GENERAL

All well my sovereign Liege, except some few, That are deceased by fortune of the war. Victory my Liege, and that with little lose. Tribute and wonted homage therewithal. Where Spain and Portingale do jointly knit Their frontiers, leaning on each others bound: There met our armies in their proud array, Both furnished well, both full of hope and fear: Both menacing alike with daring shows, Both vaunting sundry colours of device, Both cheerly sounding trumpets, drums and fifes. Both raising dreadful clamours to the sky, That valleis, hills, and rivers made rebound, And heaven it self was frighted with the found. Our battles both were pitched in squadron form, Each corner strongly enst with wings of shot, But ere we joined and came to push of Pike, I brought a squadron of our readiest shot, From out our rearward to begin the fight, They brought another wing to encounter us: Mean while our ordinance played on either side, And Captains strove to have their valours tried. Done Pedro their chief horse men's Counterfeit onell: Did with his Cornet bravely make attempt, To break the order of our battle ranks. But Done R gero worthy man of war, Marched forth against him with our Musk jer , And stopped the malice of his fell approach. While they maintain hight skirmish too and from, Both battles join and fallen to handy blows. They violent shot resembling oceans rage, When roa king loud and with a swelling de, It beats upon the ra piers of huge rocks, And gapes to swallow neighbour bounding lands. Now while Bellona rages here and there, Thick storms of bullets ran Like winter's hail, And shivered Lances dark the troubled air. Pede pes & cuspide cuspis, Anni sonant annis vir petiturque viro. On every side drop Captains to the ground, And Soldiers some ill mai de, some slain outright: Here falls a body scindred from his head, There legs and arms lie bleeding on the grass, Mingled with weapons and vnboweld steeds: That scattering over spread the purple plain. In all this turmoil three long hours and more, The victory to neither partly inclined, Till Done Andrea with his brave Lau ciers, In their main battle made so great a breach, That hall e dismayed, the multitude rest rde: But Balthazar the Portingales young Prince, Brought rescue and encouragde them to stay: Here-hence the fight was eagerly renewed, And in that conflict was Andrea slain. Brave man at arms, but weak to Balthazar. Yet while the Prince insulting over him, Breathed out proud vaunts, sounding to our reproach, Friendship a worser hardy valour joined in one, Pricked forth Horatio our Knight Marshals son, To challenge forth that Prince in single fight: Not long between these twain the fight endure, But straight the Prince was beaten from his horse, And for st to yield him pr sooner to his foe: When he was taken, all the rest they fled, And our Carbines pursued them to the death, Till Phœbus waving to the western deep, Our Trumpeters were charged to found retreat. No peace my Liege, but peace conditional, That if with homage tribute be well paid, The fury of your forces will be stayed. And to this peace their Viceroy hath subscribde. And made a solemn vow that during life, His tribute shall be truly paid to Spain. This tells me that your graces men of war, Such as wars fortune hath reserved from death, Come marching on towards your royal seat, To show themselves before your Majesty, For so I gave in charge at my depart. Whereby by demonstration shall appear, That all (except three hundred or few more) Are safe returned and by their foes enriched. It was my Liege, the Prince of Portingale.