reasonably well tempted to be true to that enterprise, by no less promises, than to be made feudatory, or beneficiary, King of England, under the seignory in chief of the Pope, and the protection of the King of Spain. Besides it appeared, that the Duke of Parma held his place long after in the favour and trust of the King of Spain, by the great employments and services that he performed in France. And again, it is manifest, that the duke did his best to come down, and to put to sea; the truth was, that the Spanish navy, upon these proofs of fight, which they had with the English, finding how much hurt they received, and how little they did, by reason of the activity, and low building of our ships, and skill of our seamen, and being also commanded by a general of small courage and experience, and having lost, at the first, two of their bravest commanders at sea, Petro de Valdez and Michael de Oquenda, durst not put it to a battle at sea, but set up their rest wholly upon the land enterprise. On the other side, the transporting of the land forces failed, in the very foundation; for whereas the council of Spain made full account, that their navy should be master of the sea, and therefore able to guard and protect the vessels of transportation, it fell out to the contrary, that the great navy was distressed, and had enough to do to save itself, and again, that the Hollanders impounded their land forces, with a brave fleet of thirty sail, excellently well appointed; things, I say, being in this case, it came to pass, that the Duke of Parma must have flown, if he would have come into England, for he could get neither barque nor mariner to put to sea; yet, certain it is, that the duke looked still for the coming back of the armada, even at that time, when they were wandering and making their perambulation, upon the northern seas. But to return to the armada, which we left anchored at Calais; from thence, as Sir Walter Raleigh was wont prettily to say, they were suddenly driven away with squibs, for it was no more but a stratagem of fireboats manless, and sent upon them, by the favour of the wind, in the night-time, that did put them in such terror, as they cut their cables, and left their anchors in the sea. After they hovered many days about Graveling, and there again were beaten in a great fight, at which time our second fleet, which kept the narrow seas, was come in, and joined with our main fleet. Thereupon the Spaniards, entering into further terror, and finding also divers of their ships every day to sink, lost all courage, and, instead of coming up into the Thames mouth for London, as their design was, fled on towards the north, to seek their fortunes, being still chaced by the English navy at the heels, until we were fain to give them over, for want of powder. The breath of Scotland the Spaniards could not endure, neither durst they, as invaders, land in Ireland, but only ennobled some of the coasts thereof with shipwrecks, and so going northwards aloof, as long as they had any doubts of being pursued, at last, when they were out of reach, they turned and crossed the ocean to Spain, having lost fourscore of their ships, and the greater part of their men. And this was the end of that sea giant, the invincible armada, which having not so much as fired a cottage of ours at land, nor taken a cockboat of ours at sea, wandered through the wilderness of the northern seas, and according

to the curse in the scripture, came out against us one way, and fled before us seven ways, serving only to make good the judgment of an astrologer, long before given, octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus! or rather, indeed, to make good, even to the astonishment of all posterity, the wonderful judgments of God, poured down commonly upon vast and proud aspirings.

In the year that followed, 1589, we gave the Spaniards no breath, but turned challengers and invaded the main of Spain; in which enterprise although we failed of our end, which was to settle Don Antonio in the kingdom of Portugal, yet a man shall hardly meet with an action, that doth better reveal the great secret of the power of Spain, which, well sought into, will be found rather to consist in a veteran army, such as, upon several occasions and pretences, they have ever had on foot in one part or other of Christendom, now by the space almost of six-score years, than in the strength of their several dominions and provinces; for what can be more strange or more to the disvaluation of the power of the Spaniards, upon the continent, than that with an army of eleven thousand English land soldiers, and a fleet of twenty-six ships of war, besides some weak vessels for transportation, we should, with the hour-glass of two months, have won one town of importance by Escalida, battered and assaulted another, overthrown great forces in the field, and that, upon the disadvantage of a bridge strongly barricadoed, landed the army in three several places of his kingdom, marched seven days in the heart of his countries, lodged three nights in the suburbs of his principal city, beat his forces into the gates thereof, possessed two of his frontier forts, and, after all this, came off with small loss of men, otherwise than by sickness. And it was verily thought, that, had it not been for four great disfavours of that voyage, that is to say, in the failing of sundry provisions that were promised, especially of cannons for battery, the vain hopes of Don Antonio, concerning the people of his country, to come in to his aid, the disappointment of the fleet, that was directed to come up the river of Lisbon, and lastly, the diseases which spread in the army, by reason of the heat of the season, and of the soldiers misrule in diet, the enterprise had succeeded, and Lisbon had been carried. But howsoever it makes proof to the world, that an invasion of a few English upon Spain may have just hope of victory, or at least of a pass-port to depart safely.

In the year 1591, was that memorable fight of an English ship, called the Revenge, under the command of Sir Richard Greenfield memorable, I say, beyond credit, and to the height of some heroical fable. And, though it was a defeat, yet it exceeded a victory, being like the act of Sampson, that killed more men at his death than he had done in the time of all his life. This ship, for the space of fifteen hours, sat like a stag amongst hounds at the bay, and was sieged and fought with, in turn, by fifteen great ships of Spain, part of a navy of fifty-five ships in all, the rest, like abettors, looking on afar off. And, amongst the fifteen ships that fought, the great St. Philip was one, a ship of fifteen-hundred tons, prince of the twelve sea apostles, which was right glad, when she was shifted off from the Revenge. This

brave ship, the Revenge, being manned only with two hundred soldiers and mariners, whereof eighty lay sick; yet, nevertheless, after a fight maintained, as was said, of fifteen hours, and two ships of the enemy sunk by her side, besides many more torn and battered, and great slaughter of men, never came to be entered, but was taken by composition; the enemies themselves having in admiration the virtue of the commander, and the whole tragedy of that ship.

In the year 1596, was the second invasion that we made upon the main territories of Spain, prosperously atchieved by that worthy and famous Earl, Robert, Earl of Essex, in consort with the noble Earl of Nottingham, that now liveth, then admiral. This journey was with lightning, for, in the space of fourteen hours, the King of Spain's navy was destroyed, and the town of Cadiz taken the navy was no less than fifty-nine tall ships, besides twenty gallies to attend them; the ships were straightways beaten, and put to flight, with such terror, as the Spaniards were their own executioners, and fired them all with their own hands: the gallies, by the benefit of the shores and shallows, got away; the town was a fair, strong, well-built, and rich city, famous in antiquity, and now most spoken of for this disaster: it was manned with four thousand soldiers on foot, and some four hundred horse; it was sacked and burnt, though great clemency was used towards the inhabitants: but that, which is no less strange than the sudden victory, is the great patience of the Spaniards, who, though we staid upon the place divers days, yet never offered us any play, nor never put us in suit by any action of revenge, or reparation of any times after.

In the year 1600, was the battle of Newport in the Low Countries, where the armies of the archduke, and the states, tried it out by a just battle.

This was the only battle that was fought in those countries these many years, for battles in the French wars have been frequent, but in the wars of Flanders rare, as the nature of a defensive requireth. The forces of both armies were not much unequal, that of the States exceeded somewhat in number, but that again was recompensed in the quality of the soldiers; for those of the Spanish part were of the flower of all their forces. The Archduke was the assailant, and the preventer, and had the fruit of his diligence and celerity, for he charged certain companies of Scotishmen, to the number of eight hundred, sent to make good a passage, and thereby severed from the body of the army, and cut them all in pieces; for they, like a brave infantry, when they could make no honourable retreat, and would take no dishonourable flight, made good the place with their lives. This entrance of the battle did whet the courage of the Spaniards, though it dulled their swords, so as they came proudly on, confidently to defeat the whole army. The encounter of the main battle, which followed, was a just encounter, not hastening to a sudden rout, nor the fortune of the day resting upon a few former ranks, but fought out to the proof by several squadrons, and not without variety of success, Stat pede pes densusque viro vir? There fell out an error in the Duke's army, by the overhasty medley of some of their men with the enemies, which hindered the playing of their great ordnance. But the end was, that

the Spaniards were utterly defeated, and five thousand of their men, in the fight and in the execution, slain and taken, amongst whom were many of the principal persons of their army. The honour of the day was, both by the enemy, and the Dutch themselves, ascribed much to the English; of whom Sir Francis Vere, in a private commentary, which he wrote of that service, leaveth testified, that of fifteen hundred in number (for they were no more) eight hundred were slain in the field, and, which is almost incredible in a day of victory, of the rest, two only came off unhurt. Amongst the English, Sir Francis Vere himself had the principal honour of the service, unto whom the Prince of Orange, as is said, did transmit the direction of the army for that day; and, in the next place, Sir Horace Vere, his brother, that now liveth, who was the principal in the active part. The service also of Sir Edward Cecil, Sir John Ogle, and divers other brave gentlemen was eminent.

In the year 1601, followed the battle of Kinsale, in Ireland. By this Spanish invasion of Ireland, which was in September that year, a man may guess how long time Spaniards will live in Irish ground, which is a matter of a quarter of a year, or four months, at the most; for they had all the advantages in the world, and no man would have thought, considering the small forces employed against them, that they could have been driven out so soon. They had obtained, without resistance, in the end of September, the town of Kinsale; a small garrison of one hundred and fifty English, leaving the town upon the Spaniards approach, and the townsmen receiving the foreigners as friends. The number of Spaniards, that put themselves into Kinsale, was two thousand men, soldiers of old bands, under the command of Don John de Aquila, a man of good valour. The town was strong of itself, neither wanted there any industry to fortify it on all parts, and make it tenable, according to the skill and discipline of Spanish fortification. At that time the rebels were proud, being encouraged upon former successes; for, though the then deputy, the Lord Mountjoy, and Sir George Carew, president of Munster, had performed divers good services to their prejudice, yet the defeat they had given to the English, at the Black-water, not long before, and the treaty, too much to their honour, with the Earl of Essex, was yet fresh in their memory. The deputy lost no time, but made haste to recover the town, before new succours came, and sat down before it in October, and laid siege to it by the space of three winter months, or more, during which time, some sallies were made by the Spaniards, but they were beaten in with loss. In January came fresh succours from Spain, to the number of two thousand more, under the conduct of Alonzo D'Ocampo; upon the comforts of these succours, Tyrone and O'neal. drew up their forces together, to the number of seven thousand, besides the Spanish regiments, and took the field, resolved to rescue the town, and to give the English battle.

So here was the case, an army of English, of some six thousand, wasted and tired with a long winter's siege, inraged in the midst, between an army of a greater number than themselves, fresh, and in vigour, on the one side, and a town, strong in fortification, and strong

in men, on the other side; but what was the event? This in few words? That, after the Irish and Spanish forces had come on, and shewed themselves in some bravery, they were content to give the English the honour, as to charge them first; and, when it came to the charge, there appeared no other difference between the valour of the Irish rebels, and the Spaniards, but that the one ran away before they were charged, and the other straight after; and again, the Spaniards, that were in the town, had so good memory of their losses, in their former sallies, as the confidence of an army, which came for their deliverance, could not draw them forth again: To conclude, there succeeded an absolute victory, for the English, with the slaughter of above two thousand of the enemy, the taking of nine ensigns, whereof six Spanish, the taking of the Spanish general, D'Ocampo, prisoner, and this with the loss of so few of the English, as is scarce credible, being (as hath been rather confidently, than credibly reported) but one man, the cornet of Sir Richard Greame, though not a few hurt: There followed, immediately after the defeat, a present yielding up of the town by composition; and not only so, but an avoiding, by express article of treaty accorded, of all other Spanish forces throughout all Ireland, from the places and nests where they had settled themselves in greater strength, as in regard of the natural situation of the places, than that was of Kinsale, which were Castle-haven, Baltimore, and Beer-haven. Indeed they went away with sound of trumpet, for they did nothing but publish and trumpet all the reproaches they could devise against the Irish land and nation; insomuch as D'Aquila said, in open treaty, That, when the devil upon the mount did shew Christ all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them, he did not doubt, but the devil left out Ireland, and kept it for himself.

I cease here, omitting not a few other proofs of the English valour and fortune, in these latter times; as at the suburbs of Paris, at the Raneline, at Drus in Britain, at Ostend, and divers others; partly, because some of them have not been proper encounters between the Spaniards and the English, and partly, because others of them have not been of that greatness, as to have sorted in company with the particulars formerly recited. It is true, that, among all the late adventures, the voyage of Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins, into the West-Indies, was unfortunate, but yet, in such sort, as it doth not break, or interrupt our prescription, to have had the better of the Spaniards upon all fights; for the disaster of that journey was caused chiefly by sickness, as well might appear by the deaths of both the generals, Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins, of the same sickness amongst the rest. The land enterprise of Panama was an ill-measured and immature counsel, for it was grounded upon a false account, that the passages, towards Panama, were no better fortified, than Drake had formerly left them; but yet it sorted not to any fight of importance, but to a retreat, after the English had proved the strength of their first fort, and had notice of the two other forts beyond, by which they were to have marched. It is true, that, in the return of the English fleet, they were set upon by Avellandea, admiral of twenty great Spanish ships, our fleet being but fourteen, full of sick men, deprived of their two