send to the Duke of Parma that with all spéed he should joyne his ships with the Kings Fléet These things the English knew not who write that â—heâ— had stricken the Lanthorne from one of the Spanish ships the stemme from another and had sore beaten a third doing much harme to her That the Non Parigdy and the Mary Rose fought a good while with the Spaniards and the Triumph being in danger oâ—her ships came in good time to help her The next day the Lord Admirall knighted the Knights made Lord Thomas Howard The Lord Sheffield Roger Townesend Iohn Hawkins and Martin Forbisher for their valour well imployed in the last fight After this they resolved not to set upon the enemy untill they came into the straight of Calis where Henry Seimor and William Winter staid for their comming Thus with the faire gale the Spanish Fléet goâ—th forward and the English followed This great Spanish Armadoe was so far from being estéemed Invincible in the opinions of the English that many yong men and Gentlemen in hope to be partakers of a famous victory against the Spaniards provided ships of their owne charges and joyned themselves to the English Fléet among whom were the Earles of Essex of Northumberland of Noblemen and Gentlemen joyne with the fleet Cumberland Thomas and Robert Cecilles Henry Brookes William Hatton Robert Cary Ambrose Willoughby Thomas Gerard Arthur Gorge and other Gentlemen of good note and quality The seven and twentieth day at Even the Purposing to execute their designe on friday the 12. of August the night being dark but how happily the same was prevented reade the next section following Spainards cast anchor néere to Calis being admonished of their skilfull Sea-men that if they went any further they might be indangered by force of that tide to be driven into the North Ocean Néere to them stood the English Admirall with his Fléet within a great Guns shot To the Admirall Seimor and Winter now joyne their ships so that now there were an hundred and forty ships in the English Fléet able and well furnished for fight for saile and to turne which way was néedfull and yet there were but fiftéen of these which bore the burden of the battell and repulsed the enemy The Spaniard as often he had done before so now with great earnestnesse sent to the Duke of Parma to send forty flie boats without the which they could not fight with the English because of the greatnesse and slownesse of their owne ships and the agility of the English ships And intreating him by all meanes now to come to Sea with his army which army was now to be protected as it were under the wings of the Spanish Annadoe untill they tooke land in England But the Duke was
at Gand tooke him thence bound him girding and straining him strangely with cords and would néeds have him burned As he was led thither they abused him shamefully with mockes thrusting him forward and striking him cruelly The Captaine of the band gave him a blow over the face with his Gantlet which much disfigured him Finally these tyrants handled him worse then any dog only because his patient and constant carriage of himselfe tormented and enraged them Being come to the place they thrust him into his little Cabbin piled up with fagots and wood and then set fire unto him where he was heard distinctly and plainly to use these words albeit they had gagged him Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Thus this faithfull witnesse of Ieuss Christ dyed quiently and constantly in the Lord April the fourth Anno 1568. ¶ Among these sad relations a little to quicken and refresh the spirit of the reader I will here insert a Letter full of consolations written out of prison to the faithfull by one William Touart Merchant who had his dwelling in the City of Lisle in Flanders THis honourable personage being come to the age of eighty yeares or thereabouts used his house for the space of fourtéene or fiftéene yeares as a Church wherein the assembly in the City of Lisle commonly met Being chased and banished thence in the yeare 1561. he withdrew himself for a while to Tournay whence he was constrained to flie and to goe to Amiens and Moundedier Cities of Picardy that there he might enjoy the pure preaching of the Gospell Afterward returning into his owne countrey he came to reside in the City of Antwerpe where after he had continued many yeares he was at length imprisoned and condenmed to be burned with two others who suffered for the same cause But it pleased God so to dispose of him that he dyed another kinde of death to shew that his chosen servants have to triumph over the same some one way and some another For being plunged into a cisterne or tub full of water he was drowned in prison and then they carried his body out of the City to a place called Berken where the dead bodies of the condemned are laid upon the whéels or crutch Among many letters which he wrote during the time of his imprisonment my author hath selected out this one which here followeth DE are brethren and sisters in Iesus Christ I most humbly thank my good God that he hath so fortified and comforted me by his grace that I féele my selfe more cheared by lying in this darke prison then if I were walking in the open stréets or fields I say this I féele according to the spirit for as touching the flesh what doth it apprehend here but stinking vapors and smoke Wherefore my beloved if it so fall out that you be apprehended for the name of Iesus Christ feare not the prison nor those that have power to kill the body for having done that they can goe no further Be yée not afraid then séeing it is the reward which our good Captaine Iesus Christ hath promised to all his faithfull soldiers and servants He who turnes his backe in this conflict goes by the losse but whosoever fights manfully obtaines in the end the crowne not a crowne of gold but of glory immortall We here lay downe Rev. 2. 10. a fading life filled with griefes and troubles to change the some for a life everlasting we put off the ragges of this mortall flesh to be clothed with robes immortall we forsake a loathsome life for joy and felicity eternall ought any gaine or exchange to be compared with this O swéet and happy Martyrdome how dost thou dignifie and enrich us in despite of the world devill and our owne flesh And which of us now can complaine séeing our Soveraigne Lord and Master hath Anno 1569. so expressely foretold it to all his followers will any man come after me saith he Let him then Mat. 16 24. take up his crosse and follow me Let us beare Oh let us then beare the crosse chéerefully and with ioyfulnesse that we may be received in the presence of his heavenly Father for it is not only Phil. 1 21. 1 Tim. 2. 12. given us to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for his sake and if we suffer with him then wée shall also raigne with him Oh that wée could admire his bounty who no sooner imployes us in his worke but hath the wages ready in his hand wherewith to recompence Iohn 16. 20. Heb 12. 1. us Your sorrow saith he shall be turned into joy Let us then cast off every weight that presseth downe and whatsoever else that stands in our way to heaven-ward be if father mother Mat. 19 29. Mat. 13 45 46. brother sisters husband childe yea and our own life also Let us with the wise Merchant man sell all that with him we may purchase that pretious pearle How happy doe I estéeme them who are called to suffer and leave their life for confessing the name of Iesus Christ For the eternall Son of God will confesse their names before his heavenly Mar. 10. 23. Luke 12. 8. Father and his holy Angels They shall be clad with white robes and shine as the Sunne in the kingdome of Heaven filled with gladnesse in the presence of the Lambe They shal eat of the fruit of the trée of life which is in the midst of the Rev. 27. Paradise of God Let us fixe the eyes of our minds upon these so great pretious promises of Iesus Christ which he hath made to all those which persevere in well doing unto the end O how happy shall wée be when we are delivered from these bodies of death to live for ever with our God Let us continually pray then with the Disciples Lord increase Luke 15. 7. our faith O deare brethren remember mée alwayes in your prayers who am bound here in the Heb. 13. 3. bonds of Antichrist Remember those also who are in bonds as if you were bound with them pray Pet. 4. 5 I say without ceasing for our adversary the Devill is alwayes compassing us about with his fetches to cause our hearts to faint And you are not ignorant what a potent enemy our owne flesh Gal. 5. 17. Phil. 1. 6. is unto us But I confidently beléeve that our good God who hath begun this good worke in me will perfect the same even unto the day of Christ Fare ye well It was strange to see what spectacles of dead bodies saline by the bloudy Inquisition were to be gazed on in a manner in every place especially in the Cities of Tournay and of the Valencians in regard of the multitudes of beléevers both of men and women who had long languished in sundry prisons in great misery and necessities Now that we may not forget what fell out in the beginning of this yeare 1569. thus it happened In the City
such particular acclamations the whole army in every quarter did so deboutly at certaine times sing in her hearing in very tunable manner divers Psalmes put into forme of prayers in praise to Almighty God no waies to be misliked that she greatly commended them Anno 1588. and with very earnest spéech thanked God with them This that I write you may be sure I doe not with any comfort but to give you these manifest arguments that neither this Qéene doth discontent her people nor her people doe shew any discontent in any thing they be commanded to doe for her service as heretofore hath béen imagined The same day wherein the last fight was the Duke of Parma after his vowes offered to the Lady of Halla came somewhat late to Dunkerk and was received with some opprobrious words of the Spaniards as if in favour of Quéene Elizabeth he had slipped the fairest opportunity that could be to doe the service He to make some satisfaction punished the purveiours that had not made provision of beere bread and victuals which was not yet ready nor imbarked secretly smiting at the insolency of the Spaniards when he heard them glorying that what way soever they came upon England they would have an undoubted victory that the English were not able to endure the sight them Bernardinus Mendoza did indéed by Bookes in France sing a foolish and lying triumphant For which a Papist sticks not to taxe him writing upon this subject to Mendcza The Spaniards dismaied flâ—e away for feare song before the victory The English Admirall appointed Seimor and the Hollanders to watch upon the coast of Flanders that the Duke of Parma should not come out himselfe followed the Spaniards upon their backes untill they were past Edenborough frith The Spaniards séeing all hopes faile and finding no other help for themselves but by flight fled amaine and never made stay And so this great Navy being thrée yeares preparing with great cost was within a moneth overthrown and after And all their preparations blasted the English receiving small losse viz. not one hundred men in all nor one ship but that of Cockes many were killed being chased away of English there were not one hundred lost nor one ship lost saving that of Cocks was driven about all Britaine by Scotland Orcades Ireland tossed and shaken with tempests and much lessened and came home without glory Whereupon some money was coined with a Navy fléeing away at full saile and this inscription Venit Vidit Fugit Other were coined with the ships fired the navy confounded in honour of the Quéene inscribed Dux foemina facti As they fled it is certain that many of their ships were cast away upon the shores of Scotland and Ireland More then seven hundred soldiers and Mariners were cast up upon the Scottish shors who at the Duke of Parma his intercession with the Scots King the Quéene of England consenting were after a yâ—are sent into Flanders But they that were cast up upon the Irish shore by tempests came to more miserable fortunes for some were killed by the wilde Irish others by the Deputies command for he fearing that they might joyne themselves to the wild Irish Bingham the Governor of Connach being once or twice commanded to slay them having yeÌ„elded but refusing to doe it Fowle the under Marshall was sent and killed them which cruelty the Quéen much condemned whereupon the rest being afraid sick and hungry with their torne ships committed themselves to the sea and many were drowned Quéene Elizabeth came in publike thankesgiving to Pauls Church in a Chariot drawne Queen Elizabeth giveth thankes to God for so unexpected a deliverance with two horses her Nobles accompanying her with a very gallant traine through the stréets of London which were hung with blew cloth the companies standing on both sides were in their liveries the Banners that were taken from the enemies were spred shée heard the Sermon anpublique thankes were rendred unto God with great joy This publique joy was augmented when sir Robert Sidney returning out of Scotland brought from the King assurance of his noble minde and affection to the Quéene and to religion which as in sincerity he had established so he purposed to maintaine with all his power Sir Robert Sidney was sent to him when the Spanish fléet was comming to congratulate and to give him thankes for his propense affection towards the maintenance of the common cause and to declare how ready she would be to help him if the Spaniards should land in Scotland and that he might recall to memory with what strange ambition the Spaniard had gaped for all Britaine urging the Pope to excommunicate him to the end that he might be thrust from the Kingdome of Scotland and from the succession in England and to give him notice of threatning of Mendoza and the Popes Nuncio who threatned his ruine if they could worke it and therefore warned him to take especiall héed to the Scottish Papists The King pleasantly answered That he looked for no other benefit from the Spaniard then that which Polyphemus promised to Vlysses to devoure him last after all his Fellowes were devoured ¶ To close up this whole relation heare what The odore Beza writes in certaine gratulatory Verses written in Latine and sent unto her Majesty the effect of which Verses is this in English WIth Navy huge the Spaniard proud The English seas had spread And all to set the English Crowne Upon the Spanish head And would you gladly understand The cause of all this rout Ambition first did lay the plot And lucre brought them out How well this pride thus puffed up A puffe did overthrow And swelling wave such swelling wights How well did overflow How well that Worrier of mankinde That Spanish cruell Wolfe Was tost and tumbled up and downe Within the Ocean gulfe And you for whom both all the windes And all the waters fight O noble Queene of all the world The only true delight Goe forward still to rule for God Ambition laid aside Goe forward still for Christ his Flocke In bounty to provide That thou maist England governe long Long England thee enjoy As well a love unto the good As to the bad annoy From Geneva besieged by the Duke of Savoy the twelfth day of August Anno 1589. Your Majesties most humble Orator Theodore Beza ¶ The death of the Duke of Guise and Henry Anno 1598. the third King of France IT was not long after that the Duke of Guise who was slain by the Lord Lougna at the kings Chamber doore and King Henry the third were taken away he being the last of the house of Vallois and dying without any lawfull heires of his body begotten The manner of whose death was thus A Frier of the Order of Saint Dominicke called Iames Clement pretended hee had matters of great consequence to impart to the King who being admitted into his presence upon his knées presented the King with