The escape of the Primrose a tall ship of London, from
before the towne of Bilbao
in Biscay
: which ship the
Corrigidor of the same Province, accompanied with 97
Spaniards, offered violently to arrest, and was defeated
of his purpose, and brought prisoner into England.
Whereunto is added the Kings Commission for a generall
imbargment or arrest of all English, Netherlandish, and
Easterlings ships, written in Barcelona
the 19 of May
1585.
IT is not unknowen unto the world what danger our
English shippes have lately escaped, how sharpely they
have beene intreated, and howe hardly they have
beene assaulted: so that the valiancie of those that
mannaged them is worthy remembrance. And therefore
in respect of the couragious attempt and valiant enterprise
of the ship called the Primrose of London, which hath
obteined renowne, I have taken in hande to publish the
trueth thereof, to the intent that it may be generally
knowen to the rest of the English ships, that by the
good example of this the rest may in time of extremitie
adventure to doe the like: to the honour of the Realme,
and the perpetuall remembrance of themselves: The maner
whereof was as followeth.
UPON Wednesday being the sixe and twentieth day of
May 1585, the shippe called the Primrose being of one
hundred and fiftie tunnes, lying without the bay of Bilbao
,
having beene there two dayes, there came a Spanish pinnesse to them, wherein was the Corrigidor and sixe others
with him: these came aboord the Primrose, seeming to be
Marchantes of Biscay, or such like, bringing Cherries with
them, and spake very friendly to the Maister of the ship,
whose name was Foster, and he in courteous wise bad
them welcome, making them the best cheere that he could
with beere, beefe, and bisket, wherewith that ship was
well furnished: and while they were thus in banquetting
with the Maister, foure of the seven departed in the sayd
Pinnesse, and went backe againe to Bilbao
: the other
three stayed, and were very pleasant for the time. But
Master Foster misdoubting some danger secretly gave
speech that he was doubtfull of these men what their
intent was; neverthelesse he sayd nothing, nor seemed in
any outward wise to mistrust them at all. Foorthwith
there came a ship-boate wherein were seventie persons
being Marchants and such like of Biscay
: and besides this
boate, there came also the Pinnesse which before had
brought the other three, in which Pinnesse there came
foure and twentie, as the Spaniards themselves since confessed. These made towards the Primrose, and being
come thither, there came aboord the Corrigidor with three
or foure of his men: but Master Foster seeing this great
multitude desired that there might no more come aboord,
but that the rest should stay in their boates, which was
granted: neverthelesse they tooke small heede of these
wordes; for on a suddaine they came foorth of the boate,
entring the shippe, every Spaniarde taking him to his
Rapier which they brought in the boate, with other
weapons, and a drumme wherewith to triumph over them.
Thus did the Spaniards enter the shippe, plunging in
fiercely upon them, some planting themselves under the
decke, some entring the Cabbens, and a multitude attending their pray. Then the Corrigidor having an officer
with him which bare a white wand in his hand, sayd to
the master of the ship: Yeeld your selfe, for you are the
kings prisoner: whereat the Maister sayd to his men, We
are betrayed. Then some of them set daggers to his
breast, and seemed in furious manner as though they
would have slaine him, meaning nothing lesse then to doe
any such act, for all that they sought was to bring him
and his men safe alive to shore. Whereat the Maister
was amazed, and his men greatly discomfited to see themselves readie to be conveyed even to the slaughter:
notwithstanding some of them respecting the daunger of
the Maister, and seeing how with themselves there was no
way but present death if they were once landed among
the Spaniards, they resolved themselves eyther to defend
the Maister, and generally to shunne that daunger, or
else to die and be buried in the middest of the sea, rather
then to suffer themselves to come into the tormentors
hands: and therefore in very bold and manly sort some
tooke them to their javelings, lances, bore-speares, and
shot, which they had set in readinesse before, and having
five Calievers readie charged, which was all the small shot
they had, those that were under the hatches or the grate
did shoote up at the Spaniards that were over their heads,
which shot so amazed the Spaniards on the suddaine, as
they could hardly tell which way to escape the daunger,
fearing this their small shot to be of greater number then
it was: others in very manlike sort dealt about among
them, shewing themselves of that courage with borespeares and lances, that they dismayed at every stroke
two or three Spaniards. Then some of them desired the
Maister to commaund his men to cease and holde their
handes, but hee answered that such was the courage of
the English Nation in defence of thier owne lives, that
they would slay them and him also: and therefore it lay
not in him to doe it. Now did their bloode runne about
the ship in great quantitie, some of them being shot in
betweene the legges, the bullets issuing foorth at their
breasts, some cut in the head, some thrust into the bodie,
and many of them very sore wounded, so that they came
not so fast in on the one side, but now they tumbled as
fast over boord on both sides with their weapons in their
handes, some falling into the sea, and some getting into
their boates, making haste towardes the Citie. And this
is to be noted, that although they came very thicke thither,
there returned but a small companie of them, neither is it
knowen as yet how many of them were slaine or drowned,
onely one English man was then slaine, whose name was
John Tristram, and sixe other hurt. It was great pitie to
behold how the Spaniards lay swimming in the sea, and
were not able to save their lives. Foure of them taking
holde of the shippe were for pities sake taken up againe
by Maister Foster and his men, not knowing what they
were: all the Spaniards bosomes were stuft with paper,
to defend them from the shot, and these foure having
some wounds were drest by the surgion of the shippe.
One of them was the Corrigidor himself, who is governour of a hundred Townes and Cities in Spaine, his living
by his office being better then sixe hundred pound yerely.
This skirmish happened in the evening about sixe of the
clocke, after they had laden twentie Tunne of goods and
better out of the sayd ship: which goods were delivered
by two of the same ship, whose names were John Burrell,
and John Brodbanke, who being on shore were apprehended and stayed.
After this valiant enterprise of eight and twentie English
men against 97 Spaniardes, they saw it was in vaine for
them to stay and therefore set up sayles, and by Gods
providence avoyded all danger, brought home the rest of
their goods, and came thence with all expedition: and
(God be thanked) arrived safely in England neere London
on Wednesday being the 8 day of June, 1585. In which
their returne to England the Spaniards that they brought
with them offered five hundred crownes to be set on shore
in any place: which, seeing the Maister would not doe,
they were content to be ruled by him and his companie,
and craved mercie at their hands. And after Master
Foster demaunded why they came in such sort to betray
and destroy them, the Corrigidor answered, that it was
not done onely of themselves, but by the commandement
of the king himselfe; and calling for his hose which were
wet, did plucke foorth the kings Commission, by which
he was authorized to doe all that he did: The Copie
whereof followeth, being translated out of Spanish.
And thus have you heard the trueth and manner thereof, wherein is to be noted the great courage of the maister, and the loving hearts of the servants to save their master from the daunger of death: yea, and the care which the master had to save so much of the owners goods as hee might, although by the same the greatest is his owne losse in that he may never travell to those parts any more without the losse of his owne life, nor yet any any of his servantes : for if hereafter they should, being knowen they are like to taste of the sharpe torments which are there accustomed in their Holy-house. And as for their terming English shippes to be in rebellion against them, it is sufficiently knowen by themselves, and their owne consciences can not denie it, but that with love, unitie, and concord, our shippes have ever beene favour able unto them, and as willing to pleasure their King; as his subjectes any way willing to pleasure English passengers.