THe enimies lying ( as it séemed ) very surely entrenched in the Forte which they had made , which they called , Il Castel del Oro , and sufficiently manned with Soldiers , to withstand a farre greater force then our Englishe men were , they béeing in number sixe hundreth within the Forte , and our men but eyght hundreth abroade : which is a verie vnequall match ( as they knowe well , which are skylfull , and haue bene exercised in those affayres ) considering the ods of place , the one béeing vnder couert , well fortified , and hauing theyr Ordinaunce , placed at all aduauntage , the other naked , vtterly without Municion , or opportunity of placing any Ordinaunce , wherby to auoyde theyr enimies , béeing them selues continually subiect to their annoyaunce . The Lord Deputie , béeing ( in so great disaduauntage ) almost in dispayre of dooing any good , was soone recomforted with the happy arriuall of the Quéenes Shippes , The Swift sure , one of the Quéenes Maiestis ships , ariued at Smitherick xvii . daies before the rest of her fellows in which time , the enemy shot 30. shot a day , and neither could hit Ship nor man . which it is to be thought that the verie great and woonderfull prouidence of God ( quite beside their expectation ) sent thither so luckely for their succour . They béeing arriued , there were certayne great Péeces brought out of the Shippes , and a Trench made , & that great Ordinaunce planted about fowre hundreth paces from the enimies Forte , to batter it : which Ordinaunce was so well plyed all that day ( béeing the ninth of Nouember ) that they galled the enimie gréeuouslie , and beat them away from plying theyr Ordinaunce .

On the tenth day in the morning , they cast an other Trench for small shotte , within an hundreth , and thrée score paces of the Forte , and began a freshe batterie , and espying certayne Péeces within the Forte , that were lyke to annoy the Campe , planted theyr Ordinaunce against them , and dismounting two of theyr Demicanons , brake and defeated the rest , to the number of fouretéene or fiftéene great Péeces . And the same night made a third Trench for small shotte ; within a hundreth and twenty foote of the Fort. Afterward perceyuing that the Spanish Musket shot was the hottest , and espying a house of ●oordes , where they were bestowed : they beat that downe with the Ordinance , and scattered the Muskets . Which doone , the enimies finding them selues thus dismembred , and vtterlie dispoyled of theyr chéefe force , whereto they trusted : beganne to chaunge theyr countenaunce , and hung out theyr banners of Truce , quietly calling for Parle . Then issued out a braue Italian , who béeing demaunded by my Lord Deputie , who sent him thether ? answered . The holy Father ? Wyll you ( sayd my Lord ) aduenture in the seruice of a shaueling , an Antichrist , a murtherer bothe of soule & body , against such a Prince as my Mistresse is ? You shall haue the iust reward of your seruice . And requiring him to bring foorth the chéefe of the Spaniardes , he asked the sayd Spaniarde , who sent him thether ? He sayd he could not tell . Whether the King of Spaine ? He sayd no : Whether with the Kinges knowledge ? He aunswered no : But ( sayd he ) at Porto in Portugall , the Gouernor there commaunded mée , to goe to such a place , where I should receyue my chardge , which I dyd , but whether I should goe , or against whome I knew not , and so brought to this place as blindf●●ld , and ( as I sée now ) vtterly betrayed .

Then ( quoth my Lord ) if you be not sent by the King , you come as a runnagate , and must receyue the lyke hyer .

They desiring to depart with the honor of Soldiers , it was denied them . Then resolued they to surrender vp the Fort , to yéelde theyr money and Iewels , and other things of price , into the Lord Deputies handes , and them selues to his mercy : Whereof he accepting , receyued thrée of them pledges vntyll the next morning , when according to that conclusion , they returned , and the chéefe of them ( whome it is néedlesse to name , they onely remayning a lyue ) to the number of twenty were saued . The rest to the number of fiue hundreth and sixe were slaine , and seuentéene hanged . The poore English Soldiors that lacked hose & shooes , and were barely cloathed , by means of this medley , found to apparell them , Al modo Italiano . Wine and Bisket they met with good store , and other victuals for a good space : fowre thousand Armors , with many good Péeces , and ( as they say ) some reasonable share of Ecclesiasticall Italian Maister Iohn Cheek my Ladie Cheekes sonne . money . In all this conflict there were onely two hurt of our men , whereof the one was Maister Iohn Cheeke , who is thought vnlikely to recouer . Thus may we sée how God fighteth for vs , and subdueth our enemies , who by all mans reason and likelyhood were not to be ouerthrowne by ten times the nomber that our men were , in that vnreasonable inequalitie of defence and Furniture . For our men were in that opinion , that if they had béene within the Forte so well appointed of great and small shot as the enemies were , it would haue cost 10000 , lyues before it would haue béene wonne . But by the good prouidence and assistaunce of God ( notwithstanding their great aduantage ) the Lord Deputie with his worthy endeuor by land , and our ships ( through their fortunate ariuall ) by water did so coupe them vp on euery side , that they could no way escape . They sayd that if our Ships had stayed but two dayes longer , out of that Harboroughe , they would haue béene gone . For at their first ariuall , there came syxe sayle of them , being of men in number about 800. who so soone as they beheld the barrennesse of the Countrey , and the brutishnes of the people , two of the greatest Shippes departed home againe , with about 300. men in them , and left the rest to taste of the good entertainement that they looked for there : which ( thanks be to God ) they found not so satisfiable to theyr wicked expectacion , as agreeable to their iust desarts , which would be incited by a blasphemous Antichristian Prelate , against a true zealous Christian Prince , wrongfully to inuade her rightfull inheritaunce and possessions , and to assist her disobedient and rebellious Subiects , against their most gracious renowmed Soueraigne . Wherein , although the Popes holines forsoothe followed the footesteps and example of his Predecessors , which haue béene euer sowers of sedition , raisers of Rebellion , maineteyners of disobedience , Authors of infinite bloudshedding , which is euen growne to be the Badge of their Catholike ( or rather Cacolike ) profession , and the true Cognisance of their holinesse : yet these Gallants should haue had more wit , to haue looked or they had l●apt , and sounded the depth , ere they had entred the shore of a forraine Princes dominion . But as theyr gréedynes of gaine , or superstitious deuocion towardes an infamous Idole , hath brought them to the Shipwracke of theyr lyues ( at the least ) so hath their vnaduised rashnes vtterly sunck , all excuse of theyr guiltines , and pittie of theyr miscarying . They confessed vnto my Lord Deputie , that the Pope theyr paymaister , whose Ensignes they spread on theyr Fort , with his Crownes , Miters , Croskeyes , and other lyke trumperie , promised to send them a greater power , for which cause they brought much Treasure with them , béeing appoynted to stay for that supplie , for which our Englishmen were not greatly sorie . It is reported that eyther they or other , were already comming at that tyme : for the fowretéenth of Nouember , there was escried a Pynnis , towardes the coast of Irelande : but I take it to be rather an opinion or imagination of some comming , conceyued through that former report : then any true apparaunce of the verie persons approching . Howsoeuer it be , it is no great matter , for our Soldiers stay there , and certayne of our Ships this winter , to welcome them .

The Earle of Desmond , and his brother Iohn , were comming towards the reskew of the Spaniards & Italians : but hearing how the Forte was taken , and what was become of theyr assistaunts , they thought it wisdome to beware by theyr example and to kéepe them selues out of such sharpe clawes , and so retyred them backe , & are fled into the Mountaynes . Our good countryman of the Deuils owne dubbing , Doctor Saunders ( an Apostata towards his Sauiour , an Archtraytor to his Soueraigne ) is there in the countrey , but where , it is vnknowen . One of his men was taken in the Fort , & a Préest of that order , who were hanged & quartered in the Forte . Thus much hath bene certified out of Ireland , of what was doone there before the fiftéene day of Nouember last past . For which ioyfull and happy newes , let vs render harty thankes vnto our almighty protector , attributing the whole prayse thereof vnto his omnipotencie , beséeching him to preserue our most gratious Princes , vnder whose prosperous gouernment we haue receyued bothe this & other infinite blessings at his hands : to strengthen our good Captaines and Soldiors , with force and power to ouercome our bodily foes , and vs al with his grace , to withstand the assaultes of the Deuill , and the tyranny of Antichrist his dearling ( our spirituall enemy ) & to serue our Redéemer in true feare and holynesse , and his true Ministers with due looue and reuerence , to be faithfull vnto him , loyall to her Maiestie , lyke minded and charitable one to an other , to the glorie of his name : vnto whome all glorie , power , and dominion belongeth .