Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/151

 1579-1 VOYAGE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, 135 and making the best of his misfortune, spent his time in studying the character of the corsairs into whose hands he had so strangely fallen. One of the Englishmen the heretic minister, pro- bably, whose presence in the expedition so distressed Mendoza spoke excellent Spanish. Drake must have known something of the language also. They conducted San Juan over the ship, which, though showing signs of rough service, he reported as being admirably appointed, thoroughly seaworthy, provided with all kinds of arms, and not with arms only, but with mattocks, pickaxes, smiths' tools, everything that would be needed either on land or water. The crew were reduced to eighty-five all told ; some had been drowned, some had gone back with Winter, some had died ; of those remaining, fifty were ' men of war,' the rest, ' young fellows, ship's boys, and such like.' He observed that Drake ' was great! feared and reverenced by all on board.' A sentinel stool always at his cabin door. He ' was served with sound of trumpets and other instruments at his meals.' No mystery was made of the plunder which had been taken elsewhere. The minister showed San Juan the great crucifix with the emeralds, and asked him if he could seriously believe it was God, or if it was God, why it had made no resistance to being taken. ' God,' he said with instructive solemnity, ' was a spirit in heaven, and images and ceremonies were idle mockery.' Drake too spoke freely of his voyage, telling the Spaniard where he had been, and the adventures which he had encountered on the way. San Juan asked how he