Page "Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham" Paragraph 30

The next day he wrote to Walsingham to say he was in Margate and that " although we have put the Spanish fleet past the Frith, and I think past the Isles, yet God knoweth whether they go either to the Nase of Norway or into Denmark or to the Isles of Orkney to refresh themselves, and so to return ; for I think they dare not return with this dishonour and shame to their King, and overthrow their Pope's credit.

Sir, sure bind, sure find.

A kingdom is a great wager ... Some made little account of the Spanish force by sea ; but I do warrant you, all the world never saw such a force as theirs was ; and some Spaniards that we have taken, that were in the fight at Lepanto, do say that the worst of our fights that we have had with them did exceed far the fight they had there ".

On 9 August Howard wrote that he believed the Armada would return because " they dare not go back with this dishonour and shame ; for we have marvellously plucked them ".