ABSTRACT
They wryt fro me Cyvill that the king doth gether all the men he cane gett of all sortes of nacyons & that ther is 17 gallyons in St Lucar 8 at Lishbourne 23 at farroll all which they wryt should have gon after Sir francis but nowe comanded for to stey till marche. Yt is wryten that ther is comeing & come to Lyshbourne thre score and tene gallyes [for invasion of England. He had arrived at St Michael's on the 2nd and has not yet found passage for Lisbon. Has freighted a Bristol bark which had come there 'in the name of a Scot' and proposes to sail to Lisbon in her]
1 P.R.O., S.P. 12/261, no. 16. Holliday dated this 20 December 1596 and Cecil's secretary endorsed it with a date that might be I 593 ; internal evidence leaves no doubt that the correct date for the letter is IS9S·
