Soone after, viz. on the 25. of July in the morning, came thither Sir Nic. Clifford, Sir H. Power, and certaine other Captaines, who were sent by the Generals from Plymmouth to the campe: As some of her Maiesties ships were also sent, who being come as farre as the Lizard head, & those Captaines to the camp, matters there goe on in prouident and orderly sort, a plot is layd for intercepting the enemy by ambush, if he thrust on shore againe, whereto necessity must soone haue pressed him, for renuing his consumed store of fresh water: but within one houre after the arriuall of these Captaines, the winde, which was vntill then strong at Southeast, with mist and rayne, to haue impeached the Gallies returne, suddenly changed into the Northwest, with very fayre and cleare weather, as if God had a purpose to preserue these his rods for a longer time. The winde no sooner came good, but away pack the Gallies with all the hast they could.
Thus haue you a summary report of the Spaniards glorious enterprise, and the Cornish mens infamous cowardise, which (were there any cause) I could qualify by many reasons, as, the suddennesse of the attempt, the narrownesse of the country, the opennesse of the towne, the aduantage of the Gallies ordinance on a people vnprepared against such accidents, through our long continued peace, & at that very time, for the most part, eyther in their Tynne-workes, or at sea, who e're the next day made resistance, euen with a handfull, and entred a vowed resolution, to reuenge their losse at the next encounter, if the enemy had landed againe.
So might I likewise say, that all these circumstances meeting in any other quarter of the Realme, would hardly haue produced much better effects. But I will not seeke to thrust my Countrymen into any other folkes company, for shifting them out of sight.
Verily such sudden surprizes worke more indignity [159] then dammage, and more dammage then disgrace, and haue so beene euer construed. Moscho, a head Citie in a populous dominion, was burned by the roguing Tartars, anno domini 1572 [Liu. lib. 3.]. The Capitoll, a head fortresse, in a populous Citie, was taken by slaues and outlawes, anno vrbis, 292. and yet, who therefore exalteth the Tartars valiancy, aboue the Moschouite, or the Romanes slaues & outlawes, aboue their masters? Besides, such nap-taking assaults, spoylings, and firings, haue in our forefathers daies, betweene vs and Fraunce, beene very common; and yet, who is so witlesse, as to twite eyther of both, for the same?
But least hold can the author, and actor of this Tra-gedy take, to build any vaunt hereon: for oftentimes small troups of ours, against farre greater forces of theirs, yea (sometimes) after forewarning, and preparance, haue wonne, possessed, ransacked, synged, captiued, and carried away the townes, wealth, and Inhabitants, not onely of their Indies, but of Portugall and Spaine it selfe. Which Nombre de dios, S. Domingo, Cartagena, the lower towne of the Groigne, Penecha, the suburbs of Lisbone, and Cales wil testify, beyond all exception. But our Countrymen leauing reason & example, excuse themselues by destiny. In fatis they say (& not in fatuis) it was, that the Cornish people should vndergo this misfortune: for an ancient prophecy, in their owne language, hath long run amongst them, how there should land vpon the rock of Merlin, those that would burn Pauls Church, Pensants, and Newlyn. And indeed, so is the rocke called, where the enemy first stept on shore. The prophesy is this:
Ewra teyre a war meane Merlyn
Ara Lesky Pawle Pensanz ha Newlyn.
Not farre from the lands ende, there is a little village, called Trebegean, in English, The towne of the Giants graue: neere whereunto, and within memory (as I haue beene informed) certayne workemen searching for Tynne, discouered a long square vault, which contayned the bones of an excessiue bigge carkas, and verified this Etimology of the name.
At Saint Buriens, a parish of great circuit, and like benefit to the Incumbent, King Athelstane accomplished his vowe, in founding a Colledge of Priests, what time he had conquered the Sillane Ilands.
Chiwarton signifyeth, a house on the greene lay, and a Castle on a greene hill is giuen by the Gent. of that name, who, in a quiet single life, maketh no farther vse of his knowledge gotten in the lawes, during his younger age, or that experience, wherewith a long course of yeeres hath sithence enriched him, then may tend, sine lucro, to the aduauncement of publike iustice, or, sine strepitu, to the aduisement of his priuate acquaintance. Hee beareth A. a Castle S. standing on a hill. V.
Sundry other Gentlemen people that remote quarter as Lauelis, &c. touching whom I must plead, non sum informatus.