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the redoubted Spanish monarchy, as the proper and CHAP. competent instrument of elevation and victory to the cause he promoted; and he directed all his energies to put this formidable mass of force into vigorous action against the celebrated and yet unconquered queen and country, which he desired to have subdued, that it might be subjected to his mutilated sovereignty.

It was from a perception of this advancing peril, that Elizabeth had determined on assisting the States of Holland, with Leicester, and his useful, tho not emancipating, army. She could not safely employ larger forces there, because the Netherlands were but one of the wings of Philip's power, and the minor outpost of his aggression. The deciding battle would have to be fought at her own threshold; for it was obvious, that the great storm of war and vengeance would sail direct towards her shores from the Bay of Biscay. She therefore limited the portion of her troops that were to occupy her adversaries on the Maes and Scheldt; and reserved the main body of her native soldiery to confront the main attack. But as a naval armament must form an essential part of the invading force, sir Francis Drake was dispatched with a competent fleet in the Spring of 1587, to explore, assail, and destroy the collecting portions of the maritime annoyance, wherever he could find them, on the coast or in the ports of Spain. He had been sent in September 1585, with a fleet of twenty-one ships and two thousand three hundred military volunteers, to divert the attention and excite the fears of the Spanish government, by an attack on its West India possessions. He captured St. Jago in the Cape de Verd Islands,

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BOOK St. Domingo, which Columbus had discovered and colonized, and Carthagena, on the South American continent. They sailed to Virginia, and brought away the alarmed English colony, which sir Walter Raleigh had named, and which these adventurers came to inhabit; and bringing from thence TOBACCO into England," they returned with a booty of sixty thousand pounds in bullion, and two hundred and forty great and brass cannon, for the service of the country.

35

This spirited expedition of Drake had effected the important service, of arresting awhile the perilous assault from his native country. It compelled Philip to dispatch after him a fleet to protect his Atlantic dominions.36 It delayed his domestic prepara

32 Camden, 284-6. They lost 700 men, but mostly by disease. They reached St. Jago on 17 Nov. 1585; St. Domingo on 1 January 1586. ib. Martin Frobisher was with him. He sailed from Plymouth 14 Sept. 1585, and returned to it 27 July 1586. Stow, 710.

33 A storm dispersing the fleet as it was assisting the new colonists with provisions, Lane, their captain, was afraid of being starved, and desired Drake to carry them all back. Camd. 286.

34 Camden says that this Indian plant' came for the first time into England with them, tho Raleigh had brought some before for his private use. Our antiquary adds, Certainly from that time it began to be in great request, and to be sold at a high rate, whilst very many every where, some for wantonness, some from health, suck in with insatiable greediness the stinking smoak thereof thro an earthen pipe, and presently snuff it out at their nostrils; insomuch, that tobacco shops are kept in towns every where, no less than tap-houses and taverns.' Camd. 286.

6

35 Murdin has printed A brief note of all such silver bullion as was brought into the Tower by sir Francis Drake, knight, and laid in the vault under the jewel-house, 26 December 1586. It consisted of 22,899 lbs. in ingots, and 512lbs. in small pieces of coarse silver, called Corento, that hath been gathered in the mines, without refining and · melting. Of this 11,3007. had been coined, and 29,6257. 158. 9d. refined and melted into clear ingots. There were besides 101lbs. of gold bullion, which had been coined into thirty and fifteen shillings pieces, amounting in value to 2057. There remained then unmelted 8,544 lbs. of coarse ingots of silver, and 512lbs. of the corentos.' Murd. 539, 40. 36 So Charles Paget reported to Mary, on 29 May 1586, The king of Spain prepareth greatly to the sea, and principally to meet with Drake, who was in St. Domingo, and hath taken great treasure.' Murd. 518.

tions," and this, too, at a time when the delay in- CHAP. creased the chances of their ulterior failure.38

In April 1587, Drake's enterprise on the coast of Spain had again a suspending effect. He sailed with four of the queen's ships, and some others. His objects were, to surprise what vessels he could in the havens, and to intercept their supplies." He defeated twelve galleys, and sunk two under the forts of Cadiz; and in eight days burnt thirty-three vessels, and carried away four more full of ammunition and provisions." He apprized his government of the magnitude of the preparations," and finally

* On 4 July 1586, Morgan acknowleged to Mary that Drake's enterprise hath done much for the diversion of the king of Spain's designments, which of necessity must be for the reparation of England.' Murd. 524.

38 Such was the language of both Paget and Morgan. The latter expressed his hope that the king of Spain was resolved on his enterprise against her of England,' yet intimated that it would be after too long deliberation, and loss of special opportunities and means to do good.' Murd. 524. And the former stated to his mistress, in May 1586, 'I have told the Spanish ambassador, that if the king of Spain do not apply himself this year to do somewhat against the queen of England, it will be too late. ib. 518.

39 Camd. 352. Strype has printed his letter to Burghley, of 27 April 1587. He left Plymouth on the 2d; a vehement storm for five days dispersed his fleet; but they met altogether at the rock on the 16th and the 19th.' We arrived into the road of Cadiz, where we found sundry shipping of very great portage, laden with the king's provisions for England.' Strype, Ann. v. 3. p. 664.

40 His account is, We remained there until the 21st. In which time, notwithstanding the often encounters of twelve galleys, of whom we sank two and repulsed the rest, and the continual thundering of the great ordnance from the shore, we burnt a ship of the marquis of S. Cruce, of 1,500 tons; a Biscayan, of 1,200 tons; and thirty-one ships more, of 1,000, 800, 600, and 400 to 200 tons the piece. Carried away with us four ships laden with provisions; and departed thence at our pleasure, with as much honor and victory as any man in the world could wish for.' ib. 664.

Sir Francis added, 'Assuredly, there never was heard of, or known, so great preparations as the king of Spain hath, and daily maketh ready, for the invasion of England, as well out of the Streights, from whence he hath great aid from sundry mighty princes, as also from divers other places in his own country. His provisions of bread and wine are sufficient for 40,000 men for a whole year. The uniting

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BOOK destroyed or captured one hundred vessels, and two great galleons. He assaulted and captured three sail off Cape St. Vincent, harassed the coast up to the Tagus, and thence steering towards the Azores, met and soon mastered a rich East Indian carack." By these successful acts of bravery, he compelled the Spanish government to defer their menaced invasion till the ensuing year, from this destruction of their prepared supplies." He gave a new heart to the English seamen, by shewing them that they could vanquish larger ships by gallant daring; and the account-books taken in the Indian trader, so fully explained the Portuguese modes and channels of trading with the affluent nations of the Eastern world, that the merchants of London became competent, from this discovery, to pursue the same routes of commerce themselves: this led them to form an East India Company; from which that wonderful anomaly of trading sovereigns has originated, who now rule from their little chambers in Leadenhall-street the realms and population of eighty

45

of all which forces will be very dangerous, unless their meeting be prevented, which, by all possible means, we will seek to perform as far as our lives will extend. No doubt but that this, which heaven has permitted us to do, will cause them to make great alteration of their intents. It is very necessary that all possible preparations for defence be speedily made.' Lett. Strype, p. 664. His ship had been named ELIZABETH BONAVENTURE.

42 Camd. 352.

43 This vessel was so rich, that many merchants and noblemen in France were of opinion,' as one of don Antonio's English companions wrote to lord Burghley, that the queen would lend that king, his master, 200,000 crowns out of that rich prize to enable him to levy an army' for an expedition to Portugal: and subjoined, that the miserable state of this poor king was such,' that he was embarrassed by his creditors: 'all which 127. or 13 l. would discharge, and by this the poor king might come out of extremity and great discredit.' Prince's letter, Strype, p. 662. A destitute state of royalty indeed, if only twelve pounds were so essential to relieve it. Camd. 353. 45 Ib.

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millions of human beings: transcending ancient Tyre CHAP -whose merchants were also of princely grandeur, and perhaps our first colonizing ancestors-as much as Great Britain now surpasses the fame and fortunes, and foreign settlements and power, of the celebrated cities of all Phoenicia and of its descendant Carthage.

46

It could in no respect benefit France, that Spain should become master of England by absolute conquest. It was therefore an act of wisdom as to his purpose, but without the least chance of success in the application, that Henry solicited the pope to interfere to prevent the meditated invasion. The pontiff not only refused to avert it, but even added a menace to the French king, that he should not have the power of preventing it. This disability could only be produced by animating the leaguers to take the field. against their sovereign, while the expedition against Elizabeth should be ready to move forward; because, if not so impeded, a French force marching into Flanders could not fail to occupy and deter the prince of Parma from joining the invaders; and as his army was well trained and used to warfare, and he was the most distinguished general in Europe, to keep him from landing in England would be to paralyse the right arm of the Spanish Goliah. The threat of

46 We derive our knowlege of this circumstance from Morgan. He wrote to Mary, 'The king of France was in hand with his holiness to provide that nothing should be attempted against England; whereupon his holiness pleaded ignorance; and yet nevertheless answered the French king, that if there were any such enterprise in hand, it should not lie in the power of the French king to prevent it.' Murd. 500. Morgan prays heaven to inspire the French king's heart to be profitable to the church, or at the least, not to hinder the labors of others dedicated to that end.' ib.