Albeit,
Master Wilkinson, Who, By His Long Experience, Had Received Sufficient
Trial Of Spanish Inconstancy And Perjury, Wished Him In
No case to put
his life and liberty in hazard upon a Spaniard's oath; but at last,
upon much entreaty,
He yielded to let him go to the General, thinking
indeed that good speeches and answers of reason would have contented
him, whereas, otherwise, refusal to do so might peradventure have
provoked the more discontentment.
Master Rowit, therefore, passing to the Spanish General, the rest of
the galleys, having espied him, thought, indeed, that the English were
rather determined to yield than to fight, and therefore came flocking
about the frigate, every man crying out, "Que nuevas? que nuevas? Have
these Englishmen yielded?" The frigate answered, "Not so; they neither
have nor purpose to yield. Only they have sent a man of their company
to speak with our General." And being come to the galley wherein he
was, he showed himself to Master Rowit in his armour, his guard of
soldiers attending upon him, in armour also, and began to speak very
proudly in this sort: "Thou Englishman, from whence is your fleet?
Why stand ye aloof off? know ye not your duty to the Catholic king,
whose person I here represent? Where are your bills of lading, your
letters, passports, and the chief of your men? Think ye my attendance
in these seas to be in vain, or my person to no purpose? Let all these
things be done out of hand, as I command, upon pain of my further
displeasure, and the spoil of you all." These words of the Spanish
General were not so outrageously pronounced, as they were mildly
answered by Master Rowit, who told him that they were all merchantmen,
using traffic in honest sort, and seeking to pass quietly, if they were
not urged further than reason. As for the King of Spain, he thought
(for his part) that there was amity betwixt him and his Sovereign, the
Queen of England, so that neither he nor his officers should go about
to offer any such injury to English merchants, who, as they were far
from giving offence to any man, so they would be loth to take an abuse
at the hands of any, or sit down to their loss, where their ability was
able to make defence. And as touching his commandment aforesaid for
the acknowledging of duty in such particular sort, he told him that,
where there was no duty owing there none should be performed, assuring
him that their whole company and ships in general stood resolutely upon
the negative, and would not yield to any such unreasonable demand,
joined with such imperious and absolute manner of commanding. "Why,
then," said he, "if they will neither come to yield, nor show obedience
to me in the name of my king, I will either sink them or bring them to
harbour; and so tell them from me." With that the frigate came away
with Master Rowit, and brought him aboard to the English Admiral again,
according to promise, who was no sooner entered in but by-and-bye
defiance was sounded on both sides. The Spaniards hewed off the noses
of the galleys, that nothing might hinder the level of the shot; and
the English, on the other side, courageously prepared themselves to the
combat, every man, according to his room, bent to perform his office
with alacrity and diligence. In the meantime a cannon was discharged
from out the Admiral of the galleys, which, being the onset of the
fight, was presently answered by the English Admiral with a culverin;
so the skirmish began, and grew hot and terrible. There was no powder
nor shot spared, each English ship matched itself in good order against
two Spanish galleys, besides the inequality of the frigates on the
Spanish side. And although our men performed their parts with singular
valour, according to their strength, insomuch that the enemy, as amazed
therewith, would oftentimes pause and stay, and consult what was best
to be done, yet they ceased not in the midst of their business to make
prayer to Almighty God, the revenger of all evils and the giver of
victories, that it would please Him to assist them in this good quarrel
of theirs, in defending themselves against so proud a tyrant, to teach
their hands to war and their fingers to fight, that the glory of the
victory might redound to His name, and to the honour of true religion,
which the insolent enemy sought so much to overthrow. Contrarily, the
foolish Spaniards, they cried out, according to their manner, not to
God, but to our Lady (as they term the Virgin Mary) saying, "Oh, Lady,
help! Oh, blessed Lady, give us the victory, and the honour thereof
shall be thine." Thus with blows and prayers on both sides, the fight
continued furious and sharp, and doubtful a long time to which part the
victory would incline, till at last the Admiral of the galleys of
Sicily began to warp from the fight, and to hold up her side for fear
of sinking, and after her went also two others in like case, whom all
the sort of them enclosed, labouring by all their means to keep them
above water, being ready by the force of English shot which they had
received to perish in the seas. And what slaughter was done among the
Spaniards the English were uncertain, but by a probable conjecture
apparent afar off they supposed their loss was so great that they
wanted men to continue the charging of their pieces; whereupon with
shame and dishonour, after five hours spent in the battle, they
withdrew themselves. And the English, contented in respect of their
deep lading rather to continue their voyage than to follow in the
chase, ceased from further blows, with the loss of only two men slain
amongst them all, and another hurt in his arm, whom Master Wilkinson,
with his good words and friendly promises, did so comfort that he
nothing esteemed the smart of his wound, in respect of the honour of
the victory and the shameful repulse of the enemy.
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