ON the three and twentie day of September being in the Hope, and hauing in my com­pany, the Aduauntage onely of the Queenes Ships, which Captaine Iones commanded, and two other Dutch men of warre: I ridde more then halfe Channell ouer, towards the coast of France, vpon a Northwest and Southest line: my selfe be­ing neerest that coast, Captaine Iones next vnto me, and the Dutch men of warre a Sea-boord, and to the westward of him. The small force at y ^t time present and with me remaining, thus disposed for the intercepting of the Gallies, hauing dismist the Dutch men of warre, that serued vnder me, vpon their owne intreatie to reuictual and trimme: and hauing imployed the rest of the Queenes ships vpon especiall seruices, I descried from my toppe [Page 2] mast heads, sixe lowe sailes, which some made for Gallies; others affirmed them to be small barkes that had strooken their top-sailes, being bound from Deepe towards the Downes. To which o­pinion (though I inclined most) yet caused I the Maister to waie and to stand with them, that I might learne some newes of the Gallies, which by your Lordships aduertisement sent mee, I knew had either past me that night, or were neere at hand: vnlesse the Sea had swallowed them vp in the stormes, which had raged three daies be­fore. Hauing set my selfe vnder saile, the weather waxt thicke, which caused me to lascke some two poyntes from the winde, towards the English coast, least the continuance of that darke wea­ther might giue them power to runne out a head of me. About eleuen of the clocke the weather cleared, when I discouered them plainely to be the Spanish Gallies so long time expected; at which time with the rest, I plied to receiue them by crossing their forefoote, as they stoode alongst the Channell: which they endeauoured, till they perceiued that by the continuance of that course, they could not escape the power of my Ordi­nance. All this time these two Fliboates were be­twixt them and me: and as the Slaues report that swam a shore at Douer, they determined with three Gallies to haue boorded each of those Ships, and would haue executed that resolution, but for the feare of her Maiesties great Galion (as the tearmed the Hope) whose force that they shun­ned [Page 3] in that kinde (considering the disaduantage that twice sixe of the best Gallies that euer I sawe, hath by fighting against one Ship of her force) I doe as much commend, as otherwise I doe detest their shamefull working in that full of cowardli­nes and weakenes, they rowed backe to the west­ward, and spent the day by running away: in hope that the darkenes of the night would giue them libertie sufficient to shunne the onely Ship they feared, or that was in deede in the Sea at that time, to giue them cause of feare, I meane be­twixt them and Dunkerke or Newport. This er­ror onely of theirs bred their confusion, as you may perceiue by the sequell. For they no sooner began that course of rowing backe againe; but I instantly made signes for Captaine Iones in the Aduantage of the Queenes, to come vnto me: whom I presentlie directed to repaire to Callis roade; and thence to send the al-arme vnto the States armie prepared before Sluce: and to ad­uise such men of warre as kept on the coast of Flanders, vpon any other occasion, to stand off to the Sea, to meete with the Gallies in the night, which should be chased by me with my lights in my Top-mast heads, and a continuall discharging of my Ordinance. Captaine Iones hauing shapte his course according to my directions: I gaue order for hoysing and trimming of my Sayles by the winde, to keepe sight of the Gallies: the two Fliboates being still a weather of me, did the like. Which chase we held till sunne setting, obseruing [Page 4] this course following all the day. They being a weather of me, kept their continuall boords, that the Gallies were alwaies betwixt them. And my selfe being to Leeward, made such short turnes, as I kept all the afternoone in a manner, euen in the very eye of their course, betwixt them and the place of their desseigne: euer discharging my best Ordinance to warne the Answere of her Maiesties, that ridde by my directions at the Downes, vpon important seruice as your Lord­ship knoweth: and the Flemmings that were there, hauing left the Sea vppon vnknowne groundes to me (yet sent from Portsmouth, by the most prouident direction of her sacred Maie­stie, to awaite the comming of the Gallies, vpon aduertisements that her Highnes receiued of their being put to Sea) to set saile, who else had recei­ued no vnderstanding of the Gallies: neither came they within shot of them, till after night, howsoeuer the reputation of the seruice is wholy challenged by them.

Hauing giuen your Lordship an account how this day was thus spent by me, from eyght of the clocke vntill the euening, and with these one­ly helpes: I beseech your Lordship to be pleased to vnderstand, that with the setting of the Sunne, I could both discerne the Ships last mentioned vnder sayle at the Downes, and the Gallies to haue set their sayles: directing their course close aboord our shore, each of them being out of sight of the other, and my Dutch consorts by [Page 5] this time to haue been left by the Gallies to a sterne chase. When I perceiued them to holde that course, which would bring them within shot of the Answere, and the rest that were in the Downes: I held a cleane contrary course from them, towards the coast of France, to confirme the secure passage they thought to finde on our coast, which I continued, vntill the report of their battery gaue me assurance of the Gallies being en­gaged vnto tham.

How the batterie began, who began it, how it was continued, how ended, and to whom the re­putation of the seruice is due, I leaue to be consi­dered by your Lordship, by the perusall of the true discourse following.

The Answere of the Queenes, which Captaine Bredgate commanded, as she rid more Southerly at the Downes then the Flemmings, so came she first to the Gallies, and bestowed 28. peeces of Or­dinance on them before the Flemmings came in, who at length seconded him with very many shot. During this batterie of ours vpon the Gallies, (which I so terme, because they neuer exchanged one shot) at the very first report of the Answers Or­dinance, I directed the Master of my ship to beare vp with the South end of the Goodwin, with which directions I deliuered my reasons publikely, as I stood on the poope of my ship, viz. That if I stood directly in to them, the Gallies, before I could re­couer the place, would either be driuen a shore or sunke, and so would there proue no neede of my [Page 6] force; or els by their nimble sayling they would escape the ships, of whom (once getting a head) they could receiue no impediment: for there was no one shippe but the Aduantage in the sea that could hinder them to recouer any port in Flanders or the East Countries (Sluce onely excepted) vn­lesse I staied them at that sand head.

Hauing recouered as neere that place as I desi­red, I staied at least a quarter of an houre, before I could either see Gallie, heare or see any of those Ships, their lights, or report of their Ordinance, which made me and all my companie hold opi­nion that they had outsailed the Answere and the rest of the Flemmings, and shunned sight of me by going a seaboord of my ship: which I so verely be­leeued, as I once directly determined to saile for Sluce, with hope onely that the preparation which I knew the States had there, would be able to pre­uent their entrance into that place.

Whilest I remained thus doubtfull, or rather hopelesse to hinder their recouerie of Dunkerke or Newport, in case they had been a seaboord of me, some of my companie descried a single Gallie plying from the shore to get a head of my shippe. When she approched within Caliuer shot, I dis­charged aboue thirtie peeces of Ordinance of my lower & vpper tyre at her alone, my selfe with ma­ny other in my ship saw when her maineyard was shot asunder, heard the report of many shot that hit her hull, heard many their most pitifull out­cries: which when I perceiued to continue, and in [Page 7] steed of making way from me, to neere me what she could; I forbare shooting, and commaunded one that spake the Portugall language, to tell them that I was contented to receiue them into mercie: which I would accordingly haue performed, had not the other fiue Gallies offered to stand out a head of me at that very instant, and thereby would haue left me as they had done both the first two Dutch shippes, and afterwards the Answere with the rest of the Flemmings, had I omitted any small time of executing the aduantage I had of their being on my broad side, which as appeares was so effectually employed (howsoeuer the night wherein this seruice was performed, might hinder the particular mention of their hurts) as none can denie but that God pleased thereby onely to work their confusion. For since that time none hath said or can speake of any one shot made towards them: yet foure of them are sunke and wracked, the fift past doing the enemie seruice: and the sixt they are forced to new build at Dunkerke, where (if I bee not much deceiued) she will prooue more chargeable then profitable, if the fault rest not in our selues.

The disagreement betweene the Dutch Cap­taines themselues touching the stemming and sin­king of the Gallies (whereof one challenged be­fore your Lordship, and in many other publike places, to haue stemmed and sunke two himselfe) and the printed Pamphlet containing the stem­ming and sinking of three Gallies, giueth the re­putation [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] thereof to three seuerall Captaines, a­mongst whom no mention is made of the first: and whereas there are but two in all sunke; I leaue to be reconciled amongst themselues, and to your Lordship, whether that the same of right appertai­neth not to her Maiesties Ship the Hope, in respect of the allegations before mentioned, euery parti­cular whereof being to be prooued by the oathes of my whole Companie, and maintained with the hazard of my life with that which follow­eth.

1 As the shooting of the single Gallies main­yard asunder, my bestowing aboue thirtie peeces of Ordinance vpon that one Gallie, within lesse then Caliuer shot.

2 That they in the Galley made many lamen­table outcries for my receiuing them vnto mer­cie.

3 That I would accordinglie haue receiued them, but for giuing them ouer to encounter with the other fiue Gallies, which els had left me to a sterne chase.

To these reasons I adde the assertions of the Viceadmirall himselfe, who tolde me (whatsoeuer he spake in other places) that one of the Gallies, which he stemmed, had her maineyard shot asun­der before his comming aboord her: by whom soeuer she was then stemmed, your Lordship may iudge, who ruin'd her, considering she made no resistance, by his owne report, but by crying to him for mercie.

[Page 9] Touching the other Gallie stemmed and sunke, I haue alreadie proued how she (as all the rest) had got a head the Answere of the Queenes not na­med, and the rest of the States-men of warre with her, who challenge the whole credit of this ser­uice: They (as all other Sea-men) cannot denie, but that the Gallies will outsaile all Ships, in such a loome gale of winde and smooth sea, as wee had that night.

The Gallies being then quicker of saile then they, how could they by any meanes possible fetch them vp, but by some impediment? Impedi­ment they receiued none, but by my Ordinance: which amounted to fiftie great shot at those fiue which came last from the shoare, when al the ships were aboue a mile a sterne.

Some notwithstanding out of their detracting dispositions may perchaunce say, that the two which were wrecked at Newport would haue pe­rished by storme, though they had not been batte­red. Whereto though I haue sufficiently answe­red, first in shewing that they might haue recoue­red any of the places thereabouts before 8. of the clock that night but for me; and then the second time before the morning, had they not been en­countred by me alone, at the South-sand head: yet for further proofe that they miscaried by our bat­terie onely, I say that if one of the Gallies which receiued least damage by our Ordinance did out­liue Fridaies storme, continuing till Saterday noone, being driuen among the Islands of Zea­land [Page 10] to recouer Callis, then surely those two (vnles they had bin exceedingly torne) would haue made shift to haue recouered the Ports of Newport, Graueling or Dunkerke: especially sith from the place where I battered them, they might haue bin at the remotest of those places about foure houres before any storme began. But such seemed their haste to saue their liues, as their thought ranne of a shoare, and not of a harbour.

Now that I haue deliuered vnto your Lordship the whole and true discourse of this businesse, I shall forbeare to trouble your patience with any further relation of that night and next daies spen­ding my time (though the same in their chase had like to haue cost her Maiestie her Ship, & the liues of as many as were in her) and cōclude with admi­ration of their not holding her Maiesties ships, nor I (her vnworthiest seruant) and then and yet by her Highnes grace and your Lordships fauor, Ad­miral of the forces in that place, are not once men­tioned: especially sith the sixe Gallies might safely haue arriued before seauen of the clock that night at any of the Ports of Flaunders to the Westward of Ostend. And that the Dutch shippes had not come from an anchor in the Downes, but for the signes they receiued from me. Then that the force of her Maiesties Shippe, wherein I was, enforced them to keepe close aboord the English shoare, whereby those Shippes in the Downes had power giuen them to come to fight, which fight was be­gun by the Answere of the Queenes.

[Page 11] And lastly, sith the Gallies escaped their battery, and had gotten a head those Shippes, aboue a mile at least, and neuer receiued any impediment after, but onely by me, who lingered them (as you haue heard) vntill the comming vp of those Ships that challenge to stemme them: which being granted, I cannot see how any other credit can rightly be giuen them (for that stemme I meane) then to a lackey for pillaging of that dead bodie which his master had slaine.

ALthough this be a very true report of that which was done in this seruice, and be a thing very plausible to all that are well affected to y ^e good successe of her Maiesties affaires: yet should it not haue mooued me much who were esteemed to haue been the chiefe actor in so good a worke; or to whom any augmentation of credit might grow thereby, were it not that I haue found some, who (I denie not) haue had their part in that seruice, haue been so farre transported with the opinion of their owne desert therein, as they haue not let in setting foorth their owne commendation, to cast a staine vpon other mens, who had a greater part in the worke then themselues, as may appeare by the re­port aboue recited. Which notwithstāding should the lesse trouble me, if the touch thereof did reach only to my selfe as a priuate gentleman: but seeing the imputation, as it may be gathered in a Pamph­let printed, containing a report of that seruice, wherein no mentiō at al is made either of me, or of [Page 12] any other her Maiesties seruants or Ships, or of any of our nation, doth derogate not onely from my selfe, but in some sort from the diligence and vigi­lancie of al publike ministers of her Maiesties Na­uie: it behoued me to haue so much sense of mine and their reputations, as by a true report of the thing (as indeed it was done) to redeeme the slan­der that in some mens conceits (whose eares are quicke enough to receiue ill impressions of pub­like officers) might bee easily laid vpon vs. For which onely cause is this report published. For how little respect I had to affect reputation to my selfe by publishing any report of that which had passed in this seruice, may appeare by this one cir­cumstance: that as soone as I had presented my self to your Lordship, and Master Secretarie at the Court at Oatelands, and bin by your Honors pre­sented to her Maiestie, and made report of that which had passed: my first suite was, to be licensed to goe into the countrie (as your Honor can well witnes) whither immediatly I repaired attending my owne busines, and from thence returned but very lately, without any thought or purpose of de­claiming my owne actions, or of any other thing, more then of returning to my charge, vntill com­ming to the Citie I found euery mans mouth full of an iniurious report of that seruice, and likewise a Pamphlet printed by the procurement of some who had had to do in that seruice, which did con­firme the misconceit thereof. Wherefore I haue been constrained to doe that, which otherwise (as [Page 13] I haue said) is not agreeable to my nature, that is, to speake of my selfe. But I shall be herein the more to be excused, because the matter doth concerne me not onely as a priuate person, but as a publike seruant of the State: towards which it becommeth me to make cleere all actions wherewith I am put in trust. For which respect I must also adde this much more; that if any man will take exception to any point of that which I haue here aboue vpon so good consideration set downe: I would haue him vnderstand that I haue not lightly put foorth this report, as a blast to fill mens eares: but so aduisedly, that at all times I will be readie to maintaine and iustifie the truth therof, in such sort as becommeth a Gentleman professing Armes; and bearing the charge, which by her Maiesties fauour I doe, to iu­stifie any thing, which he taketh vpon the ha­zard of his reputation to report. And in assurance thereof I haue to this report set my hand, and published it in my name.