upon every hill. Every man held himself ready for the fight; and in London it was deemed so important that the darkness of its streets by night should not afford cover for the de

"From Queenborough towards Plymouth the 16th May, under the Lord Admiral.

signs of traitors within, or aid the surprises of enemies without, that every householder was ordered to hang out a light before his door, and see that it burned till dawn, under pain

Of Bristol.

The Minion,

Unicorn,

Handmaid,

A Pinnace.

Of Barnstaple.

The Dudley,

God save her,
Tiger.

Of Exeter.

The Bartholomew,

Rose,

A Pinnace.

Of Plymouth.

The Elkora,

Spark,

Hope,

Drake,

Barke Bond,

Barke Bonnar,

Barke Talbot,

Fly Boat,

White Lion (the Lord
Admiral's),

A Pinnace (the Lord Shef

field's),

Pinnace (Sir Wm. Winter's), And sundry others of the west parts.

"HER MAJESTY'S SHIPS UNDER THE LORD H. SEYMOUR'S

Other English ships there were from the ports of the north part of the realm, besides Flemish ships of Holland and

of death. But needless severity of this kind was not wanting to arouse the spirit of the nation, and the Queen knew it. With the strength of mind of a man, and the tact of a woman, she thought that the spectacle of a queen leading her own armies to the struggle, would act upon the chivalrous feelings of the multitude; and she was right. She appeared among her soldiers at Tilbury, and having ridden through the lines with a cheerful and animated countenance, delivered the following speech-unlike the royal speeches of the present day-with a good deal of meaning in it.

"MY LOVING People,

"We have been persuaded of some, that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for

Zealand, in number forty. As also ten ships of war by the merchant adventurers of England, at their own proper costs and charges, set out of the City of London under the charge of Captain Henry Bullengham, (over and above the other sixteen ships and four pinnaces set out at the City's charge,) to wit

The Pansy,
Rose-Lion,

Anthony,

Salamander,

Providence,

The Dolphin,
Jewell,

Antelope,

Toby,

George Noble."

fear of treachery; but, I assure you, I do not live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself, that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects. And therefore I am come amongst you, as you see at this time, not for any recreation and disport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die among you all; to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people, my honour and my blood even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king-ay, and of a King of England too; and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms; I myself will be your general, judge, and recorder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already for your forwardness you have deserved crowns; and we do assure you, on the word of a Prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never Prince commanded more noble or worthy subject; not doubting,

but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and by your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, my kingdom, and my people."

This valiant and indeed eloquent speech, had the anticipated effect. An attachment to her person, says Hume, became a kind of enthusiasm among the soldiery, and they swore never to abandon the glorious cause of their Queen and their country. But their valour, and that of their general, Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was destined never to be put to the test. Before the Armada could get out of Calais, where it had put in to await the reinforcements of the Duke of Parma, the storm and the English admiral committed sad havoc among its cumbrous vessels. The guns of Tilbury Fort were not called into use; and the Armada, sailing northward, to make the tour of the British Isles ere its return to Spain, was miserably wrecked on the barren shores of Orkney. England was freed from the most imminent danger that had threatened her shores for centuries; and the pride of Spain was more effectually humbled, and at much less cost, than