me days
after, finding that we had still no accounts of the Duke of Ormonde,
nor of any movement in England, he proposed that without further delay
we should embark aboard the same vessels and return to Spain, from which
with great difficulty he was dissuaded.

But the Earl Marischal, fearing that he might renew the same design in
case the news we expected was long a coming, declared to him the day
after that he was resolved to send the two fregats immediately back to
Spain, they being no longer in safety where they were, for being already
discover'd, it was natural to believe that the Government of England
would immediately send ships to block them up, or to intercept them in
their passage home, and in spight of all the arts they used to detain
them, three days after they sailed; and indeed just in time, for not a
week after their departure arrived three English men of war, much
superior to ours both in force and equipage, who, finding we had put
most of our ammunition and provisions into an old castel, situate on the
shore, under the guard of a detachment of 45 Spaniards, immediately
began to batter it from the three ships, and the same night obliged them
to surrender prisoners of war.

Our ships were no sooner sailed than the Marquess of Tullibardine began
to think of other measures. His retrait out of the island was now
impracticable in the manner he had designed it, and now he resolved to
draw what ships he could together, but it was too late; he had given the
enemy time to draw troops not only from the remote parts of the Kingdom,
but even from Holland. The regiments of Kapell, May, and Sturler, were
already arrived, and his circular letters had given those who were not
very willing an excellent excuse, he himself having already wrote to
them that they should not take arms.

Our affairs were in this condition, when we received the news, of the
entire dispersion of the Duke of Ormond's fleet; but at the same time
our friends assured us that all diligence was using in Spain to put it
in a condition to sail again that same spring. This left us still some
hopes, and therefore we order'd the gentlemen who were nearest us to
assemble their vassalls, but this last accident had disheartned them,
that not above a thousand men appeared, and even those seemed not very
fond of the enterprize.

The enemy was by this time within three days march of us, with four
regiments of foot, and a detachment of a fifth, and 150 dragoo