BOOK 11. to desert. His provisions had been consumed, and were not yet replaced, and his flat-bottomed boats had by the summer's heat dried and become leaky. Ships of war from Holland and Zealand were likewise watching his embarking ports of Dunkirk and Nieuport. So that his instantaneous movement to co-operate was impossible. Yet, eager for the expedition, he undertook within three days to unite with them, if wind and tide permitted.129 128 This concentration of the armada off Calais, suggested to the English admiral the idea, and gave him the opportunity of trying the effect, of fire-ships. Eight of the worst vessels were hastily fitted for this purpose, and being filled and smeared with wild-fire, pitch, rosin, brimstone and other combustible materials, were in the dead of the night, with a favoring wind, sent down into the middle of the Spanish fleet. The terrible appearance of this blazing conflagration shook the whole armada with a general panic: in vain the prudent duke ordered all to weigh anchor, in order to avoid the danger, and to return to their stations when it had passed; terror became the general impulse; all cut their cables, and put wildly to sea in hurrying confusion.130 One of their 128 Camd. 369. While they were off Calais, Stow mentions that 'the Flemings, the Walloons, aud the French, came thick and threefold to behold the fleet, admiring the exceeding greatness of their ships and warlike order. The greatest kept the outside next the enemy, like strong castles, fearing no assault; the lesser placed in the middle ward. Fresh victuals were straight brought aboard. Captains and cavaliers might have what they would for their money; and gave the French so liberally, that within twelve hours an egg was worth sixpence, besides thanks.' p. 748. 120 Stow, 748. 130 Camd. 370. Guided within cannon shot, before the Spaniards could discern the same, the flame then grew so fierce, that the enemy thought these floats to have been like the works of wild-fire, lately XXXV. chief commanders, don Hugo de Moncada, had his CHAP. rudder broke, and running upon the sands, was attacked and killed. Some struck on the shallows of Flanders, and others ran dispersing into the ocean; 131 the remainder were assaulted by Drake and the rest of the English fleet. This was the greatest conflict which the seamen of England maintained against the armada. Its compact and formidable line of greater ships, mutually supporting each other, and impregnable from such unity of warlike action, being broken up by the dispersion and confusion, the English admirals and captains boldly encountered their adversaries in front, and in a closer battle, for fourteen hours, with all the victorious energy of their national resolution and intrepid daring. The Spaniards felt their superiority, and were discomfited in every part. They had to endure all the heavy cannonading of their triumphant opponents, while they were struggling to get clear of the shallows; they suffered grievously; and another of their largest ships was driven on shore near Ostend, and afterwards taken by the men of Flushing. 132 · made to break the bridge of Antwerp; in which fear, with shrieks and loud outcries they exclaimed, The fire of Antwerp! the fire of Antwerp!' and some cut their cables; others let their hawsers slip; and happiest they who could first be gone, tho few could tell what course to take.' Stow, 748. 131 Camd. 370. Stow, 748. 132 Camd. 370. Lord Monmouth, who had joined the fleet at Plymouth, thus describes this last action; They being in this disorder, we made ready to follow them; where began a cruel fight. We had such advantage, both of wind and tide, that WE HAD A GLORIOUS DAY of them, continuing fight from four o'clock in the morning till almost five or six at night. They lost a dozen or fourteen of their best ships. Some sank, and the rest ran ashore in divers parts, to keep themselves from sinking. After God had given us this great victory, they made all the haste they could away.' Mem. 17, 18. BOOK 11. This battle and its consequences decided the issue of the invasion. On a west-north-west wind blowing strong, they endeavored, on the 31st July, but in vain, to regain their position in the narrow strait where Parma could alone join them. They were driven down to Zealand, till the breeze taking a southerly direction, they profited by it to get out of the shallows that were again embarrassing them; and in the evening consulted on the most expedient measures in their unexpected state. The English fleet being now all united, presented before them one hundred and forty sail. Of their own, some of the largest had been lost, and the rest much torn and shattered. There was no port in which they could repair; nor would the prince of Parma be now able to bring out his fleet to their support or rescue. was decided to return to Spain, but by a northern circuit round Great Britain; as there was no chance of forcing a passage thro the collected English navy.133 They took this course. The English pursued; but their former expenditure of their powder prevented another engagement. Storms soon 134 It 133 Camd. 370. Drake, in his letter to Walsingham on 31 July, says, We have the army of Spain before us, and mind to wrestle a pull with him. There was never any thing pleased better than the seeing the enemy flying with a southerly wind to the northward. I doubt it not, but ere it be long, so to handle the matter with the duke of Sidonia, that he shall wish himself at St. Mary's Port, among his vine trees. God give us grace to depend upon him. So shall we not doubt victory; for our cause is good. I crave pardon for my haste, for I had the watch this last night upon the enemy' Hardw. 585. 134 Monmouth supplies this circumstance. We followed them Tuesday and Wednesday, by which time they had gotten as far as Flamborough Head. It was resolved, on Wednesday at night, that by four o'clock on Thursday we should have a new fight with them, for a farewell; but by two in the morning there was a flag of council hung out in our vice-admiral, when it was found that in the whole fleet there was not munition sufficient to make half a fight. Therefore it was concluded that we should let them pass, and our fleet return to the Downs.' Mem. 18. 135 increased the dismay of their retreating adversaries,' 135 Drake wrote, on 8 August,' On Friday last we cast the army of Spain so far to the northward, as that they could recover neither England nor Scotland; and within three days after we were entertained with a great storm, considering the time of year; which in our judgment hath not a little [forced] the enemy away.' Hard. 585. 136 So Drake expressed: If the wind hinders it not, I think they are forced to Denmark, and that, for divers causes, certain it is that many of their people were sick, and not a few killed. Their ships, sails, ropes and wastes need great reparations, for they had all felt of your majesty's forces.' ib. 585. This idea he repeated on the 10th. ib. 586. 137 He had framed a pedigree, from which he raised a claim to himself to the English crown; and some ideas connected with such hopes may have caused that negociation which he pretended to enter into with Elizabeth as the armada was sailing. 138 On 10th August, sir Francis thus delineated to Walsingham his general view of the closing scene: The prince of Parma I take to be as a bear robbed of her whelps; and no doubt, being so great a soldier as he is, he will presently, if he may, undertake some great matter; for his rest now standeth thereupon. It is for certain that the duke of Sidonia standeth somewhat jealous of him; and the Spaniards begin to hate him, their honor being touched so near, and many of their lives spent. I assure your honor they are not so little as 5000 less than when we first saw them near Plymouth, and divers of their ships sunk and taken. They have nothing to say for themselves in excuse, but that they came to the place appointed, which was at Calais, and there staid the duke of Parma's coming above twenty-four hours, yea, until they were fired out. So this is my poor conclusion. If we may recover Dunkirk this night, or to-morrow morning, so that their power may see us returned from the Channel, and ready to encounter them if they once sally; the next news you shall hear will be, the one meeting against the other. When this shall come to pass, or whether a meeting or no, let us all, with one consent, both high and low, magnify and praise our most gracious and merciful God, for his unspeakable kindness towards us. Written with much haste, for that we are ready to set sail to prevent the duke of Parma this southerly wind; for truly my poor opinion is, that we should have a great eye upon him.' Hard. 586, 7. CHAP. BOOK enterprise, and ended the alarm of the excited nation.139 11. Tempest, disaster, shipwreck and misery, accompanied the maimed and scattering armada in its northerly voyage. It was tossed about the Orkneys, and on the Irish coast, losing its best ships in various parts,140 till a very feeble remnant got back at last to Spain. The chief cause of their failure was the evil of sailing with limited instructions, allowing no use of the discretion of their commanders under the circumstances which might arise. They were ordered to attempt nothing till the prince of Parma had joined them, otherwise it was their belief that they could have surprised and overpowered the English fleet in their harbors or on the voyage." 141 Their 139 One alarm, as the English were in the pursuit, was this noticed by sir E. Radcliffe, on the day Drake wrote the last letter: While her majesty was at dinner in my lord general's tent, there came a post, and brought intelligence that the duke, with all his forces, was embarked for England, and that he would be here with as much speed as possibly he could. The news was presently published thro out the camp. Ellis' Lett. p. 142. Drake's postscript on this day ended these excitations:Since the writing hereof, I have spoken with an Englishman who came from Dunkirk yesterday, who saith, upon his life, there is no fear of the fleet.' Hard. 587. 140 Their losses were thus enumerated: In the first engagement, four gallies, with 1622 men; in the ships of Valdez and another, 711; in the great ship of Naples, before Calais, 686; in two other galleons, forced into Flushing, 929; in two Venetians, sunk, 843, making 4791 men, besides those lost in two wrecked Biscayans, and those slain in the conflicts. On Ireland they lost, off Tyrconnel, one ship with 1100 men; off Connaught nine others, with 2800; and at Munster, seven vessels and 1494 men; amounting to 32 ships and 10,185 men ascertained, besides 1000 prisoners, and a great multitude that were slain in the fights, and that have died of famine, and many ships not yet heard of.' Strype, p. 543, 4. The letter to Mendoza, of 9th October, stated, About these north islands their mariners and soldiers died daily by multitudes, as by their bodies cast on land did appear.' The Almighty ordered the winds to be so contrary to this proud navy, that it was, by force, dissevered on the high seas west upon Ireland; and so great a number of them driven into sundry dangerous bays, and upon rocks, and there cast away; some sunk; some broken; some on the sands; and some burnt by the Spaniards themselves.' ib. 542. Camden, 372. |