a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1591. 



fleet having shrouded their approch by reason of the 

 Island ; were now so soone at hand, as our shippes had 

 scarce time to way their anchors, but some of them were 

 driven to let slippe their Cables and set saile. Sir Richard 

 Grinvile was the last that wayed, to recover the men that 

 were upon the Island, which otherwise had bene lost. 

 The L. Thomas with the rest very hardly recovered the 

 winde, which Sir Richard Grinvile not being able to doe, 

 [II. ii. 171.] was perswaded by the Master and others to cut his maine 

 sayle, and cast about, and to trust to the sayling of the 

 ship ; for the squadron of Sivil were on his weather bow. 

 But Sir Richard utterly refused to turne from the enemie, 

 alleaging that hee would rather choose to die, then to 

 dishonour himselfe, his countrey, and her Majesties 

 shippe, perswading his companie that hee would passe 

 through the two squadrons, in despight of them, and 

 enforce those of Sivil to give him way. Which hee 

 performed upon divers of the formost, who, as the 

 Mariners terme it, sprang their luffe, and fell under the 

 lee of the Revenge. But the other course had beene 

 the better, and might right well have bene answered in 

 so great an impossibility of prevaling. Notwithstanding 

 out of the greatnesse of his minde, he could not be 

 perswaded. In the meane while as hee attended those 

 which were nearest him, the great San Philip being in 

 the winde of him, and comming towards him, becalmed 

 his sailes in such sort, as the shippe could neither make 

 way, nor feele the helme : so huge and high carged was 

 the Spanish ship, being of a thousand and five hundreth 

 tuns. Who after layd the Revenge aboord. When he 

 was thus bereft of his sailes, the ships that were under 

 his lee luffing up, also layd him aboord : of which the 

 next was the Admiral of the Biscaines, a very mighty and 

 puissant shippe commanded by Brittandona. The sayd 

 Philip carried three tire of ordinance on a side, and eleven 

 pieces in every tire. She shot eight forth right out of 

 her chase, besides those of her sterne ports. 



After the Revenge was entangled with this Philip, 



42 



