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RALEGH’S REPORT OF AN ENGAGEMENT, 825
guages in print, great victories in words, which they pleaded to have obtained againft
this realm; and {pread the fame in a moft falfe fort over all parts of France, Italy, and
elfewhere. When fhortly after it was happily manifefted in very deed to all nations,
how their navy, which they termed invincible, confifting of 140 fail of {hips, not only
of their own kingdom, but {trengthened with the greatelt Argofies, Portugal caracks,
Florentines, and huge hulks of other countries, were by 30 of her majefty’s own fhips
of war, anda few of our own merchants, by the wife, valiant, and advantageous con-
duét of the Lord Charles Howard, high admiral of England, beaten and fhuflted to-
gether; even from the Lizard in Cornwall firft to Portland, where they fhamefully
left don Pedro de Valdes, with his mighty fhip; from Portland to Cales, where they
loft Hugo de Moncado, with the gallias of which he was captain, and from Cales,
driven with {quibs from their anchors, were chafed out of the fight of England, round
about Scotland and Ireland. Where, for the fympathy of their barbarous religion,
hoping to find fuccour and afliftance, a great part of them were crufhed againit the
rocks, and thofe other that landed, being very many in number, were notwithftanding
broken, flain, and taken, and fo fent from village to village coupled in halters, to
be fhipped into England. Where her majefty of her princely and invincible difpofi-
tion, difdaining to put them to death, and {corning either to retain or entertain them,
they were all fent back again to their countries, to witnefs and recount the worthy
atchievements of their invincible and dreadful navy; of which the number of {fol-
diers, the fearful burthen of their fhips, the commander’s name of every fquadron,
with all other their magazines of provifions, were put in print as an army and navy
unrefiftible, and difdaining prevention. With all which fo great and terrible an often-
tation, they did not, in all their failing round England, fo much as fink or take one
fhip, bark, pinnace, or cockboat of ours; or ever burnt fo much as one fheepcot of
this land. Whereas onthe contrary, fir Richard Drake, with only 800 foldiers not
long before, landed in their Indies, and forced Sant-Jago, Santo Domingo, Carta-
gena, and the forts of Florida.
And after that fir John Norris marched from Peniche in Portugal, with a handful
of foldiers to the gates of Lifbon, being above 40 Englifh miles. Where the earl of
Effex himfelf and other valiant gentlemen braved the city of Lifbon, encamped at the
very gates; from whence, after many days abode, finding neither promifed party,
nor provifion to batter, they made retreat by land, in defpight of all their garrifons.
both of horfe and foot. In this fort I have a little digrefled from my firft purpofe,
only by the neceffary comparifon of their and our actions: the one covetous of ho-
nour without vaunt of oftentation ; the other fo greedy to purchafe the opinion of their
own affairs, and by falfe rumours to refift the blafts of their own difhonours, as they
will not only not blufh to fpread all manner of untruths; but even for the leaft ad-
vantage, be it but for the taking of one poor adventurer of the Englifh, will celebrate
the victory with bonfires in every town, always {pending more in faggots than the pur-
chafe was worth they obtained. When as we never thought it worth the confumption
of two billets, when we have taken eight or ten of their Indian fhips at one time, and
twenty of the Brazil fleet. Such is the difference between true valour and oltentation,
and between honourable actions, and frivolous yain-glorious vaunts. But now to return
to my purpofe.
The Lord Thomas Howard, with fix of her majefty’s fhips, fix victuallers of Lon-
don, the bark Ralegh, and two or three other pinnaces, riding at anchor near unto
Flores, one of the wefterly iflands of the Azores, the laft of Auguft in the afternoon,
had intelligence by one captain Middleton of the approach of the Spanifh armada.
VOL. I. 5.N Which
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