A.D. 



1596. 



Don Bernal- 

 dino doth lie 

 impudently. 



The successe 



of the kings 



Jive Frigats. 



[III. 594.] 



The certaine 

 cause whereof 

 sir Francis 

 Drake died. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Secondly, The Generall doth write unto the Doctor, 

 that Francis Drake died for very griefe that he 

 had lost so many barkes and men. 



A Thing very strange that the Generall or the 

 Indian whom hee doth vouch for his lie, should 

 have such speculation in the bodie of him whom 

 they never saw, as to deliver for truth unto his countrie, 

 the very cause or disease whereof hee died : and this 

 second report of his is more grosse then the first. For 

 admit the mistaking of the place might be tollerable ; 

 notwithstanding, this precise affirming the cause of his 

 death doth manifestly proove that the Generall doth 

 make no conscience to lie. And as concerning the 

 losse of any Barkes or men in our Navie, by the 

 valour of the Spaniard before Sir Francis Drake his 

 death, we had none (one small pinnesse excepted) which 

 we assuredly know was taken by chance, falling single 

 into a fleete of five Frigates (of which was Generall 

 Don Pedro Telio) neere unto the Hand of Dominica, 

 and not by the valour of Don Bernaldino : the which 

 five Frigates of the kings afterwardes had but ill successe, 

 for one of them we burnt in the harbour of S. Juan 

 de Puerto rico, and one other was sunke in the same 

 harbour, and the other three were burnt amongst many 

 other shippes at the taking of Cadiz. This I thinke 

 in wise mens judgements, will seeme a silly cause to 

 make a man sorrowe to death. For true it is, sir 

 Francis Drake died of the fluxe which hee had growen 

 upon him eight dayes before his death, and yeelded 

 up his spirit like a Christian to his creatour quietly in 

 his cabbin. And when the Generall shall survey his 

 losse, he shall finde it more then the losse of the 

 English, and the most of his, destroyed by the bullet : 

 but the death of Sir Francis Drake was of so great 

 comfort unto the Spaniard, that it was thought to be 

 a sufficient amendes, although their whole fleete had 

 beene utterly lost. 



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