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

sending an army so
accomplished, as may not be subiect to those extremities which we
haue endured: except he draw, for those defences, his forces out of the
Low countries and disfurnish his garisons of Naples and Milan, which
with safetie of those places he may not do. And yet by this meane he
shall rather be enforced therevnto, then by any force that can be vsed
there against him: wherefore I directly conclude that this proceeding is
the most safe and necessary way to be held against him, and therefore
more importing then the war in the Low countries. Yet hath the iourney
(I know) bene much misliked by some, who either thinking too
worthily of the Spaniards valure, too indifferently of his purposes
against vs, or too vnworthily of them that vndertooke this iourney
against him, did thinke it a thing dangerous to encounter the Spaniard
at his owne home, a thing needlesse to proceed by inuasion against him,
a thing of too great moment for two subjects of their qualitie to
vndertake: And therefore did not so aduance the beginnings as though
they hoped for any good successe therof.
The chances of wars be things most vncertaine: for what people soeuer
vndertake them, they are in deed as chastisements appointed by God for
the one side or the other. For which purpose it hath pleased him to giue
some victories to the Spaniards of late yeeres against some whom he
had in purpose to ruine. But if we consider what wars they be that haue
made their name so terrible, we shal find them to haue bin none other
then against the barbarous Moores, the naked Indians, and the vnarmed
Netherlanders, whose yeelding rather to the name then act of the
Spaniards, hath put them into such a conceit of their mightines, as they
haue considerately vndertaken the conquest of our monarchie,
consisting of a people vnited and always held sufficiently warlike:
against whom what successe their inuincible army had the last yeere, as

our very children can witness, so I doubt not but this voiage hath
sufficiently made knowen what they are euen vpon their owne dunghill,
which, had it bene set out in such sort as it was agreed vpon by their
first demaund, it might haue made our nation the most glorious people
of the world. For hath not the want of 8 of the 12 pieces of artillerie,
which were promised vnto the Aduenture, lost her maiestie the
possession of the Groine and many other places, as hereafter shall
appeare, whose defensible rampires were greater then our batterie (such
as it was) cold force: and therefore were left vnattempted?
It was also resolued to haue sent 600 English horses of the Low
countries, whereof we had not one, notwithstanding the great charges
expended in their transportation hither: and that may the army
assembled at Puente de Burgos thanke God of, as well as the forces of
Portugall, who foreran vs 6 daies together: Did we not want 7 of the l3
old Companies, which we should haue had from thence; foure of the 10
Dutch Companies; and 6 of their men of war for the sea, from the
Hollanders: which I may iustly say we wanted, in that we might haue
had so many good souldiers, so many good ships, and so many able
bodies more then we had?
Did there not vpon the first thinking of the iourney diuers gallant
Courtiers put in their names for aduenturers to the summe of 10000 li.
who seeing it went forward in good earnest, aduised themselues better,
and laid the want of so much money vpon the iourney?
Was there not moreouer a rounde summe of the aduenture spent in
leuying, furnishing, and maintaining 3 moneths 1500 men for the
seruice of Berghen, with which Companies the Mutinies of Ostend
were suppressed, a seruice of no smal moment?
What misery the detracting of the time of our setting out, which should
haue bene the 1 of February, did lay vpon vs, too many can witnes: and
what extremitie the want of that moneths victuals which we did eat,
during the moneth we lay at Plimouth for a wind, might haue driuen vs
vnto, no man can doubt of, that knoweth what men do liue by, had not
God giuen vs in the ende a more prosperous wind and shorter passage
into Galitia then hath bene often seen, where our owne force and
fortune reuictualled vs largely: of which crosse windes, that held vs two
dayes after our going out, the Generals being wearie, thrust to Sea in
the same, wisely chusing rather to attend the change thereof there, then

by being in harborough to lose any part of the better, when it should
come by hauing their