his shameful losse of his Spaniardes and dishonors in the
Lowe Contries, and by lacke of the yerely renewe of his revenewe, he shall
not be able to wage his severall garrisons kepte in his severall
frontiers, territories, and places, nor to corrupte in princes courtes,
nor to doe many feates. And this weyed, wee are to knowe what Phillip ys
in the West Indies; and that wee be not abused with Spanish braggs, and
made to beleve what he is not; and so, drawen into vain feare, suffer
fondly and childishly our owne utter spoile. And therefore wee are to
understande that Phillippe rather governeth in the West Indies by opinion,
then by mighte; ffor the small manred of Spaine, of itself being alwayes
at the best slenderly peopled, was never able to rule so many regions, or
to kepe in subjection such worldes of people as be there, were it not for
the error of the Indian people, that thincke he is that he is not, and
that doe ymagine that Phillippe hath a thousande Spaniardes for every
single naturall subjecte that he hath there. And like as the Romaynes,
allured hither into Britaine, perced the Iland, and planted here and there
in the mouthes of rivers and upon straites, and kepte colonies, as at
Westchester upon the River of Dee, at York upon the River of Owse, and
upon the Rivers of Thames and Severne, and yet in truthe never enioyed
more of the contries rounde aboute then the Englishe, planted at Bulloine
and Calice, did of the Frenche soile adjoyninge, nor in effecte had the
Brittishe nation at comaundement; even so hath the Spaniarde perced the
Indies, and planted here and there very thinlye and slenderlye, withoute
havinge the Indian multitude in subjection, or in their townes and fortes
any nomber to holde any of them againste the meanest force of a prince; so
as in truthe the Spaniarde ys very weake there. And it is knowen to Sir
Fraunces Drake, and to Mr. Hawkins, and Miles Phillipps (which Miles lyved
xiiij. yeres in Nova Spania), and to dyvers others of her Majesties
subjectes besides that have been there, that the ilandes there abounde
with people and nations that rejecte the proude and bluddy government of
the Spaniarde, and that doe mortally hate the Spaniarde. And they also
knowe that the Moores, and suche as the Spaniardes have broughte thither
for the mynes and for slavery, have fledd from them into the inlandes, and
of them selves maineteine in many places frontier warres againste the
Spaniarde, and many tymes so