Chap. LlIL during the Reign of §ttieen Elizabeth, 339

1596. " Service did not divert us, go to all" the good Ports betwixt that and thetr nethermost Parts of Biscay, which“ was a better Way than to have be-,c gan, and given the Enemy Alarm, in* ( the Midst of his Country, or the near-" est Part to us; For so our Attempts4r would have been more difficult, andtf our Retreats at last from those farthest“ Parts less safe, considering the Wants,* c Infections, and other Inconveniences,“ that for the most Part do accompany** the Retreats of our Fleets and Ar-** mies in long Journies. But after we" had ended at Cadiz, it was by all our" Sea-Men thought a capital Offence to“ name the pasting over the Bar of St." Lucar. Betwixt St. Lucar and Lis-,f bon there was no good Port. From" Lisbon,. I was barred by Name in my“ InstructionsAnd if it had been free" for us to have gone, yet our Seamen" were made of the same Stuff, that Sir" Francis Drake and his Company were," when they lost the Occasion or taking" Lisbon, for Fear of pasting by the" Castle of St. Julians. From Lisbon" to the Groyne, there is no Port to" hold the King’s, or any other great" Shipping. To the Groyne, with“ Cart-ropes, I drew them: For I both" vowed and protested against their Re-" fusal, and parted Company with" them, when they offered to hold on“ their Course; But when we came to" the Mouth of the Harbour, and sent" in so me of the small Vessels, we saw" there was nothing there, nor yet at" Ferrol For into that Port also we" made our Discoveries to look. After" which Discovery we held our last" Council, and then I urged of going to

" St. Ædrew’s -Passage, St. Sebajli-

" aris, and all the good Ports all along" the Coast; But my Associate did ab-" solutely refuse to go farther, along" the Coast, complaining of Wants, and" objected our being embayed, and I" know not what: In which Opinion," Sir Walter Raleigh strengthned him;“ and they were both desirous to take" upon them the Honour of breaking" the Design; And of landing at the" Groyne, or attempting the Town," they would not hear, by any Means;" And presently every Man tried to set" Sail homewards, since which Time," they have made such Haste, as I,“ tarrying to bring along with me the" St.Jfndrew, taken at Cadiz, and the" Fly-boat that carried our Artillery.

" I have lost them all, saving Most* ' i§y6-" sieur Duvenvoord, Sir - - .Wor-

" mot, and his Squadron, and some fevv" small Ships.

To these Objections, raised and .an-swered by the Earl of Essex himself, Ishall add what Sir William Monson faysof the Misconduct in this Expedition,with some farther Particulars, which hehas interspersed with his Reflections.

CINCE (fays Sir William) I have Sir William<f ^ undertaken to except against the Refleajom<f Oversights committed in any of our on, and far-<c Englijh Voyages; Such as were com- their Account(C mitted here shall, without Fear *

" Flattery, appear to the Judicious^

,e Reader.

" Tho’ the Earl of Essex's Forward-" ness and Carriage merited much, yet" if it had been with more Deliberation" and lessHaste,it would have succeed-" ed better ; And if he were now living;

" he would confess Sir William Monson" advised him rather to seek to be Ma-" ster of the Ships than of the Town j" For it was they that would afford" both Wealth and Honour ; For the" Riches in the Ships,, could not .be" concealed nor conveyed away, i as in

che Town i they might;: fThe Ships" themselveSibeing brought ioxEngland,

*'• would be always before Men’s Eyes" there, and put them inRemembran.ee“ of the Greatness of the Exploit; As" for the Town, it might perhaps be" soon won, hut probably hot long en-“ joyed, and so it could be quickly fbr-" got. And to speak indifferently,

" the Earl’s sudden Landing, without" the Lord Admiral’s Privity, and his" giving Advice by a Message to at-" tempt the Ships, which should have" been resolved by a mature Delibera-" tion, no Doubt but the Lord Admiral" found his Honour a little eclipsed,

" and perhaps did hasten his Landing,

" for his Reputations Sake, when. he" thought it more Reason to have pos-“ sess’d the Fleet. .

f( Before the Lord Admiral could" draw near the Town, the Earl of<c Essex had entered it, and altho’ their(t Houses were built in such Manner,

" that every House served for a Plat-" form, yet they were forced to quit* f: them and to retire into the Castle.

" JVJy Lord, at last, in Despite of" :t be Enemy, gained the Market-place,

" where he found the greatest .Resist-

4 R ance,