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A30295
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The copie of a letter sent ovt of England to an ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine declaring the state of England contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin and of all his partizans Spaniards and others : wherunto are adioyned certain advertisements concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish navy as well in fight with the English navie in the narrow seas of England : as also by tempests and contrary winds upon the west and north coasts of Ireland in their returne from the northerne isles beyond Scotland.; Copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza
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Leigh, Richard, 1561?-1588.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing B5729; ESTC R210031
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35,377
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63
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about London at that time above five thousand horses ready to serve the Queen besides all the horsmen that were raised in all other Countries for the Armies and the Sea coasts And besides these I heard in a very good place where I was silent that there was by account twise as many in readinesse with the Noblemen that were absent attending on their charges in their severall Lieutenancies As the Marques of Winchester one counted to be the strongest man of his own furniture for Horse and armour who is Lieutenant of Hampshire with the Earle of Sussex Captaine of Portesmouth and Lieutenant also of Dorcetshire Next to him is in account the Earle of Shrowsbury Earle Marshall of England Lieutenant of a great number of Countries and of great power of his own both for horsmen and footmen beside the power of the Lord Talbot his son The Earle of Darby also though he was in Flanders from whence he came lately yet his son the Lord Strange Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire in his fathers absence is said to have raised a great power of hors-men And to shew the popular affection to this Earle in his country I heard it for certaine reported that when the Earle continued longer in Flanders then they liked and doubting of his return for that they supposed that the Duke of Parma would stay him and the other Commissioners there the people of his Country in a generality did amongst themselves determine that the Lord Strange the Earls son and all the manhood of Lancashire and Cheshire would go over the Seas and fetch the Earle home A matter for no purpose to be spoken of but to note the force of the love which the people do beare to the Earle who with his son is firmly bent against the Pope The Earle of Bath also Lieutenant of Devonshire had as is said great forces of his own ready to have impeached the landing of any strangers in Devonshire The Earle of Pembrooke also being Lieutenant of Somersetshire and Wiltshire and Lord President of all Wales was ready to have come to the Queen with three hundred horsmen and five hundred footmen all of his own retinue leaving all the Countries under his charge fully furnished I omit here to speake of the Bands of hors-men belonging to the Earls of Northumberland and Cumberland which though they were ready to have bin shewed at the same time yet the Earls hearing of the Spanish Army approaching went voluntarily to the Sea side in all hast and came to the Queens Navy before the sight afore Callice Where they being in severall ships of the Queens did with their own persons valiant services against the Kings Armado And to shew the great readines in a generality of sundry others at the same time to adventure their lives in the said service there went to the Seas at the same time divers Gentlemen of good reputation who voluntarily without any charge and without knowledge of the Queen put themselves into the Queens Navy in sundry ships wherin they served at the fight afore Callice of which number being very great I remember that the names of some of them were these M. Henry Brooke son and heir to the Lord Cobham Sir Thomas Cecil son and heir to the Lord Treasurer Sir William Hatton heir to the Lord Chancellour Sir Horatio Pallavicino a Knight of Genua Master Robert Cary son to the Lord Hunsdon Sir Charles Blunt brother to the Lord Mountjoy But much speech is of two Gentlemen of the Court that went to the Navy at the same time whose names are Thomas Gerard and William Hervy to me not known but now here about London spoken of with great same These two adventured out of ship boat to scale the great Galliasse wherin Moncada was and entred the same only with their Rapiers a matter commonly spoken that never the like was hazarded afore considering the height of the Galliasse compared to a ship boat And yet to make it more manifest how earnest all sorts of Noblemen and Gentlemen were to adventure their lives in this service it is reported that the Earle of Oxford who is one of the most ancient Earles of this land went also to the Sea to serve in the Queens Army There went also for the same purpose a second son of the Lord Treasurer called as I can remember Robert Cecil there went also about that time to the Seas the Lord Dudley an ancient Baron of the Realm and Sir Walter Rawlegh a Gentleman of the Queens privy Chamber in his company a great number of young Gentlemen amongst whom I remember the names of the heir of Sir Thomas Cecil called William Cecil of Edward Darcy Arthur Gorge and such others with the rehearsall of whom I doe not comfort my self but only to shew you how farr we have bin deceived to think that we should have had a party here for us when as you see both by land and by Sea all sorts of men were so ready of their own charges without either commandment or entertainment to adventure their lives in defence of the Queen and the Realm And for the Earle of Huntingtons forces being Lieutenant General in the North it is reported that he hath put in readines for an Army in Yorkshire and other countries commonly limited to serve against Scotland to the number of fourty thousand well armed footmen and near hand ten thousand horsmen to come to him if any occasion of Invasion should be in the North parts to whom are joyned with their forces 3 Lords in the North the Lord Scroop Lord Darcy and Lord Evers There are also divers other Lords that are Lieutenants of countries that have in readinesse of their proper charges good numbers of horsemen As the Earle of Kent Lieutenant of Bedford-shire the L. Hunsdon Lord Chamberlaine Lieutenant of Norfolke and Suffolke the L. Cobbam Lieutenant of Kent the L. Gray of Buckingham-shire the L. North of Cambridge-shire L. Chandos of Glocester-shire L.S. Iohn of Huntington-shire L. Buckhurst of Sussex And so by this particular recitall not unmeet for your knowledge it is to be noted what disposition the Nobility of the Realme had at this time to have withstood all invasion And if percase you shall peruse your ordinary Catalogue of the great Lords of the Realme you shall find that these are the substance of all the great Lords saving three young Earles within age Rutland South-hampton and Bedford all three brought up in perverse Religion And so remaineth to be spoken of the Earle of Arundell who is in the Tower for attempting to have fled out of the Realme by provocation of him that now is Cardinall Allen who howsoever he may be affected to the Catholique Religion yet I heare most certainly that he offereth his life in defence of the
now for the more part returned with a full determination and firme promise to continue their Bands in such readinesse as upon a few houres warning they will assuredly returne with them in good array Beside these foresaid arguments to disprove the opinion of discontentment of the people which heretofore hath been thought a great furtherance to this honourable action I will also remember you some other more notable actions to prove both contentation and readinesse in all the Nobilitie of the Realme at this time that were not tyed to abide in their countries by reason of their offices as Lieutenants and Governours there for martiall services I or as soone as it was heard that the Queene was come neare London and that the armies were in gathering to come out of the countries for defence of all Invasions and reports brought from the sea coasts of the appearance of the Spanish Navy all the Noblemen in the Realme from East and West from North and South excepting onely such great Lords as had speciall Governments in countries that might not lawfully be absent from their charge and some few that were not able to make forces according to their desire came to the Queene bringing with them according to their degrees and to the uttermost of their powers goodly bands of horsemen both launces light horsemen and such other as are termed Carabins or Argeletiers lodging their bands round about London and maintaining them in pay at their own charges all the time untill the Navy of Spain was certainly known to be passed beyond Scotland And of these Noblemen many shewed their bands of their horsemen before the Queene even in the fields afore her own gate to the great marvell of men of good judgement as I heard reported for that the number of them was so great and so well armed and horsed as knowing that they were no parcell of the numbers of horsemen limited in every countrey and put into bands with the armies described it was thought before they were seen that there had not been so many spare horses of such valour in the whole Realm excepting the North part of England towards Scotland whose forces consist chiefly of horsemen The first shewed his bands to the Queen was that noble vertuous honorable man the Viscount Mountague who howsoever men doe judge of him for opinion in Religion yet to tell you the truth he is reported alwayes to have professed as now also at this time he did professe and protest solemnly both to the Queen and to all her Court in open assemblies that he now came though he was very sickly and in age with a full resolution to live and dye in defence of the Queene and of his countrey against all invaders whether it were Pope King or Potentate whatsoever and in that quarrell he would hazard his life his children his lands goods And to shew his mind agreeable therto he came personally himself before the Queen with his band of horsemen being almost two hundred the same being led by his own sons and with them a young childe very comely seated on hors-back being the heire of his house that is the eldest son to his son and heir a matter much noted of many whom I heard to commend the same to see a grandfather father and son at one time on hors-back afore a Queen for her service though in truth I was sorry to see our Adversaries so greatly pleased therwith But I cannot conceale it from your Lordships knowledge because I think this Nobleman is known unto you having bin used as an Embassadour to the King Catholik many years past by this Queen as I have heard to require confirmation of the treaties of amity betwixt both their Fathers And of this Noblemans conditions I thinke there be some others of whom there is no account to be made that they will give favour to any attempt against the Queen or to any invasion of the Realme There were also many at the same time that made shews of great numbers of serviceable horses where of though it be no comfort to you to heare yet it is good that you be not abused for lacke of knowledge how the present state is here that you may better judge hereafter what may be done to recover this late losse and dishonour At this time the Earle of Lincolne and the Lord Windesore with some Knights and Gentlemen with them shewed their Bands as the Lord Mountague had done and after them the Lord Chancelour shewed goodly Bands of horsmen and footmen at his own house very many and strong And within one or two days after the Earle of Warwicke the Lord Burghley Lord Treasurer the Lord Compton and in the end of the day the Earle of Leicester and the Lord Rich besides sundry Knights of the Realme shewed every of them severall strong bands of horsmen to the great liking of the Queen and of all the people that were there being many thousands And within two days after that the Earle of Essex being Master of the Queens horse with certain principall Gentlemen his servants friends and followers shewed afore the Queen above three hundred horses of all service and a great number of Carabins and a faire Band of footmen all Muskettiers This shew exceeded in number any other particular Band and the Earle himself with a great number of Launces horsed and armed did run very many courses and specially with the Earle of Cumberland as they call it the Course of the field which I had never seen before and did also himself and his company Tourney on hors-back a very long time and caused also his Carabines and his footmen to make many skirmishes there to the great liking of the Queen of the multitude of people which were many thousands Amongst whom I heard many vehement speeches against all English Papists calling them all Traitors wishing also that the Spaniards had bin there in that field with treble the number to make proof of the value of English-men all which I heard to my great grief with many curses against all their countrimen saying that they as arrant traitors to their native country had villanously sold as far as in them did lie the liberty of their country to Spaniards and other Papists It behoved me not there to have contraried any of them for surely if I had their rancour was so stirred up by the comfort of these fair shews of hors-men as they would there in the field in their rage have killed me and cut me in a thousand peeces Besides these Lords above named there were brought to the town other fair Bands by the Earle of Worcester the Earle of Hertford the Lord Audeley Lord Morley Lord Darcy Lord Lomely Lord Mountjoy Lord Sturton Lord Darcy Lord Sands Lord Mordant and by every one that were of the privy Councell so as by estimation there were