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VIII. Copy of an Original Manuscript entitled “Instructionns for every Centioner to observe duringe the continuance of the Frenche Fleet uppon this Cost untill knowlege shal be had of ther dispercement, given by Sir George Carye, Captein, this fyrst of September, 1586[a].” Communicated by Sir William Musgrave, Bart. F.R.S. and F.A.S.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

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Extract

The subsequent extract from Strype's Annals, A. D. 1586, contains the history of this event.

“The queen this year had enemies on all hands of her, and continual apprehensions of invasion, especially from Spain, now that the queen had taken the people of the Low Countries under her protection. And to secure herself by sea sir Francis Drake was sent out with forty gallies, for defence and offence, and did notable execution, which our historians mention: and of this sir George Carew, governor of the Isle of Wight, gave intelligence from thence unto the earl of Sussex, lord lieutenant of the county of Southampton, upon occasion of the strong report that came to court, that they were all up in that Isle of Wight, which, as things then stood abroad, inclined men to believe.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1800

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Footnotes

[a]

The subsequent extract from Strype's Annals, A. D. 1586, contains the history of this event.

“The queen this year had enemies on all hands of her, and continual apprehensions of invasion, especially from Spain, now that the queen had taken the people of the Low Countries under her protection. And to secure herself by sea sir Francis Drake was sent out with forty gallies, for defence and offence, and did notable execution, which our historians mention: and of this sir George Carew, governor of the Isle of Wight, gave intelligence from thence unto the earl of Sussex, lord lieutenant of the county of Southampton, upon occasion of the strong report that came to court, that they were all up in that Isle of Wight, which, as things then stood abroad, inclined men to believe. Whence the said lord lieutenant dispatched a letter to the said governor for information, which was answered on the day following, June 8, in the negative. He observes, however, that “the beacons of Ride should be well watched, to advertise his lordship upon any occasion whatsoever,” and goes on as follows with further intelligence of the dangers on that side of the kingdom: “That it might please his lordship further to understand, that yesterday there arrived there a bark of that island that came from Newhaven, the company whereof made report that the speeches there were, that the king of France had sent to St Tavies in Portugal sixty sail of ships for salt, and was then preparing a fleet to go against Rochel, whereof ten sail came out of Newhaven, who were appointed to haul out of Newhaven as the day before; and that there were two English ships of Alborough, of the burthen of 140 ton a piece, the one had paid thirty crowns to be released, and the other flayed to serve. And that the common report was, that the king had sent to her majesty an ambassador, that if she would by any means aid Rochel, he would have war with her. That they further said, that the common report in Newhaven was, that the king of Spain had sent against sir Francis Drake forty galliasses and caracks, and that sir Francis Drake had burnt divers cities and towns in the India, which proved true enough.”

Strype adds, that he repeats this letter, “that by this news and these reports the present condition of this kingdom may hence be better understood, and with what good reason the state now, at this juncture, had to look about them.”

References

page 100 note [b] Sir Henry Englefield thus explained the word gare–“Gare, In French, is beware. Carriages passing in a crowd are obliged to cry Gare, and are not answerable for mischief done by their horses after that notice. Gare was also used on another occasion at Edinburgh, and the persons throwing filth from their windows were subject to prosecution, if they defiled passengers, without that word of notice.

A Gare was therefore probably a signal flag, or some notice of that kind, hung out from the bracons by day when fire light would have been invisible.”

page 101 note [c] Camden tells us, in his Britannia, “It had been the custom antiently for horsemen, then called hobelers, to be stationed in most places, in order to give notice of the enemy's approach in the day.”