'Account of the Spanish Armado (1639)'

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Heere is the gratest Armado now lyes in the downes of the Spainyards that Came to our Coost since 88 It Consists of Sixty Sixe vescells where of the Admirall Carrys Sixty foure peeces of Brasse Ordinances a pieces [And]There

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1639OF a great Nauie of Spainesh Ships at Sea And forty Ships or Gallyes of fifty peeces of Brasse ordinances a pieces. There is tenn thousand Land Souldiers, and abundance of Siluer designed for Dunkirke But some eaighttene saile of Hollandars vnder the Command of the valiant Generall Martin Harps: troopes stopt their Course wnad fought Satter day . Sabbath day and part of Munday Last, Wherein they say on both sids there is aboue three thousand men Slayen, The Spanish Fleet haue take{n} shelter on our Coast and the Hollanders waite vpon them with thirty or fourty Saile of men of warr ouer which they must goe to Dunkirke It is said the Duke of Midian is generall of the Spainesh fleete

Now herein the mercy of God lyes . in that the enemies of God [tha]t were among vs had so Contriued after they had stired vp this warr with the Scots And our King and Strength of our land were in Scotland in fight And so had ordered that there was no looking to. nor powder nor other prouison at our Sinkports that so this Nauy Should Come suddenly vpon vs. Wee then being vnprepared & vnprouided for them: For they hoping we should be in fight with [th]e Scots and we vnprouided in our Sinkports, [tha]t then wee mite be the souner surprised of them But our God sets in Heauen and Lafes them to Scorne for first. We then had no fight with the Scotes and our King come home in Safty. And the Lord stired up [th]e Holenders to fight for vs Nay our God himselfe did fight for vs For the means ware but small: for but XVIII Saile of Holanders not thinking of Svch a Nauie as fiue score & Six saile of Spainyards so prouided with fiue score and Sixe peeces of brasse ordinances with tenne thousand of Solgers So Suddenly to come And yet the Holenders to haue Slayen so many of them makeing them to take shelter: haueing but a few of themselues Slayen: I Say here is the very grat goodness & marcy of God to vs seen in this his Name haue the praise of all I will ouer with this mercy againe [tha]t we mite the more Clerely see Gods loue to vs. I Say The87v 1639A Grate deliuerance The great Armado of Spaine in the yeere 1639 prouided as most doe Coniecter by the intention of this Spainish and Popes faction among vs to Surprise this our natiue Country of England at that time when there was a defience betwene our King & the Scots The Lord hath gratiously frostrated their purposes and deliuered his Church and Children by a miracellous way . wee being without any forse & strength of our one rather then wee should perish . the Lord raysed vp another Nation to fite for vs. Namely the Hollenders who discouering of them when they first came about [th]e first of october set vpon them with grat violence and killed So many of their men that they were discoueraged in their asinge & before they returned one the thertene of the same October they fell to battail againe. And the Admorall of Spaine and many other grate Ships being so Strong hat Cannon Shot would not enter the fired them. So that by fier and watter they were all destroyed: Some of them they tooke . Some they burned and some they sunke and some ware droue vpon the Sand And few Left to goe home to tell the newes:. Praised by our God

Before this I did see a nother Letter that shewed how [tha]t the King of Spaine hath a grate Nauie of Ships at Lisbon there are of them three hundred and twenty grate Ships & Sixty small Ships as pinkes & pinnases they are Laden with Souldiers and amunition for warre there are Sexty thousand land Souldiers and eaight hundred of voluntary nobel men & gentelmen thertene thousand Marriners & three thousand gally slaves Seuen thousand barrells of gunpowder Three thousand of Brasse Ordnances for feld peces . The generall of the Army is the Arch Duke of Austry The other Comman88r 1639A Bvndel of Marcyes The other Commanders are these Duke Dalbargne, Duke Endisicke. Duke Baidon. Marquese Debald Don Edmund with diuers other Dones whose names are yet to vs vnknowen. There is also the young Marquese Spinola with your Earle of Tiron{e} the Earle Areguill with thirty thousand horses to ione with the army the Duke of Sauory is hie Admirall of this fleet S[i]r Robart Dudly vise Admirall S[i]r Griffin marke Hammand & S[i]r Gvy standly Colonells of the regiments Also the Earle of westerland hath grate Command in this Armie the Persia King hath sent to Lisbone twenty armed Elaphants but to what end as yet is vnknowen the Citie of Dunkirke with other places in the neitherlands that are vnder the King of Spains Dominoions haue prepared eaighty Ships for this Servis

The end that I doe take notis of this: is because I did heere it reported that they were for England . but say they were not yet this I know our Sinnes deserues it: and the enemies want not wills nor mallis for they gnash their teeth and enuy at our peace and prosperity: And if God doth strike feare on them that they dare not venter on vs . and turne their mindes to goe another way: Let Gods name haue all the praise