his charge before Dunquerque. They all anchored about a league from our Armada. That night Captain Heredia returned from Calais, and said that the governor made great offers of service on the part of his majesty, and showed his goodwill by offering the same on his own part. That night also the duke sent the secretary Arceo to the Duke of Parma, to apprise him of the place where he then was, and of the fact that he could not wait there without imperilling the entire Armada.
"On Sunday, July 28th, at dawn, Captain Don Rodrigo Tello arrived, coming from Dunquerque. The duke (of Melina Sidonia) had sent him away on the 19th of the month. He reported that the duke (of Parma) was at Bruges, whither he had proceeded to him; and that, although he had shown great satisfaction at the news of the arrival of the Armada, yet, on the evening of the 27th, when Tello had quitted Dunquerque, the duke had not appeared there, and that neither men nor stores were being embarked.
"That day, in the morning, the Governor of Calais sent his nephew, with a present of refreshments, to visit the duke, and to inform him that the neighbourhood where he had anchored was very dangerous to remain in, because the currents and countersets of that channel were extremely strong. The duke, seeing the goodwill of the Governor of Calais, sent the purveyor-general, Bernabé de Pedroso, to buy victuals. With him went the comptroller. That night likewise the duke sent Don Jorge Manrique to the Duke of Parma to urge him to come out speedily. On the Sunday night the secretary Arceo sent a man from Dunguerque to report that the Duke of Parma had not arrived there, that the stores were not embarked, and that in his view it was impossible that things could all be got ready in less than a fortnight.
"On Sunday, at sunset, nine ships joined the enemy, and at their coming a squadron of twenty-six ships moved nearer to the land.[1] This caused us to suspect that they had arrived with some intention of employing fire; wherefore the duke ordered Captain Serrano to go away in a pinnace, taking with him an anchor and cable, so that, if any fireship should be directed at us, he might tow her ashore. The duke also sent to warn all the ships to be on their guard, and, for that purpose, to have both men and boats ready. At midnight two fires were seen burning in the English fleet. These increased to eight;[2] and suddenly eight ships with sails set, and wind and tide behind them, came direct towards our flagship and the rest of our fleet. All were burning fiercely. The duke seeing that, as they drew near, our men did not arrest them, and fearing lest they might be explosion vessels, weighed, and ordered the rest of the Armada to do the same,[3] designing, when the fire should have passed by, to return and take up the same station. The commander of the galleasses,[4] while keeping clear of one ship, drifted on board the San Juan de Sicilia, and so damaged herself that she had to remain close to the shore. The current was so strong, and drove our Armada in such a manner, that although the flagship and several of the vessels near her anchored again and fired a gun, the rest did not see them, and were carried as far as off Dunquerque.
"On Monday, the 20th, at daybreak, the duke, perceiving that his fleet was very far off, and that the enemy was coming up under a press of sail, weighed to collect his ships, and, with them, to recover station. The wind was N.W.,[5] and strong, blowing nearly straight on to the coast, and the enemy's fleet of one hundred and thirty-six- ↑ The English accounts have no mention of these movements.
- ↑ Of the fireships, which cost £5100, five were: the Thomas [Drake], 200 tons: Bark Talbot, 200 tons; Bark Bond, 150 tons; Hope [Hawkyns], 180 tons; and Bear Yonge, 140 tons. S. P. Dom. ccxvi. 18, ii. The rest, among which was the Elizabeth, of Lowestoft, were probably smaller.
- ↑ Many of the ships undoubtedly cut or slipped their cables, and so were unprepared to re-anchor later.
- ↑ I.e. his ship, the San Lorenzo.
- ↑ Wynter says S.S.W., and later W.N.W. S. P. Dom. ccxiv. 7.
