Part 8 (1/2)
”VALIANT AND TRUE”
THE STORY OF SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE
One of the ht on the 10th and 11th September, 1591, by Vice-Adainst a great fleet of Spanish vessels The fight was described by the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh, froiven in the following narrative are taken
If the story seest nineteenth century records, it is, nevertheless, such a unique display of stubborn heroism ”under fire” that I have not hesitated to include it
On the 10th of Septeust, old style), Lord Thomas Howard, with six of her Majesty's shi+ps, five victualling shi+ps, a barque and two or three pinnaces, was at anchor near Flores, one of the westerly islands of the Azores, when Captain Middleton brought the news that the Spanish fleet was approaching
He had no sooner delivered his ht The few shi+ps at Lord Howard's co Many of the seamen were ill So ballast, others getting in water
Being so unprepared for the contest, and so greatly outnuhed their anchors and set sail The last shi+p to get under weigh was _The Revenge_, as Sir Richard waited for the men left on the island, ould have otherwise been captured
The master of the shi+p wanted him to ”cut hisof his shi+p”; but Sir Richard utterly refused to turn fro that he would rather choose to die than dishonour himself, his country, and her Majesty's shi+p, and inforh the two squadrons in spite of theht possibly have been able to carry out his plan; but the huge _San Philip_, an iing other shi+ps of the fleet, becalled with the _San Philip_, four other shi+ps also boarded _The Revenge_
”The fight thus beginning at three of the clocke in the after noone,”
says Sir Walter Raleigh, ”continued verie terrible all that evening”
Before long, the _San Philip_, having received the fire of _The Revenge_ at close quarters, ”shi+fted herself with all diligence, utterlyher first entertainreat number of soldiers on board, in soht hundred; whilst on _The Revenge_ there were in all only one hundred and ninety persons, of whouns the Spanish shi+ps endeavoured to board _The Revenge_; but, notwithstanding the ain and again, and driven back either into their shi+ps or into the sea
After the battle had lasted well into the night many of the British were slain or wounded, whilst two Spanish shi+ps had been sunk An hour before ht Sir Richard Grenville was shot in the body, and a little later ounded in the head, whilst the doctor as attending hiradually getting less and less; the Spanish shi+ps, meanwhile, as they received a sufficient evidence of _The Revenge's_ powers of destruction, dropped off, and their places were taken by others; and thus it happened that ere the ed, and all were so little pleased with the entertain to listen to proposals for an honourable arrangement than to make any more assaults
As Lord Tennyson writes:--
And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the suht of the one and the fifty-three
shi+p after shi+p the whole night long their high-built galleons ca, with her battle-thunder and fla, drew back with her dead and her shame
For soht us no more-- God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before?
_The Revenge_ had by this tiunpowder; all her pikes were broken, forty of her best men slain, and most of the remainder wounded For her brave defenders there was now no hope,--no powder, no weapons, the masts all beaten overboard, all her tackle cut asunder, her decks battered, nothing left overhead for flight or below for defence
Sir Richard, finding hihting, and having received about eight hundred shots frouns, besides various assaults froht prevent his shi+p falling into the hands of the Spanish, counner, whom he kneas a most resolute man, to split and sink the shi+p He did this that thereby nothingthat in so reat a navy, they were not able to take her, though they had fifteen hours in which to do so; and ainst his single vessel of five hundred tons
He endeavoured to persuade his men to yield themselves to God, and to the mercy of none else; that, as they had repulsed so many enemies, they should not shorten the honour of their nation by prolonging their lives by a few hours or days
The captain and ht, and besought Sir Richard to have a care of the that the Spaniards would be ready to treat with the whose wounds were not ht do their country and prince acceptable service hereafter
They also pointed out that as _The Revenge_ had six feet of water in the hold and three shots under water, but weakly stopped, she must needs sink in the first heavy sea; which indeed happened a few days later But Sir Richard refused to be guided by such counsels