Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/136

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. risk and might be sent to the bottom if the Spaniards could catch them, yet if they returned safe the Spanish Government could make no legal claim on the Queen, either for their punishment or the restitution of their spoils. 1 To Drake himself, all that he might do appeared more than justified. He was the avenger of the Eng- lish seamen who had perished in Mexican dungeons, on the Cadiz galleys, or had been tortured or burnt to death at Seville. The Inquisition had too often evaded its promises, and had treated the engagements of Philip and Alva as not more binding on them than things of air. To a Spanish ecclesiastic, to be suspected of heresy was in itself sufficient to deserve death. Poor wretches who had fallen into their hands had been tortured into madness, had hung themselves, or hurled themselves out of their windows and been dashed in pieces. 2 This was sufficient motive for Drake, and was a better ex- cuse for retaliation than ambiguous theories of property in the Indian seas. The reader will desire a more particular account of the person who was to play so large a part in the ap- proaching struggle for the sovereignty of the ocean. 1 'HantratadoLeicesteryHatton que para no castigar a Drake en su persona ni hacer restitution del robo, tienen unabuena escusa, que V. Mag d no tiene prohibido por uingun aliga ny intercursos que tiene con esta co- rona que no vayan los Ingleses a las Indias, por lo cual pueden hacer el viage,poniendose el riesgo que corren si los toman alia, pero que volviendo libres por no haber contrato sobre ello, no se puede pedir & la Reyna los castigue.' Don B. de Mendoza al Eey, Octubre 23, 1580: M&S. Simancas. 2 Relation del punto que toca a los Ingleses que estan presos en San- torcaz, 1579 : MSS. Simancas.