them, all ran away. Anthony Powell, the sergeant-major, leapt upon one of the horses they had left behind, and pursued them; but having advanced rashly beyond his company, over ground covered with long grass, a Spaniard, laying wait for him, shot him through the head; and before any of the party could come to rescue his body, it had been pierced with many wounds. The Governor had withdrawn to St. Matheo, and all the inhabitants had deserted the city. It was considered as wearing the appearance of being a prosperous settlement, having its council-house, church, and other edifices, and gardens all round about. All the public buildings were burnt, and the gardens laid waste by the invaders, in revenge for the death of Captain Powell. It was intended, on leaving this place, to visit another Spanish settlement, about twelve leagues farther on, called St. Helena, and attack and destroy it also; but they found the shoals too dangerous for them to attempt an entrance without a pilot, and under unfavourable circumstances of wind and weather. Abandoning therefore this design, they continued coasting along, proceeding in sight of the shore, in search of Sir Walter Raleigh's recently planted colony in Virginia, which, by her Majesty's command, Sir Francis Drake was directed to inspect, and to afford it any assistance and encouragement he might be enabled to do. Finding the shore, like that of St. Helena, inaccessible to their ships, on account of the shoalness of the water, they were constrained to anchor, in an exposed situation, two miles from the shore; from whence the General sent a message to Mr. Ralph Lane, the Governor, who was then at his fort at Roanoak, to offer him such supplies as his squadron would afford.

Mr. Lane, with some of his company, waited on the General, and requested him to grant his little colony a reinforcement of men and a supply of provisions, and also a small vessel and boats, in order that, should they be put to distress for want of supplies from home, they might have the means at hand to embark for England. This request was immediately complied with: a ship was selected for the use of the colony, and orders were given for it to be fitted up and plentifully furnished with all manner of stores for a considerable period. While this, however, was in preparation, a storm arose which continued three days, and drove the ship that had been selected, and some others, from their

anchors to sea. These vessels were never seen again till Drake's arrival in England, whither all of them had directed their course, instead of facing the storm.

Sir Francis then proposed to give the settlers another of his ships; but the late accident, and the previous hardships which Mr. Lane and his fellow-colonists had undergone, had so depressed their spirits, that they concluded Providence was not favourable to their design of establishing themselves on the shores of America; and considering, moreover, that the promised supplies from England had failed them, they, after some consultation, petitioned Sir Francis to take them home with him. The number that embarked was 103, five of the 108 who had originally landed having died. Mr. Lane is reported to have been the first to introduce tobacco into England, that detestable weed having been so called from the island on which it was first foundTobago.

"These men," says Camden, "who were thus brought back were the first that I know of that brought into England that Indian plant which they call tabacca and nicotia, or tobacco, which they used against crudities, being taught it by the Indians. Certainly from that time forward, it began to grow into great request, and to be sold at an high rate, which, in a short time, many men everywhere, some for wantonness, some for health sake, with insatiable desire and greediness, sucked in the stinking smoke thereof through an earthen pipe, which presently they blew out again at their nostrils: insomuch that tobacco-shops are now as ordinary in most towns, as tap-houses and taverns. So that the Englishmen's bodies (as one said wittily) which are so delighted with this plant, seem as 'twere to be degenerated into the nature of barbarians, since they are delighted, and think they may be cured, with the same things which the barbarians use."

Still more energetic were the feelings which King James expressed respecting this abominable herb when he wrote the 'Counterblast to Tobacco;' and such, it may be added, are the feelings of many people regarding the practice, every day increasing, of blowing out "stinking smoke" in public places; until Richmond Hill, and every other rural scene about London, have all the effluvium of a cigar-shop; and the entire Continent has become one vast "smoking divan."

Thus ended this expedition, very inferior in profit, and in the interest of the transactions, to Drake's two former enterprises. The booty brought home was valued at 60,000l.; and 240 pieces

of cannon were taken, of which 200 were of brass. The loss of men was about 750; almost all of them died of calenture. Of these, four were captains of the army, two of the navy, four lieutenants of the army, and six masters of merchant ships. Of the money brought home, 20,000l., as they had resolved in council, were divided among the soldiers and sailors, being about 61. per man. They arrived at Portsmouth on the 28th of July, 1586.

Sir William Monson, speaking of this expedition, says

"This fleet was the greatest of any nation but the Spaniards, that had ever been seen in those seas since the first discovery of them. And if it had been as well considered of, before their going from home, as it was happily performed by the valour of the undertakers, it had more annoyed the King of Spain than all other actions that ensued during the time of the war.

"But it seems our long peace made us uncapable of advice in war; for had we kept and defended these places, when in our possession, and provided to have been relieved and succoured out of England, we had diverted the war from this part of Europe; for at that time there was no comparison betwixt the strength of Spain and England by sea, by means whereof we might have better defended them, and with more ease encroached upon the rest of the Indies, than the king of Spain could have aided or succoured them.

"But now we see, and find by experience, that those places which were then weak and unfortified, are since so fortified that it is to no purpose to us to annoy the king of Spain in his West Indies. And though this voyage proved both fortunate and victorious, yet considering it was rather an awakening than a weakening of him, it had been far better to have wholly declined than to have undertaken it upon such slender grounds, and with so inconsiderable forces."

To this it might have been replied, If we could not support the little colony of Virginia, unmolested by an enemy of any description, how should we have been able to support three or four populous districts, every inhabitant of which was in bitter hostility against us, and not merely national and political hostility, but religious also-regarding us, from the highest to the lowest, with a hatred incapable of conciliation?'

Queen Elizabeth's policy was of a higher order, we conceive, than Sir William Monson's. She said to her Parliament

"It may be thought simplicity in me, that, all this time of my reign, I have not sought to advance my territories, and enlarge my dominions; for opportunity hath served me to do it. I acknowledge my womanhood and weakness in that respect; but though it hath not been hard to obtain, yet I

doubted how to keep the things so obtained: and I must say, my mind was never to invade my neighbours, or to usurp over any; I am contented to reign over my own, and to rule as a just princess."

The real causes of failure appear to have been the unfortunate and ill-judged landing of 1000 men at St. Jago, the delay there of fourteen days, the fever they caught at that most unhealthy and miserable place, and the subsequent delay at Dominica and St. Christopher, making it full thirteen weeks before they reached St. Domingo, owing to which the Spaniards had ample time to prepare for them, and were accordingly on their guard at Nombre de Dios, Panama, and other places, whe and silver of Peru and Mexico are usually deposited.

the gold

CHAPTER VII.

EXPEDITION TO CADIZ.

1587.

Designs of Philip-Insolence of the Spanish Ambassador-Drake appointed to command an expedition-Letter of Sir F. Drake-Arrives at Cadiz; burns, sinks, and carries away about 100 sail of ships-Dispatches Capt. Crosse with letters-Leaves Cadiz-Destroys a number of ships in the Tagus-Drake stands over to Terceira and captures a large and rich carrack-Case of Capt. Burroughs.

In the course of the year 1587, the intentions of Spain with regard to England could no longer be concealed. Philip, while affecting an earnest desire to come to an amicable adjustment of the differences that had so long existed between the two nations, was secretly preparing to invade England with an overwhelming force. In the mean time Catholic priests were employed as spies, both in Great Britain and on the Continent, to learn the feelings of the Queen and her ministers on the question of war; and also to ascertain the extent and efficiency of the warlike preparations in England. They had besides what they termed seminary priests in England, whose business it was to seduce the people from their allegiance to the Queen and the established religion, and to entice them into the body of the Catholic church. The Queen, on her part, was well informed of all the designs of Spain, and vigorous measures were taken to counteract them. The intention to invade England is said to have been first discovered in consequence of a letter written by Philip to the Pope, asking the blessing of his Holiness on the intended project; a copy of which letter Mr. Secretary Walsingham procured from a Venetian priest, whom he retained at Rome as a spy. The original letter was stolen from the Pope's cabinet by a gentleman of his bed-chamber, who took the keys out of the