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bastard son of King Philip, of twenty-eight years of age in this fleet in the ship with the duke, called the Prince of Ascule in Italy, who passed from them in a pinnace about Calais, as he took it.

By other advertisements of the fourteenth of September, it is certified to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, from the earl of Tyrone, being at his castle of Dongannon, that, upon intelligence brought to him of the landing of certain Spaniards in the north of Ireland, he sent two English captains with their bands towards them, to the number of onehundred and fifty; who found them at Sir John Odoghertie's town, called Illagh, and there, discovering their number to be above sixhundred, did that night incamp within a musket-shot of them, and, about midnight, did skirmish with them for the space of two hours, in which skirmish the Spanish lieutenant of the field and twenty more of the Spaniards were slain, besides many that were hurt.

The next day following they did offer skirmish again to the Spaniards, whereupon they all yielded, and so, as prisoners, were carried to Dongannon to the Earl, who meant to send them to the Lord Deputy, being judged to be men of good value, and one thought to be a man that hath had some great charge and conduct of men for many years, whereof the Lord Deputy will give knowledge, as soon as they shall be brought to Dublin.

There may be some errors in the Spanish names in English, because the same are written by way of interpretation, but there is no error in the numbering of the persons that are either dead or alive. Sept. 26, 1588.

Ships and men sunk, drowned, killed, and taken upon the Coast of Ireland, in the month of September, 1588.

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Before the Loss of the aforesaid seventeen Ships in Ireland, there perished, in July and August, fifteen other great Ships in the Fight betwixt the English and Spanish Navies in the narrow seas of England.

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Before Calais, spoiled the prin

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cipal galliass of Naples

In the conflict was sunk a great

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Biscayan

These two forced into

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Total of both these losses 32-10185 men, whereof there are

Besides many ships not

yet heard of, thought

to be lost.

prisoners in England and Zeland at least -1000, besides a great multitude of men not here accounted, that were slain in the fight, and that have died of famine, as by the examinations aforesaid ap peareth.

THE COPY OF

A LETTER SENT OUT OF ENGLAND

ΤΟ

DON BERNARDIN MENDOZA,

AMBASSADOR IN FRANCE for the KING OF SPAIN,

DECLARING THE

STATE OF ENGLAND,

Contrary to the Opinion of Don Bernardin, and of all his Partisans, Spaniards and others;

Found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh, a Seminary Priest, who was lately executed for high-treason;

WITH AN APPENDIX.

Imprinted at London, by J. Vautrollier, for Richard Field, MDLXXXVIII.

In this letter we not only find a confirmation of the foregoing history; but we also learn the sentiments of our enemies concerning the most likely methods to enslave us, and the only means to preserve our present establishment. The Author, a Papist, and in the Spanish interest, informs the King of Spain, that the hopes of a foreign invasion did not only depend on a large army to be transported, but on a strong party ready in England to join the foreign forces at their landing.

He advises to act more politically than by excommunication of the prince, and the Pope's usurped power to absolve subjects from their allegiance, and to dispose of kingdoms by violence, blood, slaughter, and conquest; as also to conceal their intentions, till the time came of striking the blow effectually. For, says he, when these things were published without reserve, the Queen endeavoured to strengthen her kingdom. The militia of the inland-towns provided for their own safety, and the places on the coast, where a landing might be suspected, were well guarded. Besides, every nobleman, kuight, and gentleman of fortune immediately took the alarum, and thought it time to provide for their own and the publick safety, by arming their servants and dependents. He shews the error of the Popish states, who confide on the numbers of those that profess popery in England; and clears the laws of the land from the imputation of punishing any priest, or Jesuit, or other recusant for his religion only. He blames and explodes those lying accounts published in France, of victories gained over us when we at the same time have intirely routed the enemy; yet this, as well as many other of their stale politicks, is constantly practised in the same place. And then dissuades them from the like attempt, and proposes the best means to maintain popery in England.

MY Lord Ambassador, though at the time of my last large writing

to you of the state of this country, and of our long desired expectation of succours promised, I did not think to have had such a sorrowful occasion of any second writing, as now I have, of a lamentable change

of matters of estate here: yet I cannot forbear (though it be with as many sighs as lines) to advertise you of the truth of our miserable condition, as now to me and others of our party the same appeareth to be; that by comparing of all things past in hope, with the present now in despair, your lordship, who have had the principal managing, hitherto, of all our causes of long time, both here and there in France, betwixt the Catholick King, assisted with the potentates of the holy league, and all our countrymen which have professed obedience to the church of Rome, may now fall into some new and better consideration, how our state, both for our selves at home, and our brethren abroad, now at this present fallen, as it were, into utter despair, may be revived and restored to some new hope, with better assurance of success, than hath happened hitherto. For which purpose I have thought it necessary to advertise you in what terms this country now standeth, far otherwise than, of late, both we at home, and others abroad, did make account of.

You know, how we have depended in firm hope of a change of the state of this country, by the means of the devout and earnest incitations of the Pope's Holiness, and the Catholick King, and of other potentates of the holy league*, to take upon them the invasion and conquest of this realm; and, by your assurances and firm promises, we werè now of a long season past persuaded, that the Catholick King had taken upon him the same glorious act, and thereof, from year to year, we looked for the execution, being continually fed and nourished from you to continue our hope, and sundry times solicited by your earnest requests, and persuasions, to encourage our party at home not to waver, as many were disposed, by sight of continual delays, but to be ready to join with the outward forces that should come for this invasion. Nevertheless, the delays and prolongations of times appointed for the coming of the King's forces, especially by sea, have been so many, as, until this last spring, we were in despair; at what time you advertised us with great assurance, that all the King's preparations, which had been in making ready these three or four years together, were now in full perfection, and without fail would this summer come into our seas with such mighty strength, as no navy of England, or of Christendom. could resist or abide their force; and for more surety, and for avoiding of ali doubts, to make the intended conquest sure, the same should also have joined to it the mighty army, which the Duke of Parma + had made ready, and kept in readiness in the Low Countries all this year past, wherewith he should land, and so, both by sea and land, this realm should be invaded, and a speedy conquest made thereof, to the which were always added sundry reasons; whereupon was gathered, that, neither by sea nor by land, there would be any great resistance found here, but a strong party in this realm to join with the foreign force. For otherwise than with such helps, to be assuredly had from hence, I know, it was always doubted, that no foreign force could

So called by the Papists, because combined to destroy all Protestants.

+ The King of Spain's General.

prevail against this realm, being, as it is, environed by sea, and notably replenished with more mighty and stronger people than any country in christendom. But with the hope of the landing of these great armies, and our assistance in taking part, we here continued all this year past in assured hope of a full victory, until this last month. But, alas! and with a deadly sorrow, we must all, at home and abroad, lament our sudden fall, from an immeasurable high joy, to an unmeasurable deep despair; and that so hastily fallen out, as, I may say, we have seen in the space of eight or nine days, in this last month of July, which was from the appearance of the catholick great navy upon the coast of England, until it was forced to fly from the coast of Flanders near Calais, towards the unknown parts of the cold north, all our hopes, all our buildings, as it now appeareth but upon an imagined conquest, utterly overthrown, and, as it were, with an earthquake, all our castles of comfort brought to the ground, which now, it seemeth, were builded but in the air, or upon waves of the sea; for they are all perished, all vanished away from our thoughts.

And herewith I am astonished what I may best think of such a work, so long time in framing, to be so suddenly overthrown, as by no reason could proceed of men, or of any earthly power, but only of God. And if so it be (as no body can otherwise impute this late change and fall from our expected fortune, but to God Almighty) then surely our case is either dangerous or doubtful how to judge thereof, whether we have been these many years in the right or not. For I do find, and know, that many good and wise men, which of long time have secretly continued in most earnest devotion to the Pope's authority, begin now to stagger in their minds, and to conceive that this way of reformation intended by the Pope's holiness is not allowable in the sight of God, by leaving the ancient course of the church by excommunication, which was the exercise of the spiritual sword, and in place thereof to take the temporal sword, and put it into a monarch's hand to invade this realm with force and arms, yea to destroy the queen thereof, and all her people addicted to her; which are in very truth now seen, by great proof this year, to be in a sort infinite, and invincible, so as some begin to say that this purpose by violence, by blood, by slaughter, and by conquest, agreeth not with Christ's doctrine, nor the doctrine of St. Peter, or St. Paul. And to tell your lordship truly, I find presently a great number of wise and devout people, though they continue in their former religion, yet do they secretly condemn this intended reformation by blood and force. Insomuch that I heard a good divine alledge a text out of St. Gregory in these words, Quid de Episcopis, qui Verberibus timeri volunt, Canones dicunt, bené Paternitas vestra novit, Pastores sumus non Percussores, Nova enim est Prædicatio quæ Verberibus exigit fidem. This sentence I obtained of him, because it seemeth to be charitably written. But, leaving this authority among doctors, I must needs say that, in very truth, no one thing hath done at this time more hurt to the action, than the untimely hasty publishing abroad

What say the Canons of those Bishops, who would force themselves to be feared, you know right well: we are shepherds, and not strikers. For it is a new way of preaching, that would convert us by blood and force.

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