On the authority of the Duke of Parma, “The English regarded their victory with modesty, and were languidly indifferent to their valour.”  They looked upon the defeat of the Spanish Navy as a token of the Ruler of all things being decidedly partial to the Protestant faith.  The Spaniards, as a whole, would not allow that Heaven was against them or that the verdict was that of Providence.  They declared that it was entirely the result of the superior management of the English ships and the fighting quality of their crews.  With this chivalrous testimonial no one could then or will now disagree.  It was very sporting of them to admit the superiority of the British ships and seamanship.

Drake and his compeers had reason to be proud of their efforts in the great naval contest.  Their reputations were enhanced by it all over the world, though never a sign or word came from themselves about their gallantry.  They looked upon these matters as mere incidents of their enterprising lives.

II

But it is really in the lesser sea encounters, though they probably had just as great results, that we become enthralled by Drake’s adventurous voyages.  The Armada affair was more like the battle of Trafalgar, one of the differences being that in the latter engagement the Spanish ships did not risk going far into the open sea, but wisely kept Cadiz open for retreat, which they availed themselves of after receiving a dreadful pounding.  Drake’s voyage in the Pelican excelled anything that had ever been accomplished by previous sea rovers, and his expedition to the West Indies was a great feat.  He always had trouble with Queen Elizabeth about money when organizing his voyages.  Her Spanish brother-in-law’s power was always in her thoughts.  He never allowed her to forget that if he were provoked he would invade England, and notwithstanding her retort that England had a long arm which he would do well to fear, her courage alternated with some nervousness at times.  Elizabeth was not so much concerned about his threat of excommunication of her as the sly tricks in conjunction with the Pope in spreading the spirit of rebellion in Ireland, and in other ways conspiring against her.  Her mood was at one time to defy him, and at another conciliatory and fearful lest her pirate chiefs should do anything to provoke Spanish susceptibilities.  Drake was much hampered by her moods when he wanted to get quickly to business, and never lost an opportunity of slipping out of her reach when his eloquence on the acquisition of untold wealth and the capture of some of Philip’s distant colonies had appealed to her boundless avarice and made her conscience easy.  His expedition to the West Indies might never have been undertaken had he not been a dare-devil fellow, to whom Burleigh’s wink was as good as a nod to be off.  He slipped out of port unknown to her, and his first prize was a large Spanish ship loaded with salt fish.  He pounced upon her after passing Ushant, and the excellent cargo was suitably distributed amongst the fleet.