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
When this answere was returned, and that safetie of life was promised, the
common sort being now at the ende of their perill, the most drew backe from
Sir Richard and the Master gunner, being no hard matter to disswade men
from death to life. The Master gunner finding himselfe and Sir Richard thus
preuented and mastered by the greater number, would haue slaine himselfe
with a sword, had he not bene by force with-held and locked into his
Cabben. Then the Generall sent many boates aboord the Reuenge, and diuers
of our men fearing Sir Richards disposition, stole away aboord the Generall
and other shippes. Sir Richard thus ouermatched, was sent vnto by Alfonso
Baçan to remooue out of the Reuenge, the shippe being marueilous vnsauorie,
filled with blood and bodies of dead, and wounded men like a slaughter
house. Sir Richard answered that hee might doe with his body what he list,
for hee esteemed it not, and as he was carried out of the shippe hee
swounded, and reuiuing againe desired the company to pray for him. The
Generall vsed Sir Richard with all humanitie, and left nothing vnattempted
that tended to his recouery, highly commending his valour and worthinesse,
and greatly bewailing the danger wherein he was, being vnto them a rare
spectacle, and a resolution seldome approoued, to see one shippe turne
toward so many enemies, to endure the charge and boording of so many huge
Armadas, and to resist and repell the assaults and entries of so many
souldiers. All which and more is confirmed by a Spanish Captaine of the
same Armada, and a present actor in the fight, who being seuered from the
rest in a storme, was by the Lion of London a small ship taken, and is now
prisoner in London.
The generall commander of the Armada, was Don Alphonso Baçan, brother to
the Marques of Santa Cruz. The admiral of the Biscaine squadron, was
Britandona. Of the squadron of Siuil, the Marques of Arumburch. The Hulkes
and Flybotes were commanded by Luis Coutinho. There were slaine and drowned
in this fight, well neere one thousand of the enemies, and two speciall
commanders Don Luis de sant Iohn, and Don George de Prunaria de Mallaga, as
the Spanish captaine confesseth, besides diuers others of speciall account,
whereof as yet report is not made.
The Admirall of the Hulkes and the Ascension of Siuil were both sunke by
the side of the Reuenge; one other recouered the rode of Saint Michael, and
sunke also there; a fourth ranne her self with the shore to saue her men.
Sir Richard died as it is sayd, the second or third day aboord the
Generall, and was by them greatly bewailed. What became of his body,
whether it were buried in the sea or on the land we know not: the comfort
that remayneth to his friends is, that hee hath ended his life honourably
in respect of the reputation wonne to his nation and countrey, and of the
same to his posteritie, and that being dead, he hath not outliued his owne
honour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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