1591 party) was convoyed aboard the General, Don Alonso Bassan. Raleigh Who finding none over hasty to enter the Revenge again, doubting lest Sir Richard would have blown them up and himself, and perceiving by the report of the Master of the Revenge his dangerous disposition: yielded that all their lives should be saved, the company sent for England, and the better sort to pay such reasonable ransom as their estate would bear, and in the mean season to be free from galley or imprisonment. To this he so much the rather condescended as well, as I have said, for fear of further loss and mischief to themselves, as also for the desire he had to recover Sir Richard Grinvile; whom for his notable valour he seemed greatly to honour and admire. When this answer was returned, and that safety of life was promised, the common sort being now at the end of their peril, the most drew back from Sir Richard and the MasterGunner, being no hard matter to dissuade men from death to life. The Master-Gunner finding himself and Sir Richard thus prevented and mastered by the greater number, would have slain himself with a sword, had he not been by force withheld and locked into his cabin. Then the General sent many boats aboard the Revenge, and divers of our men fearing Sir Richard's disposition, stole away aboard the general and other ships. Sir Richard, thus overmatched, was sent unto by Alonso Bassan to remove out of the Revenge, the ship being marvellous unsavoury, filled with blood and bodies of dead and wounded men like a slaughter house. Sir Richard answered that he might do with his body what he list, for he esteemed it not, and as he was carried out of the ship he swooned, and reviving again desired the company to pray for him. The General used Sir Richard with all humanity, and left nothing unattempted that tended to his recovery, highly commending his valour and worthiness, and greatly bewailed the danger wherein he was, being unto them a rare spectacle, and a resolution seldom approved, to 1591 Raleigh see one ship turn towards so many enemies, to endure the charge and boarding of so many huge Armadoes, and to resist and repel the assaults and entries of so many soldiers. All which, and more, is confirmed by a Spanish Captain, of the same Armada, and a present actor in the fight, who being severed from the rest in a storm, was by the Lyon of London, a small ship, taken, and is now prisoner in London. The general commander of the Armada was Don Alonso Bassan, brother to the Marquess of Santa Cruce. The Admiral of the Biscaine squadron was Brittan Dona. Of the squadron of Sivil, Marquess of Arumburch. The Hulks and Flyboats were commanded by Luis Cutino. There were slain and drowned in this fight, well near two thousand of the enemies, and two especial commanders Don Luis de Sant John, and Don George de Prunaria de Mallaga, as the Spanish Captain confesses, besides divers others of special account, whereof as yet report is not made. The admiral of the Hulks and the Ascention of Sivil were both sunk by the side of the Revenge; one other recovered the road of Saint Michels, and sunk also there; a fourth ran herself with the shore to save her men. Sir Richard died, as it is said, the second or third day aboard the general, and was by them greatly bewailed. What became of his body, whether it were buried in the sea or on the land we know not: the comfort that remaineth to his friends is, that he hath ended his life honourably in respect of the reputation won to his nation and country, and of the same to his posterity, and that being dead, he hath not outlived his own honour. Sir Walter Raleigh. Melville 1593 GLORIANA N the meantime I was favourably and familiarly used, for during nine days that I remained at that Court, her Majesty pleased to confer with me every day, and sometimes 1593 thrice upon a day, to wit a forenoon, afternoon, and after Melville supper. Sometimes she would say, that since she could not meet with the Queen, her good sister, herself, to confer familiarly with her, that she should open a good part of her inward mind unto me, that I might show it again unto the Queen; and said that she was not so offended at the Queen's angry letter, as for that she seemed to disdain so far the marriage with my Lord of Leicester; which she had caused Mr. Randolph propone unto her. I said that it might be he had touched something thereof to my Lords of Murray and Lethington, but that he had not proponed the matter directly unto herself; and that as well her Majesty, as they that were her most familiar counsellors, could conjecture nothing thereupon but delays and drifting of time, anent the declaring of her to be second person; which would try at the meeting of the Commissioners above specified. She said again, that the trial and declaration thereof would be hasted forward, according to the Queen's good behaviour, and applying to her pleasure and advice in her marriage; and seeing the matter concerning the said declaration was so weighty, she had ordained some of the best lawyers in England diligently to search out who had the best right; which she would wish should be her dear sister rather than any other. I said I was assured that her Majesty was both out of doubt thereof, and would rather she should be declared than any other; but I lamented that even the wisest princes will not skance1 sufficiently upon the partialities and pretences of some of their familiar counsellors and servants; except it were such a notable and rare prince as King Harry the Eighth, her Majesty's father, of good memory, who of his own head was determined to declare his sister's son, King James the Fifth (at what time her Majesty was not yet born, but only her sister, Queen Mary), heir-apparent to the crown of England, failing the heirs gotten of his own body, for the 1 Consider with suspicion. VOL. I. M Melville earnest desire he had to unite this whole island. She said 1593 she was glad he did it not. I said that then he had but a daughter, and was in doubt to have any more children, and yet had not so many suspicions in his head; and that her Majesty was out of all doubt ever to have any children, as being deliberate to die a virgin. She said that she was never minded to marry, except she were compelled by the Queen her sister's hard behaviour towards her, in doing by her counsel as said is. I said: 'Madam, ye need not to tell me that; I know your stately stomach: ye think if ye were married, ye would be but Queen of England, and now ye are King and Queen both; ye may not suffer a commander.' She appeared to be so affectionate to the Queen, her good sister, that she had a great desire to see her; and because their desired meeting could not be so hastily brought to pass, she delighted oft to look upon her picture, and took me into her bedchamber, and opened a little lettroun1 wherein were divers little pictures wrapped within paper, and written upon the paper their names with her own hand. Upon the first that she took up was written, 'My lord's picture.' I held the candle and pressed to see my lord's picture. Albeit she was loath to let me see it, at length I by importunity obtained the sight thereof, and asked the same to carry home with me unto the Queen; which she refused, alleging she had but that one of his. I said again that she had the principal; for he was at the farthest part of the chamber speaking with the Secretary Cecil. Then she took out the Queen's picture and kissed it; and I kissed her hand, for the great love I saw she bore to the Queen. She showed me also a fair ruby, great like a racket ball. Then I desired that she would either send it as a token unto the Queen, or else my Lord of Leicester's picture. She said, gin the Queen would follow her counsel, that she would get them both with time, and all that she had; but should send her a diamond for a token 1 Lectern, desk: also work-table. with me. Now it was late after supper; she appointed me Melville to be at her the next morning by eight hours, at which time 1593 she used to walk in her garden; and inquired sundry things at me of this country, or other countries wherein I had lately travelled; and caused me to eat with her dame of honour, my Lady Stafford, an honourable and godly lady, who had been at Geneva, banished during the reign of Queen Mary, that I might be always near her Majesty, that she might confer with me; and my Lady Stafford's daughter was my mistress, for I was of their acquaintance when they passed through France, and had good intelligence by her and by my Lady Throgmorton. At divers meetings there would be divers purposes; and the Queen, my sovereign, had instructed me sometimes to leave matters of gravity and cast in some purposes of merriness, or else I would be tired upon, as being well informed of her sister's naturelle.1 Therefore, in declaring the customs of Dutchland, Polle, and Italy, the busking and clothing of the dames and women was not forgot, and what country weed was best setten2 for gentlewomen to wear. The Queen of England said she had of divers sorts; which every day so long as I was there she changed; one day the English weed, one the French, and one the Italian, and so of others; asking at me which of them set her best. I said the Italian weed; which pleased her well, for she delighted to show her golden-coloured hair, wearing a kell3 and bonnet as they do in Italy. Her hair was redder than yellow, curled apparently of nature. Then she entered to discern what kind of colour of hair was reputed best; and inquired whether the queen's or hers was best, and which of them two was fairest. I said the fairness of them both was not their worst faults. But she was earnest with me to declare which of them I thought fairest. I said she was the fairest Queen in England, and ours the fairest Queen in Scotland. Yet she 1 Disposition. 2 Suited. 3 Caul. |