countries and elsewhere, of this late encounter betweene her Maiesties
ships and the Armada of Spaine; and that the Spaniards according to their
vsuall maner fill the world with their vaine-glorious vaunts, making great
apparance of victories, when on the contrary, themselues are most commonly
and shamefully beaten and dishonoured; thereby hoping to possesse the
ignorant multitude by anticipating and forerunning false reports: It is
agreeable with all good reason, for manifestation of the truth, to ouercome
falshood and vntrueth; that the beginning, continuance and successe of this
late honourable encounter of Sir Richard Greenuil, and other her Maiesties
Captaines, with the Armada of Spaine; should be truely set downe and
published without partialitie or false imaginations. And it is no marueile
that the Spaniard should seeke by false and slanderous pamphlets, aduisoes
and Letters, to couer their owne losse, and to derogate from others their
due honors, especially in this fight being performed far off: seeing they
were not ashamed in the yeere 1588. when they purposed the inuasion of this
land, to publish in sundry languages in print, great victories in wordes,
which they pleaded to haue obteined against this Realme; and spred the same
in a most false sort ouer all parts of France, Italy, and elsewhere. When
shortly after it was happily manifested in very deed to al Nations, how
their Nauy which they termed inuincible, consisting of 140. saile of
shippes, not onely of their owne kingdome, but strengthened with the
greatest Argosies, Portugal Caracks, Florentines, and huge hulks of other
Countreis, were by 30. of her Majesties owne ships of war, and a few of our
owne Marchants, by the wise, valiant, and aduantagious conduct of the L.
Charles Howard high Admirall of England, beaten and shuffled together; euen
from the Lizard in Cornwall first to Portland, where they shamefully left
Don Pedro de Valdes, with his mighty ship; from Portland to Cales, where
they lost Hugo de Moncado, with the Gallies of which he was Captaine, and
from Cales, driuen with squibs from their anchors, were chased out of the
sight of England, round about Scotland and Ireland. Where for the sympathie
of their barbarous religion, hoping to finde 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, slaine, and
taken, and so sent from village to village coupled in halters, to be
shipped into England. Where her Maiestie of her Princely and inuincible
disposition, disdaining to put them to death, and scorning either to
retaine or entertaine them: they were all sent backe againe to their
countreys, to witnes and recount the worthy achieuements of their
inuincible and dreadfull Nauy: Of which the number of Souldiers, the
fearefull burthen of their shippes, the commanders names of euery squadron,
with all other their magasines of prouisions, were put in print, as an Army
and Nauy vnresistable, and disdaining preuention. With all which so great
and terrible an ostentation, they did not in all their sailing round about
England, so much as sinke or take one shippe, Barke, Pinnesse, or Cockbote
of ours: or euer burnt so much as one sheepecote of this land. When as on
the contrarie, Sir Francis Drake, with onely 800. souldiers not long
before, landed in their Indies, and forced Sant-Iago, Santo Domingo,
Cartagena, and the forts of Florida.
And after that, Sir Iohn Norris marched from Peniche in Portugall, with a
handfull of souldiers, to the gates of Lisbone, being aboue 40 English
miles. Where the Earle of Essex himselfe and other valiant Gentlemen braued
the Citie of Lisbone, encamped at the very gates; from whence, after many
dayes abode, finding neither promised partie, nor provision to batter; they
made retrait by land, in despight of all their Garrisons, both of horse and
foote. In this sort I haue a little digressed from my first purpose, onely
by the necessarie comparison of theirs and our actions: the one couetous of
honour without vaunt of ostentation; the other so greedy to purchase the
opinion of their owne affaires, and by false rumors to resist the blasts of
their owne dishonours, as they, will not onely not blush to spread all
manner of vntruthes: but euen for the least aduantage, be it but for the
taking of one poore aduenturer of the English, will celebrate the victory
with bonefires in euery towne, alwayes spending more in faggots, then the
purchass was worth they obtained. When as we neuer thought it worth the
consumption of two billets, when we haue taken eight or ten of their Indian
shippes at one time, and twentie of the Brasill fleete. Such is the
difference betweene true valure, and ostentation: and betweene honorable
actions, and friuolous vaineglorious vaunts. But now to returne to my
purpose.
The L. Thomas Howard with sixe of her Maiesties shippes, sixe victuallers
of London, the Barke Ralegh, and two or three other Pinnases riding at
anker neere vnto Flores, one of the Westerly Ilands of the Azores, the last
of August in the afternoone, had intelligence by one Captaine Middleton of
the approch of the Spanish Armada. Which Middteton being in a very good
sailer had kept them company three dayes before, of good purpose, both to
discouer their forces the more, as also to giue aduise to my L. Thomas of
their approch. Hee had no sooner deliuered the newes but the fleete was in
sight: many of our shippes companies were on shore in the Ilande; some
providing ballast for their ships; others filling of water and refreshing
themselues from the land with such things as they could either for money,
or by force recouer. By reason whereof our ships being all pestered and
romaging euery thing out of order, very light for want of balast, and that
which was most to our disadvantage, the one halfe part of the men of euery
shippe sicke, and vtterly vnseruiceable: for in the Reuenge there were
ninety diseased: in the Bonauenture not so many in health as could handle
her maine saile. For had not twenty men beene taken out of a Barque of sir
George Careys, his being commaunded to be sunke, and those appointed to
her, she had hardly euer recouered England. The rest, for the most parte,
were in little better state. The names of her Maiesties shippes were these
as followeth, the Defiance, which was Admiral, the Reuenge Vice-admirall,
the Bonauenture commaunded by Captaine Crosse, the Lion by George Fenner,
the Foresight by M. Thomas Vauasour, and the Crane by Duffild. The
Foresight and the Crane being but smal ships; only the other were of the
middle size; the rest, besides the Barke Ralegh, commanded by Captaine
Thin, were victuallers, and of small force or none. The Spanish Fleet
hauing shrouded their approch by reason of the Island; were now so soone at
hand, as our shippes had scarce time to way their anchors, but some of them
were driuen to let slippe their Cables and set saile. Sir Richard Grinuile
was the last that wayed, to recouer the men that were vpon the Island,
which otherwise had bene lost. The L. Thomas with the rest very hardly
recouered the winde, which Sir Richard Grinuile not being able to doe, was
perswaded by the Master and others to cut his maine sayle, and cast about,
and to trust to the sayling of the ship; for the squadron of Siuil were on
his weather bow. But Sir Richard vtterly refused to turne from the enemie,
alleaging that hee would rather choose to die, then to dishonour himselfe,
his countrey, and her Maiesties shippe, perswading his companie that hee
would passe through the two squadrons, in despight of them, and enforce
those of Siuil to giue him way. Which hee performed vpon divers of the
formost, who, as the Mariners terme it, sprang their luffe, and fell vnder
the lee of the Reuenge. But the other course had beene the better, and
might right well haue bene answered in so great an impossibility of
preuailing. Notwithstanding out of the greatnesse of his minde, he could
not be perswaded. In the meane while as hee attended those which were
nearest him, the great San Philip being in the winde of him, and comming
towards him, becalmed his sailes in such sort, as the shippe could neither
make way, nor feele the helme: so huge and high carged [Footnote: From the
French, _carguer_ to furl.] was the Spanish ship, being of a thousand and
fiue hundreth tuns. Who after layd the Reuenge aboord. When he was thus
bereft of his sailes, the ships that were vnder his lee luffing vp, also
layd him aboord: of which the next was the Admiral of the Biscaines, a very
mighty and puissant shippe commanded by Brittandona. The sayd Philip
carried three tire of ordinance on a side, and eleuen pieces in euery tire.
She shot eight forth right out of her chase, besides those of her sterne
ports.
After the Reuenge was entangled with this Philip, foure other boorded her:
two on her larbood, and two on her starboord. The fight thus beginning at
three of the clock in the afternoone, continued very terrible all that
euening. But the great San Philip hauing receiued the lower tire of the
Reuenge, discharged with crosse bar-shot, shifted her selfe with all
diligence from her sides, vtterly misliking her first entertainement. Some
say that the shippe foundred, but we cannot report it for truth, vnlesse we
were assured. The Spanish ships were filled with companies of souldiers, in
some two hundred besides the mariners; in some fiue, in others eight
hundreth. In ours there were none at all besides the mariners; but the
seruants of the commanders and some few voluntary gentlemen onely. After
many interchanged volies of great ordinance and small shot, the Spaniards
deliberated to enter the Reuenge, and made diuers attempts, hoping to force
her by the multitudes of her armed souldiers and Musketters, but were still
repulsed againe and againe, and at all times beaten backe into their owne
ships, or into the seas. In the beginning of the fight, the George Noble of
London hauing receiued some shot thorow her by the Armadas, fell vnder the
lee of the Reuenge, and asked Sir Richard what he would command him, being
but one of the victuallers, and of small force: Sir Richard bid him saue
himselfe, and leaue him to his fortune. After the fight had thus, without
intermission, continued while the day lasted and some houres of the night,
many of our men slaine and hurte, and one of the great Gallions of the
Armada, and the Admirall of the Hulkes both sunke, and in many other of the
Spanish shippes great slaughter was made. Some write that Sir Richard was
very dangerously hurt almost in the beginning of the fight, and lay
speechlesse for a time ere hee recovered. But two of the Reuenges owne
company, brought home in a ship of Lime from the Ilandes, examined by some
of the Lordes, and others, affirmed that hee was neuer so wounded as that
hee forsooke the vpper decke, till an houre before midnight; and then being
shot into the bodie with a Musket as hee was a dressing, was againe shot
into the head, and withall his Chirurgion wounded to death. This agreeth
also with an examination taken by sir Francis Godolphin, of foure other
mariners of the same shippe being returned, which examination, the said sir
Francis sent vnto master William Killegrue, of her Maiesties priuy Chamber.
But to returne to the fight, the Spanish ships which attempted to bord the
Reuenge, as they were wounded and beaten off, so alwayes others came in
their places, she hauing neuer lesse then two mighty Gallions by her sides,
and aboard her: So that ere the morning, from three of the clocke the day
before, there had fifteene seuerall Armadas assayled her; and all so ill
approued their entertainment, as they were by the breake of day, far more
willing to harken 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 grewe our discomforts. For none
appeared in sight but enemies, sauing one small ship called the Pilgrim,
commaunded by Iacob Whiddon, who houered all night to see the successe: but
in the morning bearing with the Reuenge, was hunted like a hare amongst
many rauenous houndes, but escaped.
All the powder of the Reuenge to the last barrell was now spent, all her
pikes broken, fortie of her best men slaine, and the most part of the rest
hurt. In the beginning of the fight shee had but one hundreth free from
sicknes, and fourescore and ten sicke, laid in hold vpon the Ballast. A
small troup to man such a ship, and a weake garrison to resist so mighty an
army. By those hundred al was susteined, the voleis, boordings, and
entrings of fifteen ships of warre, besides those which beat her at large.
On the contrary, the Spanish were always supplied with souldiers brought
from euery squadron: all maner of Armes and powder at will. Vnto ours there
remained no comfort at all, no hope, no supply either of ships, men, or
weapons; the Mastes all beaten ouer board, all her tackle cut asunder, her
vpper worke altogether rased, and in effect euened shee was with the water,
but the very foundation or bottome of a ship, nothing being left ouer head
either for flight or defence. [Sidenote: The Spanish 53 saile.] Sir Richard
finding himselfe in this distress, and vnable any longer to make
resistance, hauing endured in this fifteene houres fight, the assault of
fifteene seuerall Armadas, all by turnes aboord him, and by estimation
eight hundred shotte of great Artillerie, besides many assaults and
entries; and that himselfe and the shippe must needes be possessed by the
enemy, who were now all cast in a ring round about him (The Reuenge not
able to moue one way or the other, but as she was moued with the waues and
billow of the sea) commanded the Master gunner, whom hee knew to be a most
resolute man, to split and sinke the shippe; that thereby nothing might
remaine of glory or victory to the Spaniards: seeing in so many houres
fight, and with so great a Nauie they were not able to take her, hauing had
fifteene houres time, aboue ten thousand men, and fiftie and three saile of
men of warre to performe it withall: and perswaded the company, or as many
as hee could induce, to yeelde themselues vnto God, and to the mercie of
none else; but as they had, like valiant resolute men, repulsed so many
enemies, they should not nowe shorten the honour of their Nation, by
prolonging their owne liues for a few houres, or a fewe dayes. The Master
gunner readily condescended and diuers others; but the Captaine and the
Master were of another opinion, and besought Sir Richard to haue care of
them: alleaging that the Spaniard would be as ready to entertaine a
composition, as they were willing to offer the same: and that there being
diuers sufficient and valiant men yet liuing, and whose wounds were not
mortal, they might do their Countrey and prince acceptable seruice
hereafter. And whereas Sir Richard had alleaged that the Spaniards should
neuer glory to haue taken one shippe of her Maiestie, seeing they had so
long and so notably defended themselues; they answered, that the shippe had
sixe foote water in holde, three shot vnder water, which were so weakely
stopped, as with the working of the sea, she must needs sinke, and was
besides so crusht and brused, as shee could neuer be remoued out of the
place.
And as the matter was thus in dispute, and Sir Richard refusing to hearken
to any of those reasons: the Master of the Reuenge (while the Captaine
wanne vnto him the greater party) was conuoyd aboord the Generall Don
Alfonso Baçan: Who (finding none ouer hastie to enter the Reuenge againe,
doubting least Sir Richard would haue blowne them vp and himselfe, and
perceiuing by report of the Master of the Reuenge his dangerous
disposition) yeelded that all their liues should be saued, the company sent
for England, and the better sort to pay such reasonable ransome as their
estate would beare, and in the meane season to be free from Gally or
imprisonment. To this he so much the rather condescended as wel, as I haue
said, for feare of further losse and mischiefe to themselues, as also for
the desire he had to recouer Sir Richard Greenuil; whom for his notable
valure he seemed greatly to honour and admire.
When this answere was returned, and that safetie of life was promised, the
common sort being now at the ende of their perill, the most drew backe from
Sir Richard and the Master gunner, being no hard matter to disswade men
from death to life. The Master gunner finding himselfe and Sir Richard thus
preuented and mastered by the greater number, would haue slaine himselfe
with a sword, had he not bene by force with-held and locked into his
Cabben. Then the Generall sent many boates aboord the Reuenge, and diuers
of our men fearing Sir Richards disposition, stole away aboord the Generall
and other shippes. Sir Richard thus ouermatched, was sent vnto by Alfonso
Baçan to remooue out of the Reuenge, the shippe being marueilous vnsauorie,
filled with blood and bodies of dead, and wounded men like a slaughter
house. Sir Richard answered that hee might doe with his body what he list,
for hee esteemed it not, and as he was carried out of the shippe hee
swounded, and reuiuing againe desired the company to pray for him. The
Generall vsed Sir Richard with all humanitie, and left nothing vnattempted
that tended to his recouery, highly commending his valour and worthinesse,
and greatly bewailing the danger wherein he was, being vnto them a rare
spectacle, and a resolution seldome approoued, to see one shippe turne
toward 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 Captaine of the
same Armada, and a present actor in the fight, who being seuered from the
rest in a storme, was by the Lion of London a small ship taken, and is now
prisoner in London.
The generall commander of the Armada, was Don Alphonso Baçan, brother to
the Marques of Santa Cruz. The admiral of the Biscaine squadron, was
Britandona. Of the squadron of Siuil, the Marques of Arumburch. The Hulkes
and Flybotes were commanded by Luis Coutinho. There were slaine and drowned
in this fight, well neere one thousand of the enemies, and two speciall
commanders Don Luis de sant Iohn, and Don George de Prunaria de Mallaga, as
the Spanish captaine confesseth, besides diuers others of speciall account,
whereof as yet report is not made.
The Admirall of the Hulkes and the Ascension of Siuil were both sunke by
the side of the Reuenge; one other recouered the rode of Saint Michael, and
sunke also there; a fourth ranne her self with the shore to saue her men.
Sir Richard died as it is sayd, the second or third day aboord the
Generall, and 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 remayneth to his friends is, that hee hath ended his life honourably
in respect of the reputation wonne to his nation and countrey, and of the
same to his posteritie, and that being dead, he hath not outliued his owne
honour.
For the rest of her Maiesties ships that entred not so farre into the fight
as the Reuenge, the reasons and causes were these. There were of them but
sixe in all, whereof two but small ships; the Reuenge ingaged past
recouery: The Iland of Flores was on the one side, 53 saile of the Spanish,
diuided into squadrons on the other, all as full filled with souldiers as
they could containe: Almost the one halfe of our men sicke and not able to
serue: the ships growne foule, vnroomaged, and scarcely able to beare any
saile for want of ballast, hauing bene sixe moneths at the sea before. If
all the rest had entred, all had bene lost: for the very hugenes of the
Spanish fleete, if no other violence had beene offered, would haue crusht
them betweene them into shiuers. Of which the dishonour and losse to the
Queene had bene farre greater then the spoyle or harme that the enemie
could any way haue receiued. Notwithstanding it is very true, that the Lord
Thomas would haue entred betweene the squadrons, but the rest would not
condescend; and the master of his owne ship offred to leape into the sea,
rather then to conduct that her Maiesties ship and the rest to bee a pray
to the enemie, where there was no hope nor possibilitie either of defence
or victory. Which also in my opinion had ill sorted or answered the
discretion and trust of a Generall, to commit himselfe and his charge to an
assured destruction, without hope or any likelyhood of preuailing: thereby
to diminish the strength of her Maiesties Nauy, and to enrich the pride and
glory of the enemie. The Foresight of the Queenes commaunded by M. Thomas
Vauisor performed a very great fight, and stayed two houres as neere the
Reuenge as the weather would permit him, not forsaking the fight, till he
was like to be encompassed by the squadrons, and with great difficultie
cleared himselfe. The rest gaue diuers voleis of shot, and entred as farre
as the place permitted, and their owne necessities, to keepe the weather
gage of the enemie, vntill they were parted by night. A fewe dayes after
the fight was ended, and the English prisoners dispersed into the Spanish
and Indie ships, there arose so great a storme from the West and Northwest;
that all the fleete was dispersed, as well the Indian fleete which were
then come vnto them, as the rest of the Armada that attended their arriual,
of which 14. saile together with the Reuenge, and in her 200. Spaniards,
were cast away vpon the Isle of S. Michael. So it pleased them to honor the
buriall of that renowmed ship the Reuenge, not suffering her to perish
alone, for the great honour she atchieued in her life time. On the rest of
the Ilandes there were cast away in this storme, 15 or 16 more of the ships
of warre: and of an hundred and odde saile of the Indie fleete, expected
this yeere in Spaine, what in this tempest, and what before in the bay of
Mexico, and about the Bermudas, there were 70 and odde consumed and lost,
with those taken by our shippes of London, besides one very rich Indian
ship, which set herselfe on fire, beeing boarded by the Pilgrim, and fiue
other taken by master Wats his ships of London, between the Hauana and Cape
S. Antonio. The fourth of this moneth of Nouember we receiued letters from
the Tercera, affirming that there are 3000 bodies of men remaining in that
Iland, saued out of the perished ships: and that by the Spaniards owne
confession, there are 10000 cast away in this storme, besides those that
are perished betweene the Ilands and the maine. Thus it hath pleased God to
fight for vs and to defend the iustice of our cause, against the ambicious
and bloody pretenses of the Spaniard, who seeking to deuoure all nations,
are themselues deuoured. A manifest testimony how iniust and displeasing,
their attempts are in the sight of God, who hath pleased to witnes by the
successe of their affaires, his mislike of their bloody and iniurious
designes, purposed and practised against all Christian princes, ouer whom
they seeke vnlawfull and vngodly rule and Empery.