'■'Hap. XVI. during the Reign os Qjgeen Elizabeth. 211

CHAP. XVI.

The narrow Escape of the Primrose, a large Ship, belonging to the Port ofLondon, from an Attempt of the Spaniards to betray her, with a Franjlation ofthe King of 8 pain'r Mandat for laying an Embargo on all the English, Dutchand Easter ling Ships, which should come into his Harbours.

. 158 - ^ ^e six and twentieth of May,

Vo[ klu yt, U A in the Year 1585. the Ship cal-A ^Rp.II. ^^ led the Primrose, of London,commanded by one Foster, ofthe Burden of one Hundred and fiftyTuns, lying without the Bay of Bilhoa,where lhe had been two Days, therecame a Spanistj Pinnace to her Side, inwhich was the Corregidor, or chief Ci-vil Magistrate, of the Province of Bis-cay, with six other Persons, who feem-in all to be Merchants of Biscay, orsuch like Persons, were readily admit-ted on Board. They brought Cherrieswich them, and spoke very friendly tothe Captain, who entertained them withthe best the Ship afforded. Soon after,the Corregidor, with three of these Per-sons, went back in the Pinnace, leav-ing the other three Men, who continu-ed drinking with the Captain, and af-fected to be very merry.

The Captain, by this Time, mistrus-ted, that these Men had some ill De-sign on him or his Ship, and, therefore,gave private Orders to his People to beupon their Guard; while at the sameTime, he continued his friendly Beha-viour to them, without making the leastlhew of Mistrust. He quickly afterperceived a large Boat, in which, , asit afterwards appeared, there were fe-*venty Persons, and the Pinnace, whichhad brought the first seven Persons,with four and twenty more, making offfrom the Shoar, directly towards theShip. These had likewise the outwardAppearance of Bifcayan Merchants, Assoon as they came to the Ship’s Side, theCorregidor, with three or four of theseMen, came on Board ; But the Captain,seing their great Number, and consider-ing he had but seven and twenty Menin his Ship, insisted on it, that the Re-mainder should continue in their Boats.This the Spaniards, who were alreadyon Board, as well as they in the Boats,promised ; But they soon forfeited theirWords, and embracing, as they thought,

a proper Opportunity, at a Signal giv- 1585'.en by a Drum they had with them, e- The Shipvery Man seized his Rapier, and what Primroseother Weapons they had, which ’ti Attacked fythen they had artfully concealed, and the Spani-poured into the Ship, with great Fury, ards » .on all Sides, at once. As they entred,some of them planted themselves in se-veral Parts of the Ship, the better tokeep their Hold, while others waitedfor the W ord of Command. The Cor-regidor, who now discovered himself,and had an Officer standing by him,with a white Wand in his Hand, criedout to the Captain, Yield, for you arethe King's Prisoner ; And the Captaingave the Signal, at the same Time, tohis Men, by calling out, PTe are be-trayed. The Spaniards, upon this, settheir Daggers to the Captain’s Breast,and threatned him with immediateDeath, if he, or his Men, offered tomake any Resistance.

The Men, in the mean Time,knowing the Inquisition would be theirLot, if they should be carried Prisonerson Shoar, resolved to rescue their Cap-tain, and free themselves from the worstof Captivity, or to dy in the Attempt. \

They, therefore, seized their Javelins, '

Lances, Boar-Spears, and other Wea-pons, which, upon the first Intimation y n m raveIyof their Captain, they had got in a Rea- defended bydinefs, and laid about them so vigo- tie En g lilh -roufly, that every Stroke either killeda Spaniard, or frightned two or threeof them into Inactivity, and sometimesboth. Some of them, who were underthe Hatches, having five small Arms,which were all they had, charged inReadiness, fired upon the Spaniards,thro’ the Gratings, and continued ply-ing them so warmly with their Shot,that they concluded their Number wasfar greater, and were so dismayed, thatthey were now more lollicitous how tosave themselves, than to annoy the En-glish, or to have any fartherThoughts ofmaking them Prisoner§-

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