The  gently  and  common  people  are  strong  Catholics,  and  all  are
devoted  to  the  queen  of  Scotland.  Sir  Amyas  Paulet,  who  has  the
custody  of  the  Queen,  is  a  stranger,  and  has  not  the  means  of
raising  a  single  man.  He  has  40  men  of  his  own  with  him,  drawn
from  tlie  archers  of  the  guard.  The  province  of  Derby  is  very
good  for  victuals,  and  the  people  are  well  disposed.  There  are
four  gentlemen  who  are  able  to  raise  1,000  men.  The  county  of
Nottingham  is  very  fertile,  and  the  people  well  disposed  in  religion.
I  only  know  of  four  gentlemen  who  can  raise  1,000  men.  The
province  of  Lancaster  possesses  good  ports,  and  all  the  gentry  and
common  ])eople  are  much  attached  to  the  Catholic  religion  and  the
queen  of  Scotland.
1.3  Aug.     471.     Bernardino  de  Mendoza  to  the  King.
^K 'liM^'isL '  '^^^  ^^'1'^  ^^^^^  ^  ^'^'^^  mentioned  as  being  fitted  out  by  Sir
Harry  Cavendish  and  the  earl  of  Cumberland  I  am  informed  sailed
from  England  on  the  22nd  ultimo.  There  were  seven  of  them,  the
tonnage  of  which  I  have  previously  advised.  One  of  them  is  of
500  tons  burden  and  they  are  very  well  equipped  with  ordnance,
stores,  and  provisions.  Their  crews  fall  short  of  1,000  men  as  there
is  a  great  lack  of  seamen  in  England.  I  am  informed  by  a  person
who  saw  them  in  Plymouth  that  the  design  is  to  try  to  get  to  the
Indies  bj^  the  coast  of  Brazil  and  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  They
are  accompanied  by  seven  pii-ate  ships  from  Flushing,  of  whose
tonnage  and  armament  I  am  unable  to  send  any  account  to  your
Majesty,  as  my  correspondent  says  they  joined  the  expedition  out
out  at  sea,


teLIZABEtH.  611


1586.
