THE ESCAPE OF THE < PRIMROSE ' a.d. 



1585. 



Whereat the Maister was amazed, and his men greatly 

 discomfited to see themselves readie to be conveyed even 

 to the slaughter: notwithstanding some of them re- 

 specting the daunger of the Maister, and seeing how 

 with themselves there was no way but present death 

 if they were once landed among the Spaniards, they re- 

 solved themselves eyther to defend the Maister, and 

 generally to shunne that daunger, or else to die and be 

 buried in the middest of the sea, rather then to suffer 

 themselves to come into the tormentors hands : and 

 therefore in very bold and manly sort some tooke them 

 to their javelings, lances, bore-speares, and shot, which 

 they had set in readinesse before, and having five 

 Calievers readie charged, which was all the small shot 

 they had, those that were under the hatches or the grate 

 did shoote up at the Spaniards that were over their 

 heads, which shot so amazed the Spaniards on the sud- 

 daine, as they could hardly tell which way to escape 

 the daunger, fearing this their small shot to be of greater 

 number then it was : others in very manlike sort dealt 

 about among them, shewing themselves of that courage 

 with bore-speares and lances, that they dismayed at 

 every stroke two or three Spaniards. Then some of 

 them desired the Maister to commaund his men to cease 

 and holde their handes, but hee answered that such was 

 the courage of the English Nation in defence of their 

 owne lives, that they would slay them and him also : and 

 therefore it lay not in him to doe it. Now did their 

 blood runne about the ship in great quantitie, some of 

 them being shot in betweene the legges, the bullets 

 issuing foorth at their breasts, some cut in the head,- some 

 thrust into the bodie, and many of them very sore 

 wounded, so that they came not so fast in on the one 

 side, but now they tumbled as fast over boord on both 

 sides with their weapons in their handes, some falling 

 into the sea, and some getting into their boates, making 

 haste towardes the Citie. And this is to be noted, that 

 although they came very thicke thither, there returned 



415 



