The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

OF A WAR WITH SPAIN. 209
There were also other dormant musters of soldiers general by sea had a limited commission, not to
throughout all parts of the realm, that were put fight until the land forces were come in to them:
in readiness, but not drawn together. The two and that the Duke of Parma had particular reaches
armies were assigned to the leading of two and ends of his own underhand, to cross the
generals, noble persons, but both of them rather design. But it was both a strange commission,
courtiers, and assured to the state, than martial and a strange obedience to a commission; for men
men; yet lined and assisted with subordinate in the midst of their own blood, and being so
commanders of great experience and valour. furiously assailed, to hold their hands, contrary to
The fortune of the war made this enterprise at the laws of nature and necessity. And as for the
first a play at base. The Spanish navy set forth Duke of Parma, he was reasonably well tempted
out of the Groyne in May, and was dispersed and to be true to that enterprise, by no less promise
driven back by weather. Our navy set forth than to be made a feudatory, or beneficiary King
somewhat later out of Plymouth, and bare up of England, under the seignory, in chief, of the
towards the coast of Spain to have fought with pope, and the protection of the King of Spain.
the Spanish navy; and partly by reason of con- Besides, it appeared that the Duke of Parma held
trary winds, partly upon advertisement that the his place long after in the favour and trust of the
Spaniards were gone back, and upon some doubt King of Spain, by the great employments and
also that they might pass by towards the coast of services that he performed in France: and, again,
England, whilst we were seeking them afar off, it is manifest, that the duke did his best to come
returned likewise into Plymouth about the middle down and to put to sea. The truth was, that the
of July. At that time came more confident ad- Spanish navy, upon those proofs of fight which
vertisement, though false, not only to the lord they had with the -English, finding how much
admiral, but to the court, that the Spaniards could hurt they received, and how little hurt they did,
not possibly come forward that year: whereupon by reason of the activity and low building of our
our navy was upon the point of disbanding, and ships, and skill of our seamen; and being also
many of our men gone ashore: at which very commanded by a general of small courage and
time the Invincible Armada, for so it was called experience, and having lost at the first two of their
in a Spanish ostentation, throughout Europe, was bravest commanders at sea, Pedro de Valdez, and
discovered upon the western coast. It was a Michael de Oquenda, durst not put it to a battle
kind of surprise; for that, as was said, many of at sea, but set up their rest wholly upon the land
our men were gone to land, and our ships ready enterprise. On the other side, the transporting of
to depart. Nevertheless, the admiral, with such the land forces failed in the very foundation: for
ships only as could suddenly be put in readiness, whereas the council of Spain made full account
made forth towards them; insomuch as of one that their navy should be master of the sea, and
hundred ships, there came scarce thirty to work. therefore able to guard and protect the vessels of
Howbeit, with them, and such as came daily in, transportation; when it fell out to the contrary
we set upon them, and gave them the chase. that the great navy was distressed, and had
But the Spaniards, for want of courage, which enough to do to save itself; and, again, that the
they called commission, declined the fight, cast- Hollanders impounded their land forces with a
ing themselves continually into roundels, their brave fleet of thirty sail, excellently well apstrongest ships walling in the rest, and in that pointed; things, I say, being in this state, it came
manner, they made a flying march towards Calais. to pass that the Duke of Parma must have flown
Our men by the space of five or six days followed if he would have come to England, for he could
them close, fought with them continually, made get neither bark nor mariner to put to sea: yet
great slaughter of their men, took two of their certain it is, that the duke looked still for the
great ships, and gave divers others of their ships coming back of the Armada, even at that time
their death's wounds, whereof soon after they when they were wandering, and making their
sank and perished; and, in a word, distressed perambulation upon the northern seas. But to
them almost in the nature of a defeat; we our- return to the Armada, which we left anchored at
selves in the mean time receiving little or no hurt.- Calais: from thence, as Sir Walter Raleigh was
Near Calais the Spaniards anchored, expecting wont prettily to say, they were suddenly driven
their land forces, which came not. It was after- away with squibs; for it was no more but a
wards alleged, that the Duke of Parma did arti- stratagem of fire boats, manless, and sent upon
ficially delay his coming; but this was but an in- them by the favour of the wind in the night time,
vention and pretension given out by the Spaniards; that did put them in such terror, as they cut their
partly upon a Spanish envy against that duke, being cables, and left their anchors in the sea. After
an Italian, and his son a competitor to Portugal; they hovered some two or three days about
but chiefly to save the monstrous scorn and dis- Graveling, and there again were beaten in a great
reputation, which they and their nation received fight; at what time our second fleet, which kept
by the success of that enterprise. Therefore their the narrow seas, was come in and joined to out
colours and excuses, forsooth, were, that their main fleet. Thereupon the Spaniards entermn;t
Voer. II.-27 s 2