A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1588. 



[I. 602.] their fetters, the English men would have set the sayd 

 ship on fire, which Monsieur Gourdon the governor of 

 Caleis, for feare of the damage which might thereupon 

 ensue to the Towne and Haven, would not permit them 

 to do, but drave them from thence with his great 

 ordinance. 

 The great fight Upon the 29 of July in the morning, the Spanish Fleet 

 r th ^^^^~f after the foresayd tumult, having arranged themselves 

 Juh. againe into order, were, within sight of Greveling, most 



bravely and furiously encountered by the English ; where 

 they once againe got the winde of the Spaniards : who 

 suffered themselves to be deprived of the commodity of 

 the place in Caleis rode, and of the advantage of the 

 winde neere unto Dunkerk, rather then they would 

 change their array or separate their forces now conjoyned 

 and united together, standing onely upon their defence. 

 And albeit there were many excellent and warlike ships 

 in the English fleet, yet scarse were there 22 or 23 among 

 them all which matched 90 of the Spanish ships in 

 bignesse, or could conveniently assault them. Wherefore 

 the English shippes using their prerogative of nimble 

 stirrage, whereby they could turne and wield themselves 

 with the winde which way they listed, came often times 

 very neere upon the Spaniards, and charged them so sore, 

 that now and then they were but a pikes length asunder : 

 & so continually giving them one broad side after 

 another, they discharged all their shot both great and 

 small upon them, spending one whole day from morning 

 till night in that violent kinde of conflict, untill such 

 time as powder and bullets failed them. In regard of 

 which want they thought it convenient not to pursue 

 the Spaniards any longer, because they had many great 

 vantages of the English, namely for the extraordinary 

 bignesse of their ships, and also for that they were so 

 neerely conjoyned, and kept together in so good array, 

 that they could by no meanes be fought withall one 

 to one. The English thought therefore, that they had 

 right well acquited themselves, in chasing the Spaniards 



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