have been a conqueft indeed, a conqueft equally glorious and important, the lofs of which, ought to teach posterity, not to be too hafty in cenfuring great officers, or too remifs in punishing little ones.

The queen having intelligence that the Spaniards meditated a fecond attempt upon her dominions, refolved, like a wife princefs, to find them work at home; in order to which, in the fpring of the year 1589, fhe expreffed her royal intention of affifting Don Antonio to recover his kingdom of Portugal. The expedition was undertaken partly at the queen's charge, and partly at the expence of private perfons. Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Norris, were joint commanders; and the whole navy confifted of 146 fail. To which also the Dutch, as much interested as we, joined a small squadron.

This armament landed near Corunna, commonly called the Groyne, which place they attacked, burnt the adjacent country, together with many magazines of naval stores: they then reimbarked their forces, and failed, as they had at first defigned, for the river of Lisbon. On their arrival before Peniche, the troops were landed; the place quickly furrendered to Don Antonio, and from thence the whole army marched by land toward Lifbon; where they expected to have met the fleet under the command of Sir Francis Drake: but he finding it impoffible to proceed up the river with fafety to her majefty's fhips, ftaid at the castle of Cafcais, which place he took, and also feized fixty fail of fhips belonging to the Hanfe-Towns, laden with corn and ammunition; which, with about 150 pieces of cannon, were the principal fruits of this voyage. It was indeed, intended, to have gone to the Canaries; but by this time the foldiers and failors were fo weakened with fickness, that it was thought more expedient to return. In their paffage home they landed at Vigo, took and plundered it, and having made fome addition to their booty, reached England; after having been about ten weeks abroad.

P 3

This

This expedition was inexpreffibly deftructive to the Spaniards, difappointed all their defigns, weakened their naval force, and fpread a mighty terror of the English arms through their whole dominions. But as to any advantages which the proprietors reaped, they were but very inconfiderable; and the generals met with a cold reception in England. The chief grounds of their miscarriage were in those days, when men could beft judge, held to be thefe. First, They were but indifferently manned and victualled. Secondly, Their landing at the Groyne was contrary to their inftructions; gave the men an opportunity of drinking new wines, and expofed them to a great and unneceffary lofs. Thirdly, The difagreement of the generals before Lisbon, defeated the remaining part of their defign; whereas, if in pursuance of their inftructions, they had failed directly to the coafts of Portugal, and landed their forces there, it is more than probable, they had effectually placed Don Antonio upon the throne of Portugal, which would have given a deadly ftroke to the power of Spain.

The disappointments which happened in this voyage, did not difcourage either the queen or her fubjects from pursuing the war by fea. In order to this, her majefty fettled a part of her revenue for the ordinary fupply of the navy, amounting to about nine thousand pounds a year: and by expreffing a very high efteem for fuch young lords, and other perfons of diftinction, as had hewn an inclination to the feafervice, fhe encouraged others to undertake yet greater things. Amongst thefe, the earl of Cumberland particularly diftinguifhed himfelf by fitting out a ftout fquadron, in the fummer of the year 1589, with which he failed to the Tercera iflands, where he did the Spaniards incredible mifchief, and obtained confiderable advantages for himself, and for his friends.

In 1590, Sir John Hawkins and Sir Martin Frobisher were at fea with two fquadrons; and by impeding the return of the Spanish plate-fleets from America,

America, and other fervices, kept King Philip entirely employed at home, though his thoughts were ftill bufy in contriving another expedition against England. The fucceeding year, Lord Thomas Howard, fecond fon to the duke of Norfolk, failed with a fquadron to the islands, in hopes of intercepting the Spanish fleet from the Weft Indies, which now was forced to return home. In this he had probably fucceeded, if his force had been greater; but having no more than feven of the queen's fhips, and about as many fitted out by private adventurers, he very narrowly escaped being totally deftroyed by the Spaniards.

In 1591, the earl of Cumberland made another expedition and in 1592, Sir Martin Frobisher, and Sir John Boroughs, infefted the Spanish coaft, and did much mifchief. In In 1594, the queen fent a fmall fquadron to fea, under the command of Sir Martin Frobisher, to reduce the port of Breft in Bretagne, which the king of Spain had taken, by the affiflance of the Leaguers in France, from King Henry IV. A place that if it had been long kept, muft have been very troublesome to that monarch, and would have given the Spaniards great advantages against us. It was ftrong, as well by fituation, as by the art and expence employed in fortifying it; and had, befide, a numerous garrifon of Spanish troops. Sir John Norris, with a fmall English army, formed the fiege by land; Sir Martin Frobisher, with only four men of war, forced an entrance into the harbour; and having thus blocked up the place by fea, landed his failors, and in conjunction with Sir John Norris, ftormed the fort; which, though gallantly defended, was taken; with the lofs of abundance of brave men; and amongst them, may be reckoned Sir Martin himfelf, who died in the wounds he received in that service. The fame year Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins failed on their laft expedition into the Weft Indies.

The Spaniards, who feldom abandon any defign they once undertake, were all this time employed in affembling and equipping another fleet for England; and as an earnest of their intentions, in the year 1595, Don Diego Brochero, with four gallies, arrived in Mount's-Bay, in Cornwall, and landing with all his men, burnt three little places; but without killing or taking fo much as a fingle man. This, however, alarmed the nation, and engaged the queen to undertake an invasion of the Spanish dominions, to prevent any fuch future vifits to her own; in order to which, a ftout fleet and a numerous army were provided, under the most experienced officers of thofe times.

men.

The true defign of this expedition, was, to deftroy the Spanish fleet in the port of Cadiz, and to make themselves mafters of that rich city. The force employed was very great, not lefs in all than 150 fail; of which, 126 were men of war; but of these, only feventeen were the queen's fhips, the reft were hired from traders and fitted for this voyage. On board this mighty fleet, were embarked upward of 7000 The joint commanders of the expedition were, the earl of Effex, and the lord high-admiral (Howard) affifted by a council of war. There was befide, a Dutch fquadron, under the command of Admiral Van Davenvoord, confifting of twenty-four fhips, well manned and victualled. This navy lay for fome time at Plymouth, till all things could be got ready; and then, on the firft of June 1596, failed for the coaft of Spain with a fair wind, and the good wishes of all their countrymen.

They were fo happy as to arrive in fight of Cadiz on the twentieth of the fame month, before they were either looked for, or fo much as apprehended. They found the town indifferently well fortified, and defended by a ftrong caftle. In the port were fifty-nine Spanish ships; amongst them, many laden with treafure, and nine een or twenty gallies. Some time was loft before their coming to a refolution how to act,

owing to the joint command: for the earl of Effex, who was young and warm, affected to dictate; while the admiral, who had as much courage, and more experience, could not brook being controuled. At laft, it was determined to attack the ships in the haven, before any attempt was made upon the town; whereupon a new difficulty arofe, which was, who fhould command this attack. In the execution, fome errors were committed, through the too great heat and emulation of the commanders; but others much more grofs and fatal by the Spaniards; who, when they found themselves compelled to fly, did it without any of those precautions whereby they might have provided for their fafety: for inftead of running their thips afhore under the town, where they would have been covered by their own artillery, and where at least their men might have gone afhore in fafety, they ran them up the bay, as far from the enemy as possible; by which means, part fell into the hands of the Englifh, and the reft were burnt.

In the mean time, the earl of Effex landed his men quietly, the enemy deferting a strong fort, from which they might have done him much mifchief: three regiments alfo were fent to make themselves mafters of the causeway which unites the island to the main. This they performed with very fmall lofs; but afterward quitted it again, which gave the gallies an opportunity of efcaping; another overfight, for which no account can be given. The lord admiral, hearing the earl was landed, landed alfo with the remainder of the forces, doubting much whether his lordfhip could have kept the place: and while the two generals were employed in reducing the city, Sir Walter Raleigh was fent to feize the fhips in the harbour of Port-Real; to prevent which, the duke of Medina Sidonia caufed them to be fet on fire, and burnt, whereby twenty millions were buried in the fea. The city and its forts they poffeffed for a fortnight; and the earl of Effex was very defirous of be