This Our General, Who Was Called Don Pedro De
Guzman, Did Providently Take Order For, For Their Most Strength And
Defence, if needs should be, to the uttermost of his power, and
commanded upon pain of death that neither passenger
Or soldier should
come aboard without his sword and harquebuse, with shot and powder, to
the end that they might be the better able to encounter the fleet of
Don Anthony if they should hap to meet with them, or any of them. And
ever as the weather was fair, this said general would himself go aboard
from one ship to another to see that every man had his full provision
according to the commandment given.
Yet to speak truly what I think, two good tall ships of war would have
made a foul spoil amongst them, for in all this fleet there were not
any that were strong and warlike appointed, saving only the admiral and
vice-admiral. And again, over and besides the weakness and ill-
furnishing of the rest, they were all so deeply laden, that they had
not been able (even if they had been charged) to have held out any long
fight. Well, thus we set sail, and had a very ill passage home, the
weather was so contrary. We kept our course in manner northeast, and
brought ourselves to the height of 42 degrees of latitude, to be sure
not to meet with Don Anthony his fleet, and were upon our voyage from
the 4th of June until the 10th of September, and never saw land till we
fell with the Arenas Gordas hard by St. Lucar.
And there was an order taken that none should go on shore until he had
a licence; as for me, I was known by one in the ship, who told the
master that I was an Englishman, which (as God would) was my good hap
to hear; for if I had not heard it, it had cost me my life.
Notwithstanding, I would not take any knowledge of it, and seemed to be
merry and pleasant that we were all come so well in safety. Presently
after, licence came that we should go on shore, and I pressed to be
gone with the first; howbeit, the master came unto me and said,
"Sirrah, you must go with me to Seville by water." I knew his meaning
well enough, and that he meant there to offer me up as a sacrifice to
the Holy House. For the ignorant zeal of a number of these
superstitious Spaniards is such that they think that they have done God
good service when they have brought a Lutheran heretic to the fire to
be burnt; for so they do account of us. Well, I perceiving all this,
took upon me not to suspect anything, but was still jocund and merry,
howbeit I knew it stood me upon to shift for myself. And so waiting my
time when the master was in his cabin asleep, I conveyed myself
secretly down by the shrouds into the ship boat, and made no stay, but
cut the rope wherewithal she was moored, and so by the cable hailed on
shore, where I leapt on land, and let the boat go whither it would.
Thus by the help of God I escaped that day, and then never stayed at
St. Lucar, but went all night by the way which I had seen others take
towards Seville. So that the next morning I came to Seville, and
sought me out a workmaster, that I might fall to my science, which was
weaving of taffaetas, and being entertained I set myself close to my
work, and durst not for my life once to stir abroad, for fear of being
known, and being thus at my work, within four days after I heard one of
my fellows say that he heard there was great inquiry made for an
Englishman that came home in the fleet. "What, an heretic Lutheran
(quoth I), was it? I would to God I might know him. Surely I would
present him to the Holy House." And thus I kept still within doors at
my work, and feigned myself not well at ease, and that I would labour
as I might to get me new clothes. And continuing thus for the space of
three months, I called for my wages, and bought me all things new,
different from the apparel that I did wear at sea, and yet durst not be
over bold to walk abroad; and after understanding that there were
certain English ships at St. Lucar, bound for England, I took a boat
and went aboard one of them, and desired the master that I might have
passage with him to go into England, and told him secretly that I was
one of those which Captain Hawkins did set on shore in the Indies. He
very courteously prayed me to have him excused, for he durst not meddle
with me, and prayed me therefore to return from whence I came. Which
then I perceived with a sorrowful heart, God knoweth, I took my leave
of him, not without watery cheeks. And then I went to St. Mary Port,
which is three leagues from St. Lucar, where I put myself to be a
soldier in the King of Spain's galleys, which were bound for Majorca
and coming thither in the end of the Christmas holidays I found there
two English ships, the one of London, and the other of the west
country, which were ready freighted, and stayed but for a fair wind.
To the master of the one which was of the west country went I, and told
him that I had been two years in Spain to learn the language, and that
I was now desirous to go home and see my friends, for that I lacked
maintenance, and so having agreed with him for my passage I took my
shipping. And thus, through the providence of Almighty God, after
sixteen years' absence, having sustained many and sundry great troubles
and miseries, as by this discourse appeareth, I came home to this my
native country in England in the year 1582, in the month of February in
the ship called the Landret, and arrived at Poole.
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