1588.]
THE CHASE TO THE NORTHWARD.
581
no designs on Scotland, and were only endeavouring to make the best of their way home round Scotland and Ireland.
"When," says 'A Relation of Proceedings,'[1] "we were come into 55 degrees and 13 minutes to the northward, 30 leagues east of Newcastle, the lord admiral determined to fight with them again on the Friday, being the 2nd of August; but by some advice and counsel his lordship stayed that determination, partly because we saw their course and meaning was only to get away that way to the northward to save themselves, and partly also for that many of our fleet were unprovided of victuals; for our supply, which her majesty hard most carefully provided and caused to be in readiness, knew not where to seek us. It was therefore concluded that we should leave the Spanish fleet, and direct our course for the Frith in Scotland, as well for the refreshing of our victuals as also for the performing of some other business which the lord admiral thought convenient to be done; but the wind coming contrary — viz., westerly — the next day the lord admiral altered his course, and returned back again for England with his whole army,[2] whereof some recovered the Downs, some Harwich,[3] and some Yarmouth, about the 7th of August, 1588."
The Spanish account of what befell the Armada after Gravelines is here continued from the relation of Medina Sidonia: —[4]
"On Tuesday, July 30th, the eve of San Lorenzo, at two o'clock in the morning, the wind freshened, so that our command, though it had remained in hope of returning to the Channel, was driven towards the coast of Zeeland, in spite of the fact that it kept as close a luff as possible. At break of day the N.W. wind was not so strong. The enemy's fleet of one hundred and nine sail was visible astern, little more than half a league distant. Our flagship remained in the rear with Juan Martinez de Recalde and Don Alonso de Leyva, and the galleasses, and the galleons San Marcos and San Juan, of the squadron of Diego Flores, the rest of our fleet being far to leeward. The enemy's ships stood towards our flagship, which lay to; the galleasses also awaited them, as did too the other ships in the rear; whereupon the enemy brought to. The duke fired two guns to collect his Armada, and sent a pinnace with a pilot to order his ships to keep a close luff, seeing that they were very near the banks of Zeeland. For the same cause, the enemy remained aloof, understanding that the Armada must be lost; for the pilots on board the flagship, men of experience on that coast, told the duke at the time that it would not be possible to save a single ship of the Armada, and that with the wind at N.W., as it was, every one must needs go on the banks of Zeeland, God alone being able to prevent it. The fleet being in this danger, with no kind of way of escape, and in six and a-half fathoms of water, God was pleased to change the wind to W.S.W.; and with it the fleet stood to the northward, without damage to any vessel, the duke having sent orders to every ship to follow the motions of the flagship, at peril of driving on the banks of Zeeland.
"That evening the duke summoned on board the generals and Don Alonso de Leyva, to consider what was best to be done; and having explained the state of the
- ↑ Cott. MS. Julius, F. x. 111-117.
- ↑ Except "certain pinnaces" ordered "to dog the fleet until they should be past the isles of Scotland."
- ↑ The following reached Harwich on August 8th: White Bear, Victory, Nonpareil, Hope, Swiftsure, Foresight, Moon, White Lion, and Disdain, with twenty-six ships of London. S. P. Dom. ccxiv. 46.
- ↑ Duro, doc. 165 (ii. 228).
