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RALEGH’S REPORT OF AN ENGAGEMENT. $29
and entries of fo many foldiers. All which and more is confirmed by a Spanifh cap-
tain of the fame armada, anda prefent actor in the fight, who being fevered from the
reftin a {torm, was by the Lion of London, a fmall fhip, taken, and is now prifoner
in London.
The general commander of the armada was don Alfonfo Basan, brother to the mar-
quis of Santa Cruz. The admiral of the Bifcaine fquadron was Britandona. Of the
fquadron of Sivil, the marquis of Arumburch. ‘The hulks and fly-boats were com-
manded by Luis Coutinho. ‘There were flain and drowned in this fight well near one
thoufand of the enemies, and two fpecial commanders, don Luis de Sant John, and don
George de Prunaria de Mallaga, as the Spanifh captain confefleth, befides divers others
of fpecial account, whereof as yet report is not made..
he admiral of the hulks and the Afcenfion of Sivil were both funk by the fide of
the Revengse; one other recovered the road of St. Michael, and funk alfo there; a
fourth ran herfelf with the fhore to fave her men. Sir Richard died as it is faid, the
fecond or third day aboard the General, and was by them greatly bewailed. What
became of his body, whether it was buried in the fea or on the land we know not: the
comfort that remaineth to his friends is, that he hath ended his life honorably in refpect
of the reputation won to his nation and country, and of the fame to his polterity, andi
that being dead,. he hath not outlived hisown honour.
For the reft of her majefty’s fhips that entered not fo far into the fight as the Re-
venge, the reafons and caufes were thefe. There were of them but fix in all, whereot
two but {mall fhips; the Revenge engaged paft recovery ; the ifland of Flores was om
the one fide, 53 fail of the Spanith, divided into fquadrons on the other, all-as full
filled with foldiers as they could contain; almoft the one half of our men. fick and not
able to ferve; the fhips grown foul, and fcarcely able to bear any fail for want of bal–
laft, having been fix months at the fea before. If all the reft had entered, all had
been loft; for the very hugenefs of the Spanifh fleet, if no other vioience had been
offered, would have crufhed them between them into fhivers. Of which the difhonour
and lofs to the queen had been far greater than the {poil or harm that the enemy could
any way have received. Notwithftanding it is very true, that the lord Thomas would
have entered between the fquadrons, but the reft would not condefcend; and the
mafter of his own fhip offered to leap into the fea rather than to conduct that her ma-
jelty’s fhip and the reft to te a prey to the enemy, where there was no hope nor pof-
fibility either of defence or victory. Which alfo in my opinion had ill forted or an-
fwered the difcretion and truft of a general, to commit himfelf and his charge to an
aflured deftruction, without hope or any likelihood of prevailing : thereby to diminifh
the ftrength of her majefty’s navy, and to enrich the pride and glory of the enemy.
The Forefight of the queen’s, commanded by M. ‘Thomas Vavilor, performed a very
great fight, and ftaid two hours as near the Revenge as the weather would permit, not
forfaking the fight, tilt he was like to be encompaffed by the fquadrons, and with
great difficulty cleared himfelf.. ‘lhe reft gave divers vollies of fhot, and. entered as
far as the place permitted, and their own neceflities, to keep the weather gage of the
enemy, until they were parted by night. A few days after the fight was ended, and
the Englifh prifoners difperfed into the Spanifh and India fhips, there arole fo great a
ftorm from the W. and N.. W. that all the fleet was difperfed, as well the Indian fleet,
which were then come unto them, as the reft of t»e armada that attended their arrival,
of which 14 fail together with the Revenge, and in her 200 Spaniards, where cait
away upon the ifle of St. Michael. So it pleafed them to honour the burial of that re-
nowned fhip the Revenge, not fuffering her to perith alone, for the great honour fhe
atchievedi
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