AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1596. 



by the way of traffick & Marchandise, and so con- 

 fiscated their goods, but also imprisoned the Marchants 

 and Owners of the same, and, as the report goeth, 

 did intreat many of them with extreame cruelty there- 

 upon. 



In the meane while the very next day being the two 

 and twenty day of June, all the Spanish shippes which 

 were left on ground in the Bay of Cadiz, where the great 

 overthrowe had beene but the day before, were by the 

 Spaniards themselves there set on fire, and so from that 

 time forward they never left burning of them, till every 

 [I. 614.] one of them, goods and all, as farre as wee know were 

 burnt and consumed. This their doing was much 

 marvelled at of us, and so much the more, for that, as 

 I sayd before, there had bene made some offer for the 

 redemption and saving of the goods, and it was not 

 to them unknowen that this their offer was not misliked, 

 but in all probabilitie should have bene accepted. The 

 common opinion was, that this was done either by the 

 appointment of the Duke de Medina Sidonia, or els 

 by expresse commandement from the higher powers. 



Not long after the same time (three dayes as I 

 remember) the gallies that were runne on ground, did 

 quitte themselves also out of that place, and by the 

 bridge of the Hand called Puente de Sua^o, made their 

 way round about the same Hand, and so by putting 

 themselves to the maine sea, escaped to a towne called 

 Rotta, not farre off, but something up towards the 

 Towne of Saint Lucars, and there purchased their safety 

 by that meanes. 



Thus was this notable victorie, as well by sea as by 

 land, both begunne and in effect perfourmed, within the 

 compasse, in a maner, of fourteene houres: A thing in 

 trueth so strange and admirable, as in my judgement will 

 rather bee wondered at then beleeved of posteritie. And 

 if ever any notable exploit in any age was comparable 

 to Caesars Veni, Vidi, Vici, certainely in my poore 

 opinion it was this. 



254 



