“I am bound to confess that I see very few, or hardly any of those in the Armada with any knowledge or ability to perform the duties entrusted to them,” he wrote to the king. “Your majesty may believe me when I assure you that we are very weak. Do not be deceived by anyone who may wish to persuade you otherwise.” To be absolutely clear, he asked, “How do you think we can attack so great a country as England with such a force as ours is now?” Instead, he recommended that Spain agree to “some honorable terms with the enemy” while the damaged ships of the Armada underwent repairs in La Coruña.
