268 Eliz,

1589. " Year past, whereby it was to be im-" magined how weakly he was provid-" ed for at home, made the Queenwilling to countenance this Action," tho’ She undertook it not wholly of" Herself, to which is to be imputed" the Overthrow of it.

For whosoever he be of a Subject," that thinks to undertake so great an" Enterprize without a Prince’s Purse," shall be deceived, and therefore these" two Generals, in my Opinion, never" over-lhot themselves more, than in" undertaking so great a Charge, with" so little Means, which is the only" Cause to which is to be imputed the" ill Success of it; For where there is" Victuals and Arms wanting, what* e Hope is-there of prevailing.

“ The Project ot this Voyage was to" restore a distressed King to his King-dom, usurped as he pretended; Andtho’ the Means for the setting forth“■ of this Voyage was not so great as" was expedient, yet in the Opinionft of all Men, if they had directed" their Course, whither they intended" it, without landing at the Groyne ," they had performed the Service they" went for, restored Don Antonio to the" Crown, dissevered Portugal from" Spain, and united it in League with" England, which would have An-" fwered the Present Charge, and" have settled a continual Trade for" us to the MGjI-Indies, and the Rest“ of the Portugal Dominions, for so we" might have conditioned.

" But, as I have said, the .Landing" at the Groyne was a Lingring of the" other Design, a Consuming of Victu-" als, Weakening of the Armies by" the Immoderate Drinking of the Sol-" diers, which brought a lamentable" Sickness amongst them, a Warning" to the Spaniards to strengthen Portu-“ gal, and what was more than all" this, a Discouragement to proceed" farther, being repulsed in the first" Attempt.

" Notwithstanding this ill Sue-'s cess at the Groyne, they departed‘ c from thence towards Portugal and<c arrived at Penicha a Maritime Town** twelve Leagues from Lisbon, where<c with small Resistance they took the" Castle, after the Captain understood" Don Antonio to be in the Army.

" From thence, General Norristc marched with his land Forces to Lif-bon and Sir Francis Dr abe with bis

Fleet failed to Cascais, promising 1589’from thence to pass with his Ships upthe River to Lisbon, to meet with SirJohn Norris, which he did not, andtherefore he was much blamed bythe Common Consent of all Men,imputing the Overthrow of the Ac-tion to him.

" It will not excuse Sir FrancisDrake, in his Promise made to SirJohn Norris, tho’ I would utterlyhave accused him of Want of Dis-cretion, if he had put the Fleet to sogreat an Adventure to so little Pur-pose, for his being in the Harbourof Lisbon, was nothing to the takingof the Castle, which was two Milesfrom thence; And had the Castlebeen taken the Town, would havebeen taken of Course.

" And moreover,the Ships could notfurnish the Army, with more Menor Victuals than they had ; where-fore I understand not wherein hisgoing up was necessary, and yet theFleet was to Endure many Hazardsto this little purpose.

" For betwixt Gascais and Lisbon,there are three Castles St. Julian, St.

Francis and Bellem, The first of thethree, I hold one of the most impreg-nable Forts , to Seaward, in Europe ,by which the Fleet was to pass, with-in Calliver-Shot; Tho’ I confess thegreatest Danger was not the passingit, for, with a reasonable Gale ofWind, any Fort is to be pass’d, withSmall Hazard.

" But, at this Time, there was a ge-neral Want of Victuals, and beingentered the Harbour, their comingout again was uncertain, the Placebeing Subject to contrary Winds, inwhich Space of Time, the betterpart of the Victuals would have beenconsumed, and they would haveremained there in so desperate aState, that they would have beenforced to have fired one half of the" Fleet for the bringing Home of the" Rest ; For being as they were, aftertr the Army was embarked for England,

“ many died of Famine homeward,

" and more would have done so, if the" Wind had took them short, or, if,

" by the Death of some Others, they" had not be«n relieved.

,f And besides all these Casualties" and Dangers, th eAdalantado was thenin Lisbon, with the Gallies of Spain,

" 2nd how easily he might have an-

" noyed

Naval Expeditions j &c of the English, Book U

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