Chap, LXIX. during the Reign oj §iyeen Elizabeth. q$i

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Takes two (CFrench

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Eights withthe Castle of i(Cezimbra. €(

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A Caravel *taken and “dismissed • <c

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were, as stie understood by a BoaCshe took, to look out the EnglishFleet, (whole Coming they daily ex-pected upon the Coast : And meet-ing Sir William with this News, heheld it a good Service to be thuswarned of them. Here he took twogoodly Ships of France bound for Lis-bon , which Harbour he put themfrom, and took Pledges that theyshould directly return into France,without touching in any Harbour ofSpain ; For he understood the Spa-nish Fleet was ill provided of Men,and many other Things which thoseShips could supply. Sir Williamand the Dreadnought wove carried witha Chase into the Road of Cezimbra,the Place where the Carrack was ta-ken not long before ; And after someFight with the Castle, which defend-ed the Vessel they chased, they cameto a friendly Treaty, and Presentspass’d betwixt them. That Night,whilst the Admiral rid in the Road,a Caravel coming in, and not mi-strusting him, was taken, but dis-missed again with friendly Treatment,by whom he understood the Affairsof Lisbon, but could get no Noticeof the Hollands Fleet, which was ap-pointed to attend at the Rock, whe-ther once more he repaired.

" Coming thither, the six and twen-

“ tieth of September, a Light was espied" in the Night, which the Admiral" chased, thinking it had been the“ Fleet of St. Thomas, or Brazil, bound" into Lisbon, where they were expect-“ ed ; But drawing so near them, that" he might sail them, he found them“ by the Hugenes of their Vessels, and“ the Number, which answer’d the Re-“ lation the Caravel made, to be theF/r William fC Armada of Spain-, Whereupon hethe Spanish " fought Means how to clear himself,Armada. " being engaged amongst them, and" made a Spaniard which served him" call unto them ; But they could not" hear him. The Adventure only and“ the Whelp were left with him, the“ Rest losing Company four Nights be-tt fore, in a Storm. The Enemy per-“ ceiving our Lights, and thinking it to“ be the Admiral that had commanded“ some Fleet of Flemmings, stood in a-" mongst them ; But the Adventure“ being discovered to be an Enemy," the Alarum was soon taken, and they" shot at her, and stew and hurt some“ of her Men. As soon as the Day

“ appeared the Spaniards, beheld the 1602.

“ three English Ships a-head of them,

" whom they chased; and as three ol" them were better Sailers than the“ Rest, they fetched upon them, and s^ hre S°t" drew near the Whelp, who was o“ small Force to resist them. sel.

“ But the Admiral resolving, tho’

“ it was to his own evident Peril, not w - lt h a stn-" to fee a Pinnace of Her Majesty’s gle Ves-" so lost, if he could rescue her with s el -> ft°P S“ the Hazard of his Life ; tho’ it was "s sss" much against the Persuasions of his" Master and Company, he struck his“ two Sails, for the Whelp, and com-" manded her to stand her Course,

“ whilst he staid for the three Spanish“ Ships, in Hopes to make them glad to“ leave off thePursuit. The Admiral of*s the Spaniards, perceiving how little“ he cared for his three Ships, because" he lingered for their coming up, make" stood in with the Shoar, and stiot oft" a Piece for his three Ships to follow" him. It may appear by this, as by“ several Expeditions of ours, how“ much the swift Sailing of Ships avail,

“ being the Principal Advantage in“ Sea-Service, and the only Thing we“ could presume upon, in our War a-“ gainst the Spaniards. Sir William" having thus escaped the Enemy in his ^

" Traverse at Sea, there happened, as“ there doth on all Coasts, where there“ is Plenty of Trade, divers Occasions“ of Chafes; And one Day, Sir Wil-“ Ham following one Ship, and the Ad-“ venture another, they lost Company“ for the whole Voyage.

" Si r William was informed by a ^ French-“ Ship he took , being a Frenchman, raan ta ^ en ’" which came from St. Luc ar, that the“ St. Domingo-Fleet was looked for Intelligence“ daily; which Intelligence made Sir^^™ 0 "

“ William bear up for the South Cape, mms °' eet '“ as well in Hopes to meet with them,

“ as to have News of his Fleet.

<f He was no sooner come to the“ Cape, but he was informed by some" English Ships of War, that the St.

“ Domingo -Fleet was pasted by two“ Days before ; Here he met with di-“ vers Ships of several Nations; Some“ he rescued from Pirats ; And to o-“ thers, that were in League with Her“ Majesty, he gave his safe Conduct“ for their free Passage on the Sea.

“He kept that Coast, until the ^ Willinmtwenty-sirst of 0 blob er, on which C ys( e s aGal ~“ Morning he gave Chase to a Gallion“ of the King of Spain ’s, who reco-5 G " vered