and most necessary for us to wyn the place for dyvers causes, both to geve succour unto ourselves in wateringe and roade for our fleete, and withall a greate pray against the enemy, resolutely resolved the attempte after some provitions of ffagotts to burne the gate, having no other meanes to attayne the entrye by reason of the greate streinght; and so began about one of the clock to assayle with small shott, so scouringe the loupes and fflancks that the gate was approched, and the assault so mainteigned that the gate was sett on fyer and relyved contynually, so as within some two howers theire capten was hurt in two places, and grewe to parly; with offer to delyver up the place, theyre lyves and baggaige savid; which was graunted and perfectly performed-a place of such naturall and ingenyous streinght as a very myraculous matter; but God, who is the gever of all good thinges, geveth streinght unto his, and stryketh with feare those whom he meaneth to chastice.

There weare in the castle neare about some hundred and ten men, besyde women and children, one canon peryer, one culveringe, one demy-culveringe, and fyve greate Portugall basses, with powder and shott.

The sixte daie the Generall marched to another castle of good streinght with some bases in it and toke it, and so the ffryery and castle of Cape St. Vincent, and tooke the same, wherin weare seaven peeces of brasse, and of greate streinght, having no waie to come unto yt but one; which two castles he defaced, fyered, and brought away theyr ordynaunce, and burnt betweene Cape St. Vincent and fyve myles to the eastward of Cape Sacre, which I suppose to be nyne Englishe myles in leinght, fforty-seven carvells and barkes, some of 20, 30, 40, 50, and some of 60 tunnes, laden with pype, bourdes, whopes, twigges, owers, and such like; we burned also some 50 or 60 fisher botes, and greate stoare of nettes, to theire greate domaige. This beinge performed at the ffryery, we came againe, some howers before night, unto the brave castle of Cape Sacre, where weare three captens

with theire companyes, untill our retorne, when, according to promes, our generall suffred the enemy to depart with theyre baggaige, and then prepared for fyer, and fyered the same, dismounted theire ordynaunce, and threwe them over the cliffes, which weare not lefte there, but with greate paine and travell bourded into our bootes and brought away, and the same night bourded our companyes.

The seventh daie, in the morninge very early, we landed at the first castle, which we razed and burned, and brought away the ordynaunce. And notwithstandinge this contynuall sarvyce, in the meane tyme we watered all our fleete, and bourded all our ordynaunce; and than, by one of the clock, the hole ffleete sett sayle to prosecute further accon.

These fower castles at the Capes defaced ys a matter of greate importaunce respecting all shipping that come out of the Straites for Luyzbourn or any part of the northward, anker there untill convenyent wynd sarve them; and so any that come from the North likewise anker there, beinge bownd for Andolozia or the Straightes. Thus desyring God to blesse our generall and us in Her Majestie's sarvice, to contynue in all duetye and love to doe what becometh the vassaylls of so worthy a prince, whom God presarve to the amaze of Her Majestie's greate and mighty enemyes, and by this handfull to encrease that feare which heareby we fynde them greatly touched withall. In all duety untill further occacon I comitt your Lordshipp unto the Allmighty. ffrom abourd Her Majestie's good shipp the Dreadnought, ffor Cape Sacre, the 17th of Maye.

Postscriptum.-The 10th of this instant moneth we cam in sight of Luyzbourne, and presented our selves before East Cales with our whoole fleete, many within shott. The Marques Ste. Crusse being hard by with 7 gallyes, who, being loose, bare upon theire orés, and never shott at us, but beate off many muskett shott all day longe. There beinge a very flatt calme the most parte of the daie, made

Y

his carvells runne agrownd, and other shipping upon the rockes, which he suffred without rescue or impeachment. The next daie we kept our selves loose in the openinge, but could see none to approche, but flyenge every waie. The eleventh, towardes the evening, the wynd being farr northerly, with a stiffe gale, we bare for Cape St. Vincent, and seised ankeringe within Cape Sacre the 12th, at one of the clocke, where we washed and purefied our shippes, washed and amended all thinges needefull, having the cuntrey in such awe that no man cometh neare us. Shipping we take daiely, which are bound with pipe bourdes and whoopes for Andolozia, which we burne, whereof they will have so greate want as to them a merveilous offence.

By intelligences we fynd the greatest provicions of streinght out of the Streightes-as from Cicilia eight gallions, and ffrom Naples fower galleasses, and dyvers gallyes out of Italy.

The provicions are so overthrowen and wasted as is wonderfull, for in Cales we brought away and burnt seven hundred tunnes of bread.

We hould this cape so greatly to our benefitt, and so much to theire disadvantage, as a greate blessinge, the attaining therof; ffor the Randevous is at Luyzbourne, where we understand of some 25 shippes and 7 galleis; the rest we lye betweene home and them, so as the body is without the members; and they cannot come togather by reason that they are unfurnished of theire provicions in every degree, in that theie are not united togather.

As there hath byn a happie begynninge, so we doubt not but God will have the sequell such as it shall appeare unto the face of the earthe, that it is not the multytude that shall prevayle wheare it pleaseth Him to streich out his favourable and mercifull hand. God make us thankfull for his benefitts and blessinges. I assure your Honor there is no accoumpt to be made of his galleis; twelve of Her Ma

jestie's shippes will not make accoumpt of all his galleis in Spaine, Portugall, and all his domynions within the Straightes, although they are 150 in nomber, yf it be to theire advauntaige in a calme, we have made such triall of theire ffightes, that we parfectly see into the depth thereof. Desyring your Honor to take in good part this symple advertisement, as coming from him who desyreth greatly the good opynion of your Lordship, yf desart move not the contrarye.

Your Honor's, in all duety to comaund,

THOMAS FENNER.*

The next service on which we find him employed was in the following year, the memorable year 1588, as captain of the Nonpareil, where he was among the most distinguished of the captains noticed by the Lord High Admiral. On the occasion of Lord Charles receiving a kind of reprimand from the Queen for leaving her coasts unprotected, by taking his fleet towards Spain, he says in his reply, "It was deeply debated by those whom the world doth judge to be men of the greatest experience that this realme hath, which are these: Sir Francis Drake, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Frobisher, and Mr. Thomas Fenner; and I hope Her Majesty will not think we went so rashly to work, or without a principle, or choice care and respect of the safetie of this realme." +

These same officers, with the addition of Lord Thomas Howard and Lord Sheffield, were selected + Life of Drake.

* MS., State Paper Office.

by the Lord Admiral to be his privy councillors in the presence of the Armada; all which shows the opinion he entertained of Captain Fenner; and moreover, in the dreadful sickness and mortality in the fleet, Fenner was sent for by the Lord Admiral, with Lord Henry Seymour, Drake, Hawkins, Palmer, and Winter, "to confer with them for the presente consideration of Her Majestie's service;" and they drew up a report of the state of the fleet, "which with sorrow and griefe I must deliver unto your Lordships."-(Letter to Privy Council, 22nd August, 1588.)

By the following letter it appears that Fenner was one of those who pursued the flying Spaniards the farthest up the North Sea :

THOMAS FENNER TO SIR F. WALSYNGHAM.

1588, August 4th.

RIGHTE HONORABLE,—I assure my selff you are acerteyned of our encounters with the Enemy, on Monday the xxixth of Julye. In longe continuance and greate force of shott on both syds. Many of their shipps wonderfully spoiled and beaten, to the utter ruyne of three of the greatest sorte, besids the cuttinge of the Galleyasse. The Enemy thereby greatelie weakened.

A thinge greately to bee regarded that th Allmighty hath stroken them with a wonderfull feare. In that I hardly have seene any of their Companyes succoured of their extreamityes which befell them after their fyghtes. But left at utter ruyne without regard, bearinge allwaies as much sayle as possible they mighte, houldinge the rest of their army togethers.

The wants of Powder and shott and