Chap. LIX. during the Reign os §faeeti Elizabeth.

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“ out Leave of his Keeper; For the" Wind that is good and large for them“ to enter, is as much against their" coming out; And therefore it be-“ hooves every Commander, as well to“ think of bringing himself off, with" Discretion, as of falling on, with Re-" solution.

" Hitherto I have shewn the Un-" certainty of your Lordship’s landing,“ the Doubtfulness of your Attempt," and the Danger in not having the" Castles; But I will now suppose the“ Forts to be ours, and the whole Ship-“ P ]n S P a ^ e ^ them, without any Loss ;" yet will the Enemy have as great an" Advantage as they can wish; For“ the Number of Men and Shipping,“ and the Greatness of their Vessels,“ are known to exceed ours; And when" there is an Equality in Shipping on“ both Sides, the Victory is not to be" obtained on either Side, whilst there" is Ammunition and Men on the other“ Side, unless it be by a general Board-" ing, or Stratagem of firing ; in which“ the Spaniards shall have Advantage“ of us, they being in their own Har-“ hour, where they may be supplied,“ and we can have iio Relief but what" we bring with us.

“If your Lordship shall hold it con-“ venient, as in Discretion I think you“ will, not to send in Her Majesty’s" Ships, upon this Service, then you“ must consider the Rest of your Fleet“to be far inferior to the Enemy’s“ Strength; And so you will fend them" apparently to their own Destruction,“ Slaughter, and Ruin.

“ As I am against the Attempt of“ Ferrol , before you return from the I-“ siands, so I am also against your“ Lordships presenting yourself upon" that Coast; For in thinking to intice“ forth the Fleet, besides that you shall“ discover your own Strength, you" fliall give them Occasion to arm their“ Country; And, besides, it will be" in their Choice, whether to fight with“ you, or no; For they will be able“ to discover and judge of your Forces;“ and such is their Discipline, that tho'“ they had your Lordship upon Ad-“ vantage, yet they dare not attempt" you without a special Order from the" King; Which your Lordship found" by Experience, in the Count of Fu-" entes’s Answer to your Lordship’s“ Challenge, at the Walls of Lisbon.“ And to conclude, since your Lord-

" ship intends to go from Ferrol to Ter-" cera, it were much better, in my O-“ pinion, first to attempt that Island,“ while your Army is strong and in“ Health. It is a Place of much more“ Importance, and more Likelihood of“ prevailing, then in your Enterprise“ upon the Shipping, that Island being“ possessed, will draw Contributions“ from the Rest to maintain it. Your“ Lordship will cut off the Supplies the“ Spaniards and Portuguese receive from" both the Indies , Guinea , and Brazil-,“ Your Lordship will provide a Place“ of Refuge for our Fleet hereafter,“ from whence they may with Ease“ keep the Seas, and endanger all the“ Trades aforesaid. Your Lordship“ will unite that Island to the Crown of“ England, and if there be an Agree-“ ment of Peace betwixt the two Na-“ tions, you will gain advantageous“ Conditions to the State of England ,“ upon a Treaty Your Lordship will be“ in a Possibility of drawing the Armada“ of Ferrol to pursue you thhher, that“ Island importing them so much to de-“ fend, and then your Lordship will“ have your Desire to fight them upon“ equal Terms at Sea. If you attempt“ Ferrol first, and should happen to“ be repulsed, Your Lordship will con-“ fess it will be so great a Dishonour“ and Loss, that you will not be able“ to resolve upon any other Service,“ and then will your Expedition for“ Eercera be utterly void: Whereas,“ if you would please to make your At-“ tempt upon Eercera first, it will not“ take away your Hope of Ferrol after-“ wards; For, in your Return from“ thence, you will find the Shipping ei-“ ther in the same State you left them,“ in the Harbour, or if you meet them“ at Sea, you will encounter them to“ Advantage. Thus have I answered“ your Lordships Demand, as you re-“ quired.

JE. M

There were not a few Censures,andthose very different ones, passed uponthis Expedition, according as Peoplewere inclined, in Regard to EJJex, orfrom an Aversion to Raleigh. TheQupen’s ,Favour, in which they hadeach a liberal Share, happened to pro-duce Effects strangely opposite; for itexcited in the People a Kind of Odiumagainst Raleigh , which was fomented by

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Various Cen-sures uponthis Expedi-tion.