Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 2.djvu/541

A.D. 1587.] thinking of the Spanish Armada and the attempt of Philip to invade this kingdom, to overlook these provocations, which were certainly sufficient to rouse any monarch to such au enterprise.

Whilst carrying matters with so high a hand, Elizabeth's parsimony had prevented her making those preparations for defence which such an enemy dictated. In the month of November of this year the danger had grown so palpable that a great council of war was summoned to take into consideration the grand plan of defence, and the mode of mustering an adequate force both at land and at sea. It was well known that the dockyards of Antwerp, Newport, Gravelines, and Dunkirk had long been all alive with the building of boats, and that the forest of Waes had been felled to supply material. Farnese, reputed one of the ablest generals in Europe, had at his command, besides the forces necessary to garrison the Spanish Netherlands, 30,000 infantry and 1,800 cavalry; whilst the Spanish fleet consisted of 135 men-of-war, prepared to carry over 8,000 seamen and 19,000 soldiers. Both in Spain and in the Netherlands the enthusiasm of volunteers for the service had been wonderful; not only the members of the noblest families had enrolled themselves, but the fame of this expedition, which was to be a second conquest of England, yielding far more riches and glory than that of William of Normandy, had drawn adventurers from every comer of Europe.

What had England to oppose to all this force and animating spirit of anticipation? It was discovered that the whole navy of England amounted to only thirty-six sail. As to the army, it did not amount to 20,000 men, and those chiefly raw recruits, the order for the muster of the main body of the forces even having been only issued in June. Courage Elizabeth undoubtedly possessed in an eminent degree; but such was her parsimony, that though tho army which was to serve under Leicester was ordered to assemble in June, that which, under Lord Hunsdon, was to follow particularly the movements of the queen, did not receive orders for enrolment till August. What was to be done with such raw recruits against the disciplined and tried troops of Parma and his military experience? It was the same as regarded the sailors to man the fleet. In the autumn of 1586 she ordered a levy of 5,000 seamen; but in January she thought more of the expense than tho danger, and insisted on 2,000 of them being disbanded. The rumours of growing danger, however, enabled the Council to dissuade her from this impolitic measure, and even obtained an increase to 7,000.

In the war council held in November of this year, Sir Walter Raleigh earnestly advocated what his quick genius had seen at a glance—that the defence of the country must depend on the navy. The enemy must not be suffered to land. At sea, even then, England was a match for almost any amount of force; and never did she possess admirals who had more of that daring and indomitable character which has for ages distinguished the seamen of this country. Sir Walter Raleigh prevailed: and at once was seen that burst of enthusiasm which, on all occasions when Great Britain has been menaced with invasion, has flamed from end to end of the nation. Merchantmen offered their vessels, the people fitted them out at their own expense, and very soon, instead of thirty-six ships of war, there were 191, of various sizes and characters, with not 7,000 but 17,100 sailors on board of them. To the thirty-six Government ships of war wore added eighteen volunteer vessels of heavy burden, forty-three hired vessels, and fifty-three coasters. The Triumph was a ship of 1,100 tons there was another of 1,000, one of 900, two of 800 each, three of 600, five of 500, five of 400, six of 300, six of 250, twenty of 200, besides numbers of smaller size, the total amount of tonnage being 31,985.

But the main strength, after all, was in the character of the men who commanded and animated this fleet. Supreme in command was the Lord-Admiral, Lord Howard of Effingham, a man of undaunted courage, of firm and independent resolution, and very popular with the sailors. Under him served the Earl of Cumberland and the Lords Henry Seymour, Thomas Howard, and Edmund Sheffield, as volunteers; and the want of experience in these aristocrats was amply overbalanced by the staunch men whose fame was world-wide—Drake, who was lieutenant of the fleet, Hawkins, Frobisher, and others of those marine heroes who had made themselves a terror to the remotest shores of the earth.

The neighbouring and Protestant States, who were naturally called on to aid in this struggle, which was not so much for the conquest of England as for the annihilation of the Reformed Church, were Scotland and the Netherlands. But James of Scotland was the worst possible subject to depend on in such an emergency. No noble or daring passion ever animated his heart. His only philosophy was what he called his kingcraft—that was, how he could make the most of any event, without any reference to its moral value as bearing on the good of the nation or the advance of civilisation, and that at the least cost of money or exertion. He waited to see whether Philip or Elizabeth were the highest bidder, not intending to help either of them. Philip was advised to secure him and to land a Spanish army in Scotland; but Philip knew his man too well. Elizabeth, on the contrary, put forth all her power to move him, but in vain: he continued talking of his claims on account of the death of his mother, huckstering for the greatest possible gain out of it, till he had made his bargain, and even then never offered his services with an air of earnestness till the danger was over and his aid was not needed. In the autumn Lord Hunsdon, who was instructed to pacify him for the death of his mother, reported to the queen, "that if she looked for any amity or kindness at his hands she would find herself deceived." In April Lord Hunsdon was authorised to satisfy him for his mother's death; it was unavailing, and the danger from the Armada growing, Mr. Ashby was sent to him in June, and in July Sir Robert Sidney. It was all unavailing; the aspect of Spain had now become still more terrible, and the price was not large enough. The English ministers called earnestly on the Scotch ministers in their pay to urge the necessity of his co-operation on James. All was in vain, till the Spanish Armada received a heavy blow on the 30th of July from the tempest at the mouth of the Scheldt, when James hastened to accept Ashby's proposal that in return for joining the queen he should receive an English dukedom with suitable lands, an annuity of