Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/598

 A HISTORY OF CORNWALL St. Mary's was increased by sixty men for the summer. 1 In March, 1591-2, Robert Adams, who was in charge of the fortifications of Plymouth, was directed to go on to the Scillies to consult with Godolphin about the plans which the latter had sent up. Then the matter seems to have dropped temporarily, for, m May, 1593, there is a letter to the Council from some one unnamed, probably Godolphin, saying that he had yearly reminded them of the necessity for fortifying the islands, and repeating the stock arguments. 2 No doubt the decision of the government had already been formed, for in May Adams was instructed to build a fort and two sconces on St. Mary's, the choice of situation and other details being left to him and Godolphin, but the queen expected the islanders to give labour free of cost. The estimated expense of the building, afterwards to be known as Star Castle, was 4.00 ; the summer garrison was to consist of three gunners and twenty-six soldiers, but only ten in winter. Experiments with beacon fires on St. Mary's showed that they could be seen from the Land's End, and it was ordered that there should be always a hundred men ready to go across. 3 In 1594 the fear of invasion ran high, although in reality Philip was so helpless at sea that a small English squadron was unmolested in its support of the army which attacked the Spanish fort newly built at the entrance of Brest harbour. An event occurred in July, 1595, which seemed to justify Elizabeth's terrors, when four Spanish galleys dashed over from Blavet, in Brittany, landed men in Mount's Bay, and burnt Newlyn, Mousehole, and Penzance. The crews held a thanks- giving service on the western hill at Penzance, and vowed to build a friary there when England was conquered. 4 Raids are always possible, however strong may be the dominant navy, and at this very time there was a powerful fleet at Plymouth nearly ready to sail under Drake and Hawkins on their ill-fated West Indian voyage. The two admirals hastened round with ships, while the authorities raised the county levies ; but the enterprise was never meant to be anything more than bravado, and before the leaders reached the spot the Spaniards had scuttled back to Blavet. It was said that 400 men were landed at Mount's Bay, but to those who know the carrying capacity of four galleys the number is an obvious exaggeration. At the time it was considered that a better resistance might have been made by the inhabitants, although a report of this period by Sir Thomas Baskerville, on the defence of Cornwall, remarked on the paucity of arms and munition because so much had been taken to sea. 5 In fact the conduct of the Penzance people gave birth to a local proverb, ' Not a word of Penzance,' and the Council regarded the deficiencies in the defence as a ' foul disorder,' although they authorized a collection for the sufferers. When the news came to John Killigrew he summoned the neighbouring parishes to send in their men to Pendennis, but seems to have continued the practice unnecessarily, ' for a kind of glory to himself,' wrote the townsmen of Penryn, and he was sharply censured by the Council in consequence. 6 Incidentally the event produced a statement that news from Brittany was heard at Fowey sooner than anywhere else by reason of 'our common intercourse of merchandise.' 7 On 14 March, 15956, a Spanish pinnace ran into Cawsand Bay and landed a few men who fired some houses, but an alarm being raised they fled to their ship. 8 Cornwall thus had the honour of receiving the only two Spanish invasions of England, such as they were, that were effected in the course of the Elizabethan war. Towards the end of 1595 preparations were being made for the Cadiz voyage of the following year, and Cornwall was required to find one ship. 9 In October, 1597, a Spanish fleet having 8,000 troops on board left Coruna with the purpose of taking Pendennis and holding it as a base for invasion. While they were at sea the earl of Essex was homeward bound from the Azores with a large fleet, but a north-east gale arose which scattered both the English and Spanish ships, and it was not until the Spanish admiral was back in Spain that the enemy's design was known in England. Most of the Spanish ships were driven out far to the westward, and some, in a disabled state, made what ports they could, one coming into St. Ives. Ralegh, on his return with Essex, had taken charge of the county levies, and put 500 men into Pendennis, but a knowledge of the project that had failed led to the resolution to strengthen the castle considerably. The Spanish scheme had been a futile one at the best, but Elizabethan politicians knew as little of the possibilities or impossibilities of sea war as does the ordinary politician of to-day. John Killigrew was succeeded by Sir Nicholas Parker, who when he took charge found only one serviceable gun. 10 Paul Ivey, a military engineer, was sent down to consult with Ralegh, Parker, and Sir Ferdinando Gorges about choosing a site where new fortifications might be built to command the harbour, and Helford was 1 Acts ofP.C. 16 May, 14 June, 29 July, 1591. * Hist. MSS. Com. (Cecil MSS.) 8 Mar. 1592-3. 3 Acts of P. C. II May, 19 July, 1593 : S. P. Dom. Eliz. ccxliv, 4. The castle was completed in Dec. 1594, and cost 958 (ibid, cell, 56). 4 Ibid, ccliii, 33. They were in Mount's Bay 23-25 July. 5 Cott. MS. Otho E. xi, f. 230. 6 Acts ofP.C. II Jan. 1595-6. He had previously reported that 400 men might be collected in less than three hours (S. P. Dom. Eliz. ccxl, 113). 7 Hist. AfSS. Com. (Cecil MSS.) 14 Aug. 1595. Thos. Treffry to Cecil. He offered to procure news. 8 S. P. Dom. Eliz. cclvi, 89. 9 Acts of P. C. 21 Dec. 1595. 10 S. P. Dom. Eliz. cclxv, 74. 494