Chap. LIX. during the Reign of §lyeen Elizabeth,

1597. " Care to dispatch a Squadron to the

" Road of Ægra in the Terceras, for" it was certain, if they were Spaniards," thither they would resort.

(t Whilst my Lord was thus con-“ triving his Business, and ordering his" Squadron, a small Bark of his Fleet" happened to come unto him, who“ assured him, that those Ships diseo-“ vered from the Land were of his own" Fleet, for that they came immediate-ft ly from them j This made my Lord" countermand his former Direction," only Sir William Monson, who was" the next Ship unto him, and received" the first Command, could not be re-" called back. Within three Hours" after his Departure from my Lord,t( and which might be about twelve of" the Clock, he fell in Company of a" Fleet of five and twenty Sail, which" at the first he could not assure him--ft self to be Spaniards ; Because, the<e Day before, that Number of Ships“ was miffing from our Fleet; Here hetc was in a Dilemma , and a great Per-" piexity with himself; For in makingtc Signs, as he was directed, if the Ships" proved English , it were ridiculous,“ and he might be exposed to Scorn,tc and to respite it untill Morning, were" as dangerous, if they were the Indiaft Fleet; For then my Lord might be" out of View, or of the hearing hisOrdnance; Therefore he resolved," rather to put hisPerson, than hisShip," in Peril. He commanded his Master" to keep the Weather-gage of the“ Fleet, whatsoever should become of" him, and it blowing little Wind, he“ betook himself to his Boat, and row-" ed up with the Fleet, demanding" whence they were. They answered" of Sevil in Spain , and ask’d whencete he was. He told them of England ;" And that the Ship in Sight was a" Gallion of the Queen’s of England,ff single and alone, alledging the Ho-“ nour they would get by Winning her," and urging them with daring Speechesto chase her. His Drift was to draw" and intice them into the Wake of our" Fleet, where they would be so intang-" led as they could not escape. They" returned him some Shot and ill R a n-“ g ua g e > But would not alter ' their" Course to the Terceras , whither they" were bound, and where they arrived" to our Misfortune. Sir William Mon-" son returned aboard his Ship, making" Signs with Lights, and Report with

" his Ordnance, but all in Vain; For x" my Lord altering his Course, as you" have heard, stood that Night to St,

" Michael s, and passed by the North" Side of Tercera, a farther Way than“ if he had gone by the Way ofsAngra,

" where he had met the India- Fleet.

" When Day appearedj and Sir" William Monson was in Flopes to findthe twelve Ships promised to be sent" him, he might only discern the Spa-" nijh Fleet, two Miles or a little more“ ahead him, and astern him a Gallion,

" and a Pinnace betwixt them. The"

" Gallion putting forth her Flag, he" knew her to be the Earl of Southarnp-" ton, in the Garland, The Pinnace" was a Frigat of the Spani/h Fleet,who" took the Garland and Rainbow to be" Gallions of theirs; But seing the" Flag of the Garland, she found her" Error and sprung a loos, thinking" to escape ; But the Earl pursued her" with the Loss of some Time, when" he should have followed the Fleet,ts and therefore was desired to desist" from that Chafe, by Sir William" Monson, who sent his Boat to him.

" By a Shot from my Lord, this Fri-" gat was funk ; And whilst his Men" were rifling her, Sir Francis Fere ,

“ and Sir William Brook came up in" their two Ships, who the Spaniards“ would have made us believe were" two Gallions of theirs, and so much" did my Lord signify to Sir William<c Monson, wishing him to stay theirtf coming up, for that their would be" greater Hopes of those two Ships,cf which no Doubt but we were able to" over-master, than of the Fleet, for“ which we were too weak.

" A fter William had made the" two Ships to be the Queen’s, which“ he ever suspected, he began to pur-" sue the Spanijh FJeet a-fresli; But" by Reason they were so far a-head“ of him, and had so little Way to sail,

" they recovered the Road of Tercera,

“ whither he, and the Rest of the" Ships pursued them; And himself" led the Way into the Harbour, where" he found sharp Resistance from the" Castle; But yet we so battered the" Ships, that we might fee the Masts" of some shot by the Board, and of" some, the Men quit the Ships ; So" that there wanted nothing but a Gale“ of Wind, to enable him to cut the" Cable of the Hawsers, and,ito bring" them oss; He, therefore sent to the4 T pthep