I  have  received  letters  from  London,  dated  19th,  saying  that
Drake  was  proceeding  with  the  fitting  out  of  the  number  of  ships  I
previously  mentioned,  and  that  probably  3,000  or  4,000  men  would
go  in  them,  soldiers  and  sailors  together,  although  it  was  not  con-
sidered probable  that  they  would  be  ready  to  leave  before  the  end
of  the  month.  Philip  Sidney  had  been  sent  by  the  Queen  to  receive
pgQ  Antonio,  and  Somerset  House  was  being  put  in  readiness  for


ELIZABETH.  B49


1585,

his  residence.  Although  tho  letters  from  the  French  ambassador
are  of  later  date  (21st  ultimo),  I  have  thought  well  to  send  the
news  to  your  Majesty  at  once,  and  the  moment  confirmation  reaches
me  I  will  send  a  special  courier,  The  Queen-mother  has  made  the
intelligence  public,  and  whilst  she  was  at  dinner  asked  a  heretic
what  he  thought  of  it,  to  which  he  replied  that  the  queen  of
England  was  determined  to  lose  like  a  man,  and  not  Uke  a  woman. — •
Paris,  1st  October  1585.
8  Oct.      410.    Bernardino  de  Mendoza  to  the  Kino.
