King Philip of Spain, who was exasperated to the extreme by the bold and brilliant expeditions of Drake and others to the West Indies, was in a different position from that of the French and Scottish king; and making the most of the recent tragedy at Fotheringay Castle, he branded Elizabeth as a murderer, and animated his people with a desire of vengeance. She on her side made some politic efforts to disarm his resentment. Leicester, who had returned to Holland, soon became an object of contempt. She recalled him, allowed the Hollanders to put Prince Maurice of Orange in his stead, and then seemed very well disposed to give up the Protestant cause in the Netherlands. She kept the precautionary towns, as they were called, and greatly did the Netherlanders fear that she would sell these keys of their dominions to the Spanish king. Burghley opened negotiations with Spain, and two foreign merchants, an Italian and a Fleming, were intrusted with a secret mission to the Duke of Parma, who still maintained himself in the Netherlands. But Elizabeth and her ministers soon saw that no sacrifices they could make would disarm the animosity of the Spaniards, and every wind brought them news of immense naval and military preparations in Spain and Portugal.* While the queen continued to negotiate, Sir Francis Drake was despatched with a fleet of 30 sail, and ordered to destroy all the Spanish ships he could find in their own harbours. Never was a commission more ably or more boldly executed. On the 19th of April (1587) he dashed into Cadiz roads, and burnt, sunk, or took 30 ships. He then turned back along the coast, and between Cadiz bay and Cape St. Vincent, he sunk, took, or burned 100 vessels, besides knocking down four castles on the coast. From Cape St. Vincent he sailed to the Tagus, where he challenged the Marquis Santa Cruz, and took, almost under the shadow of his flag, the St. Philip, a ship of the largest size. These operations materially tended to delay the sailing of the Spanish Armada for more than a-year, and allowed Elizabeth time to prepare for her defence. But Philip, whose *Hardwicke State Papers.

power on the whole had increased rather than diminished since the first commencement of his enmity with Elizabeth-for if he had lost Holland he had annexed Portugal to his dominions-was not to be put from his purpose of invading England. He obtained from the pope supplies of money and a renewal of the bull of excommunication against Elizabeth. He levied troops in all directions, he hired ships from the republic of Genoa and Venice, he took up all the proper vessels possessed by his subjects of Naples and Sicily, he pressed the construction of others in Spain, in Portugal, and in that part of Flanders which still belonged to him, where shoals of flat-bottomed boats were prepared for the transport of the Duke of Parma and 30,000 men. Through parsimony, the whole royal navy of England did not, at this moment, exceed 36 sail, but merchant ships were fitted out by the nobles and people at their own expense, and armed for war, and Drake, Hawkins, Frobisher, names scarcely eclipsed by all the heroes who have sueceeded them-men who had lived their lives on the ocean, and girdled the globe in their daring expeditionsthe best seamen of the age, were appointed to the command under the high admiral, Lord Howard of Effingham. The entire number of ships collected on this critical occasion was 191; the number of seamen was 17,400, the total amount of tonnage being 31,985.* The Dutch were applied to for their assistance, "and,” says Stowe, they came roundly in with three score sail, brave ships of war, fierce, and full of spleen." The fleet was distributed at various points, for it could not be known where the enemy would attempt their landing. The lord admiral, who guarded the western coast, divided his force into three squadrons. Drake was detached towards Ushant to keep a look-out; Hawkins cruised between the Land's End

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*Southey's Naval History.-In the Armada there were only three ships of size superior to the Triumph, the largest of the English ships; but there were 45 ships ranging from 600 to 1000 tons; and though the English fleet outnumbered the Armada, its entire tonnage was less than one-half of that of the enemy.

and Scilly Islands; Lord Henry Seymour cruised along the coast of Flanders, blocking up the Spanish ports there; and other captains constantly scoured the Channel.

As it was given out that the Spaniards intended to sail up the river and strike their first blow at London, both sides of the Thames were fortified, under the direction of Federico Giambelli, an Italian deserter from the Spanish service. Gravesend was strongly fortified, and a vast number of barges were collected there, for the double purpose of serving as a bridge for the passage of horse and foot between Kent and Essex, and for blocking up the river to the invaders. At Tilbury fort, directly opposite to Gravesend, a great camp was formed. Nor was there less stir and activity inland. There was not a corner of England which did not ring with preparation, and muster its armed force. The maritime counties, from Cornwall to Kent, and from Kent to Lincolnshire, were furnished with soldiers, both of themselves and with the auxiliary militia of the neighbouring shires, so that, upon any spot where a landing might be effected, within the space of forty-eight hours an army of twenty thousand men could be assembled. The Catholics vied with the Protestants in activity, in zeal, in patriotism; and as their gentlemen of rank were generally excluded from command by the jealousies of the Protestants, although the lord admiral himself, Lord Howard of Effingham, was a Catholic, they served in the ranks like common soldiers, or they embarked in the ships to do the work of common sailors. This grand fact ought to have proved to the queen how ungrounded had been her fears, how uselessly she had drenched herself in blood;-it ought to have put down from that day forward the persecution which she exercised, or permitted to be exercised, from political motives, against her Catholic subjects; but, alas! it was not so. When the lord-lieutenants of the different counties returned their numbers, it was found that there were under arms 130,000 men, exclusive of the levies furnished by the city of London. The force assembled at Tilbury Fort consisted of 22,000 foot and 2000 horse, and between them and London were 28,000

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men levied for the protection of her majesty's person, commanded by her kinsman Lord Hunsdon, and 10,000 Londoners. A confident hope was entertained that the fleet would be able to prevent any disembarkation, but it was provided, in case of a landing, that the country should be laid waste, and the invaders harassed by incessant attacks. The queen never shone to more advantage that at this warlike crisis, and though she kept her person between the capital and the near camp at Tilbury Fort, the fame of her brave deportment and her encouraging words were spread everywhere. She reviewed the Londoners, whose enthusiasm was boundless; and when the arrival of the Armada was daily expected, she reviewed the army at Tilbury Fort, riding a war-horse, wearing armour on her back, and carrying a marshal's truncheon in her hand. The Earls of Essex and Leicester held her bridle-rein, while she delivered a stiring speech to the men. My loving people," said the queen, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to 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 good will of my subjects; and, therefore, I am come amongst you at this time, not as for my recreation and sport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live or die amongst you all to lay down for my God, for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour, and my blood, even in the dust. I know that 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!"* Everything in this camp speech was exciting and appropriate except a laudation bestowed on the general; for her lieutenant was none other than that

* Cabala.

carpet-knight and most inefficient commander, the Earl of Leicester

It had been arranged by the Spanish court that the Armada should leave Lisbon in the beginning of May, but the Marquis de Santa Cruz was then sinking under the fever of which he died; and, by a singular fatality, the Duke of Paliano, the vice-admiral, and an excellent officer, fell sick and died nearly at the same time. Philip found a difficulty in replacing these two commanders. After some delay he gave the supreme command to the Duke of Medina Sidonia, who, instead of being the best sailor in Spain, was no sailor at all, and wholly ignorant of maritime affairs. Martinez de Recaldo, who was appointed vice-admiral, was, however, a seaman of good experience. At last, the INVINCIBLE ARMADA, as the Spaniards called it in their pride, set sail from the Tagus on the 29th of May. It consisted at this time of about 130 vessels.of all sizes; 45 of these were galleons and larger ships; 25 were pink-built ships; 13 were frigates. They mounted altogether 2431 guns of different calibres. In addition to the mariners, they carried nearly 20,000 land troops, among whom were 2000 volunteers of the noblest families in Spain. But this mighty fleet, when steering towards Coruña, where it was to take on board more troops and stores, was overtaken, off Finisterre, by a great tempest, and dispersed. Four large ships foundered at sea; the rest reached Coruña and other ports on that coast, but considerably damaged by the storm. This occasioned a fresh delay, which, however, might have proved fatal rather than favourable if Elizabeth's advice had been followed by her brave commanders. A report reached London that the enemies' ships had suffered so much that they could not possibly proceed on their expedition this year; and as the cost of the English fleet was great (though the government only bore a part of it), the queen, from motives of economy, made Secretary Walsingham write to the admiral to tell him to lay up four of his largest ships, and discharge their crews. But Lord Howard of Effingham nobly replied to this letter, that, rather than dismantle any of his