Though the Spaniards treated Sir Richard with every care and consideration, he died the second or third day after the fight, deeply lamented both by, the enemy and by his own men.
"Here die I, Richard Grenville," said he, "with a joyful and quiet mind; for that I have ended my life as a true soldier ought to do, that hath fought for his country, queen, religion and honour. Whereby my soul most joyfully departeth out of this body, and shall always leave behind it an everlasting fame of a valiant and true soldier, that hath done his duty as he was bound to do."
The reason the other British ships did not take part in the contest was that it was altogether hopeless; and that, had the admiral ordered it, the entire fleet would probably have fallen into the hands of the Spaniards, seeing that they so greatly outnumbered the British ships.
Six small ships ill supplied with fighting men against fifty-three bigger ones filled with soldiers was too great a disparity of force to give even a hope of victory.
And, although Lord Howard would himself have gone into battle even against such odds as that, yet the other commanders were greatly opposed to so rash an enterprise; and the master of his own ship said he would rather jump into the sea than conduct her Majesty's ship and the rest to be a prey to the enemy.
Hence it was that The Revenge fought alone on that September day the entire Spanish fleet, and has given us one of the most glorious pages in the annals of our national history.
ONE WHO LEFT ALL.
THE STORY OF BISHOP HANNINGTON.
Fancy Hannington, of all persons in the world, turning missionary, and going out to preach the Gospel to the blacks!
It is well-nigh incredible at first thought that such a light-hearted, rollicking, jovial fellow could have given up everything for such a work as that!