OF A WAR WITH SPAIN. 269 



foot, in one part or other of Christendom, now by 

 the space of almost sixscore years, than in the 

 strength of their dominions and provinces. For 

 what can be more strange, or more to the disvalua- 

 tion of the power of the Spaniard upon the con 

 tinent, than that with an army of eleven thousand 

 English land soldiers, and a fleet of twenty-six ships 

 of war, besides some weak vessels for transportation, 

 we should, within the hour-glass of two months, 

 have won one town of importance by scalado, bat 

 tered and assaulted another, overthrown great forces 

 in the field, and that upon the disadvantage of a 

 bridge strongly barricadoed, landed the army in 

 three several places of his kingdom, marched seven 

 days in the heart of his countries, lodged three 

 nights in the suburbs of his principal city, beaten his 

 forces into the gates thereof, possessed two of his 

 frontier forts, and come off after all this with small 

 loss of men, otherwise than by sickness ? And it 

 was verily thought, that had it not been for four 

 great disfavours of that voyage, that is to say, the 

 failing in sundry provisions that were promised, 

 especially of cannons for battery ; the vain hopes of 

 Don Antonio, concerning the people of the country 

 to come in to his aid ; the disappointment of the 

 fleet that was directed to come up the river of Lisbon ; 

 and lastly, the diseases which spread in the army by 

 reason of the heat of the season, and of the soldiers 

 misrule in diet, the enterprise had succeeded, and 

 Lisbon had been carried. But howsoever it makes 

 proof to the world, that an invasion of a few English 



