THE ESCAPE OF THE 'PRIMROSE 



A.D. 

 1585. 



The escape of the Primrose a tall ship of London, 

 from before the towne of Bilbao in Biscay : 

 which ship the Corrigidor of the same Pro- 

 vince, accompanied with 97 Spaniards, offered 

 violently to arrest, and was defeated of his 

 purpose, and brought prisoner into England. 



Whereunto is added the Kings Commission for a generall 

 imbargment or arrest of all English, Netherlandish, 

 and Easterlings ships, written in Barcelona the 19 

 of May 1585. 



T is not unknowen unto the world what 



danger our English shippes have lately 

 escaped, how sharpely they have beene 

 intreated, and howe hardly they have 

 beene assaulted : so that the valiancie of 

 those that mannaged them is worthy 

 remembrance. And therefore in respect 

 of the couragious attempt and valiant enterprise of the 

 ship called the Primrose of London, which hath obteined 

 renowne, I have taken in hande to publish the trueth 

 thereof, to the intent that it may be generally knowen 

 to the rest of the English ships, that by the good 

 example of this the rest may in time of extremitie ad- 

 venture to doe the like : to the honour of the Realme, 

 and the perpetuall remembrance of themselves : The 

 maner whereof was as folio weth. 



UPon Wednesday being the sixe and twentieth day 

 of May 1585, the shippe called the Primrose being 

 of one hundred and fiftie tunnes, lying without the bay 

 of Bilbao, having beene there- two dayes, there came a 

 Spanish pinnesse to them, wherein was the Corrigidor 

 and sixe others with him : these came aboord the Prim- 

 rose, seeming to be Marchantes of Biscay, or such like, 

 bringing Cherries with them, and spake very friendly 

 to the Maister of the ship, whose name was Foster, and 



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