Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 16th century
The ship wrecked in O'Dogherty's country was the 'Trinidad Valencera'
of Venice. She had on board about 600 men--Spaniards, Greeks, and
Italians; and of these 400, including more than 100 sick, were brought
to shore, some of them with arms, but 'without even one biscuit.'
'The natives, who are savages,' had retired into the mountains, but
they found some horses at grass, which they killed and ate. They were
attacked by Tyrone's foster-brethren, Richard and Henry Hovenden, who
made much of the glorious victory of 140 over 600. The Spaniards said
that they had surrendered on promise of their lives and of decent
treatment; but that their captors nevertheless stripped them naked and
killed a great many, not more than eighty being reserved as prisoners.
Among these was one who seemed to carry 'some kind of majesty.' This
was probably Don Alonso de Luzon, chief of the tercio or brigade of
Naples, who was distinguished by a pointed beard and a large moustache.
De Luzon with several other officers was brought to Drogheda, where
they were told that those who had plundered them were not Englishmen
but sons of the soil. Don Diego de Luzon and two others died after
their arrival, and several had perished on the road. Don Alonso and
Rodrigo de Lasso, who were both knights of Santiago, were sent to
London for ransom, as well as Don Luis de Cordova and his nephew, the
only prisoners whom Fitzwilliam allowed to live of those which Bingham
had saved. More than fifty others were afterwards sent over, and
something like 800_l._ appears to have been paid by way of ransom for
them all.[182]
[Sidenote: The Irish got the plunder.]
[Sidenote: Small gain to the Queen.]
[Sidenote: Relics and traditions.]
The amount of plunder secured did not at all satisfy expectation. Much
treasure fell into the hands of the Irish, who regarded the wreckage
as a godsend. The small arms and the lighter pieces of artillery were
appropriated in the same way. The larger cannon were not so easily
moved, and a few were recovered by Carew and others. One wedge of gold
found its way to the Queen, and there were rumours of various costly
articles which had been seized by officers or adventurers. The guns
rescued for her Majesty hardly exceeded a dozen, and a few others were
sent into Scotland by the MacDonnells, who also got hold of a good many
doubloons. The relics which have been handed down to us are very few,
but the memory of the invincible Armada is preserved by the names which
have clung to some points of the Irish coast.[183]
[Sidenote: The Armada a crusade.]
[Sidenote: Irish priests on board.]
[Sidenote: Other Irishmen.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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