rugs. This our general, who was called Don Pedro de
Guzman, did providently take order for, for their most strength and
defence, if needs should be, to the uttermost of his power, and
commanded upon pain of death that neither passenger or soldier should
come aboard without his sword and harquebuse, with shot and powder, to
the end that they might be the better able to encounter the fleet of
Don Anthony if they should hap to meet with them, or any of them. And
ever as the weather was fair, this said general would himself go aboard
from one ship to another to see that every man had his full provision
according to the commandment given.

Yet to speak truly what I think, two good tall ships of war would have
made a foul spoil amongst them, for in all this fleet there were not
any that were strong and warlike appointed, saving only the admiral and
vice-admiral. And again, over and besides the weakness and
ill-furnishing of the rest, they were all so deeply laden, that they had
not been able (even if they had been charged) to have held out any long
fight. Well, thus we set sail, and had a very ill passage home, the
weather was so contrary. We kept our course in manner northeast, and
brought ourselves to the height of 42 degrees of latitude, to be sure
not to meet with Don Anthony his fleet, and were upon our voyage from
the 4th of June until the 10th of September, and never saw land till we
fell with the Arenas Gordas hard by St. Lucar.

And there was an order taken that none should go on shore until he had
a licence; as for me, I was known by one in the ship, who told the
master that I was an Englishman, which (as God would) was my good hap
to hear; for if I had not heard it, it had cost me my life.
Notwithstanding, I would not take any knowledge of it, and seemed to be
merry and pleasant that we were all come so well in safety. Presently
after, licence came that we should go on shore, and I pressed to be
gone with the first; howbeit, the master came unto me and said,
"Sirrah, you must go with me to Seville by water." I knew his meaning
well enough, and that he meant there to offer me up as a sacrifice to
the Holy House. For the ignorant zeal of a number of these
superstitious Spaniards is such that they think that they have done God
good service when they have brought a Lutheran heretic to the fire to
be burnt; for so they do account of us. Well, I perceiving all this,
took upon me not to suspect anything, but was