ANACCOUNTOF THESPANISH INVASION
In theYear mdlxxxviii.
In theYear mdlxxxviii.
In theYear mdlxxxviii.
THE Defeat of theSpanish Armadabeing the most glorious Victory that was ever obtained at Sea, and the most important to theBritishNation, every Method deserves some Praise, that may in a suitable Manner propagate the Memory of it. Our Ancestors, that were personally interested in it, were so careful it should not pass into Oblivion, that they procured the Engagements between the two Fleets to be represented in ten curious Pieces of Tapestry, with the Portraits of the severalEnglishCaptains, taken from the Life, worked in the Borders, which are now placed, some in the Royal Wardrobe, some in the House of Lords, the most august Assembly of the Kingdom, there to remain as a lasting Memorial of the Triumphs ofBritishValour, guided byBritishCounsels. But because Time, or Accident, or Moths may deface these valuable Shadows, we have endeavoured to preserve their Likeness in the preceding Prints, which, by being multiplied and dispersed in various Hands, may meet with that Security from the Closets of the Curious, which the Originals must scarce always hope for, even from the Sanctity of the Place they are kept in.
Thus far we have been able to go within our own Province; but as a more particular Detail of the Circumstances of this glorious Expedition, which lye blended in our Histories with other Matters, may not be altogether unacceptable, we shall beg Leave to offer the following brief Account of it, collected from the most authentic Writers and Manuscripts.
THE Author and Undertaker of this ever memorable Expedition wasPhilipII. King ofSpain, eldest Son of the renowned EmperorCharlesV. In the Year 1554, he marriedMaryI. Queen ofEngland, with a View of uniting, by this Marriage, theEnglishDominions to those large and noble Territories of which he was Heir-Apparent. But all his Projects were defeated by a False-Conception the Queen had in 1555; and especially by her Death, which happened onNovemb.17, 1558.—In 1555,October25, he became King ofSpain, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, upon the voluntary Resignation of his FatherCharlesV.
As to KingPhilip’s real Views and Motives in this Expedition, they seem to have been these:
I. A firm Hope and certain Prospect as he imagin’d, of easily acquiring so considerable an Addition to his Dominions, as the flourishing Kingdoms ofEnglandandIreland. Kingdoms whose Advantages and Excellencies he was well acquainted withal; and from whence he could be continually supplied with Tin, Lead, Wool, and many other useful, necessary, and profitable Commodities.
II. He was also excited by another Motive, which is generally sufficient for Conquerors; and it was this:EnglandandIrelandstood very convenient for him, as being near his Dominions in the Low-Countries; and might, by their advantageous Situation, and the many good Harbours they abound with, have rendered him Master of the Trade and Navigation of these Northern Parts of the World; and, what is more, they would have enabled him to carry it on throughout allNorthandSouth-America, exclusively of all others; which is such an Advantage as cannot well be expressed.
III. Moreover these Islands had proved, and might always prove a grievous Thorn in his Side. For, by reason of their Situation, theEnglishcould, at any Time, almost totally obstruct the Navigation of theNetherlands, and destroy all their Traffick by Sea. Because, as it must unavoidably be carried on almost within Sight of theBritishCoasts, so long as the Inhabitants of those Islands remained independent of him[1], and were Masters at Sea, they could seize, with the utmost Ease, the Shipping sent from the Ports ofFlandersto the several Parts of the World. What lay therefore so convenient, and was in other Hands so dangerous a Neighbour, must be purchas’d at any Rate.
IV. Revenge may be assigned as another Motive of this Expedition. QueenElizabethhad assisted all along the States of the United Provinces, in their several Attempts to shake off theSpanishYoke. Now, that surely was a very great Provocation: And Forgiveness of Injuries, it is well known, was then, no more than at present, aSpaniard’s Virtue. To be revenged therefore of such a constant Enemy asElizabethhad been, may well be suppos’d to have been an additional Inducement to this Undertaking.
V. This other important Motive is assigned byHakluyt[2]: “KingPhilipdeemed this to be the most ready and direct Course, to recover his hereditary Possession of theLow-Countries. For, having with little Advantage, for above twenty Years together, waged War against theNetherlands, after mature Deliberation, he thought it most convenient to assault them once more by Sea, which had been fruitlessly attempted several Times before for want of sufficient Forces. And he thought good to begin withEngland, being persuaded, that the Conquest of that Island was less difficult than the Conquest ofHollandandZealand. Moreover, theSpaniardswere of Opinion, that it would be far more behoveful for their King to conquerEnglandand theLow-Countriesat once, than to be constrained continually to maintain a warlike Navy, to defend hisEastandWest-IndiaFleets from theEnglish.”
These (with a Desire of restoring theRoman-CatholickReligion) seem to have been the real and true Motives of this great Expedition.
The Reasons alleged byPhilipwere these[3]:
I. ThatElizabethhad, from the first assisted his rebellious Subjects in theNetherlands, with Men and Money, and spirited them up against him, her greatest Friend and Benefactor; whom she was indebted to for her Life, when her Sister QueenMaryandGardinerwere for removing her out of the Way.
II.Drake, and others of her Subjects, had committed several Depredations inSpainandAmerica.
III. She had been so unnatural as to stop his Money, when, for fear of Pirates, it had been landed in her Dominions; and had put an Embargo on the Vessels employed to carry it to theLow-Countries: (As is related byCamden, under the Year 1568.)
IV. She had acknowledged his Enemy DonAntonioKing ofPortugal, and armed him againstSpain.
V. That it was by her Instruction and Advice the Duke ofAlençonhad been crowned King ofBrabant.
VI. And, moreover, she herself had accepted the Sovereignty of theLow-Countries, and sent the Earl ofLeicesterthither with considerable Forces; which was an open Declaration of War.
VII. That he undertook it, to revenge the Death of the innocent Queen ofScots.
VIII. And in Compliance with the Holy FatherInnocentVIII.’s earnest Injunctions, who ceased not to exhort and importune him, to abolish Heresy inEngland, and replant theRoman-CatholickReligion there.
In short therefore, the Aim and Design of the King ofSpainin this great Expedition, was to conquerEngland, in order to come more easily at the revoltedNetherlands, and facilitate their Reduction to his Obedience; as also, for the Sake of so meritorious an Action, as the bringing this Island back to the Catholick Religion: And to be revenged, at the same Time, for the Disgrace, Contempt, and Dishonour, he had, at several Times, received from theEnglishNation; and for divers others real or pretended Injuries, which had made a deep Impression on his proud and revengeful Spirit.
Animated and spurred on by these Motives, KingPhilipmade such vast Preparations for his intended Conquest, as had hardily ever been known before in any Age, or Nation: Whether we consider the Time spent about them; or the prodigious Strength and Quantity of the Materials of all Kinds that were provided.
As for the Time spent about these Preparations; KingPhilipseems to have form’d this Design as early as the Year 1583.[4]For, in that Year, he orderedAlexanderDuke ofParma, Governor of theLow-Countries, to procure an exact Account and Description of the Harbours, Castles, Rivers, and Roads belonging toEngland, and transmit them to him; which was accordingly done: And in thisFrancis Throckmortonappears to have been concerned. But, according toRapin,[5]this Project was formed byPhiliponly from the TimeMaryQueen ofScotshad been persuaded to convey to him her Right toEngland, as being the only Means to restore theCatholickReligion[6]: According to the received Maxim in the Church ofRome, That an Heretick is unworthy and incapable of enjoying a Crown;Philipthought he might justly claim that ofEngland, as being the nextCatholickPrince descended from the House ofLancaster; namely, fromCatharineDaughter ofJohnofGhentDuke ofLancaster, married in 1389 toHenry, then Prince, and afterwards King, ofCastile. Upon this Descent therefore, and the Queen ofScotsConveyance and Will, he had projected the Conquest ofEngland.
However it be, or whenever these Preparations were begun, it is certain that KingPhilipassembled so powerful a Fleet, and so well furnished with all kinds of Provisions and Ammunition, that, thinking it unconquerable by human Power, he gave it the Title of theInvincible Armada.
[7]This Fleet consisted of one hundred and thirty two Ships, (besides twenty Caravels for the Service of the Army, and ten Salves with six Oars apiece,) containing fifty nine thousand one hundred, and twenty Tons; three thousand, one hundred, and sixty five Cannons; eight thousand, seven hundred, and sixty six Sailors; two thousand and eighty eight Galley-Slaves, and twenty one thousand, eight hundred, and fifty five Soldiers; besides Noblemen and Voluntiers[8]. For there was not a Family inSpainof any Note, but what had a Son, a Brother, or a Kinsman in the Fleet[9]. Of these Voluntiers there were two hundred and twenty four; attended by four hundred and fifty six Servants bearing Arms.
There were also two hundred and thirty eight Gentlemen more, maintained by the King; with one hundred and sixty three Servants. An hundred and seventy seven Persons, with two Engineers, one Physician, one Surgeon, and thirty Servants belonging to the Artillery; eighty five Physicians and Surgeons for the Hospital-Ships; three and twenty Gentlemen belonging to the Duke ofMedina-Sidonia’s Court, and fifty Servants; seventeen Superintendants General of the Army; and one hundred Servants more, belonging to them, or to the Officers of Justice, who were twenty in Number[10].
Nay even there were in it one hundred and eighty Capuchins, Dominicans, Jesuits, and Mendicant Friars; withMartin Alarco, Vicar of the Inquisition.
And because none were allowed to have Wives or Concubines on board, some Women had hired Ships to follow the Fleet; two or three of which Ships were driven by the Storm on the Coast ofFrance[11].
Most of the Ships of thisArmada[12]were of an uncommon Size, Strength, and Thickness, more like floating Castles than any thing else; and they were cased above Water with thick Planks to hinder the Cannon-Balls from piercing their Sides. The Masts also were braced round with strong pitched Ropes, to save them from being soon shatter’d or broke by the Shot.
Then as to Ammunition,[13]this Fleet had a very great Number of Cannons, double Cannons, Culverins, and Field-Pieces for Land-Service; seven thousand Muskets and Calievers; ten thousand Halberts and Partizans; one hundred and twenty thousand Cannon-Balls;[14]one hundred Quintals of Lead for Bullets (each Quintal being a hundred weight,) twelve thousand Quintals of Match; fifty six thousand Quintals of Gunpowder; and also, Waggons, and other Carriages; Horses, Mules, and other Instruments and Necessaries for Conveyance by Land; Torches, Lanthorns, Canvas, Hides, Lead; Chains, Whips, Butchering-Knives, Halters, and other Instruments of Death and Slavery[15]; and Spades, Mattocks, Baskets, and every thing else requisite for Pioneers Work; as also eight hundred Mules for drawing the Ordnance and Carriages.
Proportionable to these Forces was their great Store of Provisions of every Sort:[16]for, besides Raisins in great abundance, they had eight thousand Quintals of Fish; three thousand Quintals of Rice; six thousand three hundred and twenty[17]Septiers of Beans, Pease,&c.eleven thousand three hundred and ninety eight Pounds of Olive-Oyl; thirty three thousand eight hundred and seventy Measures of Vinegar; ninety six thousand Quintals of Biscuit; three thousand four hundred and fifty eight Quintals of Goats Cheese; six thousand five hundred Quintals of Bacon; one hundred and forty seven thousand Pipes of Wine; twelve thousand Pipes of Water,&c.—Provisions in a word they had for six Months; and so well furnished were they, that SirFrancis Drakeobserves, in a Letter of his,[18]they had Provisions of Bread and Wine sufficient to maintain forty thousand Men for a whole Year.
The whole Fleet, in general, is said[19]to have contained thirty two thousand Persons, and cost every Day thirty thousand Ducats[20].
The General of the Land Forces, and the Commander in Chief in the whole Expedition, was DonAlfonso Perez de Guzman, Duke ofMedina Sidonia; and the Admiral was DonJuan Martinez de Recalde.
But it was not inSpainonly, that such great Preparations were carrying on, for the Invasion ofEngland. For,AlexanderDuke ofParmawas also making on his Side prodigious and amazing Preparations, to assist in this grand Design.
He gathered together out ofSpain,France,Savoy,Italy,Naples,Sicily,Germany, and even out ofAmerica, a very considerable and choice Army;[21]consisting of about forty thousand Foot, and three thousand Horse; out of which he selected thirty thousand Foot, and eighteen hundred Horse, that were to be ready to pass intoEngland. These Troops were quarter’d as follows:[22]NearNieuportthere lay ready thirty Companies ofItalians; ten ofWalloons; and eight ofScots, and as many ofBurgundians: AtDixmudewere eighty Companies ofNetherlanders; sixty ofSpaniards; sixty ofGermans; and above seven hundred fugitiveEnglish,Scots, andIrish, under the Command of SirWilliam Stanley, andCharles NevilEarl ofWestmoreland. There were moreover four thousand Men posted atCorrick, and nine hundred atWatene.
For the Transportation of these Forces, the Duke ofParmaprepar’d Ships atNieuport,Dunkirk,Antwerp, and other Places; and caused some new ones to be built with such Expedition, that they seem’d, asStradaexpresses it,[23]to be transform’d in a Moment, from Trees into Ships.
More particularly:[24]In the River ofWattenhe caused seventy flat-bottom’d Boats to be built, each of which could carry thirty Horses; and to each of them were Bridges fitted for the convenient Shipping, or Landing of the Horses. There were in most of them, two Ovens for baking Bread, with a great Quantity of Saddles, Bridles, Harness, and a good Number of Draught-Horses, to draw the Engines, Cannons, and other Ammunition, after theSpaniardsshould be landed. Of the same Form he had provided two hundred other Vessels atNieuport, but not so large. And atDunkirkhe had assembled thirty eight Men of War; for the navigating of which, he had hired Sailors fromBremen,Hamburgh,Emden, andGenoa. In their Ballast he had put a great Quantity of Beams, or thick Planks, sharpned at the Ends, and covered with Iron; but full of Clasps and Hooks on the Sides, that they might be easily joined together. AtGraveling, he had provided twenty thousand Casks, which might in a short Time be fastened together with Nails and Cords, and reduced into the Form of a Bridge. Whatever, in a Word, was necessary for making Bridges, or for choaking up the Mouths of Havens and Rivers, was by him got in readiness. And he had even caused a great Pile of wooden Faggots to be laid nearNieuport, for erecting a Mount or Rampart. Whilst he was thus furnishing himself with all proper Vessels and other Necessaries, he caused the shallow and sandy Places of Rivers to be cleared; and had deep Channels cut in proper Places, fromGhenttoYsendyck,Sluys, andNieuport, on purpose to convey the Ships built atAntwerp,Ghent,&c.into the Sea. Finally, he assembled atBrugesabove one hundred Hoys loaden with Provisions, which he designed to bring into the Ports ofFlanders, either by the Way ofSluys, or through the forementioned Channels.
The Duke ofGuisehad also twelve thousand Men on the Coast ofNormandy, ready to land in the West ofEnglandas soon as theSpanish Armadahad enter’d the Channel[25]; but theSpaniardscoming two Months later than they intended, (or for some other Reasons) the Duke dismissed his Forces about the End ofJune.
And that this famous Expedition might be supported with spiritual as well as temporal Weapons[26], PopeSixtusV createdWilliam Allen, a seditiousEnglishPriest, Cardinal; and sent him as his Legate into theLow-Countries, with a Bull; wherein, after enumerating the several Causes of Complaint the See ofRomehad against QueenElizabeth, (namely her suppressing the Catholic Religion, her putting the Queen ofScotsto Death,&c.) he renewed and confirmed the Sentence of Excommunication pronounced against her by his PredecessorsPiusV andGregoryXIII, deprived her, as illegitimate, and an Usurper, from all Princely Dignity, and Dominion over the Kingdoms ofEnglandandIreland; absolved her Subjects from their Allegiance; and strictly enjoined them, upon Pain ofGodAlmighty’s Displeasure, not to lend her any Help or Assistance, but to join theSpanishArmy, and the Duke ofParma’s Forces, as soon as they should be landed: Promising withal a plenary Indulgence and the Pardon of all their Sins, to as many as would engage in so laudable an Undertaking.
Such were the extraordinary Preparations made by theSpaniardsfor invadingEngland. Preparations so great and so dreadful, that allEuropewas alarmed at them. Most Sovereigns expected for some Time, with the utmost Horror and Astonishment, where the threatening Storm, which had been so long gathering, would at last fall. But this, though kept as a great Secret, did not long escape the great SirFrancis Walsingham’s Sagacity.[27]He had Intelligence fromMadrid, that KingPhiliphad told his Council, he had dispatched an Express toRomewith a Letter writ with his own Hand to the Pope, acquainting him with the true Design of his Preparations, and asking his Blessing upon it; which for some Reasons he would not yet disclose to them, ’till the Return of the Courier. The Secret being thus lodg’d with the Pope,Walsingham, by the means of aVenetianPriest retain’d atRomeas his Spy, got a Copy of the original Letter, which was stolen out of the Pope’s Cabinet by a Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber, who took the Keys out of the Pope’s Pocket whilst he slept. Upon this IntelligenceWalsinghamfound a Way to retard theSpanishInvasion for a whole Year, by getting theSpanishBills protested atGenoa, which should have supplied them with Money to carry on their Preparations.
QueenElizabeth, it may well be supposed, could not help being extremely anxious about the issue of the great and dreadful Preparations that were going on, to deprive her of her Crown and Dignity, and perhaps of her[28]Life. This inclined her more readily to embrace some Overtures of Peace, made to her by theSpaniard[29]: But it being soon found out that they were intended only to lull her asleep, and induce her, by depending upon a Peace, to be careless of her own Defence; and moreover,HenryIII King ofFrancesending her Word,[30]she ought to stand upon her Guard; she did not therefore rely much on the Negociations in hand, but took all proper Measures for securing herself, and protecting her Dominions.
Her Situation was indeed very melancholy, and her Fears well grounded: For she was without so much as one Ally abroad, except theUnited-Provinces, which themselves wanted Assistance; and at home she had a factious and discontented Party, ready to join with the Enemy: But, by the Assistance of Heaven, by her good Management, and the sincere Affection of the Generality of her People, she surmounted all Difficulties, and came off Conqueror.
When she was sure theSpaniardsPreparations were design’d against her, that she might not be taken unprovided, she fitted out as strong a Fleet as she possibly could; and herein so great was the Diligence of her Subjects,[31]that though her Preparations were begun but about the 1stofNovember1587, yet her Fleet was ready to put to Sea by the 20thofDecemberthe same Year.
[32]CharlesLordHowardofEffingham, High Admiral ofEngland, a Person of great Prudence and Bravery, was appointed Commander in Chief of this whole Fleet. His Instructions were, To repair to the Westward, in conjunction with SirFrancis DrakeVice-Admiral, and CaptainJohn Hawkins, and CaptainMartin FrobisherRear-Admirals: At the same Time, the LordHenry Seymour, second Son of the late Duke ofSomerset, had Orders to lye on the Coast ofFlanders, with fortyEnglishandDutchShips (the latter under the Command ofJustinofNassau, Admiral ofZealand) to prevent the Duke ofParma’s putting out to Sea with his Forces.
For Land Service, there were disposed along the Southern Coasts ofEnglandtwenty thousand Men. Besides which, two Armies were raised of choice, well-disciplin’d, and experienced Men; one (under the Command ofRobert DudleyEarl ofLeicester, consisting of one thousand Horse, and twenty two thousand Foot,) was encamped atTilbury, near theThamesMouth, for the Safeguard of the City ofLondon; because it was given out that theSpaniards, after having joined the Duke ofParma, intended to come up theThames, in order to make themselves Masters of the Metropolis of the Kingdom. The other Army, under the Command ofHenry CareyLordHunsdon, consisted of thirty four thousand Foot, and two thousand Horse, and was destined to guard the Queen’s Person.
ArthurLordGrey, SirFrancis Knolles, SirJohn Norris, SirRichard Bingham, and SirRoger Williams, Knights, and excellent Soldiers, were chosen to consult about the best Way of managing the War at Land. After mature Deliberation, they thought fit that the most convenient Landing-Places for the Enemy, as well out ofSpainas out of theLow-Countries, should be well mann’d and fortify’d, namelyMilford-Haven,Falmouth,Plymouth,Portland, the Isle ofWight,Portsmouth, the open Coast ofKentcalled theDowns, theThamesMouth,Harwich,Yarmouth,Hull,&c.that the Train’d Bands, all along the Maritime Counties, should meet in Arms upon a Signal given, to defend the said Ports, and do their best to prevent the Enemy’s landing; and, in Case of their landing, that they should lay all the Country waste round about, and leave neither Booty nor Forage for them; that they should annoy them Night and Day with continual Alarms, so as to give them no Rest; but not venture the Hazard of a Battle, ’till more Commanders with their Companies should come up; of whom one in every Shire was nominated Chief.
Moreover, the active Queen, in order to quicken the Zeal and Diligence of her Subjects, especially of those who lay near the Sea-Coasts, caused Letters to be sent to the chief of them: Wherein, after putting them in mind of the common and imminent Danger the whole Nation was in, she told them, that she “expected on this extraordinary Occasion, a larger Proportion of Furniture, both for Horsemen and Footmen; thereby to be in their best Strength against any Attempt whatsoever, to be employed, whether about her own Person, or otherwise. And the Number she required them to signify to her Privy-Council[33].” She required moreover the Nobility in the several Counties, to provide themselves, and their Servants and Dependants in like manner, with Horses and Armour, to be ready to repair upon Summons to the Queen, for Defence of her Person: And to this Purpose Letters were address’d to them from the Lords of the Council, by her Command.
Such were the Directions given.[34]And accordingly Cities, Counties, Towns, and Villages, the Cinque-Ports, and all other Havens ofEngland, manifested as great Forwardness in their zealous Love and Duty, as either Subjects could perform, or Prince expect. The City ofLondon, in particular, being requested by the Privy-Council, to find five thousand Men, and fifteen Ships, they willingly and cheerfully furnished thirty Ships provided with all Necessaries, and ten thousand able Men, well armed and trained; besides which, they kept in readiness thirty thousand Men more, prepared to march wherever there should be Occasion[35]; and also lent the Queen fifty one thousand nine hundred Pounds, in ready Money.
Then, as to the rest of the Nation:[36]As soon as it was reported that the Queen was come nearLondon, and theSpanishFleet appeared in the Channel, the greatest Part of the Nobility, except those that were obliged to stay in each County on account of their Offices, repaired toLondon, to preserve the Queen’s Person; bringing with them goodly Bands of Horsemen, about five thousand in all, and maintaining them at their own Charge ’till theSpanishNavy was known to be passed beyondScotland: These were the Lord ChancellorHatton, the Earls ofLincoln,Warwick,Leicester,Essex,Worcester, andHereford; the Lord ViscountMontacute; the LordsBurghley,Compton,Morley,Rich,Dacres,Windsor,Audley,Sandes,Mordaunt,Lumley,Mountjoy,Stourton, andDarcy.
In a Word, all Persons throughoutEnglandin general, unanimously concurred to be ready to serve for the Defence of the Queen and Kingdom[37]: In this there was no Difference between the Catholic and the Protestant, but herein appeared a perfect Sympathy, Concourse, and Consent of all Sorts of Persons, without respect of Religion. By this hearty Zeal, seconded with suitable Endeavours, it came to pass, that some Counties were able to bring into the Field twenty thousand, and others even forty thousand able fighting Men: The Maritime Counties, in particular, on the South and East ofEngland, fromCornwalltoLincolnshire, were so well furnished with a stout and well regulated Militia, that there was no Place for landing foreign Forces, but within eight and forty Hours there could resort to that Place above twenty thousand fighting Men, with Ordnance and other suitable Provisions.
And that the Popish discontented Party at home might neither join the Enemy, nor favour their Descent, the Queen caused the most obnoxious of them to be imprisoned inWisbich-Castlein the Isle ofEly.
She also directed[38]SirWilliam Fitz-Williams, Lord Deputy ofIreland, what to do, in case the Enemy should land in any Part of his Government, and pointed out to him what Precautions he should use to hinder theIrishfrom rising.
There remained only the King ofScots, of whom QueenElizabethhad most Reason to be afraid; since she had newly given him an unpardonable Provocation, namely, in causing his Mother to be publickly beheaded, who was a Sovereign Princess, independent of her. This was sufficient to dispose him, out of a Principle of Revenge, to favour the Descent of theSpaniardsin one Extremity of the Kingdom, by making a Diversion in the other. With that View he had been tampered with by the Duke ofParma, and had received from him Offers of Assistance[39]: But the politic Queen so effectually caress’d him, made him such advantageous Proposals, and so plainly convinc’d him, that the Loss ofEnglandwould not fail of being attended with that ofScotland[40]; that he, sensible of the common Danger wherewith he was threatened, declar’d theSpaniardsEnemies, and made Preparations against them with great Chearfulness and Alacrity:[41]Giving a strict Charge upon all the Sea-Coasts, that theSpaniardsshould not be suffered to land in any Part, but that theEnglishmight land, and be reliev’d of any Wants:[42]He moreover offer’d QueenElizabethhis Forces, his Person, and all that he could command, to be employed against the common Enemy: And he humourously observ’d upon this Occasion[43],That he look’d for no other Favour from the Spaniards, than whatPolyphemuspromis’dUlysses,that he should be reserv’d for the last Morsel.
After this general Account, the Reader will undoubtedly be pleased to see a particular List of the Fleets on both Sides, which I have accordingly subjoined hereunto.
A complete List of theSpanishFleet, calledtheInvincible Armada[44].
A complete List of theSpanishFleet, calledtheInvincible Armada[44].
A complete List of theSpanishFleet, called
theInvincible Armada[44].
The Squadron ofPortugueseGalleons,&c.under the particular Command of the Generalissimo, the Duke ofMedina Sidonia.
The Fleet ofBiscay, commanded by DonJuan Martinez de Recalde, Captain General.
The Fleet ofCastile, commanded by DonDiego Florez de Valdez, General.
TheAndalusianSquadron, commanded by DonPedro de Valdez, General.
The Squadron ofGuypuscoa, commanded by DonMighel de Oquenda.
TheEasternFleet of Ships, calledLevantiscas, commanded by DonMartinez de Vertendona.
The Fleet of Ships, calledUrcas, orHulks, commanded by DonJuan Lopez de Medina.
Pataches and Zabras commanded by DonAntonio de Mendoza.
The four Galleasses ofNaples, commanded by DonHugo de Moncada.
These four Galleasses had Slaves 1200.
The four Gallies ofPortugal, commanded by DonDiego de Medrana.
In these four Gallies were Slaves 888.