Lord Howard to Walsyngham

HMS ARK, 29 July 1588

Sir:-I have received your letter wherein you desire a proportion of shot and powder to be set down by me and sent unto you; which, by reason of the uncertainty of the service, no man can do; therefore I pray you to send with all speed as much as you can. And because some of our ships are victualled but for a very short time, and my Lord Henry Seymour with his company not for one day, in like to pray you to dispatch away our victuals with all possible speed, because we know not whether we shall be driven to pursue the Spanish fleet.

This morning we drove a galleass ashore before Calais, whither I sent my long boat to board her, where divers of my men were slain, and my lieutenant sore hurt in the taking of her. Ever since we have chased them in fight until this evening late, and distressed them much; but their fleet consisteth of mighty ships and great strength; yet we doubt not, by God's good assistance, to oppress them; and so I bid you heartily farewell.

Sir:-I will not write unto her Majesty before more be done. Their force is wonderful great and strong; and yet we pluck their feathers by little and little. I pray to God that the forces on the land be strong enough to answer so present a force. There is not one Flushinger nor Hollander at the seas.

Sir, I have taken the chief galleass this day before Calais, with the loss of divers of my men; but Monsieur Gourdan doth detain her, as I hear say. I could not send unto him, because I was in fight; therefore I pray you to write unto him, either to deliver her, or at leastwise to promise upon his honour that he will not yield her up again unto the enemy.

John Knox Laughton, ed. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada. (New York: 1894) I:188-9.