Stories of Elizabethan heroes : $b Stirring records of the intrepid bravery and boundless resource of the men of Queen Elizabeth's reignGilliat, Edward
History
Stories of Elizabethan heroes : $b Stirring records of the intrepid bravery and boundless resource of the men of Queen Elizabeth's reign
Gilliat, Edward
Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603
On arriving in London, as if the Earl had not suffered enough
already, news was brought him that his eldest son was dead. But
shortly after came another messenger announcing the birth of a
daughter; this was the Lady Anne Clifford, who became, first,
Countess of Dorset, and then of Pembroke. In this voyage thirteen
prizes had been taken, and the profit doubled the outlay on his
adventure in spite of the loss of his richest prize. It is difficult
to realise the exceeding bitter feeling that existed between Spain
and England at that time--a bitterness sharpened by religious
differences, and kept in memory by private revenge.
For instance, Hakluyt tells us of a small English ship of about forty
tons which was captured on the seas. Her crew were put by the
Spaniards under hatches and coupled in bolts together; these men,
after they had been prisoners three or four days, were murdered by a
Spanish ensign-bearer, who had had a brother killed in the Armada
fight, and who wished to revenge his death. This man took a poniard
in his hand and went down under the hatches, where he found eight
Englishmen sitting in chains, and with the same poniard he stabbed
six of them to the heart; the remaining two clasped each other about
the middle and threw themselves into the sea and there were drowned.
It is only fair to say that this act was much disliked by the other
Spaniards, who carried the ensign-bearer a prisoner to Lisbon. The
King of Spain willed he should be sent to England, that the Queen
might treat him as she thought good; however, his friends interceded
that he might be beheaded instead. On a Good Friday, as the Cardinal
was going to Mass, captains and commanders stopped his Eminence and
entreated for the man's pardon, and in the end they got his pardon,
and his life was saved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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