AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1596- 



having with them some of ye ships of London, and some 

 of the Dutch squadron of reasonable burthen, should 

 leade the dance, & give the onset, and that the two most 

 noble Lords generall with some others of their companies, 

 should in their convenient time & order, second the 

 maine battell. The fight being begunne and growen very 

 hot, the L. Generall the Earle of Essex, (whose infinite 

 princely vertues, with triumphant fame, deserve to be 

 immortalized) being on Port S. Mary side, upon a 

 sudden & unlooked for of others, thrust himselfe among 

 the formost into the maine battell. The other most 

 honorable L. Generall (whose singular vertues in all 

 respects are of such an excellencie & perfection, as neither 

 can my praise in any part increase them, nor any mans 

 envy any whit blemish or diminish them) understanding, 

 the most noble Earle to be in fight among them, & 

 perceiving by the M. of his ship, the Arke royall, that 

 for lacke of water, it was not possible, that he might put 

 any neerer, without farther delay, called presently for his 

 Pynnesse, and in the same Pynnesse put himselfe, and 

 his honorable son L. William Howard that now is, 

 aboord the Honor de la mer, & there remained in the 

 fight till the battell was ended. The fight was very 

 terrible, and most hideous to the beholder by the con- 

 tinuall discharging of those roaring thundering great 

 peeces, on all sides, and so continued doubtful till about 

 one or two of the clocke in the afternoone : about which 

 time the Philip, whom in very truth, they had all most 

 fancie unto, began to yeeld and give over, her men that 

 remained alive shifting for themselves as they were able, 

 and swimming and running a shoare with all the hast 

 that they could possibly, & therewithall, at the very same 

 instant themselves fired their ship, and so left her, & 

 presently thereupon a great Argosie, with an other 

 mighty great ship, fired themselves in ye like maner. 

 Immediatly hereupon, the residue of the ships, ran them- 



[I. 612] selves on ground, as farre from us as they could, and 

 therby purchased their owne safety, or rather breathing 



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