at Greenwich and the Queen at Mr. Walsingham's, his letter found me; which I imparted on Thursday, as soon as the Queen was ready, unto her; and do confess that, in expectation to hear of you, we did defer answer until Friday. . . Thus do you see that a man whose fortune scants him of mears to do you service, will not bear coals to be accused of dulness; especially by your Rear-Admiral, who, making haste but once in a year, to write a letter in post, gave date from 'Weymouth' to his last despatch, which, by the circumstances, I knew was written from 'Plymouth.' 999 1 The reader will observe that the despatch of the 18th [Monday] bears date from Plymouth, as does that also of the 20th [Wednesday]. It follows that,—if Cecil's statement be not entirely made in error, Sir Walter must have written another despatch dated from Weymouth, on Tuesday, the 19th of July. And this would agree with the statement of Essex. The letter which follows has no address. ALTHOUGH the news of our disseverance and stormebeaten fleet bee most unpleasinge and discumfortabell, as well unto us that have first felt and indured the sorrow and danger, as unto her Majestye, to whom wee had hoped to have presented sume better relation, yet the extremetes being such as the are, I thought my sealf bound to advertize the same. Wee departed Plymouth on Sundaye night, beinge the 10th of this monenth, and held cumpany till Monday night, beinge the 11th, when by reason of fowle weather with thonder and mich winde and rayne, and for abating sayle for the Mathew and the Andrew, I lost sight of my Lorde Generall. On Twesday morninge, my sealf, the Bonaventer, the Mathew, and Andrew, were together, and steered for the North Cape, not doubtinge butt to have crost the fleet within six howres, butt att 1 Burghley Papers, in MS. Lansdowne, lxxxv. § 19. (British Museum.) they. 2 3 The Earl of Essex. LETTER 1597. July 18. [To the Lords of the Council.] From Disasters at the outset of of the Fleet. LETTER LXXII. 1597. July 18. the instant the winde changed to the south, and blew vehemently; so as wee putt our sealves under our fore corses, and stood to the west into the sea. Butt on Twesday night I perceved the Mathew to labor very vehemently, and that shee could not indure that manner of standinge of, and so putt her sealf a try with her mayne course; which I did also the better to hold her, and the Andrew, with mee, being both of myne own squadron. Notwithstandinge, in the morninge I had lost sight of them both, and of divers other flibotes nire mee overnight. The storme on Wensday grew more forsibell, and the seas grew very exceeding lofty, that my sealf and the Bonaventer had labor enough to beat it up. Butt the night following, the Thursday, Freday, and Seterday, the storme so increased, the shipps being waighty, the ordenance great, and the billoes so raysed and inraged, as wee could carry out no saile which to our judgment would not have bynn rent of1 the yeards by the winde; and yet our shipps roled so vehemently, and so disjoynted themsealvs, as wee weare driven ether to force it agayne with our corses, or to sinke. In my shipp it hath shaken all her beams, knees, and stanchens well ny asunder; in so mich as on Saterday night last we made accompt to have yielded our sealvs up to God. For wee had no way to worke, ether by triinge, hollinge, or drivinge, that promised better hope; our men beinge wasted with labor and watchings, and our shipp so open every wher, all her bulk-head rent, and her verye cookrome of brike shaken down into powder. The Saterday morning I spake with your Lordships' survant Captain WATSON, who came from the North Cape, mysealf beinge, as hee told mee, the windermost man of our fleet; so as it seemed that my Lord Generall 1 off. was ether more to the westward or more asterne; for Captain WATSONNE had not then mett with any butt my sealf. The same day also I spake with another small man of war that came directly from the Cape, and hee had not seen any but my sealf. I therefore, fynding the extremety of the weather such, and perceving that my Lorde Generall was asterne mee, bare up with a litle peece of my forsaile to seeke hyme, butt could not cross any one that could geve mee knowledge of hyme; only I know in reason he cannot butt be forced ether with Ingland or Irland; and my greatest feare notwithstanding is that hee willbe hyme sealf in sume extremetye, before hee yeilde to putt backe, although it can be butt too dayes sayling lost, and I know that the flibotes which transport the army ar skattered into divers places. Sume of them I found here att Plymouthe, with great sickness amonge their cumpanyes, and the flibots brused, the sailes rent, and ther other furneture wasted. That which most greaveth mee, and which, I protest before the majesty of God, I do constantly beleve, is that ether my Lorde Generall hyme sealf will wrestell with the seas to his perrill, or (constrayned to cum bake) be found utterly hartbroken; although it be not in the powre of man to fight agaynst ellements. I here that ther ar between thirtye and fourtye saile putt to Falmouth, to which place I have sent overland to know of what sort; but my Lorde hyme sealf is not among them. I know not what cource to take here with thos which importune me to supply them, sume with masts, sume with sayles, sume having wett all their bredd, and others that have a great many sicke soldiers which will shortly infect all the rest. I understand that the fleet is stronge in Farroll. LETTER LXXII. 1597. July 18. LETTER LXXII. 1597. July 18. What shalbe cume of us I cannot judge; when wee shall cume together; or how wee shall repaire the wracke of this storme; the tyme of the yeare being so advansed. You, my good Lordes, can judge how wee shalbe abell to beat it up with thes waighty shipps. I dare not advize. It weare to great a presumpsion; the persons and natures of the affaires being as the1are. God send it a blessed end. I beseich your Honors to direct mee with all speed, and herewithall I humblie take my leve. From Plymouthe this Mundaye yevening, the 18 of July [1597]. Your Honors to serve you, W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.]—Here ar none of her Majesties shipes butt the Wastspight and the Bonaventer. The Lorde send us good newse of the Mathew and Andrew. I hope to here of them, ether in Falmouth or in Torre Baye. The wind doth remayne forcibell att the writing hereof, and like rather to increas then slaken. LETTER 1597July 20. LXXIII TO SECRETARY SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. Domestic Correspondence: Elizabeth. (Unarranged SIR, THIS Wensday morninge my Lorde Generall is expected here att Plymouth, beinge on Twesdaye night putt into Falmouth in great extremetye and imminent perrill of sinking in the sea, which I knew would betyde Plymouth. hyme err hee would yeild to ether seas or winds. The To Sir R. they. LETTER LXXIII. 1597. July 20. Disasters at the out set of the Island Voyage. the condi tion of Mathew and Andrew and the Mary Rose (wherein the Marshall is) ar also arived; the Dreadnought is in Falmouth with the Mere Honor. The Admirall of Hollande, with some three or four of his squadron, ar also cum in. Most of thes shipps have crakt theire masts and ar mervelus leake, especially my Lorde Generalls own shipp. I thinke by this Wensday night all the rest Report on wilbe on the coast. The most of the longe botes ar lost, and all the barges. I have here withall sent your Honor Ferrol. a very trew report of the state of the army at Farroll. What your Honors will resolve I cannot forthinke; in the meane tyme, Sir, I beseich yow to worke from her Majestye summe comfort to my Lorde Generall, who, I know, is dismayed by these mischances, eeven to death; although ther could not be more dun by any man uppon the yearth, God havinge turned the heavens with that fury agaynst us, a matter beyound the powre, or valure, or will, of man, to resiste, and such accidents as the warr draweth with itsealf. This much I thought my sealf bound to lett your Honor understand of, being among thes miseres herein cumforted that my Lord Generall hyme sealf hath escaped such a perrill, and thos other too shippes the Mathew and Andrew saved, which I most vehemently feared. Plymouthe, this 20 July [1597]. Your Honor's, to your service, W. RALEGH. The shipps alreddy arrived ar-The Mere Honor, the Wastspighte, the Bonaventure, the St. Mathewe, the St. Andrew, the Mary Rose, the Dreadnought, the Admirall of Holland; with sume 25 saile of other sortes. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir R. CECYL, Knight, Principall Secretory of |