The Admiral of the Biscayan squadron was Brittandona; of the squadron of Seville, the Marquess of Arumburch. The hulks and fly-boats1 were commanded by Luis Coutinho. There were slain and drowned in this fight well near 1000 of the enemies, and two special commanders Don Luis de Sant John, and Don George de Prunaria de Malaga, as the Spanish captain confesseth, besides divers others of special account, whereof as yet report is not made.

The Admiral of the hulks, and the Ascension of Seville, were both sunk by the side of the Revenge. One other recovered the road of Saint Michael, and sunk also there. A fourth ran herself with the shore, to save her

men.

Sir Richard died, as it is said, the second or third day, aboard the General, and was by them greatly bewailed. What became of his body, whether it were buried in the sea, or on the land, we know not. The comfort that remaineth to his friends is that he hath ended his life honourably in respect of the reputation won to his nation and country, and of the same to his posterity; and that, being dead, he hath not outlived his own honour.

From Hakluyt's Principal Navigations.

1 Throughout the sixteenth century the Hulk was the large merchantman of the northern nations. She was higher "carged" than the most highly carged ship of war and in consequence was most unseaworthy. As she grew obsolete her name was probably applied in derision to all crank vessels until it came to be degraded to its present use. The Fly-boat belonged to the same class as the Hulk. She differed somewhat in construction and was considerably smaller. The northern built hulks of Philip II came from his Flemish provinces.

2 The words of Sir Richard's dying speech are based upon the record of the Dutch traveller Linschoten. One contemporary Englishman asserts that Grenville never uttered a word after being removed from his own ship: the rest, like Raleigh, make no allusion to the matter.

FRANCIS BACON,

VISCOUNT ST ALBANS

1561-1626

I

THE INFLUENCE OF SEA POWER

To be master of the sea is an abridgment1 of a monarchy. Cicero, writing to Atticus of Pompey his preparation against Caesar, saith, Consilium Pompeii plane Themistocleum est; putat enim, qui mari potitur, eum rerum potiri2. And, without doubt, Pompey had tired out Caesar, if upon vain confidence he had not left that way. We see the great effects of battles by sea. The battle of Actium decided the empire of the world. The battle of Lepanto arrested the greatness of the Turk. There be many examples where sea-fights have been final to the war; but this is when princes or states have set up their rest upon the battles. But thus much is certain, that he that commands the sea is at great liberty, and may take as much and as little of the war as he will. Whereas those that be strongest by land are many times nevertheless in great straits. Surely, at this day, with us of Europe, the vantage of strength at sea [which is one of the principal dowries of this kingdom of Great Britain] is great; both because most of the kingdoms of Europe are not merely inland, but girt with the sea most part of their compass; and because the wealth of both Indies seems in great part but an accessary to the command of the seas.

1 Epitome.

Essays.

2 "Pompey's plan is evidently that of Themistocles: for he thinks that whoso is master of the sea will be master of the situation."

II

A PARADOX

IT is a strange thing, that in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men should make diaries; but in land-travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it; as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation. Essays.

LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY 1583-1648

THE CHANNEL PASSAGE IN 1609

HAVING passed thus all the winter until about the latter end of January, without any such memorable accident as I shall think fit to set down particularly, I took my leave of the French King, Queen Margaret1, and the nobles and ladies in both courts; at which time the Princess of Conti desired me to carry a scarf into England, and present it to Queen Anne2 on her part, which being accepted, myself and Sir Thomas Lucy3 [whose second I had been twice in France, against two cavaliers of our nation, who yet were hindered to fight with us in the field, where we attended them], we came on our way as far as Dieppe in Normandy, and there took ship about the beginning of February, when so furious a storm arose, that with very great danger we were at sea all night.

The master of our ship lost both the use of his compass and his reason. For not knowing whither he was carried by the tempest, all the help he had was by the lightnings, 1 Henry of Navarre's first wife, divorced from her husband in 1600. 2 Anne of Denmark, Queen Consort of James I.

* Son of the Justice with whom Shakespeare was embroiled.

which, together with thunder very frequently that night, terrified him, yet gave the advantage sometimes to discover whether we were upon our coast, to which he thought by the course of his glasses1 we were near approached.

And now towards day we found ourselves, by great providence of God, within view of Dover, to which the master of our ship did make. The men of Dover, rising betimes in the morning to see whether any ship were coming towards them, were in great numbers upon the shore, as believing the tempest which had thrown down barns and trees near the town, might give them the benefit of some wreck, if perchance any ship were driven thitherwards.

We coming thus in extreme danger straight upon the pier of Dover, which stands out in the sea, our ship was unfortunately split against it. The master said, "Mes amis, nous sommes perdus," or "My friends, we are cast away." When myself who heard the ship crack against the pier, and then found by the master's words it was time for every one to save themselves, if they could, got out of my cabin [though very sea-sick] and climbing up the mast a little way, drew my sword and flourished it, they at Dover, having this sign given them, adventured in a shallop of six oars to relieve us, which being come with great danger to the side of our ship, I got into it first with my sword in my hand, and called for Sir Thomas Lucy, saying that if any man offered to get in before him, I should resist him with my sword. Whereupon a faithful servant of his, taking Sir Thomas Lucy out of the cabin, who was half dead of sea-sickness, put him into my arms. Whom, after I had received, I bid the shallop make away for shore and the rather that I saw another shallop coming to

1 By the course of his glasses-By the number of times the sand had run through.

relieve us:—when, a post from France, who carried letters, finding the ship still rent more and more, adventured to leap from the top of our ship into the shallop, where, falling fortunately on some of the stronger timber of the boat and not on the planks, which he must needs have broken and so sunk us had he fallen upon them, escaped together with us two unto the land.

I must confess myself, as also the seamen that were in the shallop, thought once to have killed him for the desperate attempt. But finding no harm followed, we escaped together unto the land, from whence we sent more shallops, and so made means to save both men and horses that were in the ship, which yet itself was wholly split and cast away, insomuch that in pity to the master, Sir Thomas Lucy and myself gave thirty pounds towards his loss, which yet was not so great as we thought, since the tide now ebbing, he recovered the broken parts of his ship. Autobiography.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

[1564-1616]
I

THE TEMPEST

SCENE-On1 a Ship at Sea. A tempestuous noise of Thunder and Lightning heard.

Enter a SHIP-MASTER and a BOATSWAIN.

BOATS. Here, master: what cheer?

MAST. Good. Speak to the mariners: fall to't yarely,

or we run ourselves aground: bestir, bestir.

An early example of the misuse of "on."

[Exit.

The seaman says

"in" or "on board”: cp. Richard Steele, Inkle and Yarico, infra, p. 149.