"Thou Englishman, From Whence Is Your Fleet?
Why Stand Ye Aloof Off?
Know ye not your duty to the Catholic king,
whose person I here represent?
Where are your bills of lading, your
letters, passports, and the chief of your men? Think ye my attendance
in these seas to be in vain, or my person to no purpose? Let all these
things be done out of hand, as I command, upon pain of my further
displeasure, and the spoil of you all." These words of the Spanish
General were not so outrageously pronounced, as they were mildly
answered by Master Rowit, who told him that they were all merchantmen,
using traffic in honest sort, and seeking to pass quietly, if they were
not urged further than reason. As for the King of Spain, he thought
(for his part) that there was amity betwixt him and his Sovereign, the
Queen of England, so that neither he nor his officers should go about
to offer any such injury to English merchants, who, as they were far
from giving offence to any man, so they would be loth to take an abuse
at the hands of any, or sit down to their loss, where their ability was
able to make defence. And as touching his commandment aforesaid for
the acknowledging of duty in such particular sort, he told him that,
where there was no duty owing there none should be performed, assuring
him that their whole company and ships in general stood resolutely upon
the negative, and would not yield to any such unreasonable demand,
joined with such imperious and absolute manner of commanding. "Why,
then," said he, "if they will neither come to yield, nor show obedience
to me in the name of my king, I will either sink them or bring them to
harbour; and so tell them from me." With that the frigate came away
with Master Rowit, and brought him aboard to the English Admiral again,
according to promise, who was no sooner entered in but by-and-bye
defiance was sounded on both sides. The Spaniards hewed off the noses
of the galleys, that nothing might hinder the level of the shot; and
the English, on the other side, courageously prepared themselves to the
combat, every man, according to his room, bent to perform his office
with alacrity and diligence. In the meantime a cannon was discharged
from out the Admiral of the galleys, which, being the onset of the
fight, was presently answered by the English Admiral with a culverin;
so the skirmish began, and grew hot and terrible. There was no powder
nor shot spared, each English ship matched itself in good order against
two Spanish galleys, besides the inequality of the frigates on the
Spanish side. And although our men performed their parts with singular
valour, according to their strength, insomuch that the enemy, as amazed
therewith, would oftentimes pause and stay, and consult what was best
to be done, yet they ceased not in the midst of their business to make
prayer to Almighty God, the revenger of all evils and the giver of
victories, that it would please Him to assist them in this good quarrel
of theirs, in defending themselves against so proud a tyrant, to teach
their hands to war and their fingers to fight, that the glory of the
victory might redound to His name, and to the honour of true religion,
which the insolent enemy sought so much to overthrow.
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