ships came on so fast with both wind and tide in its favour, that the duke, who was in the rear, chose rather to save his Armada by awaiting the enemy's attack, than to bear away; for bearing away would be destruction, seeing that, as the pilots assured him, the Armada was already very near the shoals of Dunquerque. He therefore cast about to meet the enemy, and fired guns and dispatched pinnaces to order all the ships to keep a close luff, unless they would drive amid the shoals of Dunquerque. The enemy's admiral, with the greater part of his fleet, attacked our flagship with a heavy fire delivered within musket, and even within arquebuss, shot; and this went on without cessation from daybreak; nor did the flagship bear away until our fleet was clear of the shoals. During the whole time, the galleon San Marcos, in which was the Marquis de Peñafiel, remained by the admiral.
"The commander of the galleasses,[1] not being able to follow our fleet, made for Calais, and ran himself ashore near the entrance of the port, whither several of the enemy followed him. It is reported that the French in the fortress of Calais covered the galleass with the fire of their guns, and that her people reached the land.
"Don Alonso de Leyva and Juan Martinez de Recalde, the flagship of Oquendo, all the ships of the camp-masters, Castillian as well as Portuguese, the flagship of Diego Flores, that of Bertendona, the galleon San Juan, of the squadron of Diego Flores, in which was Don Diego Enriquez,[2] and the San Juan de Sicilia, in which was Don Diego Tellez Enriquez,[3] sustained the enemy's onset as stoutly as was possible; and in consequence all their vessels were very much mauled, and almost reduced to silence, the greater part of them being without shot for their guns. In the rear,[4] Don Francisco de Toledo[5] awaited the attack and endeavoured to grapple with the enemy, whose vessels engaged him, and, by their gunfire, brought him to great extremity. Don Diego Pimentel[6] went to his assistance, and both were hard pressed; upon which Juan Martinez de Recalde, with Don Augustin Mexía, went to their help and rescued them from their difficulties. In spite of their experience, these vessels returned, and again attacked the enemy, as died Don Alonso de Luzon,[7] and the Santa Maria de Begoña,[8] in which was Garibay, and the San Juan de Sicilia, in which was Don Diego Tellez Enriquez. These drew near to the enemy's ships to board them, but failed to grapple with them, they using their great guns at very short range, and our men returning the fire with arquebuss and musket.[9]
"When the duke heard the arquebuss and musketry fire in the rear,[10] but could not, owing to the smoke, see from the top what was the occasion of it, except that two ships of ours were surrounded by the enemy, and that the whole English fleet, having quitted our flagship, was engaging them, he ordered the flagship to cast about for their assistance, although she was badly mauled by great shot between wind and water, it not being possible to stop her leak, and although her rigging was much damaged. Yet when the enemy saw our flagship approaching, he left the ships which he was engaging, namely, the ships of on Alonso de Luzon, of Garibay, of Don Francisco de Toledo, of Don Diego Pimentel, and of Don Diego Tellez Enriquez. The last three[11] of these had been most closely and warmly occupied with the enemy, had all suffered great damage, and were unfit for service, all their people being killed or wounded;[12] and only the ship- ↑ In the San Lorenzo.
- ↑ Son of the Viceroy of Peru.
- ↑ Son of the Commendator.
- ↑ I.e. on the Spanish right wing.
- ↑ In the San Felipe.
- ↑ In the San Mateo.
- ↑ In the Trinidad Valencera.
- ↑ In the list, N. S. de Begoña.
- ↑ Shot and powder for their heavy guns were probably exhausted. This was at 3 P.M. Duro, ii. docs. 261, 284, 390.
- ↑ I.e. the Spanish right wing.
- ↑ San Felipe, San Mateo, and San Juan de Sicilia.
- ↑ I.e. probably nearly all. Duro, doc. 168, p. 262.
