Chapter 1

_Enter two Devonshire Merchants, as being in Sherryes_[6]

1. Heare you the newes?

2. Yes, that an English fleete Is making up to Cales.[7]

1. Our _Sherryes_ merchants, Though few of us be heere, shall soundly pay To the furnishing of this Navy.

2. Nay, I assure you Our shipps wilbe fast bound by _Spanish_ charmes Not to get hence in hast.

1. The Divell allready Is furling up the sayles; would all the sackes Which we have bought for _England_ were in _Devonshire_ Turnd to small Beere, so we were but in _Tavistocke_ To see it drawne out; were it nere so thin I'de drink a health to all the Dons in _Sherryes_ And cry a pox upon 'em.

2. That word heard By any lowsy _Spanish_ Picardo[8] Were worth our two neckes. Ile not curse my Diegoes But wish with all my heart that a faire wind May with great Bellyes blesse our _English_ sayles Both out and in; and that the whole fleete may Be at home delivered of no worse a conquest Then the last noble voyage made to this Citty, Though all the wines and merchandize I have here Were ith' Seas bottome.

1. Troth, so would I mine.

2. I nere could tell yet from what roote this huge Large spreading Tree of hate from _Spayne_ to us, From us agayne to _Spayne_, took the first growth.

1. No? then lie tell you: let us season our sorrow With this discourse.

2. With all my heart I long for't.

1. You shall not loose your longing: then, sir, know The hate a _Spanyard_ beares an _Englishman_ Nor naturall is, nor ancient; but as sparkes, Flying from a flint by beating, beget flames, Matter being neere to feed and nurse the fire, So from a tinder at the first kindled[9] Grew this heartburning twixt these two great Nations.

2. As how, pray?

1. Heare me: any _Englishman_ That can but read our Chronicles can tell That many of our Kings and noblest Princes Have fetcht their best and royallest wives from _Spayne_, The very last of all binding both kingdomes Within one golden ring of love and peace By the marriage of Queene _Mary_ with that little man (But mighty monarch) _Phillip_, son and heire To _Charles_ the Emperour.

2. You say right.

1. Religion Having but one face then both here and there, Both Nations seemd as one: Concord, Commerce And sweete Community were Chaynes of Pearle About the neckes of eyther. But when _England_ Threw of the Yoake of _Rome, Spayne_ flew from her; _Spayne_ was no more a sister nor a neighbour, But a sworne Enemy. All this did but bring Dry stickes to kindle fire: now see it burne.

2. And warme my knowledge and experience by't.

1. Spaines anger never blew hott coales indeed Till in Queene _Elizabeths_ Raigne when (may I call him so) That glory of his Country and _Spaynes_ terror, That wonder of the land and the Seas minyon, _Drake_, of eternall memory, harrowed th'_Indyes_.

2. The King of _Spaynes_ west _Indyes_?

1. Yes, when his Hands _Nombre de Dios, Cartagena, Hispaniola_, With _Cuba_ and the rest of those faire Sisters, The mermaydes of those Seas, whose golden strings Give him his sweetest musicke, when they by _Drake_ And his brave Ginges[10] were ravishd; when these red apples Were gather'd and brought hither to be payrd-- Then the _Castilian_ Lyon began to roare.

2. Had he not cause, being vexd soe?

1. When our shipps Carrying such firedrakes in them that the huge _Spanish_ Galleasses, Galleons, Hulkes and Carrackes[11] Being great with gold, in labour with some fright, Were all delivered of fine redcheekt Children At _Plymouth, Portsmouth_ and other _English_ havens And onely by men midwives: had not _Spayne_ reason To cry out, oh Diables _Ingleses_!

2. It had not spoke such _Spanish_ else.

1. When we did sett our feete even on their Mynes And brought their golden fagotts thence, their Ingotts And silver wedges; when each ship of ours Was able to spread sayles of silke; the tacklings Of twisted gold; when every marryner At his arrivall here had his deepe pockets Crammd full of Pistoletts; when the poorest ship-boy Might on the _Thames_ make duckes and drakes with pieces Of eight fetchd out of _Spayne_: These were the Bellowes Which blew the _Spanish_ bonfires of revenge; These were the times in which they calld our Nation Borachos,[12] Lutherans and Furias del Inferno.

2. Would we might now give them the selfe same cause To call us soe.

1. The very name of _Drake_ Was a Bugbear to fright Children; Nurses still'd Their little _Spanish_ Nynnyes when they cryde "Hush! the _Drake_ comes."

2. All this must needs beget Their mortall hate to us.

1. It did; yet then We lovd them beyond measure.

2. Why?

1. Why, did not _Spaine_ fetch gold from the _West Indies_ for us To spend here merrily? She planted vines, We eate the Grapes; she playd the _Spanish_ Pavine[13] Under our windowes, we in our bedds lay laughing To heare such Mynstrelsy.

2. How then turnd the windes? Why did this beauteous face of love in us Put on so blacke a Visour of hate to them?

1. Oh, sir, doe but looke backe to Eighty Eight, That _Spanish_ glasse shall tell you, shew each wrinckle. _England_ that yeare was but a bit pickd out To be layd on their Kinges Trencher. Who were their Cookes? Marry, sir, his Grandees and great Dons of _Spaine_, A Navy was provided, a royall fleete, Infinite for the bravery of Admiralls, Viceadmirall [sic], Generalls, Colonells and Commanders, Soldiers, and all the warlike furniture Cost or experience or mans witt could muster For such a mayne designe.

2. Stay; Eighty Eight,-- Thirty eight yeares agoe: much about then Came I into the world.--Well, sir, this fleete?

1. Which made the Sea fish wonder what new kingdome Was building over theirs, beate downe the Billowes Before them to gett thither. 'Twas such a Monster In body, such a wonder in the eyes, And such a[14] thunder in the eares of Christendome That the Popes Holynes would needes be Godfather To this most mighty big limbd Child, and call it Th'Invincible Armado.

2. Thats to say A Fleete of Shipps not to be overcome By any power of man.

1. These were the Whales, These were the huge Levyathans of the Sea Which roaring came with wide and dreadfull Jawes To swallow up our Kingdom, Shipps & Nation. The fame of this Armado flew with Terrour Riding on Envyes wing; the preparation Was wayted on with wonder, and the approach Shewd the grim face of horrour: yet gainst all these Our Country and our Courages were armd.

2. _St. George_ for _England_!

1. And _St. George_ we cryde, Albeit, we heard, the _Spanish_ Inquisition Was aboord every ship with torture, torments, Whipps strung with wyre, and knives to cutt our throates. But from the armed winds an hoast brake forth Which tare their shipps and sav'd ours.--Thus I have read Two storyes to you; one, why _Spayne_ hates us, T'other why we love not them.

2. Oh, sir, I thank you.

[_Exeunt_.