. XXIII, from the I, of James I, to the Revolution. 487

Shipping enough to set on them, and bat-ter the Fort too; (x) And that, tho’ hisLordship conceived, and said, he hadthe Shipping sure; Yet the longer hedeferred, they would be so much lessworth the having; But all prevailed not.This Day, some Time after Sir John5 Burgh was landed, his Lordlhip gaveLeave to all that desired it, to land,without naming what Colonels, or chiefOfficers, to go with them ; And then a-bout two or three Thousand Men morelanded, (y)

The twenty-fourth, my Lord Mar-jhal gave Order for the landing the Restof the Army, which was effected, saveabout ten or eleven Companies of theRear Admiral’s Squadron, which couldnot conveniently land, they being so faroff. This Order was given, without

calling Council in general, or Advice of 1625.

any of us in particular, (z) Neitherthose who were landed this Day, northe Night before, had any Order totake Victuals with them, which was ne-cessary, the Victuals being in the Pow-er or Pursers of Ships, over whomthe Land-Officers had no Command.

(a)

The Army being landed, and the Council B fRegiments drawn together, my Lord arcalled -Marshal called a Council of War,withinthe Fort of Bunt al, at which Time, be-fore any Thing was proposed, one ofthe Seamen of the Council came, andsaid, the Enemy was drawn down, andwas in Skirmish with Colonel Burgh,who had drawn some Troops nearer theTown, to view certain Gardens, wherehe thought some of the Enemy were,

6 H and

(ac) They that fay so are much mistaken; ForI was fain to take my Barge, to draw up moreShips to batter the Fort, and could not get e-nough; And many of the King’s Ships were a-ground, which was the Cause we were so longupon Puntal.

(y) The Serjeant-Major-General can witnessthe contrary; For I gave Order to Sir John Burgh,to command in Chief, and to Sir John Gibson , andSerjeant-Major Fry ar, as good Officers as were inthe whole Army, and sufficient for the Troopsthat were landed, ’till I came myself, which wasnot long after.

(z) I thought it not very needful, both be-cause Haste was required to empty the Ships ofthe Landmen, to be the readier to undertake theEnemy’s Shipping, and because, for Want ofLong-boats, we spent much Time, and had muchTrouble to land our Men; So that, if one shoulddo nothing but call unnecessary Councils, when aMan is in Action, one would hinder another. Butwhat I did, I spoke openly, and gave my Rea-sons ; And if I could have heard any Man to havegiven a better Reason, or opposed it, then wouldI have called a Council: For I did imagine he thatwas a good Subject would speak for the Serviceof His Majesty, and not study to spy out Errorsin a Chief, and so neglect His Majesty’s Service,to betray him when he came home : It is a Signhe went out with no good Intent to do His Maje-sty Service ; For he that desires to do his best,will not think of his own particular Ends, but ofGod, his King, and his Country.

(a) And for the Want of Victuals, I believe,there was never so good a Commodity, and(I think) a more particular and general Order,than was for those Troops. First, as the Acts ofCouncil will shew; Then, that there was somuch landed, that much of it was brought backagain; as Captain Bruce, Captain Skipiuorth, andmany other Sea-Captains can witness; Altho' onewould have thought that Men who had Victualsby them, and such Means of Knapsacks as theyhad, for no other Purpose; That very Naturewould have taught them, not to depart out oftheir Ships, without taking Victuals with them.And Sir John Burgh did deliver before your Lord-ships (if I mistake not) that his Soldiers wouldhave t aken some Victuals with them, but he toldthem, that if they died they were provided for,

if they lived, they should not be se far from theirShips: If Soldiers do desire it, what Fault is therein the Officers that would not provide for them ?

I am sure, I saw many Officers provide for them-selves, who, if they will be negligent, and thinkof nothing, but lay all Trouble and Blame upontheir Chief; And when they have Meat in theirHands, they will not put it into their Mouths,without Order, what should one do in such aCase ? I dare say, that most of the Officers, whowere careful, had Victuals, as my Lord Duke’sRegiment, and my own, and some others ; Andjf I shall take a general Care, and a particularCare, and yet be complained of, I must think, thatthey who did neglect providing for their Soldiers,did it on Purpose to slander me; Whereas I hadgiven a general Order, that all Soldiers shouldcarry Meat in their Knapsacks, when they shouldland in any Place whatsoever. Those voluntaryGentlemen, who went with me on Land, can wit-ness, as likewise all my Servants, yea my veryChaplain himself carried his Knapsack ; So that Inot only gave Order, but observed my own Or-der, and performed it by Example. And I, whohave lived these thirty Years in the Wars, did ne-ver know, that upon a Guard for four and twentyHours, or more, that the General gave Ordersfor Victuals, or did ever provide Knapsacks,which I would not have done, nor never did, butamong raw Soldiers, and upon the Coast of Spain.But when it has been for four or five Days, wherethere has been no Possibility of getting Victuals,then there has been Order given; But never whereVictuals were to be got; And if Captains do nottake Care for any Thing, nor the Colonels forsuch Things as are necessary, must the General besuch a Slave to do all, and others nothing butconsult how to slander him ? And because theydaily and hourly sit in Council against one, istherefore the Cause or Manner good ? I am boldto speak now more plainly, than I did in my for-mer : Which made me ask your Lordships Leave,to break loose from the Stake; For I hadbeen baitedlong enough; And when I heard of a Journal,compounded of Land-men and Sea-men together,against their Chief, I saw it was particular Malice,they no Ways proving, that I had done them anyWrong; But making a Catalogue of my Errors,which I confess are many : But God has not giv-en any of them the Grace to find them out.