ABSTRACT
Trustie & welbeloved. We have received your letters of the xiilh wherewith wee are noe waies satisfied for the principall matters whereof wee gave you direction by ours neither for your preventinge to goe uppon the Coast ofSpaine to meete with the Spanishe forces that might issue thence neither yet by your refusall to spend a moneth to the meetinge with the Indian Fleete ; but thowgh we are content to passe over your awnsweares to those two pointes, yet we cann noe waies allowe your uncertaine and frivolous awnsweare to our motion to have knowledge in what time we might hope of your returne, in that yowe have used wordes altogether uncertaine, withowt awnswearinge ether our opinion accordyng to your owne former promize that the voiadge might be performed in six or seven monethes : and for proof of the probabillitie thereof in our opinion wee sent yowe an informacion given us by men of creditt within what time the voiadge might be reasonablye made with Gods favour, and reasonable windes, whereof you have made noe mention, but passe yt over with all uncertainetye whearein wee have cawse to dowbt whether yowe have taken to hart or had regarde to our former reasons expreslye conteined in our lettres which as duetifull subiectes yowe owght to have done, havinge neither limited any time certen by your owne iudgement nor awnswearinge the times expressed by us : And thowgh yowe maie saie that noe person cann make assurance of such a matter withowt Gods sufferaunce to have winde meete therefore yet yowe might have said that with Gods favour havinge noe lett by winde, yowe had [?]2 wherein to have finished the Journeie within the space of
1 Hadield MSS, 35, no. 31. Endorsed: '16 August 1595· Memorandum of hir Majesties lettres to Sir Francis Drake. Sir John Hawkins.' A draft of this letter, similar in substance but different in wording, in Burghley's hand, was made on the same day but not sent (P.R.O., S.P. 12/253, no. 87. Endorsed: '16 August 1595· A letter devised for Sir Francis Drak & Sir John Hawkyns, but not sent.').
