A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1596. 



his small prayse) that we Englishmen must of force 

 confesse, that the Generall hath given a proud onset to 

 Carrie the whetstone from Sennor Bernaldino de Men- 

 doza : neither will the hundred and fortie men and 

 fifteene noble Captaines (which he saith he did take, 

 of whom he might have bene rightly informed of their 

 Generals name) acquit him of lying forgerie, for giving 

 the name of Quebraran to the English Generall. As 

 for the good shippe well manned, which he saith the 

 English left them after the fight, I am perswaded he 

 hath no man to witnesse that lie, for the ship was sepa- 

 rated by weather from the English fleete in the night, 

 thirteene dayes before the fight with the Spanish Navie, 

 and never to any mans knowledge came more in sight 

 The Generall of the English fleete. If the Spanish ship by chance 

 maketh great ^^^ take the saide well manned ship (as they call her) 

 bragsin taking j ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^. ^^^^ ^j^^ ^-^ ^^^ hundred and 



a dtstressed . 



ship which is fi^^ty men, and the fifteene noble Captaines to shew : 

 supposed not to But evermore 1 gesse the Spanish reckoning will fall 

 strike one short when it is examined, for the fifteene noble Cap- 

 ^'^' , taines will proove, (as I take it) but three, whose losse 

 Captaines ^ grieve to thinke on : Neither did the Spaniards gaine 

 contrary to the them by valour, or we loose or leave them for cow- 

 Generals lying ardise, as most untruely this bragging Her hath certified. 

 occupation, g^^. ^j^g Generall like a provident man, to make his 

 Ihree ^ fame and credite the greater with his Prince and coun- 



trey, taketh upon him (amongst other his miracles per- 

 formed before the English fleete) by way of amplification 

 to make small matters seeme great, as a little shooe to 

 serve a great foote, and finding that it can hardly be 

 brought to passe, he doth so stretch the leather with 

 his teeth that it is readie to breake : and yet notwith- 

 standing al this will not serve his purpose ; for the 

 printing of the letter doth marre the play, and bringeth 

 such matter in question, as the Generall doth wish 

 might be concealed, and were he not of so drie and 

 cholerick a complexion, as commonly Spaniards are, he 

 would blush for very shame in publishing so impudently 



260 



