The escape of the Primrose a tall ship of London, from before the towne of
Bilbao in Biscay: which ship the Corrigidor of the same Prouince,
accompanied with 97 Spaniards, offered violently to arrest, and was
defeated of his purpose, and brought prisoner into England.

Whereunto is added the Kings Commission for a generall imbargment or arrest
of all English, Netherlandish, and Easterlings ships, written in
Barcelona the 19 of May 1585.

It is not vnknowen vnto the world what danger our English shippes haue
lately escaped, how sharpely they haue beene intreated, and howe hardly
they haue beene assaulted: so that the valiancie of those that mannaged
them is worthy remembrance. And therefore in respect of the couragious
attempt and valiant enterprise of the ship called the Primrose of London,
which hath obteined renowne, I haue taken in hande to publish the trueth
thereof, to the intent that it may be generally knowen to the rest of the
English ships, that by the good example of this the rest may in time of
extremitie aduenture to doe the like: to the honor of the Realme, and the
perpetuall remembrance of themselues: The maner whereof was at followeth.

Vppon Wednesday being the sixe and twentieth day of May 1585, the shippe
called the Primrose being of one hundred and fiftie tunnes, lying without
the bay of Bilbao, hauing beene there two dayes, there came a Spanish
pinnesse to them, wherein was the Corrigidor and sixe others with him:
these came aboord the Primrose, seeming to be Marchantes of Biscay, or such
like, bringing Cherries with them, and spake very friendly to the Maister
of the ship, whose name was Foster, and he in courteous wise, bad them
welcome, making them the best cheere that he could with beere, beefe, and
bisket, wherewith that ship was well furnished: and while they were thus in
banquetting with the Maister, foure of the seuen departed in the sayd