to be depriued of her Crowne, and the inuasion and conquest of the Realme com∣mitted
by the Pope, to the King Catholick, which was the King of Spaine, to exe∣cute
the sam with his armies, both by Sea and Land, and to take the crowne vnto
himselfe, and there was a large explanation of this b••ll, written by Cardinall Allen,
calling himselfe therein the Cardinall of England, and a number of them were sent
ouer ready printed into England, most bitterly written against the Queene, and
her Father King Henry the eight, and her Nobi••itie and Councell.
In the Fleet were aboundance of Princes, Marquesses, Condez, and Do••s,
which came to haue possessed the roomes of all the Noble men in England, and
Scotland.
Don Brnardin Mendoza, in an open assembly did say in a brauerie, that the
young King of Scots, whom hee called a boy, had deceived the King of Spaine:
but if the Kings Nauy might prosper against England: The King of Scots
should loose his Crowne, when the brute was brought of the Spanish Fléet, and
of the Armie of the Sea coast of Flanders, with their shippings.
Charles Lord Howard, Lord High Admirall of England, who is of the most
Noble house of the Duke of Norffolke, had the charge of the greatest company of
the Quéenes Ships: an other company were appointed to remaine with the Lord
Henry Seymer, second Sonne to the Duke of Somerset, and brother to the Earle
of Hertford: these continued in the narrow Seas betwixt England and Flanders,
to attend the Duke of Parmas actions.
A third company were armed in the West part of England towards Spain, vn∣der
the conduct of Sir Francis Drake, but after it was vnderstood, that the great
Nauy of Spaine was ready to come out of Li••b••ne, my Lord Admirall was com∣maunded
to saile with the greatest ships to the west parts of England to ioyn with
Drake, whom he made Uice-admirall, and the Lord Thomas Howard, second Son
vnto the Duke of Norffolke, and the Lord Sheffield, with a great number of
Knights, went with the Lord Admirall.
When the Popish Army came vnto the Coasts of England, it séemed so great,
that the Englishmen were astonied at the sight of them; yet the Lord Admiral and
Drake hauing but fifty of the English ships out of the hauen of Plimouth, they ••u∣riously
pursued the whole Nauy of Spaine, being about 160. ships: so that with
the continuall shot of the English one whole day, the whole Nauy fled without re∣turning:
and after the English Nauy being increased to an hundred ships, renued
the fight with terrible great shot all the whole day, gaining alwaies the winde of
the Spanish Nauy, and for nine daies together forced them to flye, and destroyed,
su••ke, and tooke in thrée daies fight, diuers of the greatest shippes, out of which
great numbers were brought to London, besides many that were killed and drow∣ned,
and many were brought vnto other parts of the realme▪ to the great dissh••nour
of Spaine: in which fight the Spaniards did neuer take nor sinke any English ship
or boate, or breake any mast, or tooke any one man prisoner, so that some of the
Spaniards let not to say, That in all these ••ghts Christ shewed himselfe a Luthe∣ran.
The King of Scots gaue straight commaundement vpon all his Sea coasts
that no Spaniards should be sufferd to land in any part, b••t that the English might
be relieued of any wants.
The Popish Fleet was by tempest driuen beyond the Is••es of Ork••ay, in an vn∣accustomed
place, for the young Gentlemen of Spain, which had neuer felt storms
and colde weather: about those northerne Islands their Marriners and Souldiers
died daily by multitudes, as by their bodies cast vpon the land, did appeare.
And after twentie daies and more, hauing spent their time in miserie, then as
they returned homeward the Lord ordained the windes to be so violently contra∣rious,
that the Nauy was disse••ered vpon the high Seas, west vpon Ireland, and
a great number of them driuen vpon sands, dangerous bayes, and rockes, all along
vpon the north and west parts of Ireland, in places distant aboue an hundred miles
asunder: whereby we may see how God fauoured the iust cause of Q. Elizabeth,