this she did. When she rejoined her companions, some blamed and others ridiculed her attention to a common soldier; but they soon had reason to lament that they had not been equally compassionate; for the grateful soldier contrived, on the night of the massacre, to save this young Englishwoman, while all the other inhabitants of the house she dwelt in were killed.

Mary. I am glad you did not forget that pretty story. But pray did you hear what afterwards became of the lady?

Mrs. M. I presume she got safe back to England; for the lady who related the circumstance spoke of it as having happened to a person from whom she was herself descended.

Richard. I hope I shall think of that story, if I should ever feel too proud or too idle to do a kindness to a fellow-creature.

WHEN the news of the execution of the queen of Scots was brought to Elizabeth, she thought it necessary to assume the appearance of excessive grief; she wore mourning, and for some days shut herself up with only her women. The king of Scotland expressed great resentment at the murder of his mother, and threatened Elizabeth with a

war; but it was so much the interest of both sovereigns to keep at peace, that James, who was not of a warlike disposition, suffered his indignation to subside.

Philip of Spain had long been meditating an invasion of England; and, in 1588, having completed his preparations, and collected his forces, he felt so certain of conquest, that he called his fleet, which was now assembled in the Tagus, the Invincible Armada. His land forces, to the number of fifty thousand men, under the duke of Parma, were marched to the coast of the Netherlands, where a sufficient number of transports were prepared. And, indeed, this whole armament, by land and sea, was so very powerful, both in the size and number of ships, in the strength and discipline of the Spanish soldiery, and the gallantry and spirit of the numerous volunteers who flocked to serve in it, that it seemed more than sufficient to overwhelm this little island.

The Protestant states, who considered the queen of England as the bulwark of their religion, looked on in fearful expectation at this immense host which was now so confidently advancing against her. Elizabeth, meanwhile, sure of the affection of her people, at least of all those who were Protestants, was undismayed. She made every necessary preparation for defence: but the English fleet, when collected altogether, was so small in comparison with that of the Spaniards, that her chief reliance was on

the superior skill and bravery of her seamen and officers. The fleet was commanded by lord Howard of Effingham. Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher served under him. The land forces, which were very inferior to Philip's, both in numbers and experience, were divided into several bodies. One, commanded by lord Hunsdon, was appointed to guard the queen's person. Another, under lord Leicester, was stationed at Tilbury Fort. The rest were placed wherever it seemed most likely that the Spaniards would attempt a landing. But the chief support of the kingdom was the vigour and prudence of the queen herself, who showing no alarms at the dangers that threatened her, gave her orders with decision, and omitted nothing that could infuse courage into her people, and increase the general security. She appeared on horseback at the camp at Tilbury, and, riding through the ranks, made so animating a speech to the soldiers, that every one felt roused to an enthusiastic attachment to her person.-Amongst other things she said to them: " I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart of a king, 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 realms to which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms; I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field."

While these preparations were making in England, the armada was on the point of sailing, but was a little delayed by the death of the admiral, whose place was supplied by the duke of Medina Sidonia, a man utterly inexperienced in sea affairs. At length, on May 29, 1588, this mighty armament issued from the mouth of the Tagus; but a violent storm coming on the next day, so many of the ships were disabled that it was obliged to return into harbour to refit. It again sailed with orders to proceed directly to the coast of Flanders, thence to convoy the duke of Parma and his troops to the Thames. But the Spanish admiral learning from a fisherman that the English fleet was assembled at Plymouth, ventured, in the hope of annihilating it at one blow, to disobey his orders, and made for that port.

The armada, as it approached the Lizard Point, was descried by a Scotch pirate, who was cruising in those seas, and he, hoisting every sail, hastened to give notice of the enemy's approach. Effingham had just time to get out of port, when he saw the Invincible Armada coming full sail towards him, in the form of a crescent, and stretching over a distance of seven miles. He soon perceived how heavily the Spanish ships sailed, and that they were very ill-built and unmanageable; and his confidence in his own little fleet became much strengthened. He was at first fearful of advancing too near, lest the weight of the Spanish ships should run down