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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51174	A true and exact account of the wars with Spain, in the reign of Q. Elizabeth (of famous memory) being the particulars of what happened between the English and Spanish fleets, from the years 1585 to 1602, shewing the expeditions, attempts, fights, designs, escapes, successes, errors, &c. on both sides : with the names of Her Majesty's ships and commanders in every fleet : being a patern and warning to future ages : never printed before / written by Sir William Monson ...	Monson, William, Sir, 1569-1643.	1682 (1682)	Wing M2466; ESTC R2957	60,871	57

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 thus warned of them Here he took two goodly Ships of France bound for Lisbone which Harbor he put them from and took Pledges that they should directly return into France without touching in any Harbor of Spain for that he understood the Spanish Fleet was ill provided of men and many other things which these Ships could supply Sir William and the Dreadnought were carried with a chase into the Road of Cisimbre where the Carreck was taken not long before and after some Fight with the Castle who defended the Vessel chased they came to a friendly Treaty and Presents past between them That Night while the Admiral rid in the Road a Carvel comming in not mistrusting him was taken but dismissed in a friendly manner by whom he understood the affairs of Lisbone but could get no notice of the Holland Fleet which was appointed to attend at the Rock whither once more he repaired Coming thither the 26th of September a light was espied in the Night which the Admiral chased thinking it had been the Fleet of St. Omer or Brazil bound for Lisbone where they were expected but drawing so near them that he might hail them he found them by the hugeness of their Vessels and the number which answered the relation the Carvel made to be the Armado of Spain whereupon he sought means how to clear himself being ingaged amongst them and made a Spaniard which served him call to them but they could not hear him the Adventure only and the Whelp were left with him the rest losing company Four nights before in a Storm the Enemy perceiving our lights and thinking it to be some Fleet of Flemmings stood in amongst us but the Adventure being discovered to be an Enemy the Alarum was soon taken and they shot at her and slew and hurt some of her men as soon as the day appeared the Spaniards beheld the Three Enlish Ships a head them which they chased and Three of them which were better of Sail than the rest fetcht upon us and drew near the Whelp who was of small Force to resist them But the Admiral resolving though it was to his own evident Peril not to see a Pinnace of her Majesties so lost if so be he could rescue her with the loss of his Life though it was much against the persuasions of his Master and company he stroak his two Sails for the Whelp and commanded her to stand her course while he staid for the Three Spanish Ships with hope to make them have little list to pursue us The Admiral of the Spaniards perceiving how little he cared for his Three Ships in that he lingered for their coming up took in with the shoar and shot off a peice for his Three Ships to follow him It may appear by this as by several other expeditions of ours how much the swift Sailing of Ships doth avail being the principal advantage in Sea Service and indeed the main thing we could presume upon in our War against the Spaniards Sir William having thus escaped the Enemy in his traverse at Sea there happened as there doth upon all Coasts where there is plenty of Trade divers occasions of chases and one day Sir William following one Ship and the Adventure another they lost company for the whole Voyage Sir William was advertised by a Ship he took being a Frenchman who came from St. Lucas that the St. Domingo Fleet was looked for daily which Intelligence made him bear up for the South Cape as well in hopes to meet with them as to have news of his Fleet. He was no sooner come to the Cape but he was informed by some English men of War that the Domingo Fleet was past by two days before here he met with Ships of several Nations some he rescued from Pirats and to others that were in League with her Majesty he gave his safe conduct for their free passage on the Sea he kept that Coast until the 21th of October on which morning he gave chase to a Gallion of the King of Spain who recovered the Castle of Cape Sacre before he could fetch her up although he knew the strength of the Castle yet he attempted and had carried her had it not been for the fear and cowardize of him at the Helm who bore up when he was ready

Island of Fayall some months after the surprizing of those Ships formerly mentioned The Castle yielded us 45 Pieces of Ordinance great and small We sacked and spoiled the Town and after ransomed it and so departed These Summer Services and Ships of Sugar proved not so sweet and pleasant as the Winter was afterwards sharp and painful For in our Return for England we found the Calamity of Famine the Hazard of Shipwrack and the Death of our Men so great that the like befell not any other Fleet during the time of the War All which Disasters must be imputed to Captain Lister's Rashness upon whom my Lord of Cumberland chiefly relyed wanting Experience himself He was the man that advised the sending the Ships of Wine for England otherwise we had not known the Want of Drink he was as earnest in persuading our Landing in the Face of the Fortifications of St. Maries against all Reason and Sence As he was rash so was he valiant but paid dearly for his unadvised Counsel For he was one of the first hurt and that cruelly in the Attempt of St. Maries and afterward drowned in the Rich Ship cast away at Mounts Bay Sir John Hawkins and Sir Martin Forbisher their Voyage undertaken Anno 1590. Ships The Revenge The Mary-Rose The Lyon The Bonaventure The Rainbow The Hope The Crane The Quittance The Foresight The Swiftseur Commanders Sir Martin Forbisher Sir Iohn Hawkins Sir Edward Yorke Capt. Fenner Capt. George Beeston Capt. Bostock Capt. Burnell FRom the Yeear 1585. untill this present Year 1590. there was the greatest possibility imaginable of enriching our Nation by Actions at Sea had they been well followed the King of Spain was grown so weak in Shipping by the Overthrow he had in 1588 that he could no longer secure the Trade of his Subjects Her Majesty now finding how necessary it was for her to maintain a Fleet upon the Spanish Coast as well to hinder the Preparations he might make against Her to repair the Disgrace he received in 1588. as also to intercept his Fleets from the Indies by which he grew Great and Mighty She sent this Year 1590. Ten Ships of her own in two Squadrons the one to be Commanded by Sir John Hawkins the other by Sir Martin Forbisher two Gentlemen of tried Experience The King of Spain understanding of this Preparation of hers sent forth 20 Sail of Ships under the Command of Don Alonso de Bassan Brother to the late Famous Marquess of St. Cruz. His Charge was to secure home the Indian Fleet and Carrecks But after Don Alonso had put off to Sea the King of Spain becoming better advised than to adventure 20 of his Ships to 10 of ours sent for Don Alonso back and so frustrated the Expectation of our Fleet. He likewise made a Dispatch to the Indies commanding the Fleets to Winter there rather than to run the hazard of coming Home that Summer But this proved so great a Hind'rance and Loss to the Merchants of Spain to be so long without Return of their Goods that it caused many to become Bankrupts in Sevil and other places besides which was so great a weakening to their Ships to Winter in the Indies that many years hardly sufficed to repair the Damage they received Our Fleet being thus prevented spent seven months in vain upon the Coasts of Spain and the Islands but in that space could not possess themselves of one Ship of the Spaniards and the Carrecks upon which part of their Hopes depended came Home without Sight of the Islands and arrived safe at Lisbon This Voyage was a bare Action at Sea though they attempted Landing at Fayal which the Earl of Cumberland the year before had taken and quitted but the Castle being re-fortified they prevailed not in their Enterprize And thence forwards the King of Spain endeavored to strengthen his Coasts and to encrease in Shipping as may appear by the next ensuing Year Two Fleets the one by Vs under the Lord Thomas Howard the other by the Spaniards Commanded by Don Alonso de Bassan Anno 1591. Ships The Dfiance The Revenge The Nonperil The Bonaventure The Lyon The Foresight The Crane Commanders The Lord Thomas Howaad Sir Richard Greenvile Vice-admiral Sir Edward Denny Capt. Crosse Capt. Fenner Capt. Vavasor Capt. Duffeild HER Majesty understanding of the Indian Fleets Wintering in the Havana and that Necessity would compell them home this Year 1591. she sent a Fleet to the Islands under the Command of the Lord Thomas Howard The King of Spain perceiving her Drift and being sensible how much the safety of that Fleet concerned him caused them to set out thence so late in the Year that it endangered the Shipwrack of them all chosing rather to hazard the perishing of Ships Men and Goods than their falling into our Hands He had two Designs in bringing home this Fleet so late One was he thought the Lord Thomas would have consumed his Victuals and have been forced Home The other that he might in the mean time furnish out the great Fleet he was preparing little inferior to that of 1588. In the first he found himself deceived For my Lord was supplied both with Ships and Victuals out of England and in the second he was as much prevented For my Lord of Cumberland who then lay upon the Coast of Spain had Intelligence of the Spaniards putting out to Sea and advertised the Lord Thomas thereof the very Night before they arrived at Flores where my Lord lay The day after this Intelligence the Spanish Fleet was discovered by my Lord Thomas whom he knew by their Number and Greatness to be the Ships of which he had warning and by that means escaped the Danger that Sir Richard Greenvile his Vice-admiral rashly ran into Upon View of the Spaniards which were 55 Sail the Lord Thomas warily and like a discreet General weighed Anchor and made Signs to the rest of his Fleet to do the like with a purpose to get the Wind of them but Sir Richard Greenvile being a stubborn man and imagining this Fleet to come from the Indies and not to be the Armado of which they were informed would by no means be persuaded by his Master or Company to cut his main Sail to follow his Admiral nay so head-strong and rash he was that he offered violence to those that councelled him thereto But the Old Saying that a wilful man is the Cause of his own Woe could not be more truly verified than in him For when the Armado approached him and he beheld the Greatness of the Ships he began to see and repent of his Folly and when it was too late would have freed himself of them but in vain For he was left a Prey to the Enemy every Ship striving to be the first should board him This wilful Rashness of Sir Richard made the Spaniards triumph as much as if they had obtained a Signal Victory it being the first Ship that ever they took of Her Majesties and

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 desires 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 Honor 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 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 The Mere-honor After in the Repulse The Lyon The Warspite The Garland The Defiance The Mary Rose The Hope The Matthew The Rainbow The Bonaventure The Dreadnought The Swiftsuer The Antelope The Nonperil The St. Andrew Commanders The Earl of Essex Capt. under him Sir Robert Mansell The Lord Thomas Howard Sir Walter Rawleigh The Earl of Southampton The Lord Mountioy Sir Francis Vere Sir Richard Lewson Sir George Carew Sir Will. Monson Sir Will. Harvey Sir Will. Brooke Sir Gilly Merick Sir Iohn Gilbert he went not Sir Tho. Vavasor 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 Elect. 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

Tremontary The Acatice Pinnaces Gallies Hoyes 10 Commanders The Lord Admiral Sir Francis Drake Vice Admiral The Lord Thomas Howard The Lord Sheffeild Sir Robert Southwell Sir Martin Forbisher Sir Iohn Hawkins Capt. Crosse. Capt. Reyman Capt. George Beeston Capt. Thomas Fenner The Lord Henry Seymore Sir William Winter Capt. Fenton Sir Henry Palmer Capt. Barker Capt. Fenner Capt. Hawkins Capt. Bostock Capt. Ashley NOtwithstanding the great spoil and hurt Sir Francis Drake did the year past in Cadiz Road by intercepting some part of the Provisions intended for this great Navy the King of Spain used his utmost endeavours to revenge himself this year lest in taking longer time his Designs might be prevented as before and arrested all Ships Men and necessaries wanting for his Fleet and compell'd them per force to seave in this Action He appointed for General the Duke of Medina Sidonia a man imployed rather for his Birth than Experience for so many Dukes Marquesses and Earls voluntarily going would have repined to have been commanded by a man of less quality than themselves They departed from Lisbon the 19th day of May 1588 with the greatest pride and glory and least doubt of Victory that ever any Nation did but God being angry with their insolence disposed of them contrary to their expectation The directions from the King of Spvin to his General were to repair as wind and weather would give leave to the Road of Callice in Piccardy there to abide the coming of the Prince of Parma and his Army and upon their meeting to have opened a Letter directed to them both with further Instructions He was especially commanded to sail along the Coasts of Brittany and Normandy to avoid being discovered by us here and if he met with the English Fleet not to offer to fight but onely seek to defend themselves But when he came athwart the North Cape he was taken with a contrary wind and foul weather and forced into the Harbour of the Groyne where part of his Fleet lay attending his coming As he was ready to depart from thence they had intelligence by an English Fisherman whom they took Prisoner of our Fleets late being at Sea and putting back again not expecting their coming that year insomuch that most part of the Men belonging to our Ships were discharged This Intelligence made the Duke alter his Resolution and to break the Directions given him by the King yet this was not done without some difficulty for the Council was divided in their Opinions some held it best to observe the Kings Command others not to lose the opportunity offered to surprize our Fleet unawares and burn and destroy them Diego Flores de Valdos who had the command of the Andalusian Squadron and on whom the Duke most relied because of his experience and judgment was the main man that persuaded the Attempt of our Ships in Harbour and with that resolution they directed their course for England The first Land they fell with was the Lizard the Southermost part of Cornwall which they took to be the Rams Head athwart Plymouth and the night being at hand they tacked off to Sea making account in the morning to make an Attempt upon our Ships in Plymouth But whilest they were thus deceived in the Land they were in the mean time discovered by Capt. Flemminge a Pyrat who had been at Sea pilfering and upon view of them knowing them to be the Spanish Fleet repaired with all speed to Plymouth and gave warning and notice to our Fleet who were then riding at Anchor whereupon my Lord Admiral hastned with all possible expedition to get forth the Ships and before the Spaniards could draw near Plymouth they were welcomed at Sea by my Lord and his Navy who continued fight with them untill he brought them to an Anchor at Callice The particulars of the Fight and the Successes thereof being things so well known I purposely omit While this Armado was preparing Her Majesty had from time to time perfect intelligence of the Spaniards Designs and because she knew his intent was to invade her at Sea with a mighty Fleet from his own Coast she furnished out her Royal Navy under the Conduct of the Lord High Admiral of England and sent him to Plymouth as the likeliest place to attend their coming as you have heard Then knowing that it was not the Fleet alone that could endanger her safety for that they were too weak for any Enterprize on Land without the assistance of the Prince of Parma and his Army in Flanders therefore she appointed 30 Sail of Holland Ships to lie at an Anchor before the Town of Dunkirk where the Prince was to imbarque in Flat-bottom'd Boats made purposely for the Expedition of England Thus had the Prince by the Queens Providence been prevented if he had attempted to put out of Harbour with his Boats but in truth neither his Vessels nor his Army were in readiness which caused the King ever after to be jealous of him and as 't is supposed to hasten his end Her Majesty notwithstanding this her vigilant care to foresee and prevent all danger that might happen at Sea would not hold her self too secure of her Enemy and therefore prepared a Royal Army to welcom him upon his Landing but it was not the will of God that he should set foot on English ground the Queen becoming Victorious over him at Sea with little hazard or bloudshed of her Subjects Having shewed the Design of the Spaniards and the course taken by Her Majesty to prevent them I will now collect the Errors committed as well by the one as by the other as I have promised in the beginning of my Discourse As nothing could appear more rational and likely to take effect after the Duke had gotten intelligence of the state of our Navy than his design to surprize them unawares in Harbour he well knowing that if he had taken away our strength by Sea he might have landed both when and where he listed which is a great advantage to an Invader yet admitting it had took that effect he designed I see not how he was to be commended in breaking the Instructions given him by the King what blame then did he deserve when so ill an event followed by his rashness and disobedience It was not the want of Experience in the Duke or his laying the fault upon Valdes that excused him at his return but he had smarted bitterly for it had it not been for his Wife who obtained the Kings favour for him Before th' Arrival of the Ships that escaped in this Voyage it was known in Spain that Diego Flores de Valdes was he who persuaded the Duke to break the Kings Instructions whereupon the King gave commandment in all his Ports where the said Diego Flores de Valdes might arrive to appreheud him which was accordingly executed and he carried to the Castle of Sancta Andrea and was never seen or heard of after If the Kings Directions

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 favored 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 Adventurers were fain to submit themselves to her Pleasure with whom she dealt but indiffereutly The Earl of Cumberland to the Coast of Spain Anno Dom. 1593. Ships The Lyon The Bonaventure and seven other Ships Commanders The Earl of Cumberland 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 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 The Vauntguard The Rainbow The Dreadnought The Quittance Commanders Sir Martin Forbisher Capt. Fenner Capt. Clifford 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 Iohn 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 Seamen 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 fore 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 The Defiance The Garland The Hope The Bonaventure The Foresight The Adventure Commanders by Sea Sir Francis Drake Sir Iohn Hawkins Capt. Gilbert Yorke Capt. Troughton Capt. Winter Capt. Tho. Drake Commander by Land Sir Tho. Baskervile 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

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 strengthned 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 they attempted landing This being now resolved on there arose a great Question who should have the Honor of the first going in My Lord of Essex stood for himself but my Lord Admiral opposed it knowing if he miscarried it would hazard the Overthrow of the Action besides he was streightly charged by Her Majesty that the Earl should not expose himself to Danger but upon great necessity When my Lord of Essex could not prevail the whole Council withstanding him he sent Sir William Monson that night on Board my Lord Admiral to resolve what Ships should be appointed the next day to undertake the Service Sir Walter Rawleigh had the Vaward given him which my Lord Thomas Howard hearing challenged in right of his place of Vice-admiral and it was granted him but Sir Walter having Order over night to ply in came first to an Anchor but in that distance from the Spaniards as he could not annoy them And he himself returned on Board the Lord General Essex to excuse his coming to Anchor so far off for want of Water to go higher which was thought strange that the Spaniards which drew much more Water and had no more Advantage than he of Tide could pass where his could not But Sir Francis Vere in the Rainbow who was appointed to second him passing by Sir Walter Rawleigh his Ship Sir Walter the second time weighed and went higher The Lord General Essex who promised to keep in the midst of the Fleet was told by Sir William Monson that the greatest Service would depend upon three or four Ships and Sir William put him in mind of his Honor for that many Eyes beheld him This made him forgetful of his Promise and to use all means he could to be formost in the Fight My Lord Howard who could not go up in his own Ship the Mere honor betook himself to the Nonperil and in respect the Rainbow the Repulse and Warspight had taken up the best of the Channel by their first coming to an Anchor to his grief he could not get higher Here did every Ship strive to be the headmost but such was the narrowness of the Channel as neither the Lord Admiral nor any other Ship of the Queens could pass on There was Commandment given that no Ship should shoot but the Queens making account that the Honor would be the greater if the Victory were obtained with so few This Fight continued from Ten till Four in the Afternoon The Spaniards then set Sail thinking either to run higher up the River or else to bring their other Broad Sides to us because of the heat of their Ordnance but howsoever it was in their floating they came a ground and the men began to forsake the Ships Whereupon there was Commandment given that all the Hoys and Vessels that drew least Water should go unto them Sir William Monson was sent in the Repulse Boat with like directions We possess'd our selves of the great Gallions the Matthew and the Andrew but the Philip and Thomas fired themselves and were burnt down before they could be quenched I must not omit to describe the manner of the Spanish Ships and Gallies riding in Harbor at our first coming to Cadiz The four Gallions singled themselves from out the Fleet as Guards of their Merchants The Gallies were placed to flank us with their Prows before Entry but when they saw our Approach the next morning the Merchants ran up the River and the Men of War of Port Royal to the Point of the River brought themselves into a good Order of Fight moving their Ships a Head and a Stern to have their Broad Sides upon us The Gallies then betook themselves to the Guard of the Town which we put them from before we attempted the Ships The Victory being obtained at Sea the L. General Essex landed his men in a Sandy Bay which the Castle of Poyntull commanded but they seeing the Success of their Ships and mistrusting their own strength neither offered to offend his Landing nor to defend the Castle but quitted it and so we became Possessors of it After my Lord 's peeceable Landing he considered what was to be done and there being no place from whence the Enemy could annoy us but the Bridge of Swasoe which leadeth over from the main Land to the Island by our making good