258 01- A WAR WITH SPAIN. 



in the head of an army, when they were going to 

 battle : yes ; and it is no less fit speech to be spoken 

 in the head of a council, upon a deliberation of 

 entrance into a war. Neither speak I this to dis 

 parage the Spanish nation, whom I take to be of 

 the best soldiers in Europe ; but that sorteth to our 

 honour, if we still have had the better hand. 



In the year 1578, was that famous lammas day, 

 which buried the reputation of Don John of Austria, 

 himself not surviving long after. Don John being 

 superior in forces, assisted by the prince of Parma, 

 Mondragon, Mansell, and other the best commanders 

 of Spain, confident of victory, charged the army of 

 the States near Rimenant, bravely and furiously at 

 the first ; but after a fight maintained by the space 

 of a whole day, was repulsed, and forced to a retreat, 

 with great slaughter of his men ; and the course of 

 his farther enterprises was wholly arrested ; and this 

 chiefly by the prowess and virtue of the English and 

 Scotish troops, under the conduct of Sir John Morris 

 and Sir Robert Stuart, colonels : which troops came 

 to the army but the day before, harassed with a 

 long and wearisome march ; and, as it is left for 

 a memorable circumstance in all stories, the soldiers 

 being more sensible of a little heat of the sun, than 

 of any cold fear of death, cast away their armour 

 and garments from them, and fought in their shirts: 

 and, as it was generally conceived, had it not been 

 that the count of Bossu was slack in charging the 

 Spaniards upon their retreat, this fight had sorted 

 to an absolute defeat. But it was enough to chas- 



