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
by keeping him in his townes leaue vs a spoyled field: where though our
prouision may bee such of our owne as we starue ['staure' in source
text--KTH] not, yet is our weaknesse in any strange country such, as with
sicknes and miserie we shal be dissolued. And let him not forget what a
continual burthen we hereby lay vpon vs, in that to repossesse those
countreys which have been lately lost, wil be a warre of longer continuance
then we shall be able to endure.
In the very action whereof, what should hinder the king of Spaine to bring
his forces home vnto vs? For it is certaine he hath long since set downe in
councell, that there is no way for him wholy to recouer those Low
countries, but by bringing the warre vpon England it selfe, which hath
alwayes assisted them against him: and that being determined, and whereunto
he hath bene vehemently urged by the last yeeres losse he sustained vpon
our coasts, and the great dishonor this iourney hath laid vpon him; no
doubt if we shall giue him respite to doe it, but he will mightily advance
his purpose, for he is richly able thereunto, and wonderfull desirous of
reuenge.
To encounter wherewith, I wish euen in true and honest zeale to my
Countrey, that we were all perswaded that there is no such assured meanes
for the safetie of our estate, as to busy him with a well furnished armie
in Spaine, which hath so many goodly Bayes open, as we may land without
impeachment as many men as shall be needfull for such an inuasion. And
hauing an armie of 20000 roially furnished there, we shall not need to take
much care for their payment: for shal not Lisbon be thought able to make so
few men rich, when the Suburbs thereof were found so abounding in riches,
as had we made enemie of them, they had largely enriched vs all? Which with
what small losse it may be won, is not here to shew; but why it was not won
by vs, I haue herein shewed you. Or is not the spoyle of Siuil sufficient
to pay more then shall bee needful to bee sent against it, whose defence
(as that of Lisbone) is onely force of men, of whom how many may for the
present be raised, is not to be esteemed, because wee haue discouered what
kind of men they be, euen such as will neuer abide ours in field, nor dare
withstand any resolute attempt of ours agaynst them: for during the time we
were in many places of their countrey, they cannot say that euer they made
20 of our men turne their faces from them. And be there not many other
places of lesse difficultie to spoyle, able to satisfie our forces?
But admit, that if vpon this alarme that we haue giuen him, he tendering
his naturall and neerest soile before his further remooued off gouernments,
do draw his forces of old souldiers out of the Low countreys for his owne
defence, is not the victory then won by drawing and holding them from
thence, for the which we should haue kept an armie there at a charge by
many partes greater then this, and not stirred them?
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