The Battle of Gravelines
Captain Henry Whyte

Margate, 8 August 1588

If it seem unto your Honour that I have been slack in this duty, impute it, I beseech you, to the long sickness and indisposition that haunted me. When we heard of the arrival of the Spanish forces by sea upon the coast, weak as I was, I embarked myself to wait upon my Lord Admiral, who with all diligence addressed himself to go meet them; which the second day after he put from Plymouth he did.

The majesty of the enemy's fleet, the good order they held, and the private consideration of our own wants did cause, in mine opinion, our first onset to be more coldly done than became the value of our nation and the credit of the English navy; yet we put them to leeward, kept the weather of them, and distressed two of their best ships, whereof Don Pedro's was one. After that, our fleet increased daily; and as men and munition came, we plied them every day with more courage than other, until they came to an anchor before Calais, as your Honour may have heard. There it was devised to put them from their anchor, and seven ships were allotted to the fire to perform the enterprise; among the rest, the ship I had in charge, the Bark Talbot, was one; so that now I rest like one that had his house burnt, and one of these days I must come to your Honour for a commission to go a-begging.

Sunday, the 28th of July, at night, about one of the clock, the enterprise was undertaken, which took good effect, though not so good as was expected; for it drove two of their galleasses to be foul one of the other, so that the one plucked away the other's rudder, which afgerwards drove into Calais haven aground upon the sands. The next morning, by the dawning, we found all the fleet put from their anchors, with the loss, by report of some of them that were afterwards taken, of 100 or 120 anchors and cables. Part of our fleet made haste to overtake the enemy; my Lord Admiral, with another part, lingered a pace, to see what would become of those he sent to attempt the galleon.

As soon as we that pursued the fleet were come up within musket shot of them, the fight began very hotly. Myself was aboard the Mary Rose of the Queen's, with Captain Fenton, whose value for that day's service deserved praise. We had not fought above three hours but my Lord Admiral with the rest of the fleet came up, and gave a very fresh onset, which continued amonst us some six hours more, and truly, sir, if we had shot and powder sufficient to have given them two such heats more, we had utterly distressed them.

The next day it was decreed the Narrow Seas fleet should go back; and my Lord Admiral with the rest pursued the enemy, that fled before us with all the sail they could make, until he had brought them up well nigh as high as Berwick, having weakened their fleet, first and last, to our judgement of about twenty sail; so there rested of them whole, when we parted, to the number of fourscore sail, and all at liberty, if wind and weather hinder not, to practise in Scotland and attempt Ireland, if so they resolve not to return again this way, if weather serve as now it doth.

By this my simple relation, your Honour may see how our parsimony at home hath bereaved us of the famousest victory that ever our navy might have had at sea.

State Papers Relating to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada. (London: 1894), I:224.