OF A WAR WITH SPAIN. 277 



beyond, by which they were to have marched. It 

 is true, that in the return of the English fleet they 

 were set upon by Avellaneda, admiral of twenty 

 great ships Spanish, our fleet being but fourteen, 

 full of sick men, deprived of their two generals by 

 sea, and having no pretence but to journey home 

 wards : and yet the Spaniards did but salute them, 

 about the Cape de los Corientes, with some small 

 offer of fight, and came off with loss; although it 

 was such a new thing for the Spaniards to receive so 

 little hurt upon dealing with the English, as Avel 

 laneda made great brags of it, for no greater matter 

 than the waiting upon the English afar off, from 

 Cape de los Corientes to Cape Antonio ; which, 

 nevertheless, in the language of a soldier, and of a 

 Spaniard, he called a chase. 



But before I proceed farther, it is good to meet 

 with an objection, which if it be not removed, the 

 conclusion of experience from the time past to the 

 time present will not be sound and perfect. For it 

 will be said, that in the former times, whereof we 

 have spoken, Spain was not so mighty as now it is ; 

 and England, on the other side, was more afore- 

 hand in all matters of power. Therefore let us 

 compare with indifferency these disparities of times, 

 and we shall plainly perceive, that they make for the 

 advantage of England at this present time. And 

 because we will less wander in generalities, we will 

 fix the comparison to precise times ; comparing the 

 state of Spain and England in the year eighty-eight, 

 with this present year that now runneth. In handling 



