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A30295
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The copie of a letter sent ovt of England to an ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine declaring the state of England contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin and of all his partizans Spaniards and others : wherunto are adioyned certain advertisements concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish navy as well in fight with the English navie in the narrow seas of England : as also by tempests and contrary winds upon the west and north coasts of Ireland in their returne from the northerne isles beyond Scotland.; Copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza
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Leigh, Richard, 1561?-1588.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing B5729; ESTC R210031
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35,377
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63
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had besieged Barwicke and had won it by assault and possessed it quietly whereof no part was true nor any cause to imagine the same though I wish it had so been but not for any good will that I now beare to that King but for the trouble to this Queen For in truth there is no good for us to be hoped for from the King of Scots howsoever the Scottish Bishops in France have sought to make you beleeve otherwise who is so rooted in the Calvinists Religion as there is never hope that he can be recovered to the Church of Rome and so I thinke you are of late duely informed and by his violent actions against divers Catholikes and against all that favour the Spaniards may certainly appeare And likewise another great untruth was lately printed as your enemies say by your direction also in Paris that now in Iuly last when the Spanish Fleet and English had met and fought betwixt France and England the Spaniards had then a great victory wherein they had sunke the Lord Admirall of England with sixteen of the Queens great ships into the bottome of the Seas and that all the rest were driven to fly with the Vice-Admirall Francis Drake Upon these two so notable untruths which the adversaries spightfully called Don Bernardin Mendozas mendacia many who honour you were right sorry that you should give so hasty credit to publish the same as your enemies say you did though I have to my power for clearing of your honour given it out that these and such like have proceeded of the lightnesse of the French who commonly print more lies then truths in such doubtfull times and not of you whose honour and wisedome I thought would not be justly touched with so great untruths and lies considering alwayes a small time will discover things that are in facts reported untruly and bringeth the Authors to discredit and infamy There hath been a speech also reported here to have proceeded from you in France that hath caused a great misliking of you in Scotland which is that you should in open assembly and in a bravery say that the young King of Scots whom you called in your language a boy had deceived the K. your master but if the Kings Navy might prosper against England the K. of Scots should lose his Crowne and of this the King of Scots hath been advertised out of France and useth very evill language of you which I will not report But now to leave this digression and to returne to let you know the truth of the state of the Queens Navy this Summer The same was in the beginning of the yeare when the brute was brought of the readines of the Kings Armado in Lisbone and of the army by land upon the Sea-coasts in Flanders with their shipping divided into three companies the greatest under the charge of Charles L. Haward high Admirall of England whose father grandfather uncles great unckles and other of his house being of the noble house of the Dukes of Norfolk had also been high Admirals afore him whereof both France and Scotland have had proof Another company were appointed to remaine with the L. Henry Seymour second son to the Duke of Somerset that was Protector in King Edwards time and brother to the Earle of Hartford and these companies for a time continued in the narrow seas betwixt England and Flanders under the charge of the said high Admirall to attend on the Duke of Parmas actions A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spain under the conduct of Sir Francis Drake a man by name and fame known too too well to all Spam and to the Kings Indias and of great reputation in England and this was compounded partly of some of the Queens owne ships and partly of the ships of the West parts But after that it was certainly understood that the great Navy of Spaine was ready to come out from Lisbone and that the fame thereof was blowne abroad in Christendome to be invincible and so published by books in print The Queen and all her Councell I am sure whatsoever good countenance they made were not a little perplexed as looking certainly for a dangerous fight upon the Seas and after that for a landing and invasion Whereupon the Lord Admirall was commanded to saile with the greatest ships to the West of England towards Spaine to joyne with Drake whom he made Vice-Admirall and to continue in the Seas betwixt France and England to stop the landing of the Navy of Spaine And with the Lord Admirall went in certaine of the Queens ships the Lord Thomas Haward second son to the last Duke of Norfolke and the Lord Sheffeld sonne to the Admirals sister who is wife to the Queenes Embassadour in France with a great number of Knights of great livelihood And at that time the Lord Henry Seymour was left with a good number of ships in the narrow Seas upon the coast of Flanders to attend on the Duke of Parma Whilst these two Navies were thus divided I confesse to you that I and others of our part secrerly made a full account that none of all these English ships durst abide the sight of the Armado of Spaine or if they would abide any sight yet they should all be sunke at the first encounter For such constant opinion we had conceived by the reports of the world that the greatnesse and the number of the ships and the army of Spaine being the chosen vessell of all the Kings Dominions was so excessive monstrous beyond all the Navies that ever had been seen in Christendome not excepting the Armado at Lepanto that no power could abide in their way But how far deceived we were therein a very short time even the first day did manifestly to the great dishonour of Spaine discover For when the Catholique army came to the coast of England which indeed the English confesse did seeme far greater then they looked for and that they were astonied with the sight of them yet the Lord Admirall and Drake having but onely fifty of the English ships out of the haven of Plimmouth where the rest remained for a new revictualling without tarrying for the rest of the Navy that was in Plimmouth they did offer present sight and furiously pursued the whole Navy of Spaine being above 160 ships so as the same with the furious and continuall shot of the English one whole day fled without any returning And after the English Navy being increased to an hundred great and small renued their fight with terrible great shot all the whole day gaining alwayes the wind of the Spanish Navy And as I am sorry to remember the particularities which the English have largely written to their owne praise so to speake all in one word for nine dayes together they still forced them to flye and destroyed sunke and tooke in three dayes fight divers of the greatest ships out of which
both the Emperor Charles and afterward this King the Pope were so notably deceived by this Stukely doe conclude meerly that they think some of these English that have thus abused the King have followed Stukelyes steps And in very truth I and many others have bin very often ashamed to heare so broad speeches of the King and the Pope yea of the Emperour Charles whom such a companion as Stukeley was could so notably deceive and the more to be marvelled it was how he could deceive the King Catholique considering he was known to many of his Councell at the Kings being in England to have bin but a vaunting beggar and a Ruffian and afterwards a pyrat against the Spaniards Now my Lord Embassadour by these my large relations of the things evill past and of the opinions of such as I have lately dealt withall with mine owne conceit also which I doe not vainly imagine your Lordship may see in the first part our present calamity and miserable estate In the second part the state of this Queene her Realme her people their minds their strength so far contrary to the expectation of the Popes Holinesse the King Catholique and specially of you my Lord and all others that have been in hand these many yeares with this action as I know not what course shall or may be thought meet to take seeing it is seen by experience that by force our cause cannot be relieved Neither will any change amend the matter when this Queen shall end her dayes as all Princes are mortall for both the universalitie of the people through the Realme are so firmely and desperately bent against our Religion as nothing can prevaile against their united forces And whosoever shall by right succeed to this Crowne after the Queen who is likely to live as long as any King in Christendome if the Crowne should come to the K. of Scots or to any other of the bloud royall as there are very many within this Realme descended both of the Royall houses of York and Lancaster There is no account to be made but every one of them that now live at this day are knowne to be as vehemently disposed to withstand the authority of the Pope as any of the most earnest Protestant or heretick in the world So as to conclude after all circumstances well considered for the present I know no other way but to commit the cause to Almighty God and to all the Saints in heaven with our continuall prayers and in earth to the holy Counsels of the Pope and his Cardinals with our supplications to relieve the afflicted number of our exiled brethren and to send into the Realme discreet holy and learned men that may only in secret manner without in intermedling in matters of estate by teaching us confirme us in our faith and gaine with charitable instruction others that are not rooted in heresie And for relief of such has are forced to pay yearly great sums of money out of their revenue because they forbeare to come to the Church it were to be charitably considered whether there might not be some dispensation from the Popes holines for some few yeares to tolerate their comming to the Church without changing of their faith considering a great number doe stand therein not for any thing as they say used in this Church that is directly contrary to Gods Law but for that the Rites and prayers though they are collected out of the body of the Scripture are not allowed by the Catholique Church and the head thereof which is the Popes Holinesse And for that cause lastly all true Catholiques account this Church to be schismaticall By which remedy of tolleration a great number of such as will be perpetually Catholiques might enjoy their livings and liberty and in processe of time the Catholique Religion by Gods goodnesse might with more surety be increased to the honour of God then ever it can be by any force whatsoever For so did all Christian Religion at the first begin and spread it selfe over the world not by force but only by teaching and example of holinesse in the teachers against all humane forces And so I will end my long letters with the sentence which K. David used foure times in one of his Psalmes Et clamaverunt ad Dominum in tribulatione eorum de angustia corum liberavit eos And so must we make that for our foundation to lay our hope upon for all other hopes are vain and false At London the of August 1588. AFter that I had made an end of this my letter which I fâ—und by perusall thereof to have bin at more length then I looked for although the matters therein contained did draw me thereto and that I had made choice of a friend of mine who had more knowledge in the French tongue then I to turne the same into French My mishap was that when he had done some part thereof he fell sicke of a burning fever whereby my letter remained with him upon hope of recovery for ten or twelve dayes and seeing no hope thereof I intreated another very trusty and a sound Catholique having perfect knowledge in the French tongue who took upon him to put it into French wherein was also longer time spent so as my letter being written in the midst of August I am forced to end it in September And therupon I thought good whiles my former letter was in translating to adde some things happened in the mean time meet for your knowledge About the seventh of August the L. Admirall returned with the Navy having followed the Spanish Navy as they reported as far as the 55 degree Northwards the Spanish Navy taking a course either to the furthest parts of Norwey or to the Orcades beyond Scotland which if they did then it was here judged that they would goe about Scotland and Ireland but if they could recover provisions of masts whereof the English Navy had made great spoyle they might returne But I for my part wished them a prosperous wind to passe home about Ireland considering I despaired of their return for many respects both of their wants which could not be furnished in Norwey and of the lacke of the Duke of Parmas ability to bring his army on the Sea for want of mariners Neverthelesse upon knowledge from Scotland that they were beyond the Orcades and that the King of Scots had given strict commandement upon all the Sea-coasts that the Spaniards should not be suffered to land in any part but that the English might land and be relieved of any wants order was given to discharge all the Navy saving twenty ships that were under the L. Henry Seymours charge to attend upon the Duke of Parmas attempts either towards England which was most unlikely or toward Zeland which began to be doubted But within three or foure dayes after this suddenly there came report to the Court that the Spanish Navy had refreshed it selfe in the