account to read the King of Spain a necessary lesson and pay their expenses at the King of Spain’s cost.  Young Protestant England had taken fire.  The name of Drake set every Protestant heart burning, and hundreds of gallant gentlemen had pressed in to join.  A grandson of Burghley had come, and Edward Winter the Admiral’s son, and Francis Knolles the Queen’s cousin, and Martin Frobisher, and Christopher Carlile.  Philip Sidney had wished to make one also in the glory; but Philip Sidney was needed elsewhere.  The Queen’s consent had been won from her at a bold interval in her shifting moods.  The hot fit might pass away, and Burghley sent Drake a hint to be off before her humour changed.  No word was said.  On the morning of the 14th of September the signal flag was flying from Drake’s maintop to up anchor and away.  Drake, as he admitted after, ’was not the most assured of her Majesty’s perseverance to let them go forward.’  Past Ushant he would be beyond reach of recall.  With light winds and calms they drifted across the Bay.  They fell in with a few Frenchmen homeward-bound from the Banks, and let them pass uninjured.  A large Spanish ship which they met next day, loaded with excellent fresh salt fish, was counted lawful prize.  The fish was new and good, and was distributed through the fleet.  Standing leisurely on, they cleared Finisterre and came up with the Isles of Bayona, at the mouth of Vigo Harbour.  They dropped anchor there, and ’it was a great matter and a royal sight to see them.’  The Spanish Governor, Don Pedro Bemadero, sent off with some astonishment to know who and what they were.  Drake answered with a question whether England and Spain were at war, and if not why the English merchants had been arrested.  Don Pedro could but say that he knew of no war, and for the merchants an order had come for their release.  For reply Drake landed part of his force on the islands, and Don Pedro, not knowing what to make of such visitors, found it best to propitiate them with cartloads of wine and fruit.  The weather, which had been hitherto fine, showed signs of change.  The wind rose, and the sea with it.  The anchorage was exposed, and Drake sent Christopher Carlile, with one of his ships and a few pinnaces, up the harbour to look out for better shelter.  Their appearance created a panic in the town.  The alarmed inhabitants took to their boats, carrying off their property and their Church plate.  Carlile, who had a Calvinistic objection to idolatry, took the liberty of detaining part of these treasures.  From one boat he took a massive silver cross belonging to the High Church at Vigo; from another an image of Our Lady, which the sailors relieved of her clothes and were said, when she was stripped, to have treated with some indignity.  Carlile’s report being satisfactory, the whole fleet was brought the next day up the harbour and moored above the town.  The news had by this time spread into the country.  The Governor of Galicia came down with all the force which he could collect in