to adventure their lives against all invasions whatsover without respect of Pope or other Potentate The Recusants are not put in danger of their lives for their Religion but are fined at sums of money The Jesuites are not executed for Religion but for treasons The Seminaries for the most part come disguised like Russians Babington suffered for his treasons voluntarily confessed not for Religion though at his death he professed the Romane Religion A multitude of gentlemen suspected to be Papists yet never endangered of their lives Many of the Priests that are sent into the Realme are young rash and of lewd life A great strength of the English Navy by the ships of the Port Townes that did serve without wages Two notable lyes printed in Paris and imputed to Don Bernardia Mendoza A most manifest lye printed in Paris of a Spanish victory when it was altogether an English victory Mendacia of Mendoza The state of the Navy of England this Summer L. Haward L. Admirall L. Hen. Seymour Sir Francis Drake L. Tho. Haward L. Sheffeld The fight of the English Navy with the Spanish The flying away of the Spanish Navy The Spaniard prisoners say that Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran in this Summer voyage of the Spanish Navy God shewed no favour to the Spanish Navy from the beginning to the ending Don Pedro de Valdez Captaine Generall of the Armado of Andaluzia Hugo de Moncada Generall of the Galliasses of Naples Diego de Pimentelli Captain of the Galleon named St Matthew I consider him 1. The three hopes conceived against England are now all frustrated 2. 3. The English Navy will be stronger the next yeare Offer of Hollanders and Zelanders to joyne with the English Navy Iustinian Nassan Admirall of Holland with 46. ships of war ioyned to the English Navy against the Duke of Parma Arguments to prove no miscontentment of the people toward the Queen The providence of the Queene to make her Realme strong The Queene being in the army in Essex when most danger was threatened by the enemies in landing The nottable applause of the people to the Queene for her presence in the camp The singing of Psalmes by the English army in the camp An army provided for the Queen beside the army ready to withstand the landing of the enemy Great power of horsmen brought by the Nobility to attend on the Queens person The Viscount Mountagues show of horsemen was the first A number of great Lords shewed their horsmen Earle of Lincolne L. Windesor L. Chancelour Earle of Warwick L. Treasurer L. Compton Earle of Leycester L. Rich. S. Walt Mildmay S. Hen. Cromwell S. Iohn Points Earle of Essex with a great band of hors-men and footmen aforethe Queen at St. Iames Course at the field Tourney Earle of Worcester Earle of Hertford L. Audley L. Morley L. Dacres L. Lomeley L. Mounâ—joy L. Sturton L. Darcy L. Sands L. Mordant Marques of Winchester Earle of Sussex Earle of Shrowsbury L. Talbot Earle of Darby L. Strange Earle of Bath Earle of Pembroks noble offer Earle of Northumberland Earle of Cumberland M. Henry Brooke Sir tho Cecil Sir Wil. Hatton Sir Horatio Pallavicino M. Robert Cary Sir Charles Blunt M. Tho Gerard M. Wil. Hervy Earle of Oxford M. Robert Cecil L. Dudley S. Wal. Rawlegh M. Wil. Cecil M. Edward Darcy M. Arthur Gorge Earle of Huntington L. Scroope L. Darcy L. Evers Earle of Kent L. Hunsdon L. Cobham L. Grave L. North L. Chandos L. St. Iohn L. Buckhurst Earle of Rutland Earle of South-hampton Earle of Bedford Offer of the King of Scots to the 〈◊〉 of England Bands of horsemen and footmen erected by the Bishâ—ps The third and last hope which the Catholikes had of a party in the realme was all frustrate The Spanish prisoners condemne the Kings purpose as being abused by the exiled Catholiques whom the Spaniards call traitors to their countrey No possibility to invade and conquer a Realme without favour of a party inward The Spanish prisoners condemne the enterprise course of Don Bernardin of Mendoza Sir Francis Euglefield Lord Paget Earle of Westmerland Thomas Stukeleyes abusing of the King of Spain and the Pope newly remembred by the Spaniards A conclusion by the writer to perswade another course not by violence No hope for furtherance of the Popes authority by any now living that may succeed the Queen in the line Royall A conclusion what is best to maintaine the Catholike Religion in England A tolleration from the Pope for the Recasants in England Order taken by the K of Scots in favour of the English Great murmurs of all sorts against the Spaniards Report of the horrible cruelty intended by the Spaniards Banners Streamers and Ensignes of the Spaniards shewed to the people Daily prayers Publick prayers and giving of thanks
indeed was of the more credit first by reason of a new Bull lately published at Rome by the Popes Holinesse which I have seen with more severity then others of his predecessors whereby the Queen here was accursed and pronounced to be deprived of her Crowne and the invasion and conquest of the Realme committed by the Pope to the king Catholique to execute the same with his armies both by sea and land and to take the Crowne to himselfe or to limit it to such a Potentate as the Pope and he should name And secondly there followed a large explanation of this Bull by sending hither a number of English books printed in Antwerp even when the Navy of Spaine was daily looked for the originall whereof was written by the reverend father Cardinall Allen in Aprill last called in his owne writing the Cardinall of England which booke was so violently sharply and bitterly written yea say the adversaries so arrogantly falsly and scandalously against the person of the Queene against her father King Henry the eight against all her Nobility and Councell as in very truth I was heartily sorry to perceive so many good men of our own Religion offended therewith in that there should be found in one accounted a Father of the Church who was also a born subject of this Crowne though by the adversaries reported to be very basely borne such soule vile irreverent and violent speeches such irefull and bloudy threatenings of a Queen of a Nobility yea of the whole people of his owne nation Sorry and most sorry I am to report the generall evill conceit of these unordinate unadvised proceedings of this Cardinall of whose rash choice to such a place the world speaketh strangely as though he came to it through corruption of the Popes Sister without liking of the Colledge of Cardinals where otherwise the blessed intention of our holy Father and the desire also of the said Cardinall might without such fatall bloudy premonitions and threatenings of future invasions and conquests by the Catholique Kings noble forces have taken better place There was also to adde the more credit to these terrible prognestications such kind of other books printed in Spaine and translated into French as it is said by your Lordship containing particular long descriptions and catalogues of Armados of Castile of Andalouzia of Biscaye of Guipusque of Portingall of Naples of Sicil of Ragusa and other countries of the Levant with a masse of all kind of provisions beyond measure for the said Armados sufficient in estimation to be able to make conquest of many kingdomes or countries And one great Argument is published by the adversaries to stir up the minds of the Nobilitie of England against the Spaniards which is very maliciously invented to shew the intention of the conquest not only of England but of the whole Isle of Britaine moving all men specially to marke by the description of the Armado that there are specially named such a number of Noblemen as Princes Marquises Condes and Dons that are called Adventurers without any office or pay and such another number also of men with great titles of honour and many of them named Captains and Alferez without office but yet in sold and therfore called Entertenidos as all those being for no service in the Armada may be well presumed say they to have come to have possessed the roomes of all the Noblemen in England and Scotland and this fiction hath taken more place then it is worth And though these armies were indeed exceeding great and mighty yet they were so amplified beyond all measure in these books as in no preparation of Christendome in former times against the Sarracins or Turks could be greater By this meanes this Queene and her Realme being thus forewarned and terrified took occasion with the ayde of her people being not only firmly as she was perswaded devoted to her but throughly irritated to stir up their whole forces for their defence against such prognosticated conquests as in a very short time all her whole Realme and every corner were speedily furnished with armed people on horsebacke and on foot and those continually trained exercised and put into bands in warlike manner as in no age ever was before in this Realme Here was no soaring of money to provide horse armour weapon pouder all necessaries no not want of provision of Pyoners carriages and victuals in every County of the Realme without exception to attend upon the Armies And to this generall furniture every man voluntarily offered very many their service personally without wages others money for armour and weapons and to wage souldiers a matter strange and never the like heard of in this Realme or else where And this generall reason moved all men to large contributions that to withstand a conquest where all should be lost there was no time to spare a portion The numbers made ready in the Realme I cannot affirme of mine owne knowledge but I have heard it reported when I was grieved to thinke the same to be so true that there was through England no quarter East West North and South but all concurred in one mind to be in readinesse to serve for the Realme And that some one countrey was able to make a sufficient army of twenty thousand men fit to fight and fifteene thousand of them well armed and weaponed and in some countries the number of forty thousand able men The maritine countries from Cornowall all along the Southside of England to Kent and from Kent Eastward by Essex Suffolke and Norfolke to Lincolne-shire which countries with their havens were well described unto you in perfect Plots when Francis Throgmorton first did treat with your L. about the same were so furnished of men of war both of themselves and with resort of ayde from their next Shires as there was no place to be doubted for landing of any forraine forces but there were within eight and forty houres to come to the place above twenty thousand fighting men on horsebacke and on foot with field ordinance victuals pioners and carriages and all those governed by the principall Noblemen of the countries and reduced under Captaines of knowledge And one thing I heard of that was very politiquely ordered and executed at this time as of many late yeares was not used that as the leaders and officers of the particular Bands were men of experience in the warres so to make the Bands strong and constant choise was made of the principall Knights of all countries to bring their tenants to the field being men of strength and landed and of wealth whereby all the forces so compounded were of a resolute disposition to sticke to their Lords and Chieftaines and the Chieftaines to trust to their owne tenants And to remember one strange speech that I heard spoken may be marvelled at but it was avowed to me for a truth that one gentleman in Kent had a band of 150
Soveraigne and themselves to be discharged of their Allegiance and to repute all Magistrates under her to be unlawfull and in conscience not to be obeyed with many more such matters which I neverthelesse count to be very vain calumniations tending to make the facts of all such holy Priests as are sent with Commission to win mens soules to be direct treasons against the Queen and the state of the Realme These Defenders of these judgements and executions contend and doe most earnestly maintaine that all such Priests Jesuites Seminaries and others so perswading the people against the Queen the Lawes and the Government and state of the Realme and all others that are so perswaded by them are manifest traitors and so they say that their enditemonts and all processe of law extended and pursued against them do manifestly declare the same Wherein these our adversaries doe sometimes for maintenance of their arguments shew the very copies of their enditements and judgements wherein there is no mention made of charging them with their Religion but that they have attempted to perswade the Queens subjects to forsake their Allegiance and consequently to be rebels to their Queen and Soveraigne In this sort these men for their advantage doe at all times with these and many like earnest arguments maintaine their proceedings against the holy Priests and Jesuites that have suffered death for their conscience as just and necessary And though where I and others may reply without perill to our selves as surely in some small companies we may using modest words we object the confession of the Catholike faith by the parties at their death and that with great constancy which our adversaries cannot deny so as it may seeme they dye for their Religion yet is it on the other part against us alleadged and maintained that they are neither endited condemned nor executed for their Religion or for offering of themselves to die for their Religion but onely for their former treasons in conspiring against the Queen state of the Realme no otherwise then of late time Babington and all his Complices who were condemned for their attempt to have raised war in the Realm and to have murdered the Queen and to have set up the Q. of Scots all which the said Babington and all his complices voluntarily confessed and were condemned and executed only for those their great treasons and yet divers of them at the place of their execution did in like maner as these Priests and Jesuites use to doe make confession of their Catholike faith with offer to dye for the same and yet say our adversaries it ought not to be affirmed that Babington and his complices were put to death for Religion but for their treasons And for further maintenance of the coloured arguments wherwith I and others my good faithfull and Catholike brethren are often troubled how to answer them it is alleadged that the great number of gentlemen and gentlewomen ye some of honourable calling and of other meaner degrees are knowne manifestly to be of a contrary Religion to the Lawes of the Realme both near the Court and far oft and yet they are never pursued by any forme of Law to put their lives in danger or questioned or imprisoned for their opinions in Religion whereby to bring them in any danger Onely such as are presented or complained of by the Parishioners where they dwell for never comming to any Church by the space of certaine months in a whole yeare are thereof indited and afterward being called to answer thereto if they can shew no such lawfull excuse as the Law hath provided they are then condemned to pay a penalty out of their goods and lands if they have any and not otherwise punished nor yet by inquisition any of them examined of their faith But yet say these defendors if they shew themselves by their open deeds and facts to be reconciled from their allegiance obedience to the queen and that they will therein persist then they are therwith charged and punished according to the Lawes therfore provided These arguments in their defence I doe not repeate as allowing of them but yet surely they doe move me and some others that are wife to thinke that indeed the rashnesse of divers comming secretly into the Realme and professing themselves to be Priests many of them being both very young unlearned and of light behaviour hath done great harme to the goodnesse of our common cause and if they and such others could have temperately and secretly instructed the people and used more circumspection in their owne living and behaviour there would have bin a greater increase of numbers perswaded in conscience to have joyned with us in our profession Wherof I am the bolder to write to you my Lord that you may confer with our countrey-men that have accesse unto you and that they also may deale with the Fathers of the Jesuites that more care and choice be had of such English men as are hereafter to be sent into England and not to send every yong man that hath more boldnesse then learning and temperance for such a function In the former part of this my declaration to you of the universall concurrence of all men of value wealth and strength in the body of the Realme to serve and defend the Queen and the Realme I forgot to report unto you the great numbers of Ships of the subjects of the Realme as of London and other Port Townes and Cities that voluntarily this yeare were armed able to make a full Navy of themselves for an army and all at the proper costs of the Burgesses for certaine moneths with men victuall and munition which did joyne with the Queens owne Navy all this Summer a thing never in any former age heard of otherwise then that such ships were alwayes hired waged and victualled by the Kings of the Realm which argued to the griefe of me and some others a most vehement and unaccustomed affection and devotion in the Cities and Port Townes such as they shewed themselves therin ready to fight as it had been pro aris focis Of the number and strength of the Queenes owne ships of war I thinke you have been sufficiently informed many times heretofore But yet I will make you a true report of the state of them this present Summer what I have credibly heard therof because I have been very sorry to heare how you and others have been therein abused And that not only in this matter of the Queens ships but in some other things also of late whereof some part hath been here by very many maliciously and in common speeches imputed to your owne invention and publication whereof in a few words I will make some digression before I shall shew the estate of the Queens Navy In this Summer past there was printed in Paris by your direction as it was reported a notable untruth which I did see and reade That the King of Scots
Queene against all the world And where account was made to have a party in this Realm which by these former relations appeare could nor be possible the whole Nobility being assured to the Queen and the force of the people not violently bent that way In this very time was offered to the Queene as great a party for her to come to her service and defence of the Realme as out of all Christendome she could not have to all respects a stronger Which was the King of Scots who hearing of the intended invasion of the Realme sent a Gentleman to the Queene with his letter as I credibly heard to offer her all the power that he had to defend her and her Realme and if she so would he would come in his own person and hazard his own life to defend this Realme against all invaders for Religion or any other pretence whatsoever So by this you may see what account may be made of any vain promises made in the name of this King And because you shall perceive that I have good meanes to have intelligence of any other forces of the Realme for defence thereof it is most certain as I heare and I have seen a List or Roll of a great number both of horsemen and footmen which the Bishops of the Realme have of their owne charges with the contribution of the Clergy raised up in bands of horsemen and footmen which are to be led by noble Gentlemen at the Queenes nomination and these bands must be vainly termed Milites Sacri As to the last point of the three foundations of the principall hope conceived wherupon the invasion was chiefly grounded and taken in hand which was most certainly and generally beleeved that there should be found here in the realm a strong party of Catholiques against the Queen to joyne and assist the invaders upon the appearing of the Spanish Navy By my former relations of the generall great and fervent love of the people towards the Queene and of the great offers of service now made by the whole Nobility of the Realme this their foundation may appeare to have been wrong laid onely by imaginations as it were upon a quick-sand or rather as flying in the ayre And yet it appeareth very truly that no small account was made hereof by the K. of Spain and by his principall Ministers for there is nothing at this present more universally with one lamentable voyce spoken of by all the multitude of the Spaniards now here prisoners yea by the chiefest of them then that they now evidently see that the King their Master was with such informations greatly abused yea rather betrayed For they say there was no man of value in all this army but he heard it constantly affirmed and so delivered for comfort of all that served therein before they were shipped that they should not be afraid of any resistance to land in England for thaâ— there was good assurance given to the King that they should finde a strong army of Catholiques ready in their favour as soon as ever their Navy should be seen upon the Sea-coast and so they all here say they were encouraged to come to this journey otherwise many of them sweare they would never have come on ship-boord so unlikely they say it was and against all reason to invade a Realme with opinion to conquer it without both some title of right and a party also but specially without a good sure party And therefore now finding this report very false many of these prisoners do by name curse you as being the Kings Embassadour as him they say who upon the opinion of the knowledge which you had gotten in England was therein more credited then any other and had these many yeares together tempted the King their Master upon hope and other such like perswasions to attempt such a matter as this was being utterly in all wisedome to have been condemned without some certainty of this latter part specially to have had a strong party here They also curse all such English-men as have fled out of this countrey whom they spare not to call arrant traitors for offering the sale of their countrey to the Pope and the King of Spaine And these prisoners adde also that they were borne in hand that this countrey was so open to march in and so weak to withstand any force and the people so miserable as they thought the conquest thereof had been of no more difficulty then the overcomming of a number of naked Indians was at the beginning of the conquest thereof by King Ferdinand And now for strength of this countrey and people many of these prisoners having bin brought from the Sea-coasts hither to London whereby they have observed the countrey and the people doe speak marvellously thereof counting the same invincible otherwise then by treason of some great party within the Realme But whether all these speeches which are commonly reported of them proceed from their hearts or that they speake thus to please the English because they are well used by them who also are easily deceived with flattery I know not but sure I am they doe thus speake daily withoutward shew of great passions against such as have been perswaders to the King for this journy Divers of them also which are of good judgment and have heard of such of the English banished men as have bin in Spain and have knowne some of them there as of long time Sir Francis Englefield and of late the L. Paget and his brother have curiously enquired of what power they were and credit here to have a party They also enquired of the Earle of Westmerland although of him they confesse he is a man but of small government But our adversaries here have so abased these and all the rest to have been of no credit to carry any numbers of men but by the Queenes authority when they were at their best As the prisoners wonder how the king could be so deceived to give them pensions otherwise then for charity because of their Religion But they confesse they have often heard in Spaine how the King was once notably deceived when one Tho. Stukely a private English man that fled out of Ireland for debt and other lewd actions into Spaine and not being worth one penny his debts being paid but the second son of a mean Gentleman pretended was beleeved in Spain so by entituling of himself to be a Duke a Marquesse and an Earle of Ireland and so was a long time entertained as a man that could doe great service against the Q. of England untill at length the King understood his falshood and so banished him out of Spaine and repairing to Rome he was by the Pope also maintained for a time untill he was discovered even by some good Catholiques that could not endure the Popes holinesse to be so grossely mocked of whom some of the prisoners using merry speeches how
Islands beyond the Orcades both with water plentifully and with bread fish and flesh as for their money they could get and would returne hither once againe to attend on the Duke of Parmas army to conduct it by Sea into England Whereupon grew some new busines here wherewith I know the Queen and her Councell was not a little perplexed what to doe but in the end order was given to stay the disarming of her Navy and so the whole Navy was very speedily made ready againe only upon the former reports wherewith I and many others were very glad to see them thus newly troubled and upon every light report put to great charges But this lasted not past eight or ten dayes for upon more certain knowledge by two or three Pinnaces that were sent to discover where the Spanish fleet was which certified that they were beyond the Orcades sayling towards the West in very evill case having many of their people dead in those North parts and in great distresse for lacke of masts and also of mariners A new commandement was given to dissolve the Navy saving that which should attend on the Duke of Parma and so the Lord Admirall returned with the L. Thomas Haward the L. Henry Seymour L. Sheffeld Sir Francis Drake with all the Captaines to the Court saving such as had charge of the Fleet that was under the L. Henry And upon the returne of these Sea-men to the City there are spread such reports to move the Noblemen Gentlemen Ladies Gentlewomen and all other vulgar people of all sorts into a mortall hatred of the Spaniards as the poore Spanish prisoners were greatly afraid to have bin all massacred for that it was published and of many beleeved that the Lords of Spaine that were in the Navy had made a speciall division amongst themselves of all the Noblemens houses in England by their names and had in a sort quartered England among themselves and had determined of sundry manners of cruell death both of the Nobility and the rest of the people The Ladies Women and Maidens were also destined to all villany the rich Merchants houses in London were put into a Register by their very names and limited to the companies of the Squadrons of the Navy for their spoyle And to increase more hatred it was reported that there were a great number of halters brought in the Spanish Navy to strangle the vulgar people and certaine Irons graven with markes to be heated for the marking of all children in their faces being under seven yeares of age that they might be knowne hereafter to have been the children of the conquered Nation These were commonly reported by those that came from the English Navy as having heard the Spaniards confesse the same so as for a time there was a generall murmure that those Spanish prisoners ought not to be suffered to live as they did but to be killed as they had purposed to have done the English But the wiser sort of men and such as had the charge of the prisoners having no commandement from the Councell did straitly looke to the safety of the prisoners as a matter not to be so rashly suffered But to content the people with some other matter there was upon Sunday last at the request of the Major and his brethren a great number of Banners Streamers and Ensignes which were won from the Spanish Navy brought to Pauls Church-yard and there showed openly in the Sermon time to the great rejoycing of all the people And afterwards they were carried to the crosse in Cheap and afterwards to London bridge whereby the former rage of the people was greatly asswaged the fury generally converted into triumph by boasting in every place that this was the act of God who had heard the fervent prayers of the people and was pleased with their former prayers and fastings to have such Banners and Streamers which the Spaniards meant to have brought and set up in all places of the City as monuments of their triumphs by his good providence in punishing the pride of the Spaniards now to be erected by the English as monuments of their victories and perpetuall shame to the Spaniards Upon these shewes great rejoycing followed And as in Iune and Iuly past all Churches were filled daily with people exercised with prayers and shewes of repentance and petitions to God for defence against their enemies And in many Churches continually thrise in the week exercises of prayers sermoÌ„s fastings all the day long from morning to evening with great admiration to see such generall devotion which I and others did judge to proceed more of feare then of devotion so now since the English Navy is returned and the Spanish Navy defeated and intelligence brought of the disorders in Flanders of the dissentions betwixt the Spaniards and the other souldiers of the contempt of the Duke of Parma by the Spaniards being thereto maintained by a Duke called the Duke of Pastraw the King Catholiques bastard and of the departure and running away of the Dukes mariners here is a like concourse of the people to Sermons in all Churches wherein is remembred the great goodnesse of God towards England by the delivery thereof from the threatened Conquest and prayers also publikely to give thanks to God for the same At London this of September 1588. FINIS WILLIAM CECIL Baron of Burgleigh Lord Treasurer of England He dyed Anno 1598. Aged 77 yeares W. Marshall sculp ROBERTUS DUDLEUS COMES LEYCESTRIAE BARO DENBIG GUBERNATOR BELGARUM In what termes England standeth in the opinion of the Catholiques The Spanish preparation 3 yeares in making The Duke of Parmas army in Flanders No forraine force could invade England without a strong party in England Hope of victory by the Spanish army with assistance of a party in England this Summer All Spanish hope fallen in nine dayes The Catholiques doubt of their cause seeing the hand of God is against the army Many English Catholiques mislike of the Popes reformation by force The 〈…〉 The hearts of all 〈◊〉 of people inflamed against the Spaniards vaunting to conquer the land The untimely publication of the Popes Bull did 〈◊〉 to the common cause Cardinall Allens books have done much hurt to the intended invasion and conquest The Cardinals rash and violent writing misliked by the Catholiques The multitude of books published to shew the greatnesse of the Spanish Navy did also hurt the fore warnings of the 〈◊〉 greatnesse caused the Queene to put all her Realme in force beyond all 〈◊〉 The armies made ready in England in every quarter of the Realme The maritine Counties provided at landing plâ—ces with 20000 men All the bands were under the principal Knights of the Realme compounded of the most mighty men being their tenant and servants A strange report of the wealth of a hand of souldiers 〈…〉 A consent and concurrence of Papist andProtestant to withstand the conquest The gentlemen Recusâ—â— in 〈◊〉 offer