THE PORTUGAL VOYAGE a.d. 



1589. 



upon our coasts, and the great dishonor this journey hath 



laid upon him ; no doubt if we shall give him respite to 



doe it, but he will mightily advance his purpose, for he is 



richly able thereunto, and wonderfull desirous of revenge. 



To encounter wherewith, I wish even in true and 

 honest zeale to my Countrey, that we were all perswaded 

 that there is no such assured meanes for the safetie of 

 our estate, as to busy him with a well furnished armie in 

 Spaine, which hath so many goodly Bayes open, as we 

 may land without impeachment as many men as shall be 

 needfull for such an invasion. And having an armie of 

 20000 roially furnished there, we shall not need to take 

 much care for their payment : for shal not Lisbon be 

 thought able to make so few men rich, when the Suburbs 

 thereof were found so abounding in riches, as had we 

 made enemie of them, they had largely enriched us all ? 

 Which with what small losse it may be won, is not here 

 to shew ; but why it was not won by us, I have herein 

 shewed you. Or is not the spoyle of Sivil sufficient to 

 pay more then shall bee needfull to bee sent against it, 

 whose defence (as that of Lisbone) is onely force of men, 

 of whom how many may for the present be raised, is not 

 to be esteemed, because wee have discovered what kind 

 of men they be, even such as will never abide ours in 

 field, nor dare withstand any resolute attempt of ours 

 agaynst them : for during the time we were in many 

 places of their countrey, they cannot say that ever they 

 made 20 of our men turne their faces from them. And 

 be there not many other places of lesse difficultie to 

 spoyle, able to satisfie our forces ? 



But admit, that if upon this alarme that we have given 

 him, he tendering his naturall and neerest soile before his 

 further remmooved off governments, do draw his forces 

 of old souldiers out of the Low countreys for his owne 

 defence, is not the victory then won by drawing and 

 holding them from thence, for the which we should have 

 kept an armie there at a charge by many partes greater 

 then this, and not stirred them ? 



5*9 



