Chap. LIII. during the Reign os §lueen Elizabeth.

1596. “ ever, except the said King’s natural“ Subjects, or such other born Stran-“ gers, as shall give to the said King“ manifest Aid, with Men, Ships, Ar-“ tillery, Victuals, and other warlike" Provisions, for Invasion of Her Ma-" jesty. Which Her Majesty’s Corri-“ mand we mean dutifully to observe,‘ c and do, therefore, give strict Chargef ‘ to all Persons, that shall serve in this-“ Navy, underneath Us, upon Pain of“ extream Punishment, to observe the“ same; Yet to avoid all Occasions,“ that may breed Question, who they* ( are, being not the King of Spaing“ Subjects, that shall be charged byUs,“ to be manifest Aiders for the furnish-“ ing and strengthening of the said“ King’s Forces, provided either by“ Land or Sea, to attempt any Inva-“ fionof Her Majesty’s Countries; We“ do, for the Liquidation of this Doubt,“ earnestly, in God’s Name, require“ and charge all Persons, that are not“ the faidKing’s naturalSubjects,and yet“ that have given him Aid with their“ Ships, Victuals and Munition, as is“ abovefaid, to withdraw all their said“ Ships, prepared for the War, and all“ their Provisions of Hostility out of“ any Havens of Spain or Portugal, or“ from the Company and Service of the•A King’s Ships, against our Navy ; and“ therewith to return, either to their“ own Countries, or if they shall like to“ come to our Navy, to whom, in the“ Reverend Name of our Sovereign“ Lady, the Queen’s Majesty, we do“ promise all Security, both for their“ Persons and Goods, to be used and de-“ fended as Friends, and to suffer all“ their Ships and Provisions, that were" taken by the King of Spain, or in-“ tended for his Service, or that shall“ be, by the Owners, withdrawn from" his Aid, to remain in their free Dif-“ position, so as the fame be used in all“ Sorts as Friends, and not as Enemies" to the Queen’s Majesty, and to us,

" her Generals; And if any (hall, up-“ on Knowledge of this Her Majesty’s" most honourable Order, and of our" Promise (to observe the fame as fa-“ vorably as we may) willingly and" manifestly refuse to accept this our" Offer, and shall not endeavour them-" selves to perform this reasonable Re-" quest, tending to their Good and Li-" berty; we shall then be justly mov-" ed, as by the Law of Arms we may,

" to take and use all such so refusing

3 2 9

" this our Offer, as manifest Aiders of 1 ^96.

“ the King of Spain, with Forces to“ invade Her Majesty’s Dominions, and" so manifest Enemies: And in such“ Cafe of that Refusal, if any Harm“ shall happen, by any Attempt against“ their Persons, Ships and Goods, by“ any our Navy, for the aiding of the" said King, there shall be no just“ Cause for them hereafter to complain,

“ or to procure their natural Princes“ and Lords to follicit Restitutions or“ Amends for the fame. And for the“■ more Notification hereof, we have" thought good to have the Original“ hereof, to be signed with our Hands,

" and with our Seals, to be seen by any“ that will require to read or fee the" fame: And likewise we have put the“ same in Print, in French, Italian,

“ Dutch and Spanijh, and have also“ caused the fame to be distributed,

“ into as many Ports of Spain and Por-“ tug al, as conveniently might be, for“ the better Knowledge to be had, in" the said Ports, as also in all other“ Ports, under his Subjection.

R- Essex.

C. Howard.

There were some who objected a-gainstthis Expedition, that it was notfit to hazard so many Ships or Mentherein, lest the Spaniards, who let flipno Opportunity, should take Advantageof their Absence, and reflecting uponthe bad Success of Drake and Hawkins,be encouraged, either to make aDefcentin England, or should prove too hardfor the Englijh Fleet, and so endangerthe Nation that Way.

Notwithstanding these Objections, ^ eefthe Fleet set Sail the first of June, from departs.Plymouth, and their Departure was themore speedy, by Reason of the greatPains, Care and Industry of the sixteenChief Commanders of the Fleet, who, intheir own Persons, laboured the Nightbefore to get out some, (Sir WilliamMonson fays a Hundred) of their Ships,under their Command, riding at Catwa-ter, which otherwise had not easilybeen effected. The third they set Sailfrom Cansom-hay ; The Wind which,when they weighed, was at W est andby South, instantly cast up to the North-East, and so continued ’till it broughtthem up as high as the North Cape of And arriveSpain: And this fortunate Beginning atthelAonh.put them in great Hopes of a lucky Sue - Cafe 'cess to ensue.

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