First the Generall doth say, that Francis Drake died at Nombre de Dios, as he had intelli∣gence by an Indian.
THe Generall sent this newes into his countrey confirmed with his hand and seale of Armes:* 1.1 It is the first newes in his letter, and it was the best newes that he could send into Spaine. For it did ease the stomackes of the timorous Spaniards greatly to heare of the death of him, whose life was a scourge and continuall plague vnto them: But it was a point of great simplicitie, and scarcely befeeming a Generall, to tie the credite of his report locally to any place vpon the report of a silly Indian slaue. For it had bene sufficient to haue sayd, that Fran∣cis Drake was certainly dead, without publishing the lie in print, by naming Nombre de Dios: for it is most certaine sir Francis Drake died twixt the Iland of Escudo, and Puerto Bello: but the Generall being rauished with the suddaine ioy of this report as a man that hath escaped a great danger of the enemie, doth breake out into an insolent kinde of bragging of his valour at Sea, and heaping one lie vpon another, doth not cease vntill he hath drawen them into sequen∣ces, and so doth commende them vnto Peter the Doctor, as censor of his learned worke.