A REPORT of the Truth of the Fight about the Isles of Azores, the Last of August 1591. Betwixt the Revenge, One of her Majesties Ships Commanded by Sir Richard Granvill, commonly called Grenvill, Vice-Admiral, and an Armada of the King of Spain; Penned by the Honourable Sir Water Ralegh, Knight.

BEcause the Rumours are diversly spred, as well in England, as in the Low Countrys, and elsewhere, of this late encounter between her Majesties Ships and the Armada of Spain; and that the Spaniards accord­ing to their usuall manner, fill the world with their vain­glorious vanity, making great appearance of victories, when on the contrary, themselves are most commonly and shamefully beaten and dishonoured; thereby hoping to possess the ignorant multitude by anticipating & fore­running false reports: It is agreeable with all good rea­son, for manifestation of the truth, to overcome falshood and untruth; that the beginning, continuance and Suc­cess of this late Honourable Encounter of Sr Richard Gran­vil, and other her Majesties Captains, with the Armada of Spain; should be truly set down and published with­out partiality or false imaginations. And it is no marvel, than the Spainard should seek by false and Slanderous Pamphlets, advisoes and Letters, to cover their own loss, and to derogate from others their due Honour, especial­ly in this Fight, being performed far off: Seeing they were not ashamed in the year 1588. when they purposed the Invasion of this Land, to publish in Sundry Langua­ges in Print, great victories in words, which they plead­ed to have obtained against this Realm; and spread the [Page 30] same in a most false sort over all parts of France, Italy, and elsewhere. When shortly after it was happily manifest­ed in very deed to all Nations, how their Navy which they termed invincible, consisting of 140 Sail of Ships, not only of their own Kingdom, but strengthened with the greatest Argosies, Portugal Caracks, Florentines, & huge hulks of other Countrys, were by 30. of her Majesties Ships of War, and a few of our own Merchants, by the Wife, Valiant, and advantagious Conduct of the Lord Charles Howard, High-Admirall of England, beaten and shuffled together; even from the Lizard in Cornwall, first to Portland, where they shamefully le [...]t Don, Pedro de Valdes, with his mighty Ship; from Portland to Cales where they lost Hugo de Moncado, with the Gallias, of which he was Captain, & from Cales driven with Squibs from their Anchors, were chased out of the sight of Eng­land, round about Scotland and Ireland. Where for the Sympathy of their barbarous Religion, hoping to find Succour and assistance, a great part of them were crusht against the Rocks, and those other that landed, being ve­ry many in number, were notwithstanding broken, slain, and taken, and so sent from Village to Village coupled in halters, to be shipped into England: Where her Majesty of her Princely and Invincible disposition, disdaining to put them to death, and scorning either to retain or en­tertain them; they were all sent back again to their Countrys, to witness and recount the worthy Achieve­ments of their Invincible and Dreadfull Navy: Of which the number of Souldiers, the fearfull burthen of their Ships, the Commanders names of every Squadron, with all other their Magazines of provisions, were put in Print, as an Army and Navy unresistable, and disdain­ing prevention. With all which so great and terrible an ostentation, they did not in all their Sailing round a­bout [Page 31] England, so much as Sink or take one Ship, Bark, Pinnesse or Cock-boat of ours; Or ever burnt so much as one Sheepcote of this Land; Whereas on the contra­ry, Sir Francis Drake with only 800. Souldiers not long before, landed in their Indies, and forced Sant Iago, Santo Domingo, Cartagena, and the fort of Florida.

And after that, Sr John Norris marched from Peniche in Portugall, with a handfull of Souldiers, to the gate of Lisbone, being about 40 English miles. Where the Earl of Essex himself, and other valiant Gentlemen braved the City of Lisbone, encamped at the very gate; from whence, after many days abode, finding neither pro­mised party, nor provision to batter; they made retrait by Land, in despight of all their Garrisons, both of Horse and Foot. In this sort I have a little digressed from my first purpose; only by the necessary comparison of theirs and our actions: The one covetous of honour with­out vaunt of ostentation; the other so greedy to purchase the opinion of their own affairs, and by false Rumors to resist the blust of their own dishonours, as they will not only not blush to spread all manner of Untruths: But even for the least advantage, be it but for the talring of one poor Adventurer of the English, will celebrate the Victory with Bonfires in every Town, always spending more in Faggors, then the purchase was worth they obtained. When as we never thought it worth the consumption of two Billets, when we have ta­ken Eight or Ten of their Indian Ships at one time, and Twenty of the Brasill Fleet: Such is the difference between true Valour, and Ostentation: and between Honourable Actions and frivolous Vain glorious vaunts. But now to return to my purpose.

The Lord Thomas Howard with Six of her Majesties Ships, Six Victualers of London, the Bark Ralegh, and [Page 32] two or three other Pinnaces riding at Anchor near unto Flores, one of the Westerly Islands of the Azores, the Last of August in the afternoon, had intelligence by one Captain Middleton of the approach of the Spa­nish Armada Which Middleton being in a very good Sailer, had kept them Company three days before, of good purpose, both to discover their Forces the more, as also to give advice to my Lord Thomas of their approach. He had no sooner delivered the news but the Fleet was in sight many of our Ships Com­panys were on Shore in the Island; some providing ba­last for their Ships; others filling of Water, and refresh­ing themselves from the Land, with such things as they could either for Money, or by Force recover. By reason whereof our Ships being all pestered and ro­maging every thing out of order, very light for want of balast, and that which was most to our disadvan­tage the one half part of the men of every Ship sick, and utterly unserviceable: For in the Revenge there were Ninety diseases: in the Bonaventure, not so many in health as could handle her Main-Sail. For had not Twenty men been taken out of a Bark of Sr George Ca­reys, his being commanded to be sunk, and those ap­pointed to her, she had hardly ever recovered England. The rest, for the most part, were in little better State. The Names of her Majesties Ships were these as fol­loweth, the Defiance, which was Admiral, the Revenge Vice-Admiral, the Bonaventure commanded by Captain Crosse, the Lion by George Fenner, the Foresight by Mr Thomas Vavasour, and the Crane by Duffild, the Foresight and the Crane being but small Ships▪ only the other were of the middle size; the rest besides the Bark Ra­legh, commanded by Captain Thin, were Victuallers, and of small force or none. The Spanish Fleet having [Page 33] shrouded their approach by reason of the Island; were now so soon at hand, as our Ships had scarce time to weigh their Anchors, but some of them were driven to let slip their Cables and set sail. Sr Richard Gran­vill was the last that weighed, to recover the men that were upon the Island, which otherwise had been lost. The Lord Thomas, with the rest very hardly reco­vered the Wind, which Sr Richard Granvill not being able to do, was persuaded by the Master, and others, to cut his Main Sail, and cast about, and to trust to the Sailing of the Ship; for the Squadron of Sivil were on his Weather-Bow. But Sr Richard utterly refused to trun from the Enemies, alledging that he would ra­ther choose to dye, then to dishonour himself, his Coun­try, and her Majesties Ship, persuading his Company that he would pass through the two Squadrons, in de­spight of them, and enforce those of Sivil to give him way. Which he performed upon divers of the formost, who, as the Mariners term it, sprang their Luff, and fell under the Lee of the Revenge. But the other course had been the better, and might right well have been answered, in so great an impossibility of Prevailing. Notwithstanding, out of the greatness of his mind, he could not be persuaded. In the mean while as he at­tended those which were nearest him, the great San Philip being in the Wind of him, and coming towards him, becalmed his Sails in such sort, as the Ship could neither make way, nor feel the Helm: so huge and high-carged was the Spanish Ship, being of a Thousand and Five Hundred Tuns, who after laid the Revenge abord. When he was thus bereft of his Sails, the Ships that were under his lee luffing up, also laid him abord: of which the next was the Admiral of the Biscaines, a very mighty and puissant Ship commanded by Brittan­dona, [Page 34] the said Philip carried three tire of Ordinance on a side, and eleven Pieces in every tire. She shot Eight forth-right out of her Chase, besides those of her Stern-Ports.

After the Revenge was entangled with this Philip. four other boorded her; two on her Larboord, and two on her Starboord. The Fight thus beginning at three of the Clock in the Afternoon, continued very terrible all that Evening. But the great San Philip having re­ceived the Lower Tire of the Revenge, Discharged with Cross-bar shot, Shirted her self with all diligence from her sides, utterly misliking her first entertainment. Some say that the Ship Foundred but we cannot report it for truth, unless we were assured. The Spanish Ships were filled with Companys of Souldiers, in some Two Hundred, besides the Mariners, in some Five, in others Eight Hundred. In ours there were none at all besides the Mariners but the Servants of the Commanders, and some few Voluntary Gentlemen only. After many en­terchanged Vollies of Great Ordinance and Small Shot, the Spaniards deliberated to enter the Revenge, and made divers attempts, hoping to force her by the Mul­titudes of their Armed Souldiers and Musketters, but were still repulsed again and again, and at all times beaten back into their own Ships, or into the Seas. In the beginning of the Fight, the George Noble of London, having received some Shot thorow her by the Armadas, fell under the Lee of the Revenge, and asked Sr Richard what he would Command him, being but one of the Victualers and of small force: Sr Richard bid him save himself, and leave him to his fortune. After the Fight had thus, without intermission conti­nued while the Day lasted, and some hours of the Night, many of our Men were slain and hurt, and one of [Page 35] the great Gallions of the Armada, and the Admiral of the Hulks both Sunk, and in many other of the Spanish Ships great Slaughter was made. Some write that Sir Richard was very dangerously hurt almost in the beginning of the Fight, and lay Speechless for a time e're he Recovered; But two of the Revenges own company, brought home in a Ship of Lime from the Islands, Examined by some of the Lords, and Others, affirmed that he was never so Wounded as that he forsook the Upper Deck, 'till an hour before Midnight; and then being shot into the Body with a Musket, as he was a dressing, was again shot into the Head, and withall, his Chirurgion wounded to death. This agreeth also with an Examination taken by Sr Francis Godolphin, of four other Mariners of the same Ship being returned, which Examination, the said Sr Francis sent unto Master William Killegrue, of her Majesties Privy Chamber.

But to return to the Fight, The Spanish Ships which attempted to boord the Revenge, as they were wounded and beaten off, so allways others came in their places, she having never less then two mighty Gallions by by her sides, and aboard her: So that e'ere the Morn­ing, from Three of the Clock the day before, there had Fifteen severall Armadas assailed her, and all so ill approved their entertainment, as they were by the break of day, far more willing to hearken to a Com­position, then hastily to make any more Assaults or Entries. But as the day encreased, so our men decreased: and as the light grew more and more, by so much more grew our discomforts. For none appeared in fight but enemies, saving one small Ship called the Pilgrim, commanded by Jacob Whiddon, who hovered all night to see the Success: but in the morning bearing with the Revenge, was hunted like a Hare a­mongst [Page 36] many ravenous Hounds, but escaped.

All the Powder of the Revenge to the last Barrell was now spent, all her Pikes broken, Forty of her best men slain, and the most part of the rest hurt. In the be­ginning of the Fight she had but one hundred free from Sickness, and fourscore and ten Sick, laid in Hold upon the Ballast. A small Troup to man such a Ship, and a weak Garrison to resist so mighty an Army. By those hundred all was sustained, the volleis, boordings, and entrings of fifteen Ships of War, besides those which beat her at large. On the contrary, the Spanish were always supplied with Souldiers brought from every Squadron: all-manner of Arms and Powder at will. Unto ours there remained no comfort at all, no hope, no supply either of Ships, Men, or Weapons; the Ma­sters all beaten over-bord, all her tackle cut asunder, her upper work altogether rased, and in effect evened she was with the water, but the very foundation or bottom of a Ship, nothing being left over-head either for flight or defence. Sir Richard finding himself in this distress, and unable any longer to make resistance, having endured in this fifteen hours Fight, the Assault of fifteen severall Armadas, all by turns aboord him, and by estimation eight hundred Shot of great Ar­tillery, besides many Assaults and Entries: and that Himself and the Ship must needs be possessed by the Enemy, who were now all cast in a ring round about him (the Revenge not able to move one way or other, but as she was moved with the waves and billow of the Sea) commanded the Master Gunner, whom he knew to be a most resolute man, to split and sink the Ship, that thereby nothing might remain of Glory or Victory to the Spaniards: Seeing in so many hours fight, and with so great a Navy they were [Page 37] not able to take her, having had Fifteen hours time, above ten Thousand Men, and Fifty and three Sail of Men of War to perform it withall:The Spanish 53. Sail. and perswaded the Company, or as many as hee could induce, to yeild them­selves unto God, and to the mercy of none else: but as they had, like Valiant Resolute Men, repulsed so many Enemies, they should not now shorten the Honour of their Nation, by prolonging their own Lives for a few Hours, or a few Days. The Master Gunner readily con­desended and divers others; but the Captain and the Master were of another opinion, and besought Sr Richard to have care of them; alledging that the Spaniards would be as ready to entertain a Composition, as they were willing to offer the same; and that there being divers sufficient and Valiant Men yet living, and whose Wounds were not Mortall, they might do their Coun­try and Prince acceptable Service hereafter. And where­as, Sir Richard had alledged that the Spaniards should never Glory to have taken one Ship of her Majesty, seeing they had so long and so notably defended them­selves; they answered, that the Ship had Six-foot Water in hold, Three shot under Water, which were so weakly stopped, as with the first working of the Sea, she must needs Sink, and was besides so Crusht and Bruised, as she could never be removed out of the Place.

And as the matter was thus in dispute, and Sr Richard refusing to hearken to any of those reasons; the Master of the Revenge (while the Captain wan unto him the greater Party) was conveyed aboard the General Don Alfonso Bazan. Who (finding none over-hasty to enter the Revenge again, doubting least Sr Richard would have Blown them up and himself, and perceiving by the Report of the Master of the Revenge his dangerous [Page 38] disposition) yielded that all their Lives should be saved, the Company sent for England, and the better sort to pay such reasonable Ransom as their Estate would bear, and in the mean Season to be free from Gally, or Imprison­ment. To this he so much the rather condescended as well, as I have said, for fear of further less and mischief to themselves, as also for the desire he had to recover Sir Richard Granvill, whom for his notable valour he seemed greatly to Honour and Admire.

When this answer was returned, and that safety of Life was promised, the Common sort being now at the end of their Perill, the most drew back from Sir Richard, and the Master Gunner; being no hard matter to disswade men from Death to Life. The Master Gunner finding himself and Sir Richard thus prevented and Mastered by the greater number, would have slain himself with a Sword, had he not been by force with­held and locked into his Cabbin. Then the Generall sent many Boats aboard the Revenge, and divers of our men fearing Sir Richards disposition, Stole away aboard the General and other Ships; Sir Richard thus over-matched was sent unto by Alfonso Bazan to remove out of the Revenge, the Ship being Marvellous unsa­vory, filled with Blood and Bodies of Dead, and Wound­ed men like a Slaughter house. Sir Richard answered, that he might do with his Body what he list, for he esteemed it not, and as he was carried out of the Ship he Sounded, and Reviving again desired the Company to pray for him. The General used Sir Richard with all Humanity, and left nothing unattempted that tended to his Recovery, highly commending his Valour and worthiness, and greatly bewailing the danger wherein he was, being unto them a Rare Spectacle, and a Re­solution seldom approved, to see one Ship turn towards [Page 39] so many Enemies, to endure the charge and boording of so many huge Armadas, and to resist and repell the assaults and entries of so many Souldiers. All which and more is confirmed by a Spanish Captain of the same Armada, and a present actor in the fight, who being severed from the Rest in a Storm, was by the Lion of London, a small Ship, taken, & is now Prisoner in London.

The General Commander of the Armada, was Don Alphonso Bazan, Brother to the Marquess of Santa Cruz. The Admiral of the Biscaine Squadron, was Britandona, of the Squadron of Sivil the Marquess of Arumburch. The Hulks and Flyboats were Commanded by Luis Coutinho. There were Slain and Drowned in this fight, well near One Thousand of the Enemies, and Two special Commanders Don Luis de Sant John, and Don George de Prunaria de Mallaga, as the Spanish Captain confesseth, besides divers others of special account, whereof as yet report is not made.

The Admiral of the Hulks and the Ascension of Sivil were both Sunk by the side of the Revenge; one other recovered the Rode of Saint Michael, and sunk also there; a fourth ran her self with the Shore to save her men. Sir Richard died, as it is said, the Second or Third day aboard the General, & was by them greatly bewailed. What became of his body, whether it were buried in the Sea or on the Land we know not: the comfort that remaineth to his Friends is, that he hath ended his Life honourably, in respect of the reputation won to his Nation and Country, and of the same to his Posterity, and that being dead, he hath not out-lived his own honour.

For the rest of her Majesties Ships that entred not so far into the Fight as the Revenge, the reasons and causes were these. There were of them but six in all [Page 40] whereof two but small Ships; the Revenge ingaged past recovery: The Island of Flores was on the one side, 53 Sail of the Spanish, divided into Squadrons on the other, all as full filled with Souldiers as they could contain: Almost the one half of our men sick and not able to serve: The Ships grown foul, unromaged, and scarcely able to bear any Sail for want of Balast, having been six months at the Sea before. If all the rest had entred, all had been lost: for the very hugeness of the Spanish Fleet, if no other Violence had been offered, would have crusht them between them into Shivers. Of which the dishonour and loss to the Queen had been far greater then the spoil or harm that the Ene­my could any way have received. Notwithstanding it is very true, that the Lord Thomas would have entred between the Squadrons, but the rest would not con­descend, and the Master of his own Ship offred to leap into the Sea, rather then to conduct that her Ma­jesties Ship, and the rest, to be a prey to the Enemy, where there was no hope nor Possibility either of De­fence or Victory. Which also in my opinion had ill sorted or answered the discretion and trust of a Ge­nerall, to commit himself and his charge to an assured destruction, without hope, or any likelyhood of pre­vailing: thereby to diminish the Strength of her Ma­jesties Navy, and to enrich the pride and glory of the Enemy. The Foresight of the Queens commanded by Mr Thomas Vavisor performed a very great Fight, and staid two hours as near the Revenge as as the Weather would permit him, not forsaking the Fight, 'till he was like to be encompassed by the Squadrons, and with great difficulty cleared himself. The rest gave divers volleis of Shot, and entred as far as the place permitted, and their own necessities, to keep the weather­gage [Page 41] of the Enemy, untill they were parted by night. A few days after the Fight was ended, and the English Prisoners dispersed into the Spanish and Indie Ships, there arose so great a Storm from the West and North-West, that all the Fleet was dispersed, as well the Indian Fleet which were then come unto them, as the rest of the Armada that attended their arrival, of which 14 Sail, together with the Revenge and in her 200 Spaniards, were cast away upon the Isle of St Michael So it pleased them to honour the burial of that renowned Ship the Revenge, not suffering her to perish alone, for the great honour she atchieved in her life time. On the rest of the Islands there were cast away in this Storm 15 or 16 more of the Ships of War: and of an hun­dred and odd Sail of the Indie Fleet, expected this year in Spain: What in this Tempest, and what before in the Bay of Mexico, and about the Bermudas, there were 70 and odd consumed and lost, with those ta­ken by our Ships of London, besides one very rich In­dian Ship, which set her self on fire, being boarded by the Pilgrim, and five other taken by Master Wats his Ship of London, between the Havana and Cape S. Antonio. The fourth of this Month of November we received Letters from the Tercera, affirming that there are 3000 bodies of men remaining in that Island, saved out of the perished Ships, and that by the Spaniards own confession, there are 10000 cast away in this Storm, besides those that are perished between the Islands and the Main. Thus it hath pleased God to fight for us, and to defend the Justice of our Cause, against the ambitious and bloody pretences of the Spaniard, who seeking to devour all Nations, are Themselves devoured. A manifest testimony how injust and dis­pleasing, their attempts are in the sight of God, who [Page 42] hath pleased to witness by the success of their affairs his mislike of their bloody and injurious designs pur­posed and practised against all Christian Princes, over whom they seek unlawfull and ungodly Rule and Empery.

One day or two before this Wrack happened to the Spanish Fleet, when as some of our Prisoners desired to be set on shore upon the Islands, hoping to be from thence transported into England, which liberty was formerly by the General promised: One Morice Fitz. John, Son of Old John of Desmond, a notable Tray­tor, Cousin German to the late Earl of Desmond, was sent to the English from Ship to Ship, to perswade them to serve the King of Spain, the arguments he used to induce them were these. The increase of Pay which he promised to be trebled: advancement to the better sort: and the exercise of the True Catholique Religion, and safety of their Souls to all. For the first, even the beggerly and unnatural behaviour of those English and Irish Rebells, that serv'd the King in that present action, was sufficient to answer that first ar­gument of rich Pay. For so poor and beggerly they were, as for want of Apparell they stripped their poor Country-men Prisoners out of their ragged Garments worn to nothing by six Months service, and spared not to despoil them even of their bloody Shirts, from their wounded bodies, and the very Shooes from their feet; A notable testimony of their rich entertainment and great Wages. The second reason was hope of ad­vancement if they served well, and would continue faithfull to the King. But what man can be so block­ishly ignorant ever to expect place or honour from a forrain King, having no other argument or perswa­sion [Page 43] then his own disloyalty; to be unnatural to his own Countrey that bred him; to his Parents that be­gat him; and rebellious to his true Prince, to whose obedience he is bound by Oath, by Nature, and by Religion: No, they are only assured to be imployed in all desperate enterprises, to be held in scorn and disdain ever among those whom they serve. And that ever Traytor was either trusted or advanced I could never yet reade, neither can I at this time remember any example. And no man could have less becommed the place of an Orator for such a purpose, then this Morice of Desmond. For the Earl his Cousin being one of the greatest Subjects in that Kingdom of Ireland, having almost whole Countries in his possession; so ma­ny goodly Mannors, Castles, and Lordships; the Count Palatine of Kerry five hundred Gentlemen of his own name and family to follow him, besides others (all which he possessed in peace for three or four hundred years) was in less then three years after his adhering to the Spaniards and Rebellion, beaten from all his holds, not so many as ten Gentlemen of his name left living, himself taken and beheaded by a Souldier of his own Nation, and his Land given by a Parliament to her Majesty, and possessed by the English: His o­ther Cousin Sir John of Desmond taken by Master John Zouch, and his body hanged over the Gates of his na­tive City to be devoured by Ravens: the third Bro­ther Sr James hanged, drawn, and quartered in the same place. If he had withall vaunted of his success of his own house, no doubt the Argument would have moved much, and wrought great effect; which be­cause he for that present forgot, I thought it good to remember in his behalf. For matter of Religion it would [Page 44] require a particular Volume, if I should set down how irreligiously they cover their greedy and ambitious pre­tences, with that veil of Piety. But sure I am, that there is no Kingdom or Common-wealth in all Europe▪ but if they be reformed, they then Invade it for Religion sake, if it be, as they term Catholique, they pretend Title; as if the Kings of Castile were the naturall heirs of all the world: and so between both, no Kingdom is unsought. Where they dare not with their own forces to invade, they basely entertain the Traytors and Vagabonds of all Nations: seeking by those and by their runnagate Jesuits to win parts, and have by that means ruined many noble Houses & others in this Land, & have extinguished both their Lives and Families. What good, honour, or fortune ever Man yet by them atchieved, is yet unheard of, or un­written. And if our English Papists do but look into Portu­gall, against which they have no pretence of Religion, how the Nobility are put to death, imprisoned, their rich men made a Prey, & all sorts of People Captiv'd; they shall find that the Obedience even of the Turks is easy and a Li­berty, in respect of the Slavery and Tyranny of Spain. What have they done in Sicill, in Naples, Millaine, and in the Low-Countries; who hath there been spared for Religion at all? And it cometh to my remembrance of a certain Burger of Antwerpe, whose House being entred by a Company of Spanish Souldiers, when they first Sacked the City, he besought them to spare him and his Goods, being a Good Catholique, and one of their own Party and Faction; The Spaniards answered, that they knew him to be of a good Conscience for himself; but his Money, Plate, Jewels, and Goods, were all Heretical, and therefore good prize. So they abused and tormented the Foolish Fleming, who hoped that an Agnus Dei had been a sufficient target against [Page 45] all force of that Holy and Charitable Nation. Neither have they at any time as they protest, invaded the King­doms of the Indies and Peru, and elsewhere, but only led thereunto, rather to reduce the People to Christi­anity, then for either Gold or Empery; whenas in one only Island called Hispaniola, they have Wasted Thirty Hundred Thousand of the Naturall People▪ be­sides many Millions else in other places of the Indies: A poor and harmless people Created of God, and might have been wonn to his knowledge, as many of them were; and almost as many as ever were persuaded there unto: The Story whereof is at large, Written by a Bishop of their own Nation, called Bartholomew de las Casas, and Translated into English, and many other Languages, intituled, The Spanish Cruelties. Who would therefore repose trust in such a Nation of Ravenous Strangers, and especially in those Spaniards, which more greedily thirst after English Blood, then after the lives of any other people of Europe, for the many overthrows and Dishonours they have received at our hands, whose Weakness we have discovered to the World, and whose forces at home, abroad, in Europe, in India, by Sea and Land, we have even with hand­fulls of men and Ships, Overthrown and Dishonoured. Let not therefore any Englishman, of what Religion soever, have other opinion of the Spaniards, but that those whom he seeketh to winn of our Nation, he esteemeth base and Traiterous, unworthy persons, or unconstant fools; and that he useth his pretence of Religion, for no other purpose but to bewitch us from the Obedience of our Naturall Prince; thereby hoping in time to bring us to Slavery and Subjection, and then none shall be unto them so odious and disdained as the Traytors themselves, who have sold their Coun­trey [Page 46] to a Stranger, and forsaken their faith and Obe­dience contrary to Nature and Religion; and con­trary to that humane and generall honour, not only of Christians, but of Heathen and Irreligious Nations; who have always sustained what labour soever, and em­braced even Death it self, for their Country, Prince, or Common wealth. To conclude, it hath ever to this day pleased God to prosper and defend her Majesty, to break the purposes of Malicious Enemies, of forsworn Tray­tors, and of unjust Practices and Invasions. She hath ever been Honoured of the Worthiest Kings, Served by faithfull Subjects, and shall by the favour of God, Resist, Repell and Confound all whatsoever attempts against her Sacred Person or Kingdom. In the mean time, Let the Spaniard and Traytor vaunt of their Success, and we her true and obedient Vassals, guided by the shining light of of her Vertues, shall always love her, serve her, and obey her to the End of our Lives.