st_. Farre be it from your thought, my honourd Lord,
To wrest the hazardous fortune of the warre
Into the bloudyer censure of the Law.
Was it my fault that in the first assault
The Canoniers were slayne, whereby our strength,
Our mayne offensive strength, was quite defeated
And our defensive part so much enfeebled
That possibility to subsist was lost,
Or by resistance to preserve one life?
While there was sparke of hope I did maintayne
The fight with fiery resolution
And (give me leave to speake it) like a Sodier.

_Ten_. To my seeming your resolution
Was forwardest to yeild then to repell;
You had else stood longer out.

_Bust_. We stood the losse of most of our best men,
And of our musketiers no lesse then fifty
Fell by the adverse shott; whose bodyes with their armes
Were cast by my directions downe a well
Because their armes should neyther arme our foes
Nor of our losse the sight give them encouragement.

_Fer_. That pollicy pleades no excuse; you yet
Had men enough, had they bene soldiers,
Fit for a Leaders Justification.
And doe not we know that 6 score at least
Of those base Picaros with which you stuff'd
The fort, to feed, not fight,--unworthy of
The name of _Spanyards_, much lesse of soldiers--
At once ran all away like sheep together,
Having but ore the walls descryde th'approach
Of th'Enemy? Some of the feare-spurrd villaines
Were overturnd by slaughter in their flight,
Others were taken & are sure to find
Our lawes as sharpe as either Sword or Bullet.
For your part, _Bustamente_, for that you have
Done heretofore more for your Countryes love,
You shall not doubt of honourable tryall,
Which in the Court of warre shalbe determind,
At _Sherris_, whitherward you instantly
Shall with a guard be sent.--See't done: away.

_Bust_. The best of my desire is to obey.

[_Exit with a Guard_.

_Enter Don John, Pike (with his face wounded}, a Guard of musketts_.

_Fer_. Whence is that soldier?

1. Of _England_.

_Jo_. Or of hell.

1. It was our chance to come unto the rescue
Of this renowned knight, _Don John_,
Who was his prisoner as he now is ours.
Some few more of his mates we shott & slew
That were (out of their _English_ liquorishness)
Bold to robb orchards of forbidden fruite.

2. It was a fine ambition; they would have thought
Themselves as famous as their Countryman
That putt a girdle[25] round about the world,
Could they have said, at their returne to _Engl