Source 1: SP 94/3 f.227r

This letter was sent to the English government, giving details about the progress of the Spanish Armada. It was based on a letter to the Spanish government, which had been intercepted.

The captain of an Italian ship, working for Spain, wrote letters from Lisbon. His letters tell us that everything is ready for the fleet of ships to leave. The soldiers and ships’ men are owed seven months pay but have only received two months pay.

Don Alonso di Lieva (the General in charge of the Spanish footsoldiers), 700 soldiers and 150 sailors were in the captain’s ship. Five extra cannons had been loaded onto the ship. There are about 130 large and small ships in the fleet. There are also 4 galleases and 4 galleys. Altogether there are between ten and eleven thousand soldiers as well as sailors, although rumours say there are even more.

The Duke of Medina Sidonia is the General in charge of everything and he has many gentlemen with him. A messenger from Spain travelled through Rouen to the Duke of Parma with the news that the fleet was definitely leaving from Lisbon.

A Spanish ship has arrived at Calais, which left Lisbon four days after the rest of the fleet left. The ship may have stayed in The Groyne because of another reason, rather than being late because of a lack of wind.