Part 2

ANd this lie also he doth not receiue by intelligence from any other, but himselfe was an eye-witnesse in the action, which made him bold to send this with the rest into his Countrie for currant newes: But herein _Don Bernaldino_ was more bolde then wise, for the torne and battered sides of his Gallyons, being compared with her Maiestes Shippes; and others that serued in that fight, doe declare, that his Ships receiued at least two bullets for one. Neither can it be concealed but his owne Countriemen (if any do fauour truth) may easily see the losse, and late reparations, done vnto the Kings fleete sithence they did encounter with the English Nauie, whensoeuer they that remaine shall arriue in S_paine_: But the Generall seemeth to bee a verye good proficient in his profession, and waxeth somewhat bolde, treading the true steppes of old _Barnardino de Mendozza_, and yet _Mendozza_ was somewhat more warie in his lyes, for he had sometime the colour of intelligence to shadow them, but the Generall growing from boldnes to impudencie, maketh no scruple to say, that the English Nauie fled as fast as they could without discharging any Hargebush or peece of Artillerie, when as the battered sides of his ships do returne the lye to his face: For in this conflict _Don Bernaldino_ did behaue himselfe so valiantly, that he was alwaies farthest of in the fight, & had so great care of his owne person that he stoode cleare frõ the danger of Muskat or any smal shot, & durst not approach, whereas our generall was the foremost, & so held his place, vntill by order of fight other ships were to haue their turnes, according to his former direction, who wisely & pollitickly had so ordered his vangarde, & reregarde, that as the maner of it was altogether strange to the Spaniard, so might they haue bene without all hope of victorie, if their General had beene a man of any iudgement in Sea fights: I know no reason why the English Nauie should flye from him, for the Spaniard may put all the gaine in his eye that euer he did winne from the English: Peraduenture some siely nouice of our country meeting the general in S_paine_, and hearing a repetition of so many sillables in one name, as _Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda_, might thinke them to be words of Coniuration, & for feare of raysing a Spirit, might flie from him as from the Deuill, or some simple _Indian_ slaue hearing the like repetition of his long and tedious name, might suppose it to be an Armie of Spaniards, and for feare runne awaye: But the commaunders and Captaines of the English Nauie, were men of such resolution, that no Spanish bragges coulde dismaye them, for they haue often met them with their Pikes in their Spanish beardes. Nor the countenaunce of _Don Bernaldino_ quaile them, although he were acowtred in his gilt Leather buskins, and his Toledo Rapyer.

_Sixtly, The generall saith in his letter, that notwithstanding their flying away so fast, the English left them one good Shippe well manned, who told him that the_ Drake _dyed in_ Nombre de Dios, _in which Shippe were one hundred and fourtie men, and fifteene noble Captaines of the best sorte._

[Sidenote: _Don Bernaldino very resolute._]

[Sidenote: _The Indian slaue, is the best shadow, to the Generals lye._]

[Sidenote: _Don Bernaldino his rare gift in coyning a new and straunge name._]

[Sidenote: _The Generals storehouse of lyes._]

[Sidenote: _The schoolemen of modestie do vse this kinde of reprehension, when they doe thinke the Author to erre._]

[Sidenote: _The difference twixt Quebraran and Baskeruile._]

[Sidenote: _The Generall conuicted of lying and forgery._]

[Sidenote: _The Generall maketh great brags in taking a distressed Ship, which is supposed not to strike one blow._]

[Sidenote: _The fifteene noble Captaines according the generals lying occupation, will proue but three._]

[Sidenote: _The Printing of the letter doth shame the Generall._]

[Sidenote: _Don Bernaldino of an excellent complexion._]

[Sidenote: _The first discouery of the Generals Printed letter._]

[Sidenote: _The Generals great skill in amplifying._]

THe Generall _Don Bernaldino_, like a resolute Spaniarde hauing alreadye gonne ouer his shoes, maketh no dannger to wade ouer his Boates also: and as hee hath begun so he doth conclude, I maruaile that hee did not in writing his discourse remember this olde saying; that is, A lyar ought to haue a good memorie: It were much better for him in mine opinion to reuoke the testimonie which hee saith he had from the Englishmen, concerning S_ir Fraunces Drake_ his death at _Nombre de Dios_, and stande to the intelligence receiued from the siely _Indian_ slaue, as it appeareth in his first lye, for without al doubt, there is no Englishman that wil say (if he haue his right sences) that he dyed at _Nombre de Dios_, for they all knowe the contrarie: Neither can the Generall avouch that he receiued intelligence from any English man, that after the death of _Sir Fraunces Drake_ they did elect for Generall _Colonell Quebraran_, as he doth most falsly affirme in the latter end of his vaine and friuolous letter, being that the name was straunge, and vnknowne to any in the English Nauie. Neither doe I imagine that any of those which the General saith he hath taken were so forgetfull as not to remember their generals name. But without all doubt this addition of so new, and straunge a name to the English Generall, doth proue that _Don Bernaldino_ is not vnfurnished of a forge & storehouse of lyes, from whence as from an euerflowing fountaine, he sendeth forth lyes of al sorts sufficient for his owne store, and greate plentie to furnish his friends: The General was much beholding to his godfathers who gaue him the name _Barnaldino_, which we in English do take to be plaine _Barnard_, which name hath as it were a kind of priueledge from being sharply reprehended when the party is thought to erre: for it is a common saying amongst the Schoolemen that _Barnardus non videt omnia_, viz. _Barnard_ seeth not all thinges, (when he doth dissent from their opinions) the which fauour wee coulde bee content to yeelde to _Bernaldino_ for the name sake, if he were not taken with so many manifest and impudent lies, neither doe I thinke that _Signior Bernaldino_ will say that he saw all that he hath written, be it spoken in councell for shaming the General, for is there any man so voide of reason as to thinke? That any Englishman being demaunded of his Generals name, would write or speake _Quebraran_ for _Baskeruile_, so much difference there is in the sound of the sillables, as there is no affinitie at all, or likelihoode of truth: But such are the Generals rare gifts, (be it spoken to his small praise) that we Englishmen must of force confesse that the Generall hath giuen a proude onset to carrie the whetstone from _Signior Barnardino de Mendozza_: Neither will the 140. men & 15. noble Captaines (which hee saith hee did take, of whome he might haue beene rightly informed of their generals name) acquit him of lying forgerie, for giuing the name of _Quebraran_ to the English Generall: as for the good Shippe well manned, which he saith the English left them after the fight, I am perswaded hee hath no man to witnesse that lye, for the ship was seperated by weather from the English fleete in the night thirteene daies before the fight, with the Spanish Nauie, & neuer to anye mans knowledge came more in sight of the English fleete, if the Spanish Shippes by chaunce did take the said wel manned Shippe (as they cal her) I doubt not but they haue the Shippe, the 140. men, and the 15. noble Captaines to shew: But euermore I gesse the Spanish reckoning will fall short when it is examined, for the fifteene noble Captaines will proue (as I take it) but three, whose losse I grieue to thinke on: Neither did the _S_paniards gaine them by valour, or we loose or leaue them for cowardise, as most vntruely this bragging lyer hath certified. But the Generall like a prouident man, to make his fame and credite the greater with his Prince and country, doth take vpon him (amongst other his miracles perfourmed before the English fleet) by way of amplification to make small matters seeme great, as a little shoe to serue a great foote, and finding that it can hardly be brought to passe, he doth stretch the Leather with his teeth that it is ready to breake, and notwithstanding, all this will not serue his purpose, for the Printing of the letter doth marr the play, and bringeth such matter in question, as the Generall doth wish might be concealed, and were he not of so dry and cholericke complexion, as commonly Spaniards are, he would blush for very shame in publishing so impudently such manifest vntruthes. For sithence his meeting with the English fleet at the Isle of _Pinas_, there hath beene by the worthie English Generals, an honourable expedition from England into the Continent of Spaine, where amongst other exploits hauing taken the Cittie of _Cales_, in the sacke thereof was found some of _Don Bernaldino_ his Printed letters: & comming to the hands of a Captaine that serued in the voyage to the west _Indies_, he hath thought very fit (in regard of the slaunders to the English Nauie contained in the saide letter) to quote the errors, that the truth onely may appeare, to all such as haue a desire to bee rightly informed of such accidents, as befell thẽ in this late voyage to the west _Indies_: and this may suffice to shew _Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Avellaneda_ his greate iudgement in amplyfying small matters, or of nothing to make in shewe seeme somewhat. And now hauing thus farre informed you of the truth in reproofe of the slaunderous, false, and vntrue reports of this glorious lying Generall, with a true disproofe to some of the grossest of his lyes, I will leaue him with the rest of his lying letter, and the circumstances therein contained to your censures: who in discretion may easily discerne the same. And haue heere following plainely and truely set downe the course and order of our whole fight after we met.

THE MEETING Of our English Nauie and the _Spanish fleete, and the order_ of our encounter.

[Sidenote: _The first discouerie of the Spanish fleete._]

[Sidenote: _The incounter twixt the English and the Spanish Ships._]

[Sidenote: _The Spanish Viceadmiral can witnesse, what success they had in this fight._]

[Sidenote: _The English Admirall carried his Creset light, notwithstanding the enemie was vppon his brode side._]

[Sidenote: _The English receiued little losse in this conflict._]

[Sidenote: _The remainder of the Spanish fleete were but thirteene sayles._]

MVnday the first of _March_, according to our computation, wee scryed the Iland of _Pinas_, wher haling in for the westerne parte thereof, thinking there to haue watered, being within fower leagues of it Southerly, we sent in three of our Pinnasses to discouer the harbour, and to sounde afore vs, about one of the clocke in the afternoone; the same day we discouered a fleete of twentie sayles, and deeming them to bee the _S_panish fleete, wee kept our loofe to get the winde, but their Viceadmiral with diuers other ships went about to cut off our Pinnasses, so that our Generall with some other of our Shippes, was forced to tacke about vpon the larbour tacke, and so ranne in towards the land keeping the winde, so as we recouered our Pinnasses, which forced the enemies Shippes to tacke about, and to take the aide of their fleete, and being come neere vnto them they shot at vs, wee still approched, hauing our close fights vp, our flagges, ensignes and streamers displayed, our men orderly placed in each quarter, but forbare our fight vntill our Generall began, and gaue vs warning to come in and fight, by shooting off a great peece, according to his former directions, so being within Muskat shot, the Viceadmirall of the Spanish fleete came neerest vnto vs, to whom our Viceadmirall _Iohn Traughton_ Captaine of the _Elizabeth Bonaduenture_ gaue fight, betwixt whome there was the greatest volee of small shot changed that lightly hath bene heard at Sea, which cõtinued a long halfe hower. In which time the Spanish fleete came into fight, our Generall S_ir Thomas Baskeruile_ being in the _Garland_, whereof _Humphrey Reignolds_ was Captaine, being the next Shippe vnto the _Elizabeth Bonaduenture_, bare vp to the enemie, playing with her great Ordinance hotly vntill she came within Muskat shot: _Ionas Bodenham_ Captaine of the _Defiance_, and _Henrie Sauile_ Captaine of the _Aduenture_, came likewise into fight with thẽ: After the _Garland_ (being within Muskat shot) played her part and made good fight for the space of an hower. The _Defiance_ bare vp likewise and had her turne, after came the _Aduenture_ again within Muskat shot, who hauing chaunged many a great Bullet, with them before, renewed his fight, and continued it an hower with small shot. Then came _Thomas Drake_ Captaine of the _Hope_, who last of all had his turne. Thus had all the _Queenes_ Shippes their course: The Marchants Shippes with other small vessels being without the _Queenes_ Shippes shot when they saw opportunitie: After the enemie finding no good to be done, (being well beaten) fell from vs, the _Aduenture_, playing vppon them with her great Ordinaunce, made three of the last shot at them: Their Viceadmiral with diuers others of their Ships, were so beaten, that they left off the fight, and were forced to lye in the winde, for that they durst not lye of either board by reason of their many and great Leakes, which they had receiued by our greate shot. _T_he Generall with the rest of their fleete, tacking about fell in our wake, thinking to get the winde, which in the beginning we sought to hinder. But our General seeing that in holding the winde we should shoote our selues into the Bay, gaue them the winde. All that night they kept themselues vppon our broade side, notwithstanding our Admirall carryed his Cresset light all night: hauing greate care of our smallest Shippes: This fight continued about fower howers til it was neere night, in the which fight, thanks be to God, there was slaine so fewe persons of our English fleete as I thinke the like conflict hath not beene performed with so little losse of men: What harme befell the Spaniards in their fleete I leaue to your iudgements. Yet our eyes can witnesse their Shippes were sore beaten and raked thorough, whereby there was such falling backe and lying by the Lee to stoppe their leakes, as some of them were driuen to haste awaye, and rather to runne on shore to saue themselues then sincke in the Sea: Besides within two howers after our fight with them, wee saw one of their great Shippes on fire which burnt into the Sea, and all the Sterne of another of their Shippes blowen vp: And in the morning a Shippe of our fleete was runne so neere the land, that to double the Cape current hee must of necessitie tacke about & fall in the wake of the enemie, which caused our Generall in the _Garland_ and the _Defiance_ to tacke about, which two ships forced the three _S_hippes of the enemies which were put forth to take our Shipp, (or else to cause her runne on grounde) to returne to their fleete to saue themselues, hoysing all their sayles for haste: This morning they were faire by vs hauing the winde of vs, being but thirteene sayle of their twentie to be seene, then we stroke our toppe sayles thinking to haue fought with them again, which they perceiuing tacked about from vs, & after that neuer durst nor would come neere vs: What became of the rest of their fleet we know not, but true it was that they were in great distresse mightily beaten and torne, by hauing receiued many Bullets from vs. All this day wee had sight of them, but they shewed little will to fight or come neere vs, so we keeping our course west, and by North, about sixe of the clocke at night lost the sight of them. And this is a true discourse of our fight with the Spanish fleete. The which the Author heereof will iustifie with the aduentrue of his life, against any Spaniard seruing in that action, that shal contradict the same.

_FINIS._

_Henrie Sauile._

THOMAS BAS- KERVILE KNIGHT, His approbation to this Booke.

I Thomas Baskeruile _Knight, Generall of her Maiesties late Indian armado in the late conflict had betweene the Spanish fleete and vs, hauing perused the Spanish letter written by_ Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda, _General of the King of Spaines Nauie, and also hauing perused Captaine_ Henry Sauile _his answeres vnto the six exceptions in the Generals letter with his discourse of the manner of our fight with the Spanish fleete, do say, that the said_ Henrie Sauile _hath answered the letter, and set downe the order of the fight sincerely according to truth, for testimonie of which I haue hereunto set my hand._

_And if_ Don Bernaldino Delgadillo de Auellaneda _the General shal take any exceptions to this my approbation, or stand in the iustification of his lying letter written to Doctor_ Peter Flores, _President of the Contraction house for the_ Indies, _and by him for_ Bernaldinoes _glorie lately put in Printe: I then saye that hee falsely lyed, and that I will maintaine against him with whatsoeuer Armes he shall make choyce of. And because the kingdomes wherein we abide are enemies, by reason of which there is no meanes in either of them, to maintaine that I haue written. Let him make choice of any indifferent kingdome, of equall distance from either Realme, and I will there be ready to maintaine as much as I haue written: But if by my imployments into Fraunce, I be so stayed by her Maiesties Commaundementes, that I cannot out of that Realme meete him in anye other, I cannot see why hee shoulde take anye exception to that, considering the equalitie of the place, and that the Armies of both our Princes be there resident._

FINIS.

Tho. B.

[LONDON: F. SHOBERL, PRINTER, 51, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET.]