206 Proceedings of the Royal Iriah Academy. 



(salvajes) gave me a poor old coat full of lice, whicli however served 

 as a covering, and afforded me some relief. The next day in the 

 morning, we came together some twenty of us Spaniards, into the 

 hut of this Lord de Euerque in order that we might beg of him for 

 God's sake to give us something to eat, and while there begging,^ 

 news was conveyed to us that there was a Spanish ship off the coast, 

 that it was very big, and that it come in quest of the Spaniards, who 

 had escaped. Hearing this news, some twenty of us without more 

 ado, set off in the direction in which we were told the ship lay. 

 "We met with much obstruction on the way, although, in truth, it 

 was a great mercy and a salvation to me from God, that I did not 

 reach the harbour in which she lay, as did the most of the others 

 who were with me. These got on board her, she being one of the 

 Armada, that had drifted there by good luck. Her main mast and rig- 

 ging were badly injured, and fearing that she might be burned or suffer 

 some other injury from the enemy who were constantly on the look 

 out (for these ships) she set sail two days afterwards with her crew, 

 and those she was able to pick up, but farther on she went ashore on the 

 same coast, some two hundred of the crew being drowned, while those 

 who escaped by swimming were caught by the English and all put to 

 the sword. It pleased God that I alone of the twenty who went in quest 

 of this ship remained behind, and did not therefore suffer with the 

 others, may His most holy mercy be ever blessed, for the many 

 mercies He has shown me. "When going along after the twenty 

 Spaniards (in quest of the ship), much troubled and with great 

 labour, I lost my way and came upon a road, on which was walking 

 a clergman in secular dress, for thus do the clergymen do in that 

 kingdom, so that the English may not recognize them, and he was 

 grieved, looking at me and spoke to me in Latin, asking me of what 

 nation might I be, and about the wrecks that had occurred. God 

 granted me the grace to be able to answer in Latin all the questions 

 he asked me, and so satisfied was he therewith, that he shared with 

 me the food that he carried with him, and pointed out the road 

 that I should follow,- in order to reach a castle distant about 6 

 leagues from there, very strong and belonging to a native lord, a 

 very valiant soldier, and a great enemy of the Queen of England, and 

 her belongings, a man who had never consented to yield her obedience 

 or to pay her tribute, and who was then looking after his castle and 

 the mountain territory which defended it. I set out for that place, 



'See note 8, p. 181. ^ See note 9, p. 181. 



