nce for his
sins, he lift up his eyes and knocked himself upon
the heart; and after I had suffered him to pause a
good while, I caused the Sacrament to be brought,
and after the priest's godly exhortation, he forced
himself to receive the blessed Communion; but his
tongue had so stopped his mouth, and his teeth so
clove together, that in no wise he could receive
that same; and after this sort this gentleman is
gone, as I do not doubt, to God his mercy.

"I shall not let to say to your Grace, that since
his coming to Padua, by way of communication, he
showed unto me, that it had been reported unto him
that some one had said that he was better French
than English, and if God did recover him and send
him his health so that he might come to the
knowledge of his misreporter, he was minded to try
that quarrel by the sword."

In a letter written a few days later, Vannes said
that, in consequence of rumours having gone abroad
that the earl had been poisoned, the Podesta, at
his request, had ordered the body to be opened, and
examined by physicians, which was accordingly
done.--Peter Vannes to the Queen: _Venetian MSS._
State Paper Office.]

{p.273} The refugees, however, could do their work without Courtenay.
The Killegrews, the Tremaynes, young Stafford, and many more, put to
sea with three or four vessels, and treated all Spaniards with whom
they could fall in as their natural enemies. Before the summer was
out, they had "taken divers good prizes," and "did trust they should
take more." "In case the worst fell, the gain thereof would find them
all;" and on the 4th of August it was reported that they had taken a
fort "on one of her majesty's islands," probably in Scilly, where the
dangerous and intricate navigation placed them beyond risk of capture.
Making war on their own account, half as pirates, half as crusaders,
these youthful adventurers seized the Spanish caracks on their way to
Flanders, sailed openly with their prizes into Rochelle or La Hogue,
sold them, and bought