Raleigh, Drake, and all the English heroes of that day, were engaged in it. By them the tremendous Armada of Invincibles was scattered, after the battle had lasted nearly a day. It has been called "the morrice dance on the waters," from the surprising rapidity of the movements of the English, whose little vessels danced hither and thither about the giant "galeasses," tacking on this side and on that, pouring their fire right into the sides of their enemies' ships, and sheering off out of range of shot before the Spaniards had time to reload; then flying back to give another broadside, and as rapidly dashing off again.

“There was never anything pleased me better," writes Drake to Walsingham, "than the seeing the enemy flying with a southerly wind to the northward." Only sixty of the 130 ships of the wonderful Armada returned to Spain, and those were in a melancholy condition.

Boundless were the rejoicings of the English for this great triumph. Queen Elizabeth, riding in her chariot to St. Paul's Cathedral, alighted,

and knelt down at the west door, and there openly and audibly thanked God, who had thus delivered the land from the rage of the enemy !"

THE LITTLE CORPORAL.

TOWARD the close of the last century, a poor Corsican lieutenant commenced a series of military triumphs which took the world by surprise. He first planned and accomplished the Complete Conquest of Italy. Among his most brilliant exploits in this quarter" was the terrible passage of the bridge of Lodi.”

The bridge was defended by 12,000 Austrian infantry, and 4,000 horse. Thirty Austrian cannon swept the passage.

these cannon with his own.

Napoleon forced

In the midst of

the furious firing, the young chief advanced, and with his own hand pointed two of the guns so as to prevent any attempt of the Austrians

L

to undermine the bridge. This dauntless exposure procured from his delighted soldiers the epithet of "the Little Corporal." The bridge was long and narrow, and buried in clouds of smoke, when Napoleon gave the word to a column of 6,000 grenadiers to force their way over it. He himself was at their head. A terrible storm of grape-shot stopped them, but it was only for a moment; they crossed the bridge, carried the Austrian guns, and drove back the Austrian infantry.

Napoleon has since said :-" It was after the passage of Lodi that the idea shot across my mind that I might become a decisive actor on the political theatre. Then arose, for the first time, a spark of great AMBITION."