THE PORTUGAL VOYAGE « 



1589. 



way to put it in hazzard so speedily, and which in 

 my conscience had obtained the towne, had not the 

 defendants bene in as great perill of their lives by the 

 displeasure of their king in giving it up, as by the bullet 

 or sword in defending the same. For that day before 

 the assault, in the view of our army, they burnt a 

 cloister within the towne, and many other houses adjoyn- 

 ing to the castle, to make it more defensible : whereby 

 it appeared how little opinion themselves had of holding 

 it against us, had not God (who would not have us 

 suddenly made proud) layed that misfortune upon us. 



Hereby it may appeare, that the foure canons, and 

 other pieces of battery promised to the journey, and 

 not performed, might have made her Majesty mistresse 

 of the Groine : for though the mine were infortunate, 

 yet if the other breach had bene such as the earth 

 would have held our men thereon, I doe not thinke 

 but they had entred it thorowly at the first assault 

 given : which had bene more then I have heard of in 

 our age. And being as it was, is no more then the 

 Prince of Parma hath in winning of all his townes [II. ii. 142.] 

 endured, who never entred any place at the first assault, 

 nor above three by assault. 



The next day the Generall hearing by a prisoner 

 that was brought in, that the Conde de Andrada had 

 assembled an armie of eight thousand at Puente de 

 Burgos, sixe miles from thence in the way to Petance, 

 which was but the beginning of an armie ; in that there 

 was a greater leavie readie to come thither under the 

 Conde de Altemira, either in purpose to relieve the 

 Groine, or to encampe themselves neere the place of 

 our embarking, there to hinder the same ; for to that 

 purpose had the marquesse of Seralba written to them 

 both the first night of our landing, as the Commis- 

 sarie taken then confessed, or at the least to stop our 

 further entrance into the Countrey, (for during this 

 time, there were many incursions made of three or 

 foure hundred at a time, who burnt, spoyled, and 



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