342 Eliz. Naval Expeditions, &c of the English, Book II

1596. " Winning of Calais, which the 15 / 2 -" niards took the Easier before. Here" was a good Opportunity to have re-" gained the Ancient Patrimony of En-" gland ; But the King of France with-" stood it, thinking, with more Ease, to" regain it from the Spaniard, that was" his Enemy, then recover it from us," who were his Friends.

" My Lord Admiral, with the Fleet," went to the Downs , where he landed," and left the Charge of the Navy to" Sir Robert Dudly, and Sir William" Monson. In going from thence to" Chatham , they endured more foul" Weather and contrary Winds, than"in the whole Voyage besides.

Having given the Reader the Ob-jections which the Earl of EJJex, him-self, supposed might be raised againstthe Conduct of the Commanders in thisExpedition, with his Answers to them ;Together with Sir William Monson ’s O-■ pinion of the Mistakes of it, I shall adda Line or two from Camden, of thesame Nobleman’s Opinion of the Ho-nour and Advantages it was to the Na-tion, notwithstanding some Disappoint-ments or Misconduct. ^

Tho’ it may sufficiently alp pea‘r, (saysour Antiquarian) how greatly advan-tageous this Expedition proved to theQueen and the Nation, : and how muchthe Spaniards were Sufferers by it; yetI connot think it altogether impertinentto mention whatfollbws, from a briefNarrative of the Earl of Essex him-self. ' y

The Adv an- " As to the Honour resulting fromtages of this " this Expedition ; The Engli/h didfo X fhe Pub- " not wait the Issue of the King oflick. fc Spain’ s Threats, and desperate De-" signs upon England , as powerful a" Prince as he was; but they did so" good as make him a Challenge in" his own Dominions, and beat and" drove before them a Fleet of his," most compleatly equipped, not ex-" cepting his best and biggest Ships." Two of his- Gal lions they took, and" brought Home with them; Fifteen" Gallies they totally routed, with a" very unequal Number of Ships, and"set many of their Country-men free j" who were condemned to the Gallies ;" Besides that, they released several" Spaniards, whom they had taken" Prisoners, and received their hearty" Thanks and Commendations for that" Act of Clemency. Then again, they" took the best fortified City in all

" Spain, with little or no Trouble, and 1596." stayed in the Enemy’s Country for" thirteen Days together. Then in Re-" spect of the Advantage arising from" it; besides those two Gabions, al-" , ready mentioned, which were^ an" Addition of Force to the Engli/h Fleet,

" they brought Home about a Hun-" dred Brass Guns, and a rich and va-" luable Booty besides. The Seamen" and Soldiers return edHome, likewise,

" with Spoil and Plunder enough to" flush and animate them' for another" Expedition. And if we consider the“ Damage done to the Spaniard, he lost“ thirteen of his most serviceable Ships,

" forty Indian Merchant-men, and four" others. There was likewise taken" from him a vast Quantity of Aramu-" nition, and his Stores of Provision,

" both for Land and Sea^Service, inso-" much that ’tis next to an Impoffibili-" ty he should in some Time appear a-" gain at Sea, with a Fleet fit to en-" gage. Add to this, the Cutting off,f all Opportunities of Traffick, for" this Year, at least, between Old-and" N ew-Spain. And we may think it" also worth our Notice, that, by this" Means, the English have acquainted" themselves with the Weakness of the" Spans) Sea-ports, and, in Conse-quence, with how little Difficulty" they may be taken.

Notwithstanding all the Earl ofE/sex could say in Justification of hisConduct, Prejudice had so far prevailedagainst him, in the Queen’s Mind, thathe met with several Mortifications at hisReturn, which gave him plain Proofsthat his Interest was declining ; And theUneasiness it gave him engaged him, intheSequel, in extravagant Projects, whichin the End cost him his Life.

What the Queen and Councilthought of this Expedition, after theEarl’s Return to Court, and having,doubtless, said all he could in Favourof it, the Reader may judge by the fol-lowing Letters, copied from a Manu-script in the Cotton Library, withwhich I shall conclude this Relation.

A Minute of the Council’s Letter tothe Lord Admiral, August 11.1596.

" A F T 'E R our hearty Commenda- yds,e . tions to your good Lordship, we ^ t he Lf“ have, before this Time, by Her Ma- Admd a ■

" jesty’s Direction, written unto your

" Lordship,