* The Zealand. It was on this occasion that sir Robert Carey visited him at Bergen-op-Zoom, in the hope of having some occasion to distinguish himself; and seeing no opportunity, declared that " a brave war and poor spirit in a commander never agree well together.' intrigues, the ineptitude, the cowardice even of Leicester, which was freely spoken of in the Low Countries; his suspected designs to seize some strong places, and to put to death the celebrated Barnevelt, and some other patriots; above all, the fear of disobliging the states, at a moment when England was threatened by the Spanish armada, induced Elizabeth to recall him at the latter end of November. The young prince Maurice now occupied his father's place in authority, and in the confidence of his country. A vague rumour had pervaded Europe for some time of vast naval preparations by the king of Spain for the invasion and conquest of England. Negotiations for peace were protracted at the village of Bourbourg, near Gravelines, in the Netherlands, under the mediation of the king of Denmark, without the hope or the intention of peace on either side. Elizabeth had, in the meantime, sent out Drake once more to interrupt the preparations, and attack the ships of the king of Spain. He left England in April (1587) with four large ships, and twenty-six smaller vessels, which the merchants of London had placed at his disposal, upon the condition of sharing in his prizes. Lisbon was the grand rendezvous of the armada. It seems not improbable that he sailed with the purpose of striking at that heart of the enterprise. But, having learned from a Dutch ship which crossed him on his passage, that a richly-laden Spanish fleet was lying in the bay of Cadiz, he steered his course thither, found his information correct, and attacked the enemy with equal intrepidity and success. Six galleys which received his attack were driven by him under the shelter of the forts. He destroyed by fire 100 vessels laden with ammunition and naval * Mem. of Robert Carey, Earl of Monmouth. stores, and sank two galleons, one belonging to the admiral Santa Cruz, the other a vessel of Ragusa, both richly laden with provisions or merchandise. He next steered to Cape St. Vincent, took the fortresses on that promontory by capitulation, proceeded thence to the mouth of the Tagus, where he challenged Santa Cruz and his squadron without bringing them to action, and sailed for the Azores in expectation of a rich carrack from the East Indies, which became his prize. The fruits of this expedition were of present and future importance. Philip's preparations were disturbed, and his project of invasion put off to the following year; additional time was thus obtained by Elizabeth for defence; a fresh impulse was given to naval and mercantile enterprise ; the English sailors learned to behold without fear of disadvantage the towering bulk of the Spanish vessels ; the produce and papers found on board the East India prize initiated the English in the commerce of Asia. Philip continued, unabated, on a vast scale of materials and territory, the preparations of an expedition the most gigantic which had yet been launched upon the sea. The ports of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, the Low Countries, so far as these last were under his dominion, echoed with the labours of artisans building ships, casting guns, or preparing ammunition, and with the conveyance of provisions and naval stores, whilst an army of invasion of 30,000 men—a large invading force in those days – was collected under distinguished captains from the Peninsula, Italy, and Germany, to be placed under the duke of Parma as commander-inchief. Sixtus V. revived the bulls of excommunication of Pius V. and Gregory XIII. against Elizabeth, and offered the sovereignty of England as the conqueror's prize. Several catholic princes and nobles of the different states of Europe flocked as volunteers to the standard of the duke of Parma, some impelled by the enthusiasm of religion, others by that of military glory. The Spaniards looked upon their conquest as already made. They recalled to memory the easy conquests of England by the Saxons, the Danes, and the Normans*; saw between them and their triumph only the gaining of two battles, one at sea, the other on land; and, in the security of victory, denominated their armament the "Invincible Armada." The queen of England beheld the preparations, and heard the vauntings of the enemy with a resolution worthy of the occasion and her cause. Greatly inferior in material, she was as much superior to the Spaniards in moral force. The sacred sentiment of affection even to a country in which they were oppressed, extinguished the resentments or bigotry of the catholics. They joined the rest of their countrymen, heart and hand, against foreign domination; and Elizabeth had what some of her advisers called the temerity, but what was really the enlightened and courageous, if not generous prudence, to confide in them. Every class of the people not only contributed liberally to the queen's exchequer by loans and free gifts, but sent out vessels hired, manned, and armed, at their private charge. The main hope of the nation was in the navy. Two fleets were equipped and ready for immediate service, the one at Plymouth, under the command of lord Howard of Effingham, high admiral of England, with Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher as his lieutenants, destined to receive the shock of the armada; the other under the command of lord Seymour, son of the protector Somerset, stationed off Dunkirk, to intercept the military part of the expedition under the duke of Parma. The military defence, in organised regular force, consisted in 80,000 men. The principal army of 35,000 foot and 2000 horse, under the command of lord Hunsdon, was destined to make head against the enemy wherever he should present himself. To this army was committed the safety and person of the queen. A force of 20,000 men was distributed along the southern coast, with orders to resist the enemy's landing, and, if unsuccessful, to fall back upon the neighbouring counties, laying waste *Grot. Hist. lib. i. the country as they retreated. An army of 22,000 foot and 1000 horse was stationed at Tilbury for the defence of the capital. The queen, now advanced in years, but unworn by the agitations of a long reign, displayed the chivalrous resolution of youth and manhood, and by displaying inspired it. She visited the troops, rode on horseback between the lines, and addressed to the army at Tilbury one of the most stirring specimens in existence of the rhetoric of the camp. 66 My loving people,—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, as you see at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all, to lay down for my God, and for my kingdoms, 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, 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 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. I know already for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns, and we do assure you, on the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. the mean time my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a In |