AMIAS PRESTON AND GEORGE SOMMERS ad. 



1595- 

 towne, and there communed with him. Who demanded 

 what he ment to do with the towne : he answered that 

 he meant to remaine there and keepe it; or if he did 

 depart from it he would burne it. The Spaniard then 

 demanded, what the ransome of it should be. Our 

 General required 30000 ducats. Whereunto he replied 

 that it was very much. So having had some other 

 conference together, hee shewed him that hee had bene 

 a souldier in Flanders a long time, and now was sent 

 thither by his kings commandement. Among other 

 things our General demanded of him, what the reason 

 was they had not walled the citie, being so faire a thing as 

 that was. The Spaniard replied, that hee thought it to 

 bee stronger walled than anie citie in the world, meaning, 

 by those huge & high mountains which the enemie must 

 passe over before he can approch it ; which we found very 

 true. Thus with many other faire speeches, he tooke his 

 leave for that day, and told our Generall, that he would go 

 speake with the governour : (but it might be himselfe, for 

 any thing we know) howbeit because our General had 

 granted him free comming and going, he suffred him 

 to depart : who before his departure, requested to have 

 a token of our General, that he might shew to the Gover- 

 nour how he had spoken with us, or else he doubted, that 

 he would not beleeve him. Wherupon our General gave 

 him a piece of 1 2 pence : so he departed and promised 

 the next day by ten of the clocke to returne unto us with 

 an answere : in which meane time nothing befel. The 

 next day being the 2 of June, at his houre appointed, he 

 returned with his Indian running by his horses side. So 

 he was brought to the Generall, and there remained till 

 after dinner, and dined in his company in the governours 

 house that was. The dinner ended, with the best enter- 

 tainement which could be given him, they communed 

 again about the ransome of the citie. Our General pro- 

 posed his old demand of 30000 ducats. The Spaniard 

 first proffered him 2000, then 3000, last of all 4000, and 

 more he would not give. Our General counting it a 



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