Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/283

 1582.] THE JESUITS IN SCOTLAND. 267 July. wild as the weather was, he went round the fleet in a boat, trying to inspirit the crews. He had small success, however. The ship's companies were discontented and desponding. In laying out a plan for the battle he had placed himself in the centre. He was reproached with cowardice, and was told that he must himself lead or none would follow. 1 Thus was nothing left to him but to fall with honour. It was the morning of the 26th of July. The breeze had shifted, giving him a slight advantage. He was in a small vessel of 350 tons. Singling out the galleon San Martin, which was three times his size, and carried the flag of Santa Cruz, he bore down into the middle of the enemy. Only de Brissac and two other vessels followed, and the Spanish line closed behind them and cut them off. Missing the San Martin, Strozzi ran into the San Matteo, which was almost as large. Both his and Brissac's ships were immediately surrounded. Brissac, after fighting desperately for an hour, forced a way through into the open sea and escaped. Strozzi had given a good ac- count of the San Matteo, and had almost escaped also, when the San Martin, coming close alongside, poured in a broadside which brought down his masts, and killed and wounded three quarters of his crew. Santa Cruz sprang on board. The old admiral lay bleeding on the deck, and died at the Spaniard's feet. Of the remaining 1 ' Q,uoi, Monsieur ! ' said an officer to him, ' au lieu d'approcher voullez-vous reculer ? Ne scjavez- vous que si vous n'alliez pas le premier, vostre armee, quoy qu'elle vous ayepromis, n'approchera. Vou- lez-vous aujourd'huy perdre 1'occa- sion de remectre la couronne de Portugal? ' How Strozzi was slain; MSS. France, July, 1582.