The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against SpainHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against Spain
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
In our retreat (which was from both breaches thorow a narrow lane) were
many of our men hurt: and Captaine Dolphin, who serued very well that day,
was hurt in the very breach. The failing of this attempt, in the opinion of
all the beholders, and of such as were of best judgement, was the fall of
the mine; which had doubtlesse succeeded, the rather, because the approch
was vnlooked for by the enemy in that place, and therefore not so much
defence made there as in the other; which made the Generall grow to a new
resolution: for finding that two dayes battery had so little beaten their
wall, and that he had no better preparation to batter withall: he knew in
his experience, there was no good to be done that way; which I thinke he
first put in proofe, to trie if by that terror he could get the vpper
towne, hauing no other way to put it in hazzard so speedily, and which in
my conscience had obtained the towne, had not the defendants bene in as
great perill of their liues by the displeasure of their king in giuing it
vp, as by the bullet or sword in defending the same. For that day before
the assault, in the view of our army, they burnt a cloister within the
towne, and many other houses adioyning to the castle, to make it more
defensible: whereby it appeared how little opinion themselues had of
holding it against vs, had not God (who would not haue vs suddenly made
proud) layed that misfortune vpon vs.
Hereby it may appeare, that the foure canons, and other pieces of battery
promised to the iourney, and not performed, might haue made her Maiesty
mistresse of the Groine: for though the mine were infortunate, yet if the
other breach had bene such as the earth would haue held our men thereon, I
doe not thinke but they had entred it thorowly at the first assault giuen:
which had bene more then I haue heard of in our age. And being as it was,
is no more then the Prince of Parma hath in winning of all his townes
endured, who neuer entred any place at the first assault, nor aboue three
by assault.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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