time. Yet, since it has been threaten'd long, surely the Sooner it happens the Better, while we have Stomach for the Fight. You all know how the King of Spain, once the Consort of Queen Mary, doth continually devise Mischief to this Country. That has long been 5 known. Nor will anything, we are convinc'd, assuage his Hellish Malice and Rage Insatiable. Briefly, then, he now Aims at Nothing short of the Subjugation of this Realm, the Enslaving of us all, and the Overthrow of our Free Religion. Doubtless he hath been more 10 than commonly Enraged by the Great Havoc wrought among his Ships by our Brave Commander, Francis Drake. Wherefore, having few Ships of his own, he hath bought or borrow'd from Venice, Genoa, and other Ports so great a Fleet' as was never before gotten to-15 gether, which he is now fitting out with Guns and Men and Muniments of War, intending to launch it against this Country as soon as the Winter is over. Nay, it is not so vast but what, with the Blessing of the Lord, we shall know how to meet it. But every Man who can 20 handle a Pike and carry a Harquebus will be wanted. Wherefore you will go Home to your Christmas Fare with the Knowledge that you must shortly Fight for your Liberties and your Religion. Keep the Feast joyfully, in the Firm Trust that the Lord will protect His 25 Servants.

"My Lads," he continu'd, "I know that you will all play the Part of Men, seeing what is before you if you Play that of Cowards. Every Seaport will, according to its Means, contribute a Ship or more towards the 30 Fleet which the Queen will raise to meet this great Expedition. There is talk of Ten Ships or more from the City of London. Wells is but a small Port, but we will do our Part, and if we get Volunteers we will, with the

Blessing of God, send one Tall Ship, well armed and equipped, to strike a Blow for Freedom and for Faith. My Lads"-here he raised his hat-"God save the Queen! Who volunteers?"

Roger and Will sprang forward the first, drawing their Swords with a Shout. Then one of the Village Lads--'twas a mere Stable Boy-stepped forth and lugged off his Hat and pulled his Forelock. "May it Please your Honor to take me," he said. And then another and another-oh, Brave Lads of Burnham!-till from 10 our Little Village alone there were a Dozen at least. My Heart swells with Pride when I think of those Brave Lads. They had plodded in the Fields all their Days, with Plough and Flail, and Hook and Sickle: they had no more Knowledge of War than comes from a Wrest-15 ling Match and a Bout with Quarter Staff; and now they were Soldiers, going forth to fight upon the Ocean. They went because Roger led the way: our Brave English will go anywhere if they are led.

"Gentlemen," said my Father to the Merchants, "here 20 are our Lads. If every Village does as well, we shall be well sped. Roger, bring your Troop to the Hall. Sir Humphrey, you will Feast with me this Day, and tomorrow we will take such Order as the Queen in Council hath directed."

5

25

So with a Shout the Men followed, headed by Roger, and with him Will, walking with Drawn Swords: and not a Lad among them but held up his Head and straighten'd his Back as if he was Marching to Battle. Nay, the Ancient Men, who would stay at Home, also straighten'd 30 their Backs and stuck out their Legs, as if they too felt the Glow of War, and would Fain go forth to Fight. And the Boys cheer'd, and ran beside the Troop of Volunteers, and envied them. As for the Women, some

Wept, but not aloud; and some there were whose Cheeks were pale: and one, at least, among them would Fain have been alone in her Chamber to fall upon her Knees and Weep and Pray.

Never, I declare, was Christmas kept with more Lusty Cheer or greater Rejoicing. One would have thought, from the Way that these Brave Fellows Feasted and Laugh'd and Sang, that the Prospect of Fighting was the most Joyful Thing in the Whole World. The Heavy Country Lads show'd themselves suddenly Nim-10 ble-witted: those who only Yesterday would have sat Mum all the Evening over a Tankard of Ale and a Crab now Sang and Joked, and were as Merry as so many Players at the Fair. Even Sir Anthony himself, who, if King Philip won the Victory, would assuredly meet 15 the Fate of St. Bilney on Mousehold Heath-even Sir Anthony, I say, Laugh'd and Crack'd his Fingers at the Jests of the Lord of Misrule.

They feasted all the Day. My Father sat in his great Arm-Chair; Sir Humphrey sat beside him: after the 20 Christmas Antics a Bowl of Punch was brought, and some sang Songs; and the Talk fell upon War and Battles and the Brave Deeds of English Men in Days gone by. Presently the Village Lads went away, singing noisily Outside, and the Maids went to Bed, and we 25 were alone, the Red Light of the Logs for Candles. Then we fell to more serious Talk. While we talk'd we heard the Voices of the Abbess and the three Sisters from the Chapel. They were singing a Triumphal Psalm. It was doubtless the Psalm appointed for the 30 Office of the Day; yet to me it seemed as if they were Singing for the Overthrow of the English Armaments, and my Heart fell, thinking of the Prophecy, and there rose before me in the Embers a Shape which seemed to

5

be the Skeleton of my Lover rolled about by the Waves at the Bottom of the Sea. The deep Man's Voice of Lady Katharine rose Loud above the Quaverings of the three Ancient Sisters.

The Others seemed not to hear.

"There are no Sailors," said Sir Anthony, "like the English Sailors, for Courage and for Holding on. The Dutch are Good, but the English are Best. There are none who can Handle a Ship like an Englishman. God grant we meet them on the Ocean!"

Alas! it was on the Ocean that Lady Katharine's Battle was to be fought; when the Ships should be Crush'd like Egg Shells, and sink down to the Bottom of the Deep with their Gallant Freight of Brave Hearts.

5

10

LV.

THE SPANISH ARMADA.

BY ROBERT SOUTHEY.1

FAIR as the hopes of the English were at this time, 15 and admirable as their conduct had been from the hour that the Armada came in sight, it has been justly observed that the Spanish duke had thus far conducted his great expedition with as little evil and annoyance as could have been reasonably expected. The danger to 20 England was still undiminished. The Armada' had arrived unbroken at the point intended for its junction with the force from Flanders; it still appeared invincible to all except the English and the Dutch, and except those also who, in the confidence of its invincibility, had 25 embarked in it. While it lay off Calais, in this anxious

10

interval of expectation, "Flemings, Walloons, and French came thick and threefold to behold it, admiring the exceeding greatness of the ships, and their warlike order. The greatest kept the outside, next the enemy, like strong castles, fearing no assault; the lesser placed in 5 the middle ward." At this time the English might regret the loss of Calais; but never were the councils of England more wisely directed. The Spanish ships, “as castles pitched in the sea, had their bulks so planked with great beams that bullets might strike and stick, but never pass through, so that little availed the English cannon, except only in playing on their masts and tackling." In this respect they seemed as invulnerable as the floating batteries employed against Gibraltar. And their height was such that our bravest seamen were 15 against any attempt at boarding them. These things had been well perpended' by Elizabeth's ministers, and the lord admiral was instructed to convert eight of his worst vessels into fire-ships. The orders arrived in such good time, and were obeyed with such alacrity, that 20 within thirty hours after the enemy had cast anchor off Calais these ships were disburdened of all that was worth saving, filled with combustibles, and all their ordnance charged; and their sides being smeared with pitch, rosin, and wildfire, they were sent, in the dead of the 25 night, with wind and tide, against the Spanish fleet; "which, when the Spaniards saw, the whole sea glittering and shining with the flames thereof, they remembered those terrible fire-ships which had been used in the Scheldt, and the fearful cry of 'The fire of Ant-30 werp!' ran through the fleet." They apprehended not the danger of fire alone, but all the evils that "deadly engines and murderous inventions" could inflict: some cut their cables; others let their hawsers slip, and in