Page:Voyages and adventures of the renowned Admiral Drake.pdf/2

 THE LIFE, VOYAGES & ADVENTURES

Sir Francis Drake.

RANCIS DRAKE was the son of Edmund Drake, a sailor, and born near Tavistock in Devonshire, in the year 1545. He was the eldest of twelve sons, and brought up at the expence and under the care of Sir John Hawkins, a kinsman. At the age of 18, he was made purser of a ship trading to Biscay; at 20 he went a voyage to Guinea; and at 22, had the honour to be made Captain of the Judith. In that capacity he was in the harbour of St. John de Usloa, in the Gulph of Mexico, where he behaved with great gallantry, under Sir John Hawkins, when that eminent Commander was so treacherously used by the Spaniards; and he returned to England with great reputation, though not worth a groat.

Upon this he conceived a design of making reprisals on the King of Spain; which, according to some, was put into his head by the Minister of his ship; and to be sure, says Dr. Campbell, in sea-divinity the case was clear. The King of Spain’s subjects had undone Mr. Drake, and therefore he was entitled to take the best and satisfaction he could obtain of his enemies. This scheme of his was so acceptable to the public, that he no sooner made his design known, than he had numbers of volunteers ready to accompany him. Accordingly he made his first expedition in 1570, with two ships; and the next year with one, in which he returned safe, if not with all the advantages that he expected. But there is no account of what he performed in these voyages.