SECT. I.
THE Author and Undertaker of this ever memorable Expedition was Philip II. King of Spain, eldest Son of the renowned Emperor Charles V. In the Year 1554, he married Mary I. Queen of England, with a View of uniting, by this Marriage, the English Dominions to those large and noble Territories of which he was Heir-Apparent. But all his Projects were defeated by a False-Conception the Queen had in 1555; and especially by her Death, which happened on Novemb. 17, 1558.—In 1555, October 25, he became King of Spain, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging, upon the voluntary Resignation of his Father Charles V.
As to King Philip’s real Views and Motives in this Expedition, they seem to have been these:
I. A firm Hope and certain Prospect as he imagin’d, of easily acquiring so considerable an Addition to his Dominions, as the flourishing Kingdoms of England and Ireland. Kingdoms whose Advantages and Excellencies he was well acquainted withal; and from whence he could be continually supplied with Tin, Lead, Wool, and many other useful, necessary, and profitable Commodities.
II. He was also excited by another Motive, which is generally sufficient for Conquerors; and it was this: England and Ireland stood very convenient for him, as being near his Dominions in the Low-Countries; and might, by their advantageous Situation, and the many good Harbours they abound with, have rendered him Master of the Trade and Navigation of these Northern Parts of the World; and, what is more, they would have enabled him to carry it on throughout all North and South-America, exclusively of all others; which is such an Advantage as cannot well be expressed.
III. Moreover these Islands had proved, and might always prove a grievous Thorn in his Side. For, by reason of their Situation, the English could, at any Time, almost totally obstruct the Navigation of the Netherlands, and destroy all their Traffick by Sea. Because, as it must unavoidably be carried on almost within Sight of the British Coasts, so long as the Inhabitants of those Islands remained independent of him[[1]], and were Masters at Sea, they could seize, with the utmost Ease, the Shipping sent from the Ports of Flanders to the several Parts of the World. What lay therefore so convenient, and was in other Hands so dangerous a Neighbour, must be purchas’d at any Rate.
IV. Revenge may be assigned as another Motive of this Expedition. Queen Elizabeth had assisted all along the States of the United Provinces, in their several Attempts to shake off the Spanish Yoke. Now, that surely was a very great Provocation: And Forgiveness of Injuries, it is well known, was then, no more than at present, a Spaniard’s Virtue. To be revenged therefore of such a constant Enemy as Elizabeth had been, may well be suppos’d to have been an additional Inducement to this Undertaking.
V. This other important Motive is assigned by Hakluyt[[2]]: “King Philip deemed this to be the most ready and direct Course, to recover his hereditary Possession of the Low-Countries. For, having with little Advantage, for above twenty Years together, waged War against the Netherlands, after mature Deliberation, he thought it most convenient to assault them once more by Sea, which had been fruitlessly attempted several Times before for want of sufficient Forces. And he thought good to begin with England, being persuaded, that the Conquest of that Island was less difficult than the Conquest of Holland and Zealand. Moreover, the Spaniards were of Opinion, that it would be far more behoveful for their King to conquer England and the Low-Countries at once, than to be constrained continually to maintain a warlike Navy, to defend his East and West-India Fleets from the English.”
These (with a Desire of restoring the Roman-Catholick Religion) seem to have been the real and true Motives of this great Expedition.
The Reasons alleged by Philip were these[[3]]:
I. That Elizabeth had, from the first assisted his rebellious Subjects in the Netherlands, with Men and Money, and spirited them up against him, her greatest Friend and Benefactor; whom she was indebted to for her Life, when her Sister Queen Mary and Gardiner were for removing her out of the Way.
II. Drake, and others of her Subjects, had committed several Depredations in Spain and America.
III. She had been so unnatural as to stop his Money, when, for fear of Pirates, it had been landed in her Dominions; and had put an Embargo on the Vessels employed to carry it to the Low-Countries: (As is related by Camden, under the Year 1568.)
IV. She had acknowledged his Enemy Don Antonio King of Portugal, and armed him against Spain.
V. That it was by her Instruction and Advice the Duke of Alençon had been crowned King of Brabant.
VI. And, moreover, she herself had accepted the Sovereignty of the Low-Countries, and sent the Earl of Leicester thither with considerable Forces; which was an open Declaration of War.
VII. That he undertook it, to revenge the Death of the innocent Queen of Scots.
VIII. And in Compliance with the Holy Father Innocent VIII.’s earnest Injunctions, who ceased not to exhort and importune him, to abolish Heresy in England, and replant the Roman-Catholick Religion there.
In short therefore, the Aim and Design of the King of Spain in this great Expedition, was to conquer England, in order to come more easily at the revolted Netherlands, and facilitate their Reduction to his Obedience; as also, for the Sake of so meritorious an Action, as the bringing this Island back to the Catholick Religion: And to be revenged, at the same Time, for the Disgrace, Contempt, and Dishonour, he had, at several Times, received from the English Nation; and for divers others real or pretended Injuries, which had made a deep Impression on his proud and revengeful Spirit.
Animated and spurred on by these Motives, King Philip made such vast Preparations for his intended Conquest, as had hardily ever been known before in any Age, or Nation: Whether we consider the Time spent about them; or the prodigious Strength and Quantity of the Materials of all Kinds that were provided.
As for the Time spent about these Preparations; King Philip seems to have form’d this Design as early as the Year 1583. [[4]]For, in that Year, he ordered Alexander Duke of Parma, Governor of the Low-Countries, to procure an exact Account and Description of the Harbours, Castles, Rivers, and Roads belonging to England, and transmit them to him; which was accordingly done: And in this Francis Throckmorton appears to have been concerned. But, according to Rapin, [[5]]this Project was formed by Philip only from the Time Mary Queen of Scots had been persuaded to convey to him her Right to England, as being the only Means to restore the Catholick Religion[[6]]: According to the received Maxim in the Church of Rome, That an Heretick is unworthy and incapable of enjoying a Crown; Philip thought he might justly claim that of England, as being the next Catholick Prince descended from the House of Lancaster; namely, from Catharine Daughter of John of Ghent Duke of Lancaster, married in 1389 to Henry, then Prince, and afterwards King, of Castile. Upon this Descent therefore, and the Queen of Scots Conveyance and Will, he had projected the Conquest of England.
However it be, or whenever these Preparations were begun, it is certain that King Philip assembled so powerful a Fleet, and so well furnished with all kinds of Provisions and Ammunition, that, thinking it unconquerable by human Power, he gave it the Title of the Invincible Armada.
[[7]]This Fleet consisted of one hundred and thirty two Ships, (besides twenty Caravels for the Service of the Army, and ten Salves with six Oars apiece,) containing fifty nine thousand one hundred, and twenty Tons; three thousand, one hundred, and sixty five Cannons; eight thousand, seven hundred, and sixty six Sailors; two thousand and eighty eight Galley-Slaves, and twenty one thousand, eight hundred, and fifty five Soldiers; besides Noblemen and Voluntiers[[8]]. For there was not a Family in Spain of any Note, but what had a Son, a Brother, or a Kinsman in the Fleet[[9]]. Of these Voluntiers there were two hundred and twenty four; attended by four hundred and fifty six Servants bearing Arms.
There were also two hundred and thirty eight Gentlemen more, maintained by the King; with one hundred and sixty three Servants. An hundred and seventy seven Persons, with two Engineers, one Physician, one Surgeon, and thirty Servants belonging to the Artillery; eighty five Physicians and Surgeons for the Hospital-Ships; three and twenty Gentlemen belonging to the Duke of Medina-Sidonia’s Court, and fifty Servants; seventeen Superintendants General of the Army; and one hundred Servants more, belonging to them, or to the Officers of Justice, who were twenty in Number[[10]].
Nay even there were in it one hundred and eighty Capuchins, Dominicans, Jesuits, and Mendicant Friars; with Martin Alarco, Vicar of the Inquisition.
And because none were allowed to have Wives or Concubines on board, some Women had hired Ships to follow the Fleet; two or three of which Ships were driven by the Storm on the Coast of France[[11]].
Most of the Ships of this Armada[[12]] were of an uncommon Size, Strength, and Thickness, more like floating Castles than any thing else; and they were cased above Water with thick Planks to hinder the Cannon-Balls from piercing their Sides. The Masts also were braced round with strong pitched Ropes, to save them from being soon shatter’d or broke by the Shot.
Then as to Ammunition, [[13]]this Fleet had a very great Number of Cannons, double Cannons, Culverins, and Field-Pieces for Land-Service; seven thousand Muskets and Calievers; ten thousand Halberts and Partizans; one hundred and twenty thousand Cannon-Balls; [[14]]one hundred Quintals of Lead for Bullets (each Quintal being a hundred weight,) twelve thousand Quintals of Match; fifty six thousand Quintals of Gunpowder; and also, Waggons, and other Carriages; Horses, Mules, and other Instruments and Necessaries for Conveyance by Land; Torches, Lanthorns, Canvas, Hides, Lead; Chains, Whips, Butchering-Knives, Halters, and other Instruments of Death and Slavery[[15]]; and Spades, Mattocks, Baskets, and every thing else requisite for Pioneers Work; as also eight hundred Mules for drawing the Ordnance and Carriages.
Proportionable to these Forces was their great Store of Provisions of every Sort: [[16]]for, besides Raisins in great abundance, they had eight thousand Quintals of Fish; three thousand Quintals of Rice; six thousand three hundred and twenty [[17]]Septiers of Beans, Pease, &c. eleven thousand three hundred and ninety eight Pounds of Olive-Oyl; thirty three thousand eight hundred and seventy Measures of Vinegar; ninety six thousand Quintals of Biscuit; three thousand four hundred and fifty eight Quintals of Goats Cheese; six thousand five hundred Quintals of Bacon; one hundred and forty seven thousand Pipes of Wine; twelve thousand Pipes of Water, &c.—Provisions in a word they had for six Months; and so well furnished were they, that Sir Francis Drake observes, in a Letter of his, [[18]]they had Provisions of Bread and Wine sufficient to maintain forty thousand Men for a whole Year.
The whole Fleet, in general, is said[[19]] to have contained thirty two thousand Persons, and cost every Day thirty thousand Ducats[[20]].
The General of the Land Forces, and the Commander in Chief in the whole Expedition, was Don Alfonso Perez de Guzman, Duke of Medina Sidonia; and the Admiral was Don Juan Martinez de Recalde.
But it was not in Spain only, that such great Preparations were carrying on, for the Invasion of England. For, Alexander Duke of Parma was also making on his Side prodigious and amazing Preparations, to assist in this grand Design.
He gathered together out of Spain, France, Savoy, Italy, Naples, Sicily, Germany, and even out of America, a very considerable and choice Army; [[21]]consisting of about forty thousand Foot, and three thousand Horse; out of which he selected thirty thousand Foot, and eighteen hundred Horse, that were to be ready to pass into England. These Troops were quarter’d as follows: [[22]]Near Nieuport there lay ready thirty Companies of Italians; ten of Walloons; and eight of Scots, and as many of Burgundians: At Dixmude were eighty Companies of Netherlanders; sixty of Spaniards; sixty of Germans; and above seven hundred fugitive English, Scots, and Irish, under the Command of Sir William Stanley, and Charles Nevil Earl of Westmoreland. There were moreover four thousand Men posted at Corrick, and nine hundred at Watene.
For the Transportation of these Forces, the Duke of Parma prepar’d Ships at Nieuport, Dunkirk, Antwerp, and other Places; and caused some new ones to be built with such Expedition, that they seem’d, as Strada expresses it, [[23]]to be transform’d in a Moment, from Trees into Ships.
More particularly: [[24]]In the River of Watten he caused seventy flat-bottom’d Boats to be built, each of which could carry thirty Horses; and to each of them were Bridges fitted for the convenient Shipping, or Landing of the Horses. There were in most of them, two Ovens for baking Bread, with a great Quantity of Saddles, Bridles, Harness, and a good Number of Draught-Horses, to draw the Engines, Cannons, and other Ammunition, after the Spaniards should be landed. Of the same Form he had provided two hundred other Vessels at Nieuport, but not so large. And at Dunkirk he had assembled thirty eight Men of War; for the navigating of which, he had hired Sailors from Bremen, Hamburgh, Emden, and Genoa. In their Ballast he had put a great Quantity of Beams, or thick Planks, sharpned at the Ends, and covered with Iron; but full of Clasps and Hooks on the Sides, that they might be easily joined together. At Graveling, he had provided twenty thousand Casks, which might in a short Time be fastened together with Nails and Cords, and reduced into the Form of a Bridge. Whatever, in a Word, was necessary for making Bridges, or for choaking up the Mouths of Havens and Rivers, was by him got in readiness. And he had even caused a great Pile of wooden Faggots to be laid near Nieuport, for erecting a Mount or Rampart. Whilst he was thus furnishing himself with all proper Vessels and other Necessaries, he caused the shallow and sandy Places of Rivers to be cleared; and had deep Channels cut in proper Places, from Ghent to Ysendyck, Sluys, and Nieuport, on purpose to convey the Ships built at Antwerp, Ghent, &c. into the Sea. Finally, he assembled at Bruges above one hundred Hoys loaden with Provisions, which he designed to bring into the Ports of Flanders, either by the Way of Sluys, or through the forementioned Channels.
The Duke of Guise had also twelve thousand Men on the Coast of Normandy, ready to land in the West of England as soon as the Spanish Armada had enter’d the Channel[[25]]; but the Spaniards coming two Months later than they intended, (or for some other Reasons) the Duke dismissed his Forces about the End of June.
And that this famous Expedition might be supported with spiritual as well as temporal Weapons[[26]], Pope Sixtus V created William Allen, a seditious English Priest, Cardinal; and sent him as his Legate into the Low-Countries, with a Bull; wherein, after enumerating the several Causes of Complaint the See of Rome had against Queen Elizabeth, (namely her suppressing the Catholic Religion, her putting the Queen of Scots to Death, &c.) he renewed and confirmed the Sentence of Excommunication pronounced against her by his Predecessors Pius V and Gregory XIII, deprived her, as illegitimate, and an Usurper, from all Princely Dignity, and Dominion over the Kingdoms of England and Ireland; absolved her Subjects from their Allegiance; and strictly enjoined them, upon Pain of God Almighty’s Displeasure, not to lend her any Help or Assistance, but to join the Spanish Army, and the Duke of Parma’s Forces, as soon as they should be landed: Promising withal a plenary Indulgence and the Pardon of all their Sins, to as many as would engage in so laudable an Undertaking.
Such were the extraordinary Preparations made by the Spaniards for invading England. Preparations so great and so dreadful, that all Europe was alarmed at them. Most Sovereigns expected for some Time, with the utmost Horror and Astonishment, where the threatening Storm, which had been so long gathering, would at last fall. But this, though kept as a great Secret, did not long escape the great Sir Francis Walsingham’s Sagacity. [[27]]He had Intelligence from Madrid, that King Philip had told his Council, he had dispatched an Express to Rome with a Letter writ with his own Hand to the Pope, acquainting him with the true Design of his Preparations, and asking his Blessing upon it; which for some Reasons he would not yet disclose to them, ’till the Return of the Courier. The Secret being thus lodg’d with the Pope, Walsingham, by the means of a Venetian Priest retain’d at Rome as his Spy, got a Copy of the original Letter, which was stolen out of the Pope’s Cabinet by a Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber, who took the Keys out of the Pope’s Pocket whilst he slept. Upon this Intelligence Walsingham found a Way to retard the Spanish Invasion for a whole Year, by getting the Spanish Bills protested at Genoa, which should have supplied them with Money to carry on their Preparations.
Queen Elizabeth, it may well be supposed, could not help being extremely anxious about the issue of the great and dreadful Preparations that were going on, to deprive her of her Crown and Dignity, and perhaps of her [[28]]Life. This inclined her more readily to embrace some Overtures of Peace, made to her by the Spaniard[[29]]: But it being soon found out that they were intended only to lull her asleep, and induce her, by depending upon a Peace, to be careless of her own Defence; and moreover, Henry III King of France sending her Word, [[30]]she ought to stand upon her Guard; she did not therefore rely much on the Negociations in hand, but took all proper Measures for securing herself, and protecting her Dominions.
Her Situation was indeed very melancholy, and her Fears well grounded: For she was without so much as one Ally abroad, except the United-Provinces, which themselves wanted Assistance; and at home she had a factious and discontented Party, ready to join with the Enemy: But, by the Assistance of Heaven, by her good Management, and the sincere Affection of the Generality of her People, she surmounted all Difficulties, and came off Conqueror.
When she was sure the Spaniards Preparations were design’d against her, that she might not be taken unprovided, she fitted out as strong a Fleet as she possibly could; and herein so great was the Diligence of her Subjects, [[31]]that though her Preparations were begun but about the 1st of November 1587, yet her Fleet was ready to put to Sea by the 20th of December the same Year.
[[32]]Charles Lord Howard of Effingham, High Admiral of England, a Person of great Prudence and Bravery, was appointed Commander in Chief of this whole Fleet. His Instructions were, To repair to the Westward, in conjunction with Sir Francis Drake Vice-Admiral, and Captain John Hawkins, and Captain Martin Frobisher Rear-Admirals: At the same Time, the Lord Henry Seymour, second Son of the late Duke of Somerset, had Orders to lye on the Coast of Flanders, with forty English and Dutch Ships (the latter under the Command of Justin of Nassau, Admiral of Zealand) to prevent the Duke of Parma’s putting out to Sea with his Forces.
For Land Service, there were disposed along the Southern Coasts of England twenty thousand Men. Besides which, two Armies were raised of choice, well-disciplin’d, and experienced Men; one (under the Command of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester, consisting of one thousand Horse, and twenty two thousand Foot,) was encamped at Tilbury, near the Thames Mouth, for the Safeguard of the City of London; because it was given out that the Spaniards, after having joined the Duke of Parma, intended to come up the Thames, in order to make themselves Masters of the Metropolis of the Kingdom. The other Army, under the Command of Henry Carey Lord Hunsdon, consisted of thirty four thousand Foot, and two thousand Horse, and was destined to guard the Queen’s Person.
Arthur Lord Grey, Sir Francis Knolles, Sir John Norris, Sir Richard Bingham, and Sir Roger Williams, Knights, and excellent Soldiers, were chosen to consult about the best Way of managing the War at Land. After mature Deliberation, they thought fit that the most convenient Landing-Places for the Enemy, as well out of Spain as out of the Low-Countries, should be well mann’d and fortify’d, namely Milford-Haven, Falmouth, Plymouth, Portland, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, the open Coast of Kent called the Downs, the Thames Mouth, Harwich, Yarmouth, Hull, &c. that the Train’d Bands, all along the Maritime Counties, should meet in Arms upon a Signal given, to defend the said Ports, and do their best to prevent the Enemy’s landing; and, in Case of their landing, that they should lay all the Country waste round about, and leave neither Booty nor Forage for them; that they should annoy them Night and Day with continual Alarms, so as to give them no Rest; but not venture the Hazard of a Battle, ’till more Commanders with their Companies should come up; of whom one in every Shire was nominated Chief.
Moreover, the active Queen, in order to quicken the Zeal and Diligence of her Subjects, especially of those who lay near the Sea-Coasts, caused Letters to be sent to the chief of them: Wherein, after putting them in mind of the common and imminent Danger the whole Nation was in, she told them, that she “expected on this extraordinary Occasion, a larger Proportion of Furniture, both for Horsemen and Footmen; thereby to be in their best Strength against any Attempt whatsoever, to be employed, whether about her own Person, or otherwise. And the Number she required them to signify to her Privy-Council[[33]].” She required moreover the Nobility in the several Counties, to provide themselves, and their Servants and Dependants in like manner, with Horses and Armour, to be ready to repair upon Summons to the Queen, for Defence of her Person: And to this Purpose Letters were address’d to them from the Lords of the Council, by her Command.
Such were the Directions given. [[34]]And accordingly Cities, Counties, Towns, and Villages, the Cinque-Ports, and all other Havens of England, manifested as great Forwardness in their zealous Love and Duty, as either Subjects could perform, or Prince expect. The City of London, in particular, being requested by the Privy-Council, to find five thousand Men, and fifteen Ships, they willingly and cheerfully furnished thirty Ships provided with all Necessaries, and ten thousand able Men, well armed and trained; besides which, they kept in readiness thirty thousand Men more, prepared to march wherever there should be Occasion[[35]]; and also lent the Queen fifty one thousand nine hundred Pounds, in ready Money.
Then, as to the rest of the Nation: [[36]]As soon as it was reported that the Queen was come near London, and the Spanish Fleet appeared in the Channel, the greatest Part of the Nobility, except those that were obliged to stay in each County on account of their Offices, repaired to London, to preserve the Queen’s Person; bringing with them goodly Bands of Horsemen, about five thousand in all, and maintaining them at their own Charge ’till the Spanish Navy was known to be passed beyond Scotland: These were the Lord Chancellor Hatton, the Earls of Lincoln, Warwick, Leicester, Essex, Worcester, and Hereford; the Lord Viscount Montacute; the Lords Burghley, Compton, Morley, Rich, Dacres, Windsor, Audley, Sandes, Mordaunt, Lumley, Mountjoy, Stourton, and Darcy.
In a Word, all Persons throughout England in general, unanimously concurred to be ready to serve for the Defence of the Queen and Kingdom[[37]]: In this there was no Difference between the Catholic and the Protestant, but herein appeared a perfect Sympathy, Concourse, and Consent of all Sorts of Persons, without respect of Religion. By this hearty Zeal, seconded with suitable Endeavours, it came to pass, that some Counties were able to bring into the Field twenty thousand, and others even forty thousand able fighting Men: The Maritime Counties, in particular, on the South and East of England, from Cornwall to Lincolnshire, were so well furnished with a stout and well regulated Militia, that there was no Place for landing foreign Forces, but within eight and forty Hours there could resort to that Place above twenty thousand fighting Men, with Ordnance and other suitable Provisions.
And that the Popish discontented Party at home might neither join the Enemy, nor favour their Descent, the Queen caused the most obnoxious of them to be imprisoned in Wisbich-Castle in the Isle of Ely.
She also directed [[38]]Sir William Fitz-Williams, Lord Deputy of Ireland, what to do, in case the Enemy should land in any Part of his Government, and pointed out to him what Precautions he should use to hinder the Irish from rising.
There remained only the King of Scots, of whom Queen Elizabeth had most Reason to be afraid; since she had newly given him an unpardonable Provocation, namely, in causing his Mother to be publickly beheaded, who was a Sovereign Princess, independent of her. This was sufficient to dispose him, out of a Principle of Revenge, to favour the Descent of the Spaniards in one Extremity of the Kingdom, by making a Diversion in the other. With that View he had been tampered with by the Duke of Parma, and had received from him Offers of Assistance[[39]]: But the politic Queen so effectually caress’d him, made him such advantageous Proposals, and so plainly convinc’d him, that the Loss of England would not fail of being attended with that of Scotland[[40]]; that he, sensible of the common Danger wherewith he was threatened, declar’d the Spaniards Enemies, and made Preparations against them with great Chearfulness and Alacrity: [[41]]Giving a strict Charge upon all the Sea-Coasts, that the Spaniards should not be suffered to land in any Part, but that the English might land, and be reliev’d of any Wants: [[42]]He moreover offer’d Queen Elizabeth his Forces, his Person, and all that he could command, to be employed against the common Enemy: And he humourously observ’d upon this Occasion[[43]], That he look’d for no other Favour from the Spaniards, than what Polyphemus promis’d Ulysses, that he should be reserv’d for the last Morsel.
After this general Account, the Reader will undoubtedly be pleased to see a particular List of the Fleets on both Sides, which I have accordingly subjoined hereunto.