1

1591.

The onely way

to reduce a rebellious king

part thereof hath twise bene wonne, and twise lost for want of good government. For here have bene many governours which have pretended to do justice, but have pitifully neglected the same, and practised the cleane contrary. And this I know to be most true. But the onely way to recover this realme, and to augment your majesties lands, goods and treasure, must be by sending some noble and mighty man to rule here, dom unto which must bring authoritie from your majestie, and by obedience. taking streight order that every captaine which doeth conquere here may bee rewarded according to his deserts. Likewise your majestie must send hither 2000 good souldiers, with munition and sufficient store of provision for them. And by this means your highnesse shall know what yeerely revenue Angola will yeeld unto your coffers, and what profit will grow thereof. Otherwise your majestie shall reape but litle benefit here. If with my presence I may doe your majestie any service in giving information of the state of this realme, as one which have had experience thereof, and have seene the order of it, upon the understanding of your majesties pleasure herein, I will doe my best indevour. And the Anusuall trick cause wherefore I have not done this heretofore hath of lewd goverbene, by reason that the Governours of this realme would suffer none of the captaines which have conquered this countrey to informe your majestie of that which is needfull for your service, and the augmenting of this conquest. Our lord preserve your catholique person with increase of many kingdomes, and the augmentation of youre crowne. Written in the conquest of the realme of Angola the 21 of May 1591.

Your majesties most loiall subject,

Baltazar Almeida de Souza.

nours.

[A true

1589.

[II. ii. 134.] A true discourse written (as is thought) by Colonel Antonie Winkfield emploied in the voiage to Spaine and Portugall, 1589. sent to his particular friend, & by him published for the better satisfaction of all such as having bene seduced by particular report, have entred into conceits tending to the discredite of the enterprise and Actors of the same.

Lthough the desire of advancing my reputation caused me to withstand the many perswasions you used to hold me at home, & the pursute of honorable actions drew me (contrary to your expectation) to neglect that advise, which in love I know you gave me: yet in respect of the many assurances you have yeelded mee of your kindest friendship, I cannot suspect that you will either love or esteeme me the lesse, at this my returne and therfore I wil not omit any occasion which may make me appeare thankfull, or discharge any part of that duetie I owe you; which now is none other then to offer you a true discourse how these warres of Spaine and Portugall have passed since our going out of England the 18 of Aprill, till our returne which was the first of July. Wherein I wil (under your favourable pardon) for your further satisfaction, as well make relation of those reasons which confirmed me in my purpose of going abroad, as of these accidents which have happened during our aboad there; thereby hoping to perswade you that no light fansie did drawe me from the fruition of your dearest friendship, but an earnest desire, by following the warres to make my selfe more woorthy of the

same.

Having therefore determinately purposed to put on this habite of a souldier, I grew doubtfull whether to employ my time in ye wars of the low Countries, which

are in auxiliarie maner maintained by her majestie, or
to folow the fortune of this voiage, which was an
adventure of her and
many honorable personages, in
revenge of unsupportable wrongs offered unto the estate
of our countrey by the Castilian king: in arguing where-
of, I find that by how much the chalenger is reputed
before the defendant, by so much is the journey to be
preferred before those defensive wars. For had the
duke of Parma his turne bene to defend, as it was his
good fortune to invade: from whence could have pro-
ceeded that glorious honor which these late warres have
laid upon him, or what could have bene said more of
him, then of a Respondent (though never so valiant)
in a private Duell? Even, that he hath done no more
then by his honour he was tied unto. For the gaine
of one towne or any small defeat giveth more renoume
to the Assailant, then the defence of a countrey, or the
withstanding of twentie encounters can yeeld any man
who is bound by his place to guard the same: whereof
as well the particulars of our age, especially in the
Spaniard, as the reports of former histories may assure
us, which have still laied the fame of all warres upon
the Invader. And do not ours in these dayes live
obscured in Flanders, either not having wherewithall to
manage any warre, or not putting on armes, but to
defend themselves when the enemie shall procure them?
Whereas in this short time of our Adventure, we have
won a towne by escalade, battred & assaulted another,
overthrowen a mightie princes power in the field, landed
our armie in 3 several places of his kingdom, marched 7
dayes in the heart of his country, lien three nights in the
suburbs of his principall citie, beaten his forces into
the gates thereof, and possessed two of his frontier
Forts, as shall in discourse thereof more particularly
appeare: whereby I conclude, that going with an In-
vader, and in such an action as every day giveth new
experience, I have much to vaunt of, that my fortune
did rather cary me thither then into the wars of Flanders.

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Notwithstanding the vehement perswasions you used with me to the contrary, the grounds whereof sithence you received them from others, you must give me leave to acquaint you with the error you were led into by them, who labouring to bring the world into an opinion that it stood more with the safetie of our estate to bend all our forces against the prince of Parma, then to folow this action by looking into the true effects of this journey, will judicially convince themselves of mistaking the matter. For, may the conquest of these countries against the prince of Parma be thought more easie for us alone now, then the defence of them was II yeeres agoe, with the men and money of the Queene of England? the power of the Monsieur of France? the assistance of the principal states of Germanie? and the nobilitie of their owne country? Could not an armie of more then 20000 horse, & almost 30000 foot, beat Don John de Austria out of the countrey, who was possessed of a very few frontier townes? & shall it now be laid upon her majesties shoulders to remoove so mightie an enemie, who hath left us but 3 whole parts of 17 unconquered? It is not a journey of a` few moneths, nor an auxiliarie warre of few yeeres that can damnifie the king of Spaine in those places where we shall meet at every 8 or 10 miles end with a towne, which will cost more the winning then will yeerely pay 4 or 5 thousand mens wages, where all the countrey is quartered by rivers which have no passage unfortified, and where [II. ii. 135.] most of the best souldiers of Christendom that be on our adverse party be in pension. But our armie, which hath not cost her majestie much above the third part of one yeres expenses in the Low countries, hath already spoiled a great part of the provision he had made at the Groine of all sortes, for a new voyage into England; burnt 3 of his ships, wherof one was ye second in the last yeres expedition called S. Juan de Colorado, taken from him above 150 pieces of good artillerie; cut off more then 60 hulks and 20 French ships wel manned fit and

readie to serve him for men of war against us, laden for his store with corne, victuals, masts, cables and other marchandizes; slaine and taken the principal men of war he had in Galitia; made Don Pedro Enriques de Gusman, Conde de Fuentes, Generall of his forces in Portugall, shamefully run at Peniche; laid along of his best Commanders in Lisbon; and by these few adventures discovered how easily her majestie may without any great adventure in short time pull the Tirant of the world upon his knees, as wel by the disquieting his usurpation of Portugall as without difficultie in keeping the commoditie of his Indies from him, by sending an army so accomplished, as may not be subject to those extremities which we have endured: except he draw, for those defences, his forces out of the Low countries and disfurnish his garisons of Naples & Milan, which with safetie of those places he may not do. And yet by this meane he shall rather be inforced thereunto, then by any force that can be used there against him: wherefore I directly conclude that this proceeding is the most safe and necessary way to be held against him, and therefore more importing then the war in the Low countries. Yet hath the journey (I know) bene much misliked by some, who either thinking too worthily of the Spaniards valure, too indifferently of his purposes against us, or too unworthily of them that undertooke this journey against him, did thinke it a thing dangerous to encounter the Spaniard at his owne home, a thing needlesse to proceed by invasion against him, a thing of too great moment for two subjects of their qualitie to undertake: And therfore did not so advance the beginnings as though they hoped for any good successe therof.

The chances of wars be things most uncertaine: for what people soever undertake them, they are in deed as chastisements appointed by God for the one side or the other. For which purpose it hath pleased him to give some victories to the Spaniards of late yeeres against some whom he had in purpose to ruine. But if we con

1589.