Chap. LIIL during the Reign of §ltieen Elizabeth

*596* “ But afterwards, hearing, that the

" Preparation made by the said King(t was not so great, as was before re-" ported, and yet of that Number that“■ were so prepared, a good Number‘ r was sent to pursue Sir Francis Drake,te and some others were sent to the In*tf dies , whereby We had no probable" Cause to doubt the coming of any" great Navy to attempt any Invasiontr of Our Realm, and yet had Cause to" doubt some Number of Ships to be" sent with Men and Mony into Ireland,“ about the Month of May, which was" the Time that the Rebels Fyr-Oen" and Odonnel did, by their Letters to" Spain limit, to be aided and not be-" fore; And farther considering, that" the Stay thereof was most certainly" to be made by Burning of the King^sShips of War in his Havens, before* c they should come forth to the Seas;" and therewith also destroying his" Magazines of Victuals, and his Mu-" nitions for the Arming of his Navy," so as neither the Rebels in Irelandte should be aided and strengthened, nor" yet the Navy of Spain be able, by* ( Reason of the Burning of some good" Number of the King’s Ships, and by" the Destruction of the great Provi-,c sions, without which he should notfC be able, of long Time to repair unto,and to have any great Navy in Rea-• c diness to offend Us, We' did, upon" the Motion of you two, in offering" your Service to this Purpose, and" finding the Opinion of the Rest of" Our Council to allow of Our Prepa-rations of Our Navy, with the Affist-ance of sundry Ships of Our Subjects," and that the general Charge should" be given to you two joyntly for the" Service herewith, both by Sea and" Land, We have therewith given you" Our Commission, for these Services," both by Sea and by Land, not with-<c out Our Grief for adventuring of“ your Persons, and for Want also offC your Attendance on Us, as principal" Counsellors, And, therefore, We" do now think it convenient, not only" in this Sort to remember you of the" Beginning and Proceedings herein, byff Us; But also to inform you, byWay“ of Instructions of Our Pleasure, in" what Sort, and to what Ends, you" shall direct your Actions.

: " First, you shall, by all good

" Means seek to understand the Truth" of the King’s Navy, of what Number

“ and Strength his §hjps;are, ky ^hattf Ports they are, wbafo Provisioniv/are" in Readiness - 1 o furnjssi- his Navy,-and" therewith also to, foestjto understand," whether there be -1 ntentiog, yowthis Summer,; to set filssi;. Navy th!the" Seas, for invading .any Part of/Dur" Realm, or that any Number df. them" are.intended to be sent into Ii-elmd\fC or to come by the narrow Seas to Ca-" lais, there, with other Shipping of“ Flanders , and with the Forces under" the Command of the Cardinal of.‘iA-" stria, to attempt seine hostile Action" against Our Coasts of Englandid: op-“ polite to Calais and Flanders. "

"■In the searching to come to the" Knowledge hereof, We advise you," not to give sudden Credit to singleV Reports, but circumspectly te.com-" pare your Intelligences together* •; and" to admit such as you ssiall find, either" very certain, or most agreeable to" Truth.,:

“ As i) : hereupon you ssiall direct(( your first Actions to destroy such" Ships, as You ssiall understand to be" provided, to repair to Ireland, or to" come by the narrow Seas to Calais .

" And, if you Cannot understand of“ any such particular Purposes, of ->any" Navy prepared to be sent to Ireland“ or Calais, You ssiall direct your" Course to such Ports, where you ssiall" most probably understand what the" greater Number of the King’s Ships" of War are, and where his Provisions" are in Store, and there you ssiall useall good Means possible, to spoil" and burn all the said Ships, that are" for Foreign Service, or as many of" them as conveniently you may; Andalso, you ssiall destroy or get into yqur" Possession, to Our Use, as many of theft Victuals,Powder,Ordnance, Cordage" and all other Apparellings for War fas" you can. And yet, in these your" Actions, you ssiall avoid the manifest" Danger to Our own Ships, or to the" hazarding of Our People, in any de'r" sperate Actions, to lose their Lives," that ssiould be spared rather for Our" Service, in Times of Defence of their“ native Country, then by attempting," in desperate and doubtful Actions of" Offence, in a strange Country, to" spend their Lives, without any Pub-" lick Benefit, answerable to such Loss;" Of which Our Admonition, We hope“ you will have the more Regard, you^ well knowing how loth We are to

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