Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/354



Sixtly the Generall saith in his letter, that notwithstanding their flying away so fast, the English left them one good ship well manned, who tolde him that Drake dyed in Nombre de Dios: in which ship were one hundred and fortie men, and fifteene noble captaines of the best sort.

The General Don Bernaldino, like a resolute Spaniarde hauing already gone ouer his shooes, maketh no danger to wade ouer his bootes also: and as he hath begunne, so hee doth conclude. I maruaile that he did not in writing his discourse remember this old saying: that is A liar ought to haue a good memorie: It were much better for him in mine opinion to reuoke the testimonie which he saith he had from the Englishmen, concerning Sir Francis Drake his death at Nombre de Dios, and stand to the intelligence receiued from the silly Indian slaue, as it appeareth in his first lie: for without all doubt there is no English man that will say (if he haue his right senses) that he dyed at Nombre de Dios, for they all knowe the contrarie: neither can the General auouch that he receiued intelligence from any English man, that after the death of Sir Francis Drake they did elect for Generall Colonel Quebraran (as he doth most falsely affirme in the latter ende of his vaine and friuolous letter) seeing that this name was strange and vnkowen to any in the English Nauie.

Neither do I imagine that any of those which the Generall saith he had taken, were so forgetfull, as not to remember their Generals name. But without all doubt this addition of so new and strange a name to the English Generall, doth prooue that Don Bernaldino is not unfurnished of a forge and storehouse of lies, from whence as from an euerflowing fountaine, he sendeth forth lies of al sorts sufficient for his own store, and great plentie to furnish his friends: the Generall was much beholding to his godfathers who gaue him the name Bernaldino, which we in English doe take to be plaine Barnard, which name hath as it were a kinde of priuilege from being sharpely reprehended, when the partie is thought to erre: for it is a common saying amongst the schoolemen that Bernardus non videt omnia, viz. Barnard seeth not all things, (when he doth dissent from their opinions) the which fauour we could be content to yeeld to Bernaldino for the name sake, if he were not taken with so many manifest and impudent lies: neither doe I thinke that