The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 7 | Page 6

so much is the iourney to be preferred before
those defensiue wars. For had the duke of Parma his turne bene to
defend, as it was his good fortune to inuade: from whence could haue
proceeded that glorious honor which these late warres haue laid vpon
him, or what could haue bene said more of him, then of a Respondent
(though neuer so valiant) in a priuate Duell: Euen, that he hath done no
more then by his honor he was tied vnto. For the gaine of one towne or
any small defeat giueth more renoume to the Assailant, then the
defence of a countrey, or the withstanding of twentie encounters can
yeeld any man who is bound by his place to guard the same: whereof as
well the particulars of our age, especially in the Spaniard, as the reports
of former histories may assure us, which haue still laied the fame of all
warres vpon the Inuader. And do not ours in these dayes liue obscured
in Flanders, either not hauing wherewithall to manage any warre, or not
putting on armes, but to defend themselues when the enemie shall
procure them? Whereas in this short time of our aduenture, we haue
won a towne by escalade, battered and assaulted another, ouerthrowen
a mightie princes power in the field, landed our armie in 3 seueral

places of his kingdom, marched 7 dayes in the heart of his country, lien
three nights in the suburbs of his principall citie, beaten his forces into
the gates thereof, and possessed two of his frontier forts, as shall in
discourse thereof more particularly appeare: whereby I conclude, that
going with an Inuader, and in such an action as euery day giueth new
experience, I haue much to vaunt of, that my fortune did rather cary me
thither then into the wars of Flanders. Notwithstanding the vehement
perswasions you vsed with me to the contrary, the grounds whereof
sithence you receiued them from others, you must giue me leaue to
acquaint you with the error you were led into by them, who labouring
to bring the world into an opinion that it stood more with the safetie of
our estate to bend all our forces against the prince of Parma, then to
folow this action by looking into the true effects of this journey, will
iudicially conuince themselues of mistaking the matter. For, may the
conquest of these countries against the prince of Parma be thought
more easie for vs alone now, then the defence of them was 11 yeeres
ago, with the men and money of the Queene of England? the power of
the Monsieur of France? the assistance of the principal states of
Germanie? and the nobilitie of their owne country? Could not an armie
of more then 20000 horse, and almost 30000 foot, beat Don Iohn de
Austria out of the countrey, who was possessed of a very few frontier
townes? and shall it now be laid vpon her maiesties shoulders to
remoue so mightie an enemie, who hath left vs but 3 whole parts of 17
vnconquered? It is not a iourney of a few moneths, nor an auxiliarie
warre of fewe yeeres that can damnifie the king of Spaine in those
places where we shall meet at euery 8 or 10 miles end with a towne,
which will cost more the winning then will yeerely pay 4 or 5 thousand
mens wages, where all the countrey is quartered by riuers which haue
no passage vnfortified, and where most of the best souldiers of
Christendom that be on our aduerse party be in pension. But our armie,
which hath not cost her maiestie much aboue the third part of one yeres
expenses in the Low countries, hath already spoiled a great part of the
prouision he had made at the Groine of all sortes, for a new voyage into
England; burnt 3 of his ships, whereof one was the second in the last
yeres expedition called S. Iuan de Colorado, taken from him aboue 150
pieces of good artillerie; cut off more then 60 hulks and 20 French
ships wel manned fit and readie to serue him for men of war against vs,

laden for his store with corne, victuals, masts, cables, and other
marchandizes; slaine and taken the principal men of war he had in
Galitia; made Don Pedro Enriques de Gusman, Conde de Fuentes,
Generall of his forces in Portugall, shamefully run at Peniche; laid
along of his best Commanders in Lisbon; and by these few aduentures
discouered how easily her maiestie may without any great aduenture in
short time pull the Tirant of the world vpon his knees, as wel by the
disquieting his vsurpation of Portugall as without difficultie in keeping
the commoditie of his Indies from him, by