 | Dick of Devonshire |  |
Sce: 2.
Ent: Two Devonshire Merchants, as being in Sherryes.[.1.]
Heare you ye newes?
.2.
yes, that an English fleete
Is making vp to Cales.
.1.
our Sherryes merchants
though few of vs 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 gett hence in hast.
.1.
The Divell allready
is furling vp ye sayles; would all ye sackes
wc h we have bought for England were in Devonshire
turnd to small Beere, so we were but in Tavestoke
to see it drawne out, were it nere so thin;
I'de drinke a health to all ye Dons in Sherryes
& cry a pox vpon 'em.
.2.
That word heard by any lowsy Spanish Picardo
were worth or two neckes; Ile not curse my Diegoes,
8
may wt h great Bellyes blesse our English sayles
both out & In; & that ye whole fleete may
be at home deliverd of no worse a Conquest
then ye last noble voyage made to this Citty,
though all ye wines & merchandize I have here
were i'th'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 vs,
from vs againe to Spayne, tooke ye first growth.
.1.
No? then Ile tell you; let vs season or sorrow
wt h this discourse.
.2.
wt h all my heart I long for't.
.1.
you shall not loose yor 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, begett flames,
matter being neere to feed & nurse ye fire,
so, from a Tinder at ye first kindled,
grew this heartburning twixt these Two great Nations.
.2.
As how pray?
.1.
heare me; any Englishman
that can but read or Chronicles, can tell
that many of or Kings & noblest Princes
have fetcht their best & royallest wives from Spayne;
the very last of all binding both kingdomes
wt hin one golden ring of love & peace
by the marriage of Queene Mary wt h that little man
(but mighty Monarch) Phillip, son & heire
to Charles ye Emperour.
.2.
you say right.
.1.
Religion
having but one face [here] then both here & there;
both Nations seemd as one; Concord, Commerce,
& sweete Com̄unity were Chaynes of Pearle
about ye neckes of eyther; But when England
threw of ye 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
9
.2.
And warme my knowledge & experience by't.
.1.
Spaines anger never blew hott coales indeed
till in Queene Elizabeths Raigne, when, (may I call [I] him so?)
that glory of his Country & Spaynes terror,
that wonder of ye land, & ye Seas minyon,
Drake, of eternall memory, harrowed th'Indyes.
.2.
The king of Spaynes west Indyes?
.1.
yes, when his Ilands,
Nombre de Dios, Cartagena, Hispaniola,
wt h Cuba & ye rest of those faire Sisters,
the mermaydes of those Seas, whose golden stringes
give him his sweetest musicke, when these were ravishd
by Drake & his brave Ginges, when these red Apples
were gather'd, & brought hither to be payr'd,
then ye Castilian Lyon began to roare.
.2.
Had he not cause, being vexd soe?
.1.
when or shipps
carryed such fire drakes in them, that ye huge
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being great wt h gold, in labour wt h some fright,
were all delivered of fine red cheekt Children
at Plymouth, Portsmouth, & other English Havens,
& onely by men midwives: had not Spayne reason
to cry out, oh Diablos Ingleses?
.2.
It had not spoke such Spanish else.
.1.
When we did sett our feete even on their Mynes
& brought their golden fagotts thence, their Ingotts,
& 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 ye poorest ship Boy
might on ye Thames make duckes & drakes wt h pieces [,]
of Eight, fetchd out of Spayne; These were ye Bellowes,
wc h blew ye Spanish bonfires of revenge:
these were ye times in wc h they calld or Nation
Boracho's, Lutherans, & furias del' Inferno.
.2.
would we might now give them ye selfe same cause
to call vs soe.
.1.
the very name of Drake
was a Bugbeare to fright Children; Nurses still'd
their little Spanish Nynnyes when they cryde
hush, ye Drake comes.
.2.
All this must needs beget
their mortall hate to vs.
.1.
It did; yet then
we lovd them beyond measure.
.2.
why?
.1.
why did not Spaine fetch gold from ye West Indies
for vs to spend here merrily? she planted Vines
we eate ye Grapes; she playd ye Spanish Pavine
vnder our windowes, we in or bedds lay laughing
to heare such Mynstrelsy.
.2.
how then turnd ye windes?
why did this beauteous face of love in vs
putt on so blacke a Visour of hate to them?
.1.
Oh sir, doe but looke backe to Eighty Eight,
that Spanish glasse shall tell you; shew each wrinckle.
11
to be layd on their kinges Trencher: who were their Cookes?
marry sir, his Grandees, & great Dons of Spaine.
A Navy was provided, a royall fleete,
infinite, for ye bravery of Admiralls,
Vice Admirall, Generalls, Colonells & Commanders,
soldiers, & all ye war like furniture
cost or experience, or mans witt could muster
for such a mayne designe.
.2.
Stay, Eighty Eight?
Thirty eight yeares agoe; much about then
came I into ye world: well sir, this fleete.
.1.
wc h made ye Sea [first,] fish wonder what new kingdome
was building over theirs, beate downe ye Billowes
before them to gett thither; twas such a Monster
in body; such a wonder in ye Eyes,
& such a Thunder in ye eares of Christendome,
that ye Popes Holynes would needes be Godfather
12
th'Invincible Armado.
.2.
That's to say
A fleete of shipps not to be overcome
by any power of man.
.1.
These were ye Whales
these were ye huge Levyathans of ye Sea
wc h roaring came wt h wide & dreadfull Iawes
to swallow vp our kingdome, shipps, & Nation.
The fame of this Armado flew wt h Terror
riding on Envyes [backe] wing; the prparation
was wayted on wt h wonder, & the approach
shew'd ye grim face of horror; yet, gainst all these
our Country & or Courages were armd.
2.
St. George for England.
.1.
And St. George we cryde
albeit, we heard, ye Spanish Inquisition
was aboord every ship, wt h Torture, torments,
whipps strung wt h wyre, & knives to cutt or throates.
But from ye armed winds an hoast brake forth
wc h tare their shipps, & sav'd ours: thus I have read[,]
Two storyes to you; one, why Spayne hates vs,
t'other why we love not them.
.2.
oh sir, I thanke you.
Exeunt.
| Dick of Devonshire | |