[1] In the moneth of Februarie,The narrow seas scowred. thorough sundrie heinous complaints brought to the quéenes maiestie and hir councell of pirats that kept the narrow seas, dooing manie robberies, as also the robbing of the earle of Worcester (as is aforesaid) hi [...] highnesse, by the aduise of hir honourable councell, tooke order with the lord admerall of England, that he should send to the seas, ships and men to scowre the narow seas, & to apprehend so manie pirats ships as might be met with. And for the better dooing thereof, it plea|sed hir maiestie to send one of hir owne ships, na|med the Swallow to be the admerall, vnder the charge of William Holstocke of London esquier, comptrollor of hir highnesse ships, who had with him the Gillian, the barke Garet, and the barke of Yar|mouth, and thrée hundred and thrée score able mari|ners, gunners, and souldiors in the said thrée ships, and one barke which scowred the narrow seas, from the north foreland, as farre westward as Falmouth in Cornewall, and tooke twentie ships and ba [...]ks of [page 1258] sundrie nations,Pirats on the west seas. to wit, English, French, and Flem|mings (but all pirats) and in fashion of warre. He apprehended in those ships and barks to the number of nine hundred men of all nations, and sent them to ward to Sandwich, Douer, Wight, and Portes|mouth (whereof thrée of them that robbed the earle of Worcester were shortlie after executed at Wight.Pirats execu|ted.) Also the said William Holstocke did rescue and take from the aboue said pirats ships, fiftéene other mer|chants ships laden with merchandize, that were their prises, being of sundrie nations, and set at libertie the said fiftéene merchants ships and goods: which doone, he returned to Portesmouth, and there ended his voiage in March.