advanced to the States, not requiring this from the king, but
that he should authorise the States to collect money for this
purpose : further, they required that foreign governors and
* " Plurimum autem differunt harum nationum ingenia et mores ; nam
Angli, ut addicte serviunt, ita evecti ad dignitates priorem humilitatem
insolentia rependunt ; Belgarum est parere et imperare cum modo, nee
gens ulla fidelius amat eminentes, aut iisdem, si contemtus adsit, impla-
cabilius irascitur " (Grotius, 95).
t Strype's Annals, vol. iii. , part ii., p. 5.
4
50 ENGLISH SEAMEN
foreign troops should, for the queen's safety, be withdrawn
from the Low Countries ; that the people might enjoy their
ancient liberties and privileges, and be governed by their
countrymen, not by strangers ; and that there might be a
toleration for two years at least, during which time the matter
of religion should be ordered and established by the States.
If these terms were concluded, the queen would agree to any
reasonable conditions concerning the cautionary towns, that all
the world might know she had taken possession of them not to
aggrandise herself, but for her own necessary assurance and
defence.*
To the more important of these proposals it was replied,
that the king could not withdraw his troops till the States had
submitted themselves, nor while the French were in arms :
that the Queen of England had nothing to do with the
privileges of the Low Countries ; nor was she to prescribe a
law to him how he should govern his subjects ; and that he
would not hear of the free exercise of religion, but would
grant a toleration, such as had been allowed to the towns
that had yielded themselves to his obedience. The English
commissioners made answer, that neither the queen nor the
Netherlanders could be assured of any peace while foreign
troops were maintained in that country : that in the privileges
of these countries she had a special interest ; first, in regard
of neighbourhood ; secondly, as being specially named in
several pacifications ; and thirdly, because it was not possible
for her subjects to enjoy their privileges there, unless the
provinces themselves were allowed them. And for the point
of religion, if the king would not hear of any toleration of the
exercise thereof, then must the Protestants be forced either
to forsake the religion in which they had been born and bred,
or go into perpetual exile. Not with any reason could the
king refuse his subjects what in times past had been by his
* Grimestone, 986.
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 51
father, the Emperor Charles, accorded to the Germans, and
by other princes, and namely by himself, in his perpetual
edict. None but dilatory replies were made to this replica-
tion, the object of either party being to gain time ; for Philip
would have consented to no other terms than such as an
absolute conquest of the revolted States might have enabled
him to impose ; and Elizabeth, though she sincerely wished
for peace, knew that it could not possibly be obtained. At
this time the Pope issued his bull, declaring that the Catholic
king was about to direct his power against England, and
enjoining the queen's subjects, by their obedience to the
Church, to hold themselves in readiness for assisting the army
which, under the Prince of Parma, was preparing for their
deliverance. Allen, also, who had now been made a cardinal,
published a book at Antwerp, which, for the audacity of its
unhesitating falsehood, its vituperation, and its treason, may
vie with any libel that ever issued from the press.* He called
Elizabeth heretic, rebel, and usurper ; an incestuous bastard,
the bane of Christendom, and firebrand of all mischief; one
who deserved not deposition alone, but all vengeance both of
God and man ; and he reproached the English Papists for
their effeminate dastardy in suffering such a creature to reign
almost thirty years, both over their bodies and their souls.f
Nor was sophistry wanting in a composition thus highly
seasoned with insolence and slander. He argued, that if there
were no power by which apostate princes might be deposed, God
would not have sufficiently provided for our salvation,, and the
preservation of His Church and holy laws. Our obligation
to the Church far exceedeth all other that we owe to any
human creature. The wife may depart from her husband, if
he be an infidel or a heretic ; the bond-slave, if his master
become a heretic, may refuse to serve him ; yea, ipso facto,
he is made free ; parents, if they become heretic, lose their
* Turner, 671. t Strype, iii., p. 2, App. No. 54.
52 ENGLISH SEAMEN
natural authority over their children. " Therefore/' said the
cardinal, "let no man marvel that, in case of heresy, the
sovereign loseth the superiority over his people and kingdom.
The Pope," he added, " acting on a special canon of the great
Council of Lateran, touching the chastisement of princes that
will not purge their dominions of heresy and heretics, hath
specially entreated the King of Spain to take upon him this
sacred and glorious enterprise ; who, by this his Holiness's
authority and exhortation, moved also not a little by my
humble and continual suit, hath consented and commanded
sufficient royal forces to be gathered and conducted into our
country."* The publication of this book at Antwerp was an
*Yet this very man had but a few years before protested, "that
neither the reverend fathers of the Society of the Holy Name of Jesus,
whom the people called Jesuits (an express clause being in the instruc-
tions of their mission into England, that they deal not in matters of State,
which is to be showed, signed with their late general's hand, of worthy
memory), neither the priests, either of the seminaries, or others, have any
commission, direction, instruction, or insinuation, from his Holiness or
any other their superior, either in religion, or of the colleges, to move
sedition, or to deal against the State or temporal Government ; but only
by their priesthood and the functions thereof, to do such duties as be
requisite for Christian men's souls, which consist in preaching, teaching,
catechising, ministering the Sacraments, and the like " (Apology of the
English Seminaries, p. 71).
In the same apology, alluding to a publication, very similar both in
matter and spirit to that which he now fulminated in his capacity of
cardinal, Allen says : " Touching some of our late repairing to the city of
Rome, wherewith we are charged, the principal of that voyage (meaning
himself) doth protest that he neither joined with rebel nor traitor, nor any
one or other against the queen or realm ; or traitorously sought or
practised any prince or potentate to hostility against the same : further
invocating upon his soul, that he never knew, saw, nor heard, during his
abode in the court there, of any such writings as are mentioned in the
proclamation of July, containing certain articles of confederation of
the Pope, King of Spain, and other princes for the invasion of the realm ;
nor ever afterward gave counsel to publish any such thing, though he
were at Rome at the day of the date, that some of those copies which
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 53
overt act of hostility ; that of the bull amounted to nothing
less than a declaration of war on the part of Spain.* The
queen, therefore, directed Dr. Valentine Dale, who was one
of her commissioners, to speak with the prince in person,
charge him in good sort with the things contained in this
publication, and require from him a direct answer, whether he
were not appointed general of the army which was then pre-
paring in Spain, and, as there publicly stated, for the invasion
of England, t
The prince made answer, that he knew nothing either of
the book or bull; nor had he undertaken anything in obedience
to the Pope, nor attempted anything of himself but honour-
ably, in the service of the king his master, whom, as his own
sovereign, he must obey. And for the Queen of England, he
had so high an esteem for her, for her royal virtues, that,
next his own king, he honoured her above all persons, and
desired to do her service. With that desire, he had persuaded
the king to enter upon this treaty, which would be more
afterwards he saw when they were common to all the world, do bear.
Being also most assured that no other English Catholic would or could
be the author thereof, nor (as it may be thought), any other of those
princes or their ministers, that are pretended to be of the foresaid
league ; being neither wisdom nor policy, if any such thing were intended
(as we verily think there was not), much less if it were never meant, to
publish any such libels to give the realm warning to provide for it ; speci-
ally all the world knowing that the pinching of the poor Catholics at
home (a lamentable case) is their fence to repay for all adverse accidents
abroad. And it may verily be thought (and so it is certain that some of
the principal ministers of the forenamed princes have answered, being
reminded thereof), that the Protestants, having exercised skill and auda-
city in such practices and counter-practices (of which France, Flanders,
Scotland, and other countries have had so lamentable experience), did
contrive them, to alter her Majesty's accustomed benignity and mercy
towards the Catholics, into such rigour of justice as in the said edict is
threatened " (pp. 15-16).
* Turner, 672.
t Bor, 320. Grimestone, 996. Camden, 409.
54 ENGLISH SEAMEN
advantageous for the English than the Spaniards. " For if the
Spaniards be overcome/' said he, " they will soon repair their
loss ; but if you are once vanquished, your kingdom is lost."
Dale made answer : "Our queen is provided of strength suf-
ficient to defend her kingdom : and you yourself, in your
wisdom, may judge that a kingdom cannot easily be won by
the fortune of one battle, seeing that in so many years of war
the King of Spain has not yet been able to recover his ancient
inheritance of the Netherlands ". " Be it so," replied the
prince : " these things are in the disposal of the Almighty."*
This consummate general practised a duplicity more conform-
able to his religion than his own better nature, when he denied
all knowledge of a bull then circulating throughout the
States which he governed, and a book which had been printed
at Antwerp, with the knowledge and approbation of the
authorities that he had himself established there. In fin-ward-
ing with the utmost activity the preparations for invasion
during the negotiations, he did no more than circumstances
fairly warranted, and his plain sense of duty required : in this
point, neither party was duped into any loss of irretrievable
time. Most happily for England, the provinces which the
Prince of Parma had reduced were not the maritime ones ;
Flanders alone excepted. He had to seek, therefore, for
shipwrights and for seamen : the former were brought from
Italy, which still retained its reputation in this branch : the
latter from Hamburgh, Bremen, and Embden. He thought
also to obtain both ships and sailors from Denmark. The
Danish king had endeavoured to act as mediator for bringing
about, if that were possible, an accommodation between Philip
and the States : but his ambassador, proceeding in company
with some of the prince's soldiers, had been made prisoner by
the Dutch in a skirmish ; and as they either disbelieved or
disregarded his pretensions to the character which he assumed,
* Camden, 409,
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 55
his papers had been opened. This so incensed the king, that
he immediately detained 700 vessels which were bringing
grain from the Baltic ; for even if former experience had
taught the Dutch to provide against such a danger, in the
present circumstances of their country means and leisure for
such provision were alike wanting, and they must have been
reduced to immediate distress for food, if they had not, as
necessity compelled, brought into their ports the French and
English vessels * coming from the same sea. Spain, there-
fore, had less difficulty in contracting with the Danes for
ships, mariners, and " soldiers upon the seas " ; but the Eng-
lish resident at Copenhagen, having intelligence of this,
represented to the governors of the king (for he was a minor),
that this was contrary to the league between the two crowns,
and nothing conformable to the sincere friendship which had
subsisted between Queen Elizabeth and the king their master.
This icmonstrance prevailed ; and though the parties pleaded
their privileges, severe order was taken that no subjects of
Denmark or Norway, or other parts appertaining to the king's
dominions, should either then or thereafter serve against the
queen.f
But in what was to be effected by human exertions under
his own superintendence, the prince was in no danger of being
disappointed. Two and thirty war ships he made ready at
Dunkirk, hired for the same purpose five foreign vessels in
that harbour, and engaged five more from Hamburgh to
rendezvous there. Seventy flat-bottomed boats were fitted
out in the little river Watene, each to carry thirty horses,
with bridges for embarking and landing them ; and at Nieu-
port about 200 similar vessels, but of smaller size. Here, too,
* " Ita vitatum discrimen sola pecunias a Danis expressae jactura ;
quod ipsum tamen et quia rex missos ad se legates audire dedignabatur,
hssit altius multorum animis judicantium minora regna majorum opibus
obnoxia teneri " (Grotius, 105).
tStrype, 25.
56 ENGLISH SEAMEN
he collected store of fascines, and all other materials for throw-
ing up entrenchments and constructing sconces. At Grave-
lines many thousand casks were got together, with cordage or
chain-work to connect them, for forming bridges or blocking
havens. Stakes for palisades also were provided, horse
furniture of every kind, and horses for draught, " with ord-
nance and all other necessary provision for the war". With
such neighbours as the Zeelanders and the English at Flush-
ing, even Antwerp did not give him the command of the
Scheldt ; and he was fain, therefore, to deepen and w:'den
some of those channels by which Flanders is intersected, that
ships might be brought from Antwerp by way of Ghent to
Bruges, and so to Sluys ; or by the Yperlee, which had also
been deepened, to the other Flemish ports. At Nieuport he
had thirty companies of Italian troops, two of Walloon, and
eight of Burgundian. At Dixmude, eighty of Netherlander,
sixty Spanish, sixty German, and seven of English deserters,
under Sir William Stanley, the traitor : each company con-
sisted of 100 men, and better troops were never brought into
the field than those who served under the Prince of Parma :
4000 horse were quartered at Courtray, 900 at Watene. "To
this great enterprise and imaginary conquest divers princes
and noblemen came from divers countries ; out of Spain came
the Duke of Pestrana, who was said to be the son of Ruy
Gomez de Silva, but was held to be the king's bastard ; the
Marquis of Bourgou, one of the Archduke Ferdinand's sons
by Philippina Welserine ; Don Vespasian Gonzagua, of the
house of Mantua, a great soldier, who had been viceroy in
Spain ; Giovanni de Medici, bastard of Florence ; Amedeo,
bastard of Savoy, with many such like, besides others :>f
meaner quality." *
These preparations held the States in alarm, the more jo
because the prince endeavoured to make them apprehend that
* Grimestone, 999, 1000. 601,317.
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 57
his intention was to attack Goes, or Walcheren, or Tholen ;
on all these points they prepared for defence, and some were
for cutting dykes, and drowning one part of the country for
the sake of preserving the other. But the wiser opinion pre-
vailed, not to incur this certain evil, till its necessity became
evident ; and the Dutch statesmen inferred that no move-
ment would be made here till the great Spanish Armada,
news of which was now bruited abroad, should arrive in the
narrow seas ; then they judged it would be joined by the
Prince of Parma's forces, whether the expedition was intended
against them, or against England first ; whichever were
attacked, they knew that the subjugation of both was in
view. For themselves, they stood in little fear of the Spanish
fleet, from which the nature of their coast, in great measure,
would protect them ; but they were in much greater danger
from the prince's flotilla, against which their shoals and diffi-
cult harbours could afford them no security. Straitened as
they were for means, and with the disadvantage of an un-
settled Government, they exerted themselves manfully and
wisely. All the vessels that they could muster were equipped ;
and after due consultation it was resolved that the larger
vessels should be stationed between England at the coast of
Flanders, outside the shoals, the smaller within the shoals,
and the flotilla of smacks ofFKleeyenburg, or between Ramme-
kens and Flushing, according to circumstances. Their feelings
toward England, notwithstanding the ill blood that had been
stirred during Leicester's administration, was shown by a
medal which they struck at this time. On the one side were
the arms of England and of the united States, and two oxen
ploughing, the motto Trahite cequo jugo draw evenly ; on
the reverse two earthen pots floating upon the waves, the
motto Frangimur si collidimur if we strike we break.*
Meantime, though the negotiations at Ostend were still
* Grimestone, 994. Bor, 318,
58 ENGLISH SEAMEN
carried on in policy by the Spanish commissioners, there was on
the part of the Spanish Government a disdainful disregard of
secrecy as to its intentions, or rather a proud manifestation of
them, which, if they had been successful, might have been called
magnanimous. The great king had determined upon putting
forth his strength, and so confident were his subjects of
success, that in the accounts which were ostentatiously pub-
lished of its force, they termed it " The most fortunate and
invincible Armada". The fleet, according to the official
statement, consisted of 130 ships, having on board 19,2Q5
soldiers, 8450 mariners, 2088 galley-slaves, and 2630 great
pieces of brass ; there were, moreover, twenty caravels for the
service of the fleet, and ten six-oared falua-s. The names of
the most popular Romish saints and invocations appeared in
the nomenclature of the ships ; and holier appellations, which
ought never to be thus applied, were strangely associated with
the Great Griffin and the Sea Dog, the Cat and the White
Falcon. There were in the fleet 124 volunteers of noble
family, having among them 456 armed servants. There was
no noble house in Spain but had a son, a brother, or a nephew
in the voyage, embarked either at their own cost or in the
king's pay. The religioners who embarked for the service of
the fleet, and for after operations, were 180, consisting of
Augustinians, Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits. Don
Martin Alarcon embarked, for the good of the heretics, as
vicar-general of the holy Inquisition ; and implements of con-
version of a more cogent kind than argument or persuasion
are said to have been embarked in sufficient quantity. The
business of reconciling England to the Romish see was com-
mitted to Cardinal Allen, as it had formerly been to Cardinal
Pole, and an English translation of the Pope's bull was ready
for circulation as soon as a landing should be effected. The
galleons, being above sixty in number, were " exceeding great,
fair, and strong, and built high above the water, like castles,
easy, says a contemporary writer, to be fought withal, but
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 59
not so easy to board as the English and the Netherland ships ;
their upper decks were musket-proof, and beneath they were
four or five feet thick, so as no bullet could pass them. Their
masts were bound about with oakum, or pieces of fazeled ropes,
and armed against all shot. The galleasses were goodly great
vessels, furnished with chambers, chapels, towers, pulpits, and
such like : they rowed like galleys, with exceeding great oars,
each having 300 slaves, and were able to do much harm with
their great ordnance." In place of the Marquez de Santa
Cruz, who was dead, the Duque del Medina Sidonia was
general of this great armament ; Don Juan Martinez de
Ricalde, admiral.*
In whatever spirit of vengeance this expedition was under-
taken, and with whatever ambitious views on the part of
Philip, it cannot be doubted but that he believed himself
to be engaged in a religious Avar, and that a great proportion
of the army embarked with as full a persuasion that they
were engaging in God's service, as the first crusaders felt
when they set forth for the Holy Land. The Duque of
Medina Sidonia, in the general orders issued before his em-
barkation, said : " First, and before all things, it is to be under-
stood by all in this army, from the highest to the lowest, that
the principal cause which hath moved the king his Majesty to
undertake this voyage, hath been and is to serve God, and to
bring back unto His Church a great many contrite souls, now
oppressed by the heretics, enemies to our holy Catholic faith.
And for that every one may fix his eyes upon this mark, as we
are bound, 1 do command, and much desire every one to
enjoin those who are under his charge, that before they
embark, they be shriven and receive the sacrament, with due
contrition for their sins; which, if it be done, and we are
zealous to do unto Him such great service, God will be with us,
and conduct us to His great glory, which is what particularly
* (jrimestone, 998.
60 ENGLISH SEAMEN
and principally is intended." Strict command was given that
no one should blaspheme or rage against God, or Our Lady,
or any of the saints, on pain of condign punishment ; " oaths
of less quality " were to be punished by deprivation of wine,
or otherwise, as might seem fitting. Gaming was forbidden,
as a provocation to this and other sins ; and all quarrels
between any persons of what quality soever, were to be sup-
pressed and suspended, as well by sea as by land, even though
they were old quarrels, so long as the expedition lasted. Any
breach of this truce and forbearance of arms was to be
accounted as high treason, and punished with death. For
further security, it was declared that on board the ships
nothing should be offered to the disgrace of any man, and
that whatever happened on board, no disgrace nor reproach
should be imputed to any one on that account ; moreover, no
one might wear a dagger, nor thwart any one, nor give any
provocation. " And for that it was known that great incon-
venience and offence unto God arose from consenting that
common women, and such like, went in such armies," none
were to be embarked ; if any person sought to carry them, the
captains and masters of the ships were ordered not to consent
thereto : whosoever did thus, or dissembled therewith, was to
be grievously punished. Every ship's company was to give
the good-morrow at day-break, by the main-mast, according
to custom ; and at evening, the Ave Maria, and some days the
Salve Regina, or, at least on Saturdays, with a litany. A litany
had been composed for the occasion, in which all archangels,
angels, and saints were invoked to assist with their prayers
against the English heretics and enemies of the faith. Should
it happen because of the wind, that the word could not be
given by the admiral, in such case the following words were
appointed for the days of the week in order, Jesus, the Holy
Ghost, the Holy Trinity, Santiago, the Angels, All Saints,
Our Lady. No men ever set forth upon a bad cause with
better will, nor under a stronger delusion of perverted faith.
LORD HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM 61
As needful preparations for action, the gunners were in-
structed to have half-butts, filled with water and vinegar * as
usual, " with bonnets, old sails, and wet mantles, to defend
fire " ; and to have shot made in good quantity, and powder
and match " ready, by weight, measure, and length " ; and all
soldiers to have " their room clean and uiipestered of chests " ;
" and for that the mariners must resort unto their work, tackle,
and navigation," their lodgings were to be on the upper works
of the poop and forecastle, otherwise the soldiers would
trouble them on the voyage. " The artillery," said the in-
structions, "must stand in very good order, and reparted
among the gunners, being all charged with their balls ; and
nigh unto every piece his locker, wherein to put his shot and
necessaries ; and to have great care to the cartridges of every