Part 4 (1/2)
CHAPTER SIX.
REIGN OF ELIZABETH--FROM A.D. 1558 TO A.D. 1603.
When Elizabeth came to the throne, she, without loss of time, took measures to restore the navy, which had been allowed to fall into decay during the reign of her wretched sister Mary. Timber was stored up for building, numerous pieces of bra.s.s cannon cast, and gunpowder, which had hitherto been brought from abroad, was manufactured at home. She raised the wages of seamen, increased the number of naval officers, and augmented their salaries, giving also encouragement to foreigners skilled in s.h.i.+pbuilding to repair to her ports and construct strong s.h.i.+ps, both for war and commerce. The fortresses in the Isle of Wight and other parts were increased, and scarcely had she governed four days when Vice-Admiral Malyn was ordered to sail, with as many s.h.i.+ps as were fit for sea, to protect trade and to defend the channel.
She, of course, took these steps by the advice of Cecil, who likewise directed Sir Thomas Gresham to send over coin from Holland, and to purchase arms and munitions of war. Cecil was thoroughly cognisant of the designs of the Spaniards, and he had soon a proof of their perfidious intentions. A squadron under the command of Sir John Hawkins had been driven into the port of Saint Juan d'Ulloa in the Bay of Mexico, and was suddenly attacked by a Spanish fleet, the commander of which had just before been professing his friendly intentions. Sir John suspected treachery in consequence of observing that the Spaniards were s.h.i.+fting arms from one s.h.i.+p to another, planting and levelling their cannon from their s.h.i.+ps towards an island on which some of the English had landed. The master of one of the s.h.i.+ps being sent to the Spanish admiral, he was seized; and, causing the trumpet to be sounded, the Spaniards set on the English on all sides. The men on sh.o.r.e being dismayed at the unexpected onset, fled, and endeavoured to recover their s.h.i.+ps, but the Spaniards, landing in great numbers, slew most of them without quarter. Several of the English s.h.i.+ps were destroyed--the _Minion_ and _Judith_, with a small bark of fifty tons, alone escaping.
The crews underwent incredible hards.h.i.+ps, though they at length found their way to England. The English captured on the island by the Spaniards were afterwards thrown into the Inquisition, where they remained shut up asunder in dungeons for a year and a-half. Three were afterwards burnt; others were condemned to receive two and three hundred blows on horseback with long whips, and to serve in the galleys for many years; and others were confined in monasteries, dressed in the S. Benito or fool's coats. One of them, Job Hartob, after enduring captivity for twenty-three years, escaped, and reached England. So enraged were the nation at this treachery of the Spaniards, that it was with difficulty they could be restrained from breaking the peace with that perfidious nation.
A further cause of dissension arose in consequence of a convoy of vessels, bound from the coast of Biscay for the Low Countries with a large quant.i.ty of money on board, being chased by French pirates, having taken shelter in Plymouth, Falmouth, and Southampton. The queen, being informed that the money was on the merchants' accounts, and that the Duke of Alva would certainly seize it to enable him to carry on the war, made bold to borrow the sum. This brought matters to a crisis; reprisals were made by Spain, and the English seized many Spanish and Flemish s.h.i.+ps. The English on this, with incredible alacrity, fitted out vessels, and fell upon all merchant-s.h.i.+ps belonging to the Spaniards. Spain, it was now known, was preparing a formidable force for the invasion of England; but the queen and her ministers, unintimidated by the boasts of the Spaniards, omitted no precautionary measures to defeat Philip's plans. In 1587, a fleet under Sir Francis Drake was despatched to Cadiz. The admiral here forced six galleys, placed for the guardians.h.i.+p of the port, to shelter themselves under the cannon of the castle; and then, having burnt upwards of a hundred s.h.i.+ps laden with ammunition and provisions, he sailed for Cape Saint Vincent, where he surprised some forts, and destroyed all the fis.h.i.+ng craft he could fall in with. From thence, appearing off the mouth of the Tagus, he challenged the Spanish admiral, Santa Cruz, to come out and fight; but the Spaniard, obeying his master's orders, allowed Drake to burn and destroy every vessel he could find, rather than hazard an engagement.
The King of Spain, hoping to frighten the English, published in every country in Europe a full account of the armada he was preparing for the subjugation, as he hoped, of England. For three years had Philip been making the most mighty efforts to fit out a fleet with which he hoped to humble the pride of the queen of that ”tight little island,” who had dared to refuse his hand, and to enslave her heretical subjects. The Most Happy Armada, for so he had styled it, consisted of 134 sail of towering s.h.i.+ps, of the total burden of 57,868 tons; on board of it wore 19,295 soldiers, 8450 sailors, 2088 slaves, and 2830 pieces of cannon.
In addition to the foregoing, there were galleys, gallia.s.ses, and galleons stored with 22,000 pounds of great shot, 40,000 quintals, or hundredweights of powder, 1000 quintals of lead for bullets, 10,000 quintals of match, 7000 muskets and calivers, 1000 partisans and halberds, besides double-cannon and field-pieces for a camp on disembarking, and a great many mules, horses, and a.s.ses, with six months' provisions of all sorts. To this may be added a large band of monks, with racks, thumbscrews, chains, whips, butchering knives, and other implements of torture, with which it was proposed to convert the English from the error of their ways, and to bring them to the true faith as expounded by the pope and his pupil Philip.
The larger of these s.h.i.+ps measured from 1000 to 1200 tons, they carried 50 guns, about 180 mariners, and 300 soldiers. A still larger number measuring from 600 to 800 tons, and carrying from 30 to 40 guns, with crews of about 100 seamen, and 300 soldiers. There was a fleet of pataches and zabras, a considerable number of which measured no more than 60 tons, and carried 8 guns and 30 seamen. The gallia.s.ses must, however, have been s.h.i.+ps of great bulk, as they carried 50 guns, and crews of about 120 men, with a still larger number of soldiers, besides which they each had about 300 slaves for working their oars. The galleys also carried 50 guns and about 230 slaves. This fleet was divided into ten squadrons, each commanded by an experienced officer.
The pataches are more commonly called carvels. Besides the Dominicans, Franciscans, Flagellants, and Jesuits, there were on board many hundred persons of the best families of Spain; some maintained by the king, with their servants, and those belonging to the duke's court.
This vast armada was followed by a fleet of tenders, with a prodigious quant.i.ty of arms on board, intended to put into the hands of those whom it was expected would rise on their reaching the sh.o.r.es of our own land.
The command of this mighty squadron, generally known as the Spanish Armada, was given to the Duke of Medina Sidonia, and under him was Don Martinez de Recaldo, an experienced admiral, who managed the affairs of the fleet. The reports of the enormous preparations made by the Spaniards for the destruction of everything they held dear naturally caused the greatest anxiety, if not consternation, among the English, but the nation was true to itself. The queen and her ministers, in no way daunted at the mighty preparations for their enslavement, vigorously prepared for resistance, taking all the measures wisdom could dictate and their means would allow for repelling the invaders. The country flew to arms; every county raised a body of militia; the sea-ports were fortified, and a system of signals arranged so that troops could be brought to the point where they were required with the greatest possible speed. Orders were also given that, should the enemy land, the whole country round should be laid waste, so that the Spaniards might find no food except what they brought with them. The regular army was disposed, a part along the southern coast, another near Torbay, under the command of the Earl of Leicester, while a third, under the leading of Lord Hunsdon, was destined to guard the queen's person. The English Government, not misled by the a.s.surances of the Spanish minister that his master's wish was to remain at peace, took care to keep themselves well informed of the proceedings of the Spaniards, and of the time the Armada was likely to be ready to put to sea.
Offers had been made by Philip to conclude a treaty, and a meeting was held between his envoys and the English commissioners in April near Ostend. The Spaniards, however, purposely squandered away the time, hoping to stop the preparations of the English while their own were going forward, and at length fixed on Brouckburg in Flanders as the place for concluding a treaty of peace. Before the time agreed on had arrived, the Spanish Armada had sailed from the Tagus. The pope having blessed the fleet which was to be engaged in the pious office of subjugating the heretics of England, it was named the Great, n.o.ble, and Invincible Armada, the terror of Europe.
The English fleet was placed under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham, who had, however, only seventeen s.h.i.+ps of war actually belonging to the queen. The largest of these, the _Triumph_, was of 1100 tons, carried 500 men, and was commanded by Sir Martin Frobisher.
The next in size was the _White Bear_, also with a crew of 500 men, commanded by Lord Edmund Sheffield. The third in size was the _Ark_, the admiral's flag-s.h.i.+p, of 800 tons, commanded by Raleigh. Of the same size was the _Victory_, carrying the flag of Sir John Hawkins, the rear-admiral, with a crew of 400 men. There were two others of 600 tons, the _Elizabeth Bonaventure_ and the _Hope_. There were six of 500 tons, two of 400 tons, another of 360 tons, while the rest ranged from 30 to 120 tons. To these were joined twelve hired s.h.i.+ps and six tenders. The city of London provided sixteen s.h.i.+ps, twice the number demanded, with four store-s.h.i.+ps; the city of Bristol, three; Barnstaple, three; Exeter, two, and a tender and stout pinance; Plymouth, seven stout s.h.i.+ps, equal to the men-of-war. Sixteen s.h.i.+p were under Lord Henry Seymour. The n.o.bility and gentry and commons of England furnished forty-three s.h.i.+ps; the merchant adventurers, ten; to which may be added a fly-boat and Sir W. Winter's pinnace, making in all 143 s.h.i.+ps.
Of these s.h.i.+ps, thirty-two were under the command of Sir Francis Drake, and several of them were of 400 tons burden; but the greater number were not of more than 200 tons. The largest London s.h.i.+p was only of 300 tons, but the greater number were above 100 tons, and the smallest of 60 tons. Lord Henry Seymour's s.h.i.+ps were mostly under 150 tons, the largest being only 160. Altogether the number of their crews did not amount to more than 15,000 men, but they were one and all gallant tars, resolved to fight and conquer, and fearless of danger. Sir Francis Drake, with fifty sail, had been stationed at Plymouth, and here the Lord High Admiral, with a large part of his fleet, joined him on the 23rd May, when Sir Francis was made his vice-admiral. Hence, with about ninety s.h.i.+ps, the fleet sailed up and down between Ushant and Scilly, waiting for the arrival of the Armada, which had sailed, as has been said, on the 1st June. A tremendous storm, which compelled the English to run into harbour, had, however, dispersed the Spaniards, and driven them back with some damage into port. Shortly afterwards a report reached England, circulated probably by the Spaniards themselves, that the whole of their fleet had been weather-beaten, and that they would be unable to proceed to sea till the next year. This was actually believed by the English Government, who ordered the Lord High Admiral to send back four of his largest s.h.i.+ps into port; but Lord Howard, alleging how dangerous it was to be too credulous, retained the s.h.i.+ps, observing that he would rather keep them at his own charge than expose the nation to so great a hazard.
The wind coming from the north, on the 8th of June Lord Howard sailed towards Spain, looking out for the Armada; but the wind changing to the south, and he seeing that it would be favourable to the Spaniards, returned towards England, lest they might slip by and reach the coast before him. On the 12th he arrived at Plymouth, where the whole fleet was a.s.sembled, waiting for the enemy, and on the 19th of June--
”'Twas about the lovely close of a warm summer's day.
There came a gallant merchant-s.h.i.+p, full sail to Plymouth Bay.
Her crew hath seen Castile's black fleet, beyond Aurigny's isle, At earliest twilight, on the wave, lie heaving many a mile; At sunrise she escaped their van, by G.o.d's especial grace, And the tall _Pinta_, till at noon, had held her close in chase.”
This tall s.h.i.+p was commanded by Captain Thomas Fleming, who had been stationed on the look-out to the eastward. The wind blowing almost directly into the sound, it was scarcely possible for the English fleet to put to sea; at length, however, by dint of warping, the admiral's s.h.i.+p and six more got out of the haven, and by daylight, on the 20th, sixty others joined him; with these he sailed, and when off the Eddystone caught sight of the enemy to the westward. Notice of the appearance of the Armada was spread far and wide throughout the land.
”Night sank upon the dusky beach, and on the purple sea; Such night in England ne'er had been, nor ne'er again shall be.
From Eddystone to Berwick bounds, from Lynn to Milford Bay, That time of slumber was as bright and busy as the day; For swift to east and swift to west the ghastly war-flames spread, High on Saint Michael's Mount it shone, it shone on Beachy Head.
Far on the deep the Spaniards saw, along each southern sh.o.r.e, Cape beyond cape in endless range, those twinkling spots of fire.”
Onward came the Armada in perfect order, forming a crescent, the horns of which were seven miles apart, the concave part to the rear.
Formidable, indeed, from their size and number, did they appear, like so many floating castles, such as had never in the world's history sailed over the surface of the deep. The English captains were eager for the attack, but Lord Howard wisely checked their ardour, pointing out the enormous size of the enemy's s.h.i.+ps, which also being full of troops, they could hope to do nothing with by boarding. Had, indeed, the Spaniards ventured to attack the English on that day, it would have been difficult to escape from them. Having wisely waited till the following morning, Sunday, the 21st of June, the admiral was joined by the rest of the fleet, which had got out of the sound, and had, moreover, the wind in its favour. The battle commenced at nine o'clock in the morning, when Lord Howard attacked a Spanish s.h.i.+p commanded by Don Alfonso de Lara. Lord Howard pressed in upon her, tore her hull with his broadside, and brought her to the verge of sinking. Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher attacked, also, the rearmost of the Spanish s.h.i.+ps, commanded by Recaldo, the vice-admiral, s.h.i.+p engaging s.h.i.+p, till the Spaniards were so disabled that they took to flight, and were received into the main body. The British seamen, elated by their success, pressed on more and more boldly, till, darkness coming on, the Lord High Admiral, by signal, ordered them to desist. About midnight the English saw a large s.h.i.+p in the centre of the Spanish fleet blow up. As it proved afterwards, she had on board a large amount of treasure, which was moved before she was deserted to another s.h.i.+p, commanded by Don Pedro Vargas.
It coming on to blow hard at night, this s.h.i.+p sprang her foremast, and falling astern, was attacked and captured by Sir Francis Drake. Besides the treasure, several persons of distinction were found on board, the first Spanish prisoners made on this occasion. The s.h.i.+p was sent into Dartmouth, where the plunder of the vessel was divided among the sailors.
A s.h.i.+p which had been destroyed was fallen in with the next day, having fifty men on board cruelly burnt, and vast numbers dead. In the evening Sir Francis Drake was induced to sail in pursuit of several s.h.i.+ps he saw in the south-west, but which proved to be German merchant-vessels; and it was evening of the next day before he could rejoin the fleet. Next morning, the two fleets having manoeuvred for some time to gain the weather-gage, about noon the Spaniards at length bore down on a number of the London vessels; but the Lord High Admiral sending a reinforcement, rescued his s.h.i.+ps, and nearly took the vice-admiral. So high were the sides of the Spanish s.h.i.+ps that their shot generally flew over the heads of the English, and did little damage; while scarcely a shot from the s.h.i.+ps of the latter missed its aim. After the fleets had engaged for some time, the wind s.h.i.+fted to the south-south-west. On this Lord Howard led his fleet to the attack of the Armada. One of his s.h.i.+ps, the _Triumph_, pus.h.i.+ng too far, was surrounded by the Spaniards; but the admiral, with six other vessels, bore down to her a.s.sistance, having given orders to his captains not to fire a gun till within musket-shot. The _Triumph_ was rescued, and the Spaniards driven back, miserably shattered.
About this period one William c.o.x, captain of a little pinnace called the _Violet_, belonging to Sir William Winter, behaved valiantly against the enemy, but his gallant little craft was sunk, and he was killed by a great piece of ordnance. As an old author writes on this occasion: ”Also the _May Flower_ of London, a name known to fame, performed an honourable part. Never, indeed, was seen so vehement a fight; either side endeavouring to bring about the destruction of the other. For albeit the musqueteers and arquebusiers were in either fleet many in number, yet could they not be discerned or heard by reason of the roar of the greater ordnance that followed so thick one upon another, and played so well that day on either side that they were thought to be equal in number to common arquebusiers in a hot skirmish. The battle was not only long, but also near at hand--within half a musket-shot--and that to the great advantage of the Englishmen, who, with their s.h.i.+ps being, as was aforesaid, excellent of sail and of steerage, yet less a great deal than the Spanish s.h.i.+ps, and therefore more light and nimble, fought not according to their manner otherwise, to board them, but keeping themselves aloof at a reasonable distance, continually beat upon the hull and tackling of the enemy's s.h.i.+ps, which, being a good deal higher, could not so easily beat the English s.h.i.+ps with their ordnance.
Thus in the s.p.a.ce of one day, with the loss only of one small s.h.i.+p and less than a hundred men on the part of the English, was the so-called Invincible Armada utterly beaten and nearly destroyed--though to the G.o.d of battles must truly be ascribed the victory, for the power of the elements more than man's strength, caused the destruction of the larger number of the Spanish s.h.i.+ps.”
At evening the engagement ceased, by which time several of the enemy's s.h.i.+ps had been taken, among them a Venetian s.h.i.+p of large size and force. The next day, for want of ammunition, the English were unable to renew the attack; but the Spaniards, not knowing this, did not attempt to molest them. It had been intended, on the night of the 24th, by Lord Howard, to attack the Armada in the dead of the night, but the wind failing he was disappointed in his object. On the 25th, a vast galleon, dropping behind, was captured by Sir John Hawkins after a desperate resistance. Several gallia.s.ses, sent by the Spanish admiral to the rescue of the galleon, were nearly taken. The persevering English, in their small vessels, continued their a.s.saults on the vast s.h.i.+ps of the enemy, never failing to inflict considerable damage on them. In the meantime, more powder and shot were brought on board to enable them to carry on their a.s.saults. On the following day the admiral determined, however, to allow the Armada to proceed towards the Straits of Calais, where another fleet, under Lord Henry Seymour and Captain Winter, lay in wait for them. Thus the Armada sailed forward till the English saw them anchor before Calais, on the 27th of July. Here, being joined by the before-mentioned squadron, the Lord High Admiral found himself in command of nearly 150 stout s.h.i.+ps, and, bearing down on the enemy, anch.o.r.ed at a short distance from them. The Spanish admiral had anch.o.r.ed in the hopes of being joined by the Duke of Parma, but the fleets of Holland and Zealand blockaded him in the ports of Dunkirk and Niewport, and he dared not sail out. Seeing that the Spanish s.h.i.+ps lay very close together, Lord Howard planned a new method for their destruction. Eight of the least valuable vessels being fitted out as fire-s.h.i.+ps, and having their guns loaded, were conducted towards the Spaniards by Captains Young and Prowse, who, in the most undaunted manner, firing the trains as they got close to the Spaniards, retired.