It does not appear that any inquiry was made, after Drake's arrival in England, regarding the extraordinary trial and execu tion of Doughty at Port St. Julian. The whole affair must have been well known at home from the report of Captain Winter and his ship's crew; and if, during the five months that Drake was excluded, as it were, from the Court, and various attempts were made to disparage his fame, no case was got up against him on the score of this transaction, we may consider him to have been fully acquitted in public opinion of any impropriety in the proceedings regarding this unfortunate business. Prince, in his Worthies of Devon,' gives the following story, which, although it appears to be unsupported by any evidence, and is highly improbable, has obtained so great a degree of credit that we do not deem it right to pass it by unnoticed : : "It was about this time," says Prince, "that there fell out a contest between Sir Bernard Drake, and the immortal Sir Fras. Drake: chiefly occasioned by Sir Francis his assuming Sir Bernard's coat of arms, not being able to make out his descent from his family; a matter in those days, when the court of honour was in more honour, not so easily digested. The feud hereupon increased to that degree that Sir Bernard, being a person of a high spirit, gave Sir Francis a box on the ear; and that within the verge of the court. For which offence he incurred her Majesty's displeasure; and most probably it proved the occasion of the Queen's bestowing upon Sir Fras. Drake a new coat of everlasting honour to himself and posterity for ever; which hath relation to that glorious action of his, the circumnavigating the world, which is thus emblazoned by Guillim: "Diamond, a fess wavy, between the two pole-stars, arctic and antarctic, pearl; as before. "And what is more, his crest is a ship on a globe under ruff, held by a cable rope with a hand out of the clouds; in the rigging whereof is hung up by the heels a wivern gules, Sir Bernard's arms; but in no great honour, we may think, to that knight, though so designed to Sir Francis. Unto all which Sir Bernard boldly replied: "That though her Majesty could give him a nobler, yet she could not give an antienter coat than his.' "This relation, I had from Sir John Drake, of Trill, knight and baronet, my honourable godfather." This story is as absurd as it is improbable. Sir Francis Drake was not the man to be struck with impunity, nor was Elizabeth the woman to have rewarded him had he done so. Drake's arms were given to him immediately after his knighthood in 1581: over the globe was the motto Auxilio divino, and underneath the words Sic parvis magna. The fact probably was, that Sir Francis Drake, being ignorant of the family arms, asked his relation Sir Bernard for such information as the Heralds' College required. Some time after Drake's return from his circumnavigation voyage, he received the following letter from Davis, the celebrated Arctic voyager : 66 Right honourable, most dutifully craving pardon for this my rash boldness, I am hereby, according to my duty, to signify unto your honor that the north-west passage is a matter nothing doubtful; but at any time almost to be passed by a sea navigable, void of ice; the ice tolerable, the waters very deep. I have also found an isle of very great quantity, not in any globe or maps discovered, yielding a sufficient trade of furs and leather. Although this passage hath been supposed very improbable, yet, through God's mercy, I am in experience an eye witness to the contrary; yea, in the most desperate climates, which, by God's help, I will very shortly more at large reveal unto your honor, so soon as I can possibly take order for my mariners and shipping. Thus depending upou your honor's good favour, I most humbly commit you to God. This 3rd October. "Your honor's for ever "Most dutiful, Strype, in introducing this letter, says "JOHN DAVIS." "I have one note more to make of one Davys, a mariner, sometime belonging to Sir Francis Drake, who being employed to find out a north-west passage into those seas in that part of the world, came back this year (in 1585), and upon his return, in a letter, acquainted the said Drake with some account of those seas, and how navigable they were. The letter shewing the first discovery of that passage, and wrote to so eminent a seaman, may deserve to be preserved, and is, as I take it from the original, to this tenor." From this statement it is probable that Davis had served under Drake, and perhaps on the circumnavigation voyage, when the latter contemplated a passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic; which was at the time, and has been since, so vigorously attempted in a contrary direction by Frobisher, Davis, Baffin, Gilbert, and many others-“ men,' as old Purchas describes them, "of heroike courage, marine worthies, beyond all names of worthinesse." The Straits which Davis discovered still bear his name. Drake was always kind to his followers, and ever ready to assist them. The following letter, among many others, affords proof of this : "Good Mr. Doctor Cæsar, "This bearer, Roger Roffe, is like to have some cawse in question before you it is supposed that he hath wronge, therefore I presume the rather to intreat your favour towards him, prayinge that for my sake you will shew yt in his behalf, being willinge, in that he will becom one of my companie to steed him in any honest cawse. And so with my right hertie commendations do bid you farewell. "From your father's howse in Chepside, this 24 June, 1585. "Your assured friend, Sir Francis remained on shore for the next four or five years, but not without active employment. In 1582 he was mayor of Plymouth; but the records of that place contain no entries of any transactions during his mayoralty beyond the ordinary routine of business, unless his "having caused the compass to be put upon the Hoe," and having put in execution the order for wearing scarlet gowns, be considered such. * Lansdowne MSS., British Museum. CHAPTER VI. DRAKE'S VOYAGE TO THE WEST INDIES 1585-1586. Drake receives command of a Squadron-Sir Philip Sydney-The squadron and troops employed-Land on the island of St. Jago-Attack on St. Domingo- And on Cartagena-Sickness in the fleet-The intention of taking Nombre de Dios and entering the Isthmus abandoned-Destroy St. Augustine-Return homewards-Call at Virginia-Bring away the Governor and Colonists, who abandon the Colony-Introduction of Tobacco. THE Complete success of the circumnavigation voyage gave an additional spur to the military spirit of England, eager to humble the arrogant pretensions of Spain, and punish the authors of the cruelties inflicted on our countrymen in her Indian possessions. Her Majesty, who had been greatly pleased with the result of that voyage, now, as a proof of her good opinion, advanced Sir Francis Drake to the rank of Admiral; and signified her pleasure that he should take the command of a fleet, which she destined for the West Indies. She had strong motives for adopting this measure: she was well aware that the treaty she had just concluded with the United Netherlands would be considered by the King of Spain as little short of a declaration of war, and that she ought to be prepared accordingly. He had, in fact, already laid an embargo upon all the English ships, goods, and men found within his territories, which was in itself a hostile measure, and the first step towards a declaration of war. The Queen was moreover fully aware what little chance there was of restitution, or of obtaining any satisfaction for her subjects whose property had been seized, unless she adopted hostile measures; and therefore she wisely resolved to attack the King of Spain in the West Indies, from whence his chief supplies were derived. : "The Queen and kingdom," says Strype, "had the greatest apprehensions from abroad of the King of Spain: with whom she could obtain no good understanding and of whom especially it concerned her to beware, considering his power, which at that time was formidable; and thus set forth by our historian (Camden :) All the Princes of Italy were at his beck: the bishop of Rome was wholly addicted and engaged to him; the Cardinals were, as it were, his vassals; all the ablest persons, for matters both of war and peace, were his pensioners. In Germany, the house of Austria, a house extending and branching far and wide, and other houses allied unto the same by marriages, did, as it were, attend upon him and his service. His wealth also and his strength were so much increased, both by sea and land, since the late addition of Portugal and East India, that he was far more powerful and formidable than ever his father Charles V. was. And if he should once reduce the Netherlands under his power, there was nothing to hinder, but that the rest of the princes of Christendom must of necessity stoop to his greatness, unless it were prevented.' The "This powerful prince then the Queen had to deal with. It was judged therefore the best course to favour the Netherlanders, with whom he was now at war, and towards whom he had exercised great barbarities. It was now under deliberation concerning the doing of this weighty matter. lord-treasurer had consulted with Hawkins, a brave seaman and treasurer of the Navy, upon this affair; and what means might be used in this undertaking, requiring to know his thoughts thereof. He soon after showed that statesman, in writing, the means to offend that king, and the reasons to maintain that faction." The King of Spain's hostility to England was avowed, and he had, as it were, thrown down the gauntlet. The Queen therefore saw plainly that nothing was left to meet this insolence but to authorize all such of her subjects as had suffered from the measures taken by Spain, and all others who might feel disposed to resent the hostile proceedings of that nation, to be furnished with letters of marque and reprisal, with power to seize all ships and merchandise, wherever found, belonging to the subjects of the King of Spain. At the same time she ordered a powerful fleet of her own ships to be equipped. The whole of this armament was to be employed under the command of Sir Francis Drake, whom, from his experience and success in naval matters, she considered as the fittest officer in her dominions to strike a blow against Spain. On this occasion a volunteer presented himself, whose offer Drake could neither well reject nor prudently accept. This was no less a person than the gallant and most accomplished Sir Philip Sydney, the friend and favourite of Queen Elizabeth, of |