your poor soldier and subject behold your royal person, and to hear him speak in his rude language: so if your Majesty vouchsafe to cast a princely eye on these his unhandsome papers: new sunbeams shall spread over him, and put a quickening soul into that bosom, which otherwise must want life for want of comfort. Those graces from your excellent clemency already received being such, that I am ashamed and sorry not to have endured and to have done more in foreign countries for the honour of Yours: when from so high a throne, my Sovereign deigns to look down on a creature so unworthy, whose life he prostrates before your Highness.

Ever resting Your Majesty's

Most humble and loyal subject,

RICHARD Peeke.

THREE TO ONE.

BEING

AN ENGLISH-SPANISH COMBAT.

OVING Countrymen ! Not to weary you with long preambles, unnecessary for you to read and troublesome for me to set down; I will come roundly to the matter: entreating you, not to cast a malicious eye upon my actions nor rashly to condemn them, nor to stagger in your opinions of my performance; since I am ready with my life to justify what I set down, the truth of this relation being warranted by noble proofs and testimonies not to be questioned.

I am a Western man; Devonshire my country, and Tavistock my place of habitation.

I know not what the Court of a King means, nor what the fine phrases of silken Courtiers are. A good ship I know, and a poor cabin; and the language of a cannon: and therefore as my breeding has been rough, scorning delicacy; and my present being consisteth altogether upon the soldier (blunt, plain and unpolished) so must my writings be, proceeding from fingers hitter for the pike than the pen. And so, kind Countrymen! I pray you to receive them.

Neither ought you to expect better from me, because I am but the chronicler of my own story.

After I had seen the beginning and end of the Algiers' voyage; I came home somewhat more acquainted with the world, but little amended in estate: my body more wasted and weather-beaten; but my purse, never the fuller, nor my pockets thicker lined.

Then the drum beating up for a new expedition, in which

Peeke. July

many noble gentlemen and heroical spirits were to venture their honours, lives and fortunes; cables could not hold me: for away I would, and along I vowed to go; and did so.

The design opening itself at sea for Cadiz, proud I was to be employed there; where so many gallants and English worthies did by their examples encourage the common soldiers to honourable darings.

The ship I went in was called the Convertine, one of the Navy Royal. The captain, THOMAS PORTAR.

On the two and twentieth day of October, being a Saturday, 1625; our fleet came into Cadiz, about three o'clock in the afternoon: we, being in all, some 110 sail.

The Saturday night, some sixteen sail of the Hollanders, and about ten White Hall Men (who in England are called Colliers) were commanded to fight against the Castle of Punthal, standing three miles from Cadiz: who did so accordingly; and discharged in that service, at the least, 1,600 shot.

On the Sunday morning following, the Earl of ESSEX going up very early, and an hour at least before us, to the fight; commanded our ship, the Convertine, being of his squadron, to follow him the Castle playing hard and hotly upon his Lordship.

Captain PORTAR and the Master of our ship whose name is Master HILL, having upon sight of so fierce an encounter an equal desire to do something worthy of themselves and their country; came up so close to the Castle as possibly men in such a danger either could or durst adventure, and there fought bravely. The Castle bestowed upon us a hot salutation (and well becoming our approach) with bullets; whose first shot killed three of our men, passing through and through our ship; the second killed four; and the third two more at least; with great spoil and battery [battering] to our ship: the last shot flying so close to Captain PORTAR that with the windage of the bullet, his very hands had almost lost the sense of feeling, being struck into a sudden numbness.

Upon this, Captain PORTAR perceiving the danger we and our ship were in, commanded a number of us to get upon the upper deck; and with our small shot [musketry fire] to try if we could not force the cannoniers from their ordnance.

We presently advanced ourselves, fell close to our work

and plied them with pellets bullets]. In which hot and dangerous service, one Master WILLIAM JEWELL behaved himself both manly and like a noble soldier, expressing much valour, ability of body, and readiness: with whom and some few more (I, among the rest) stood the brunt which continued about three hours.

Our ship lay all this while with her starboard side to the fort; which beat us continually with at least two hundred muskets, whose bullets flew so thick that our shrouds were torn in pieces, and our tacklings rent to nothing: and when she came off, there were to be seen five hundred bullets, at the least, sticking in her side. I, for my part (without vain. glory be it spoken) discharged at this time, some threescore and ten shot; as they recounted to me, who charged my pieces for me.

In the heat of this fight, Sir WILLIAM SAINT LEGER, whether called up by my Lord of ESSEX or coming of himself I know not, seeing us so hardly beset; and that we had but few shot upon our deck in regard of the enemy's numbers which played upon us came, with a valiant and noble resolution, out of another ship into ours; bringing some forty soldiers with him. Who there with us, renewed a second fight as hot or hotter than the former: where in this fight, one of our bullets [cannon-balls] was shot into the mouth of a Spanish cannon; where it sticketh fast and putteth that roarer to silence.

Upon this bravery, they of the fort began to wax calmer and cooler and in the end, most part of their gunners being slain, gave over shooting; but yielded not the fort until night.

Whilst this skirmish continued, a company of Spaniards within the castle, by the advantage of a wall whose end jutted out, they still as they discharged retired behind it, saving themselves and extremely annoying us: I removed into the forecastle of our ship, and so plied them with hailshot, that they forsook their stand.

What men on our own part were lost by their small shot I cannot well remember, but sure I am, not very many: yet the Spaniards afterwards before the Governor of Cadiz, confessed they lost about fifty; whose muskets they cast into a well because [in order that] our men should not use them, throwing the dead bodies in after.

40

July 1626.

My hurts and bruises here received, albeit they were neither many nor dangerous, yet were they such that when the fight was done; many gentlemen in our ship, for my encouragement,

gave me money.

During this battle the Hollanders and White Hall Men, you must think, were not idle; for their great pieces went off continually from such of their ships as could conveniently discharge their fire, because our ship lay between them and the fort and they so closely plied their work that at this bat ery, were discharged from their ordnance, at least four thousand bullets [cannon balls].

The castle being thus quieted, though as yet not yielded; the Earl of ESSEX, about twelve at noon, landed his regiment close by the fort, the Spaniards looking over the walls to behold them. Upon the sight of which, many of those within the castle (to the number of six score) ran away; we pursuing them with shouts, halloings and loud noises, and now and then a piece of ordnance overtook some of the Spanish hares, and stayed them from running further.

Part of our men being thus landed, they marched up not above a slight [musket] shot off, and there rested themselves. Then, about six at night, the castle yielded upon composition to depart with their arms and colours flying, and no man to offend them; which was performed accordingly.

The Captain of the fort, his name was Don FRANCISCO BUSTAMENTE; who, presently upon the delivery, was carried aboard the Lord General's ship, where he had a soldierly welcome and the next day, he and all his company were put over to Puerto Real upon the mainland, because they should not go to Cadiz, which is an island.

On the Monday [October 24th], having begun early in the morning; all our forces, about noon, were landed: and presently marched up to a bridge between Punthal and Cadiz. In going up to which, some of our men were unfortunately and unmanly surprised; and before they knew their own danger, had there their throats cut. Some had their brains beaten out with the stocks of muskets; others, their noses sliced off; whilst some heads were spurned up and down the streets like footballs; and some ears worn in scorn in Spanish hats. For when I was in prison in Cadiz, whither some of these Spanish picarocs [robbers] were brought