Stories from English History

r private apartment, her white f

nd her great rival the King o

acy upon the seas. In South America the Spanish king possessed rich mines of silver and precious stones: and Queen Elizabeth's adventurers, half explorers, half pirates, gl

ts way from America to Spain, and when any vessel became separated from her fellows, to fall upon her, remove the

h king had made up his mind that the pride of the audacious island

Spaniards had a great fleet in the harbour of Cadiz, ready for the invasion of England. At that time t

houghts, there was a knock at the door, and a sh

ooked at him with an expression th

Drake,' she sai

his request

pite of herself the sternness beg

of every one else with a look which made them trust him. He had the appearance of one to whom danger and adventure are sport, and who is strong enough to carry out the wildest adventures with succes

, smiling a little in spite of herself

er gravely b

e said, 'I should be gla

a commission for

rer's eye

ge the King of Spain's beard; i

meant, but she felt that sh

with the King of Spain? Know you not that for your plunderings in the ne

e King of Spain's opinion, and I think it the more reaso

the queen his plans for destroying the mighty p

lifted from the queen's brow, and the explorer h

lly out of the water, while among them little boats and sloops flitted in and out, carrying arms and provisions for the great galleons. The clanking of armourers and hammering of ship-wrights was going on

shabby vessels. Every head was turned to look at them, and the cry aros

rmed up to the very water-lines of the great war-vessels and set each one of them on fire; then in face of the helpless, astonished Spa

t it was a year before the expedition was able to set sail for Engl

ty and gentry, who had built or hired vessels for the defence of their native land, fitted them out and manned them at their own expense; while the cities had collected money and sent it to the Tre

t on the river Thames, and the queen

down for my God, for my Kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, if need be, even in the dust I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have t

cheered to the echo, and that every ma

rancis Drake and the others, were having a game of bowls upon Plymouth Hoe when the news was brought that the topmasts of the Spanish vessels had

e said, 'to end the game an

ny flurry, the English

w, and were soon followed by the rest of the fleet sailing majestica

little fleet was put to sea and followed the Armada, haras

cisive; the Spanish fired over the heads of the English, while the little vessels, low down in the water, poured their broadsides full into the huge bulk of the

leasant surprise was pr

aken by two gallant Devonshire sailors, Young and Prowse, into the very heart of the Armada and set on fire. Then the men who had steered the

made for the open sea, each vessel getting in the way of her

essels darted in among the great galleons, and attacked them

attle raged; and it was the smal

Armada were plucked one by one'; then the remainder of the fleet ma

We have driven the Spanish admirals so far apart, that we hope they shall not shake hands these many day

t had set out for the invasion of England, only fifty-three returned to Spain. The others lay beneath the waters

is fleet against men, and not against the wind and waves, and th

ain's beard had be

truction of the Armada she had proved herself worthy of the title w