pay upon the rumour
Of a great fleete a comming, would both pester
The Towne and be unnecessary charge
To the King our Master.

Ten. But how if they intend us?

Fer. 'Tis not probable:
The time of yeare is past, sir, now; more then
The middle of October. Had they meant us
We should have heard their message in loud Cannon
Before this time.

Bust. I am of that opinion.

Ten. But Don Fernando and Bustamente, call to mind
The time hath bene, when we supposed too
The season past, they have saluted us
With more then friendly Bulletts; tore the ribbs
Of our Towne up, made every house too hott
For the Inhabitants; had a spoyle of all,
Spight of our hearts.

Fer. One Swallow makes not Summer: because once Our City was their prize, is't of necessity It must be so againe?

Bust. Or were the Navy
Greater, as fame gives out it is the fayrest
That ever danced upon these Seas, why yet
Should we suspect for this Citty?

Fer. Because we dreame soe.

Ten. If you did dreame it may be as neare truth: I wish the contrary, but know them daring Enemyes.

Fer. The world, we doe acknowledge, cannot boast More resolution then the English hearts Seasond for action.

Ten. Francisco Bustamente, how is the Castle? what strength?

Bust. A fort impregnable, wanting neyther soldiers nor munition.

Ten. Well, looke to't.

Fer. How ere
That wilbe necessary; the fort lyes in
The mouth of danger, and it will become
You to discharge that duty, Bustamente.

Bust. With my best care.

Ten. I wish all well, and that you had not yet Discharg'd your Companyes, Don Fernando.

Fer. Come, come; putt of your Jelousy,
Drinke downe the remembrance. We forget
Our fleetes arrivall; send your feares away;
Nothing but wine and mirth should crowne this day.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 2.

Enter two Devonshire Merchants, as being in Sherryes[6]

1. Heare you the newes?

2. Yes, that an English fleete Is making up to Cales.[7]

1. Our Sherryes merchants, Though few of us be heere, shall soundly pay To the furnishing of this Navy.

2. Nay, I assure you Our shipps wilbe fast bound by Spanish charmes Not to get hence in hast.

1. The Divell allready
Is furling up the sayles; would all the sackes
Which we have bought for England were in Devonshire
Turnd to small Beere, so we were but in Tavistocke
To see it drawne out; were it nere so thin
I'de drink a health to all the Dons in Sherryes
And cry a pox upon 'em.

2. That word heard
By any lowsy Spanish Picardo[8]
Were worth our two neckes. Ile not curse my Diegoes
But wish with all my heart that a faire wind
May with great Bellyes blesse our English sayles
Both out and in; and that the whole fleete may
Be at home delivered of no worse a conquest
Then the last noble voyage made to this Citty,
Though all the wines and merchandize I have here
Were ith' Seas bottome.

1. Troth, so would I mine.

2. I nere could tell yet from what roote this huge Large spreading Tree of hate from Spayne to us, From us agayne to Spayne, took the first growth.

1. No? then lie tell you: let us season our sorrow With this discourse.

2. With all my heart I long for't.

1. You shall not loose your longing: then, sir, know
The hate a Spanyard beares an Englishman
Nor naturall is, nor ancient; but as sparkes,
Flying from a flint by beating, beget flames,
Matter being neere to feed and nurse the fire,
So from a tinder at the first kindled[9]
Grew this heartburning twixt these two great Nations.

2. As how, pray?

1. Heare me: any Englishman
That can but read our Chronicles can tell
That many of our Kings and noblest Princes
Have fetcht their best and royallest wives from Spayne,
The very last of all binding both kingdomes
Within one golden ring of love and peace
By the marriage of Queene Mary with that little man
(But mighty monarch) Phillip, son and heire
To Charles the Emperour.

2. You say right.

1. Religion
Having but one face then both here and there,
Both Nations seemd as one: Concord, Commerce
And sweete Community were Chaynes of Pearle
About the neckes of eyther. But when England
Threw of the Yoake of Rome, Spayne flew from her;
Spayne was no more a sister nor a neighbour,
But a sworne Enemy. All this did but bring
Dry stickes to kindle fire: now see it burne.

2. And warme my knowledge and experience by't.

1. Spaines anger never blew hott coales indeed Till in Queene Elizabeths Raigne when (may I call him so) That glory of his Country and Spaynes terror, That wonder of the land and the Seas minyon, Drake, of eternall memory, harrowed th'Indyes.

2. The King of Spaynes west Indyes?

1. Yes, when his Hands
Nombre de Dios, Cartagena, Hispaniola,
With Cuba and the rest of those faire Sisters,
The mermaydes of those Seas, whose golden strings
Give him his sweetest musicke, when they by Drake
And his brave Ginges[10] were ravishd; when these red apples
Were gather'd and brought hither to be payrd—
Then the Castilian Lyon began to roare.

2. Had he not cause, being vexd soe?

1. When our shipps
Carrying such firedrakes in them that the huge
Spanish Galleasses, Galleons, Hulkes and Carrackes[11]
Being great with gold, in labour with some fright,
Were all delivered of fine redcheekt Children
At Plymouth, Portsmouth and other English havens
And onely by men midwives: had not Spayne reason
To cry out, oh Diables Ingleses!

2. It had not spoke such Spanish else.

1. When we did sett our feete even on their Mynes
And brought their golden fagotts thence, their Ingotts
And silver wedges; when each ship of ours
Was able to spread sayles of silke; the tacklings
Of twisted gold; when every marryner
At his arrivall here had his deepe pockets
Crammd full of Pistoletts; when the poorest ship-boy
Might on the Thames make duckes and drakes with pieces
Of eight fetchd out of Spayne: These were the Bellowes
Which blew the Spanish bonfires of revenge;
These were the times in which they calld our Nation
Borachos,[12] Lutherans and Furias del