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 ARLON ARMADA T19 having been translated into several languages and widely circulated. His tragedy, Le Siege de Paris, played at the Th6atre-Francais, was received with such bursts of laughter that the actors did not attempt a second performance. In the latter part of his life he fell into obscurity. ARLON (anc. Orolaunum), a town of Belgium, capital of the province and 16 m. W. N. W. of the city of Luxemburg ; pop. in 1867, 6,779. It is situated in the midst of forests on a ridge of the Ardennes, and is rapidly increasing in pros- perity owing to its ironware, leather, and other manufactures. It was known to the Romans. At the end of the 18th century it was the scene of various engagements between the Austrian and French armies. ARMADA, Spanish, the great naval armament sent by King Philip II. of Spain, in 1588, for the conquest of England. The fullest account of this armament is given in a book published about the time it set sail by order of Philip, under the title La felicisima Armada que el rey Don Felipe nuestro Seflor mando juntar en el puerto de Lisboa 1588, hecha por Pedro de Pax Salas. A copy of this work was pro- cured for Lord Burleigh, so that the English government was beforehand acquainted with every detail of the expedition. (This copy, con- taining otes up to March, 1588, is now in the British museum.) The fleet is therein stated to have consisted of 65 galleons and large ships, 25 ureas of 300 to 700 tons, 19 tenders of 70 to 100 tons, 13 small frigates, 4 galeasses, and 4 galleys ; in all, 130 vessels, with a total ton- nage of 75,868 tons. They were armed with 2,431 guns, of which 1,497 were of bronze, mostly full cannon (48 pdrs.), culverines (long 30 and 20 pdrs.), &c. ; the ammunition consist- ed of 123,790 round shot and 5,175 cwt. of powder, giving about 50 rounds per gun, at an average charge of 4-J Ibs. The ships were manned with 8,456 sailors, and carried 19,295 soldiers and 180 priests and monks. Mules, carts, &c., were on board to move the field ar- tillery when landed. The whole was provision- ed, according to the above authority, for six months. This fleet, unequalled in its time, was to proceed to the Flemish coast, where another army of 30,000 foot and 4,000 horse, under the duke of Parma, was to embark, under its pro- tection, in flat-bottomed vessels constructed for the purpose, and manned by sailors brought from the Baltic. The whole were then to pro- ceed to England. In that country Queen Eliza- beth had, by vigorous exertions, increased her fleet of originally 30 ships to about 180 vessels of various sizes, but generally inferior in that respect to those of the Spaniards. They in- cluded a large number of privateers, armed merchantmen, and vessels furnished by the nobility, and were manned by 17,500 sailors. They were wretchedly provisioned, and so ill supplied with ammunition that they could hardly have made a serious fight but for the powder which they captured from the enemy. The English military force was divided into two armies: one, of 18,500 men, under the earl of Leicester, for immediately opposing the en- emy ; the other, of 45,000, for the defence of the queen's person. According to a MS. in the British museum, entitled " Details of the Eng- lish Force assembled to Oppose the Spanish Armada" (MS. Reg. 18th, c. xxi.), 2, 000 infant- ry were also expected from the Low Countries. The armada was to leave Lisbon in the begin- ning of May, but, owing to the death of the admiral Santa Cruz and his vice admiral, the departure was delayed. The duke of Medina Sidonia, a man totally unacquainted with naval matters, was now made captain general of the fleet ; his vice admiral, Martinez de Becalde, however, was an expert seaman. Having left Lisbon for Corunna for stores, May 29, 1588, the fleet was dispersed by a violent storm, and, though all the ships joined at Corunna with the exception of four, they were considerably shat- tered, and had to be repaired. Reports having reached England that the armament was com- pletely disabled, the government ordered its own ships to be laid up ; but Lord Howard, the admiral, opposed this order, set sail for Corunna, learned the truth, and on his return continued warlike preparations. Soon after, being inform- ed that the armada had hove in sight, he weigh- ed anchor, and as it passed Plymouth, July 31, stood out in its rear and opened a destruc- tive fire. Having the windward position, and being greatly superior in speed, he was able to inflict serious damage without loss to himself. All the way along the channel the English fol- lowed the armada with the same tactics, taking skilful advantage of the changing winds, harass- ing the Spaniards, capturing two or three of their best vessels, and yet keeping all the while virtually out of reach. The Spaniards pro- ceeded toward the coast of Flanders, keeping .as close together as possible. In the various minor engagements which took place, the Eng- lish always won the victory over the clumsy and undermanned Spanish galleons, crowded with soldiers. The Spanish artillery, too, was very badly served, and almost always planted too high. Off Calais the armada cast anchor, waiting for the duke of Parma's fleet to come out of the Flemish harbors; but Parma had nothing but unarmed barges, and could not come out until the armada had beaten off the Anglo-Dutch blockading squadron. Driving the Spaniards out of Calais roads by means of fire ships, Aug. 8, Howard and Drake now forced them toward the Flemish coast, with the purpose of getting them into the North sea and cutting off their communications with Dunkirk. The battle began at daybreak off Gravelines, and lasted till dark. The Span- iards were completely defeated. Several of their largest ships were lost, and 4,000 men were killed, and probably at least as many more wounded. It was impossible either to return to Calais or to reach the duke of Parma. The provisions were nearly exhausted, and the English fleet, apparently little injured, still