pe Segundo, lib. IV. cap. 21.--De Thou, Histoire
Universelle, tom. III. p. 241.

[240] "Ma della caualleria niuno fu quasi, ch'o non morisse combattendo,
o non restasse prigione, non potendosi saluar fuggendo in quei luoghi
paludosi, malageuoli." Campana, Vita del Re Filippo Secondo, parte II.
lib. 10.

[241] For the accounts of this battle, see Campana, Vita del Re Filippo
Secondo, parte II. lib. 10.--Cabrera, Filipe Segundo, lib. IV. cap.
21.--De Thou, Histoire Universelle, tom. III. pp. 239-241.--Garnier,
Histoire de France, tom. XXVII. p. 513 et seq.--Rabutin, ap. Nouvelle
Collection des Memoires, tom. VII. p. 598.--Herrera, Historia General,
lib. V. cap. 5.--Ferreras, Histoire Generale d'Espagne, tom. IX. p.
396.--Monpleinchamp, Vie du Duc de Savoie, p. 155.

I know of no action of which the accounts are so perfectly
irreconcilable in their details as those of the battle of Gravelines.
Authorities are not even agreed as to whether it was an English fleet
that fired on the French troops. One writer speaks of it as a Spanish
squadron from Guipuscoa. Another says the marines landed, and engaged
the enemy on shore. It is no easy matter to extract a probability from
many improbabilities. There is one fact, however, and that the most
important one, in which all agree,--that Count Egmont won a decisive
victory over the French at Gravelines.

[242] There is an interesting letter of Philip's sister, the Regent
Joanna, to her father, the emperor, then in the monastery at Yuste. It
was written nearly a year before this period of our history. Joanna
gives many good reasons, especially the disorders of his finances, which
made it expedient for Philip to profit by his successful campaign to
conclude a peace with France,--the same which now presented themselves
with such force to both Philip and his ministers. The capture of Calais,
soon after the date of Joanna's letter, and the great preparations made
by Henry, threw a weight into the enemy's scale which gave new heart to
the French to prolong the contest, until it ended with the defeat at
Gravelines.--Carta de la Princesa Juana al Emperador, 14 de Diciembre,
1557, MS.--Carta del Emperador a la Princesa, 26 de Diciembre, 1557, MS.

[243] Relatione di Giovanni Micheli, MS.--Cabrera, Filipe Segundo, lib.
IV. cap. 2, 4.--Campana, Vita di Filippo Secundo, parte II. lib. 11.

[244] Relatione di Giovanni Micheli, MS.

[245] "Yo os digo que yo estoy de todo punto imposibilitado