The copie of a letter sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine declaring the state of England, contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin, and of all his partizans Spaniardes and others. This letter, although it was sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza, yet, by good hap, the copies therof aswell in English as in French, were found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh a seminarie priest, who was lately executed for high treason committed in the time that the Spanish Armada was on the seas. Whereunto are adioyned certaine late aduertisements, concerning the losses and distresses happened to the Spanish nauie, aswell in fight with the English nauie in the narrow seas of England, as also by tempests, and contrarie winds, vpon the west, and north coasts of Ireland, in their returne from the northerne isles beyond Scotland.

The reexamination of Iohn Anthonio of Genua mariner. 15. September. 1588.

HE saith his father and him selfe with others came into Lisbone in a ship of Genua, about a yeare sithence where they were embarqued by the King of Spaine, that ship was of about foure hundred tonne.

He saith his father after this was appointed Pilote in the ship called our Lady of the Rosarie, of the burden of a thousand tonne being the Kings: he saith the Prince of Ascule y^e Kinges base sonne came in the companie of the Duke in the Dukes ship called the Gallion of S. Martine of a thousand tonne, but at Callice when y^e English Nauy came neare thē, this Prince went to the shore, & before his returne the Duke was driuen to cut his Ankers, and to depart: whereby the Prince could not recouer that ship, but came into the said shippe called our Lady of the Rosarie, and with him there came in also one Don Pedro, Don Francisco, and seuen other Gentlemen of accompt that accompanied the Prince. He saith the Captaine of this ship was Villa Franca of S. Sebastians, and Matuta was Cap∣tains of the Infanterie of that ship. There was also in her Cap∣taine Suwares a Portingall, and one Garrionero a Castillian Captaine, Lopicho de la Vega, a Castillian Captaine, Cap∣taine

Montanese, a Castillian: and one Captaine Francisco a Castillian: and Michael d'Oquendo who was Generall of this ship. There was also in her one Irish Captaine called Iohn Rise, of about thirtie yeares of age, and one other Irish man, called Francis Roche. The Prince was of about eight & twen∣tie yeares of age. He saith there were other Gentlemen Ad∣uenturers in the ship, but not of that reckoning as the former were. He saith there were in all seuen hundreth men in this ship at their comming foorth: he saith, there were about fiue hundred in this shippe at such time as she sonke: the rest peri∣shed by fight and by sicknesse. He saith, this ship was shot tho∣rough foure times, and one of the shot was betwéene the wind and the water, whereof they thought she would haue sonke, and the most of her tackle was spoyled with shot, this shippe stroke against the rockes in the sound of the Bleskyes, a league and a halfe from the land vpon Tuesday last at noone, and all in the ship perished sauing this examinat, who saued himselfe vpon two or thrée plankes that were loose, the Gentlemē thin∣king to saue themselues by the bote, it was so fast tied as they could not get her lose, whereby they perished: he saith as soone, as the ship stroke against the rocke, one of the Captaines slue this examinates father, saying he did it by treason. He saith, there came in their company a Portingall ship of about foure hundreth, who comming into the same sound, cast anker neare where they found the Admirall of the Fléet at Anker, called S. Iohn▪ in which Don Martine de Ricalde the Admirall was, he saith that about two and twentie dayes past the Duke depar∣ted from them, and about fiue and twentie ships in his compa∣nie, and about fortie ships were with the Admirall, but this ship was not able to follow the Admirall, by reason her sayles were brokē: and for the rest of the Nauie that remained, they were so dispersed, as he cannot tel what is become of them▪ He saith the Duke being better watered then the others were, held more Westerly into the seas, and willed the Admirall with his company being in worse estate for water to sée if he could touch with any coast to get fresh water, sithence which they haue bene seuered by the nights and by tempest: he saith,

this ship nor any other of the shippes touched vpon any land, nor had any reliefe of water or victuall at any place sithence they parted, but from two Scottes, which they tooke vpon the coast of Scotland, whose fish and victuall the Duke tooke, but paied them for it.

He saith, their ships were so beaten, and the winde so con∣trary, and the sholles vpon the coast of Flanders, so daunge∣rous, as the Pilot that was in the Dukes ship, directed them this course Northward as their safest way. He saith, that in one of the dayes in which the fight was betwéene both the Na∣uies, the Duke séeing the English Fléete so hardly to pursue them willed his Fléete, seing no other remedy, to addresse thē selues to fight.* 1.1 He saith, that in that day of the fight at Callice they lost foure thousand men in fight, one thousād were drow∣ned in two ships, he saith y^e master of the Cauallary of the Ter∣cij of Naples and Sicile was slaine in this fight by a great péece that brake his thigh, his name he remembreth not: at which time also the Maister of the Campe of the horsemen,* 1.2 and the Maister of the Campe of the footmen were both slaine,* 1.3 but their names he remembreth not: He saith the foure Galliasses were of Naples: He saith the foure Gallies left y^e Fléete, before they came to y^e English by well neare xl. leagues: He saith, the Flo∣rentine ship is gone with the Duke: He saith, there were xiiii. Venetian ships in this Fléete, two of them he saith are drow∣ned, what is become of the rest he knoweth not, they serued the king but by arrest: he saith there be thrée English men Pilotes in the Dukes ship.

He saith, this ship that is drowned hath in her thrée chests ful of money: he doth not know what moued the Duke to cōmand that y^e whole Nauie that remained should repaire to y^e Groine and not to depart without his direction vpon paine of death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In the fight at Callice were slaine the Mai∣ster of the Ca∣uallary of the Tercij of Na∣ples & Sicile.
• * 1.2

  The Maister of the Campe of the horsemen.
• * 1.3

  The Maister of the Campe of footemen. And foure thousand others, besides a thousand drowned.