IT is not vnknowne vnto a fewe, what daunger our English ships haue lately escaped, how sharply they haue béene entreated, & how hardly they haue béene assaulted: so that the valiancie of those that mannaged them is worthy remē ­brance And therefore in respect of the couragious attempt & valiant enterprise of the shippe called the Primrose of London, which hath obtained renowne, I haue taken in hande to publish the truth thereof, to the intent that it may bee ge­nerally knowne to the rest of the English shippes, that by by the good example of this the rest may in time of extre­mitie aduenture to do the like: to the honor of the realme, and the perpetuall remembrance of themselues: The ma­ner whereof was as followeth.

VPon Wednesday béeing the 26. day of May last past, the ship called the Primrose, being of 150. Tunne, lying without the Bay of Bilbo, hauing béene there two daies there came a Spanish Pinisse to them, wherin was the Corigidor and six others with him: these came aboord the Primrose, séeming to be Merchants of Byskie, or such like, bringing Cherries with them, and spake very friendly to the maister of the Shippe, whose name is Fo­ster, and he in curteous wise bad them welcome, making [Page] them the best chéere that he could: as béere, béefe, and bis­ket, wherewith that ship was well furnished: and béeing thus in banqueting with the maister, foure of the seuen departed in the said Pinnisse, and went backe againe to Bilbo: the other thrée staied, and were very pleasant for the time: But M. Foster misdoubting some daunger, se­cretly gaue spéech that he was doubtful of these men what their intent was, neuerthelesse he said nothing, nor seemed not in ane ontward wise to mistrust them at all. Forth­with there came a ship-boate wherein was 70. persons, béeing Merchantes, and such like of Bisky: and besides this boate, there came also the Pinnisse which before had brought the other thrée, in which Pinnisse there came 24. as the Spaniards themselues since confessed. These made towardes the Primrose, and béeing come thither, there came aboord the Corigidor with thrée or foure of his men: but M Foster seeing this great multitude, desired y^t there might no more come aboord, but that the rest shoulde stay in their boates, which was graunted: neuerthelesse, they tooke small héed of these words, for on a sodaine they came foorth of the boate, entring the shippe, euery Spanyard ta­king him to his Rapier which they brought in the boate, with other weapons, and a Drum wherewith to triumph ouer them. Thus did the Spanyards enter the ship, plun­ging in fiersly vpon them, some planting themselues vn­der the decke, some entring the Cabbens, and a multitude attending their pray. Then the Corigidor hauing an offi­cer with him which bare a white wand in his hand, saide to the maister of the ship: Yeelde your selfe, for you are the Kings prisoner: whereat the maister said to his men, We are betraied. Then some of them set daggers to his brest, and séemed in furious maner as though they would haue slaine him, meaning nothing lesse then to doe anie such acte, for all that they sought was to bring him & his men safe aliue to shore: whereat the maister was ama­sed and his men greatly discomfited to sée themselues rea­die [Page] to be conueied euen to the slaughter: notwithstanding some of them respecting the danger of the maister, and sée­ing howe with themselues there was no way but present death if they were once landed among the Spanyardes, they resolued themselues either to defend the maister, and generally to shun that daunger, or els to die and be buried in the middest of the sea, rather then to suffer themselues to come into the tormentors hands, and therefore in verie bolde and manly sort some tooke them to their iauelings, launces, bore-speares, and shot, which they had set in rea­dines before, and hauing 5 Caleuers ready charged, which was all the small shot they had, those that were vnder the hatches or the grate, did shoote vp at the Spanyards that were ouer their heades, which shot so amased the Spany­ards on the sodaine, as they could hardly tell which way to escape the daunger, fearing this their small shot to be of greater number then it was: others in very manly sorte dealt about among them, shewing themselues of that cou­rage with bore-speares and launces, that they dismaied at euery stroke two or thrée Spanyards. Then some of them desired the maister to command his men to cease and hold their hands, but he answered that such was their courage in defence of their owne liues, that they would slay them and him also: and therfore it lay not in him to do it. Now did their bloud run about the ship in great quantitie, some of them béeing shot in betwéene the legges, the bullets issu­ing foorth at their brests, some cut in the head, some thrust into the body, and many of them very sore woūded, so that they came not so fast in on the one side, but now they tum­bled as fast ouer boord on both sides with their weapons in their hands, some falling into the sea, and some getting into their boates, making haste towards the Citie. And this is to be noted, that although they came very thicke thither, there returned but a small company of them, ney­ther is it knowne as yet howe many of them were slaine or drowned, onely one English man was then slain, whose [Page] name was Iohn Tristram, and 6 other hurt. It was great pitie to beholde how the Spanyards lay swimming in the sea, and not able to saue their liues, foure of them taking holde of the ship, were for pitie sake taken vp againe by M Foster and his men, not knowing what they were: all the Spanyards bosoms were stuft with paper, to defend them from the shot, and these foure hauing some woundes were drest by the surgion of the ship. one of them béeing the Co­rigidor himselfe, who is gouernour of a hundred Townes and Cities in Spaine, his liuing by his office, better then 600 pound yeerely. This skirmish happened in the eue­ning about six of the clocke, after they had laden 20. Tun of goods and better out of the saide ship: which goods was deliuered by two of the same shippe, whose names were Iohn Burrell, and Iohn Brodbanke, these béeing on shore were staied, and are yet remaining there, God comfort them, for they are now in prison.

After this valiant enterprise of 28. English men against 97. Spaniards, they sawe it was in vaine for them to stay and therefore set vp sayles, and by Gods prouidence auoi­ded all daunger, brought home the rest of their goodes, and came thence with all erpedition, and God be thanked, ar­riued safely in England néere London on Wednesday be­ing the 8. day of Iune, 1585. In which their returne to England, the Spanyardes that they brought with them offered 5 [...]0. Crownes to be set on shore in any place, and seeing that the maister would not do it, they were content to be ruled by them, and craued mercie at their handes. And after Maister Foster demaunded why they came in such sort to betray and destroy them, to whom the Corigi­dor aunswered, that it was not done onely of themselues, but by the commaundement of the King himselfe, and cal­ling for his hose which were wette, did plucke foorth the Kings Commission, by which he was authorised to do all that he did: The Copie whereof followeth, being transla­ted out of Spanish.

[Page]And thus haue you heard the truth and maner therof-wherein is to be noted the great courage of the maister, and the louing harts of the seruants to saue their maister from the daunger of death: yea, and the care which the maister had to saue so much of the owners goodes as hee might, although by the same the greatest is his owne losse in that he may neuer trauel those partes any more with­out the losse of his owne life, nor yet any of his seruantes: for if héereafter they should (being knowne) they are like to tast of the sharpe tormentes which is there accustomed in their hellish, alias holy house. And as for their tearming English ships to be in rebellion against them, it is suffici­ently knowne by themselues, and their owne conscience cannot deny it, but that with loue, vnitie, and concord, our shippes haue euer beene fauourable vnto them, and as wil­ling to pleasure their King, as his subiectes any way wil­ling to pleasure English passingers.

The God of heauen preserue the Quéenes maiestie of England, who liueth and ruleth in mercie, loue, peace, and vnitie, putting vp all wronges whatsoeuer: God grant her highnes long to raigne ouer England in health, as she hath long continued, and God grant y^t hir enemies, and all traytors to her highnes may come to confusion, A­men.