[[78]]So the Spanish Fleet sailed forward, |[Plate 8].|this and the best part of the next Day, with a gentle Gale at South-West and by South, the English following them close, and driving them like Sheep before them; and so far was this Invincible Armada from alarming the Sea-Coasts with any frightful Apprehensions, that a great many of the young Nobility and Gentry entered themselves Volunteers, and taking leave of their Parents, Wives, and Children, did, with incredible Chearfulness, hire Ships at their own Charge; and, in pure Love to their Country, joined the Grand Fleet in vast numbers: [[79]]Among which were, the Earls of Oxford, Northumberland, and Cumberland; the Lord Dudley; Sir Thomas, Sir Robert, and William Cecil; Sir Henry Brooke, Sir William Hatton, Sir Charles Blount, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Robert Carey, Sir Ambrose Willoughby, Sir Thomas Vavasor, Sir Horatio Pallavicini; Thomas Gerard, Henry Nowel, Edward Darcy, Thomas Woodhouse, William Harvey, Arthur Gorges, and others; [[80]]and at the same time, the Justices of Peace in the maritime Counties, as also the Earl of Sussex, Sir George Carey, and the Captains of the Forts and Castles along the Sea-Coasts, sent Ships, Men, Powder, Shot, Victuals, and all kinds of Provisions, for the Relief and Assistance of the main Fleet.
[[81]]July 27. This Day, towards the Evening, the Spanish Fleet came to an Anchor before Calais; [[82]]intending for Dunkirk, where they were to join the Prince of Parma’s Forces; [[83]]but their Pilots having told them, that, if they ventured any farther, they should be in danger of being carried away by the Force of the Tide into the Northern Channel, for that Reason they proceeded no farther than Calais; the English, on their part, followed them close, and anchored within Culverin-Shot of them; and, by the accession of the Ships under the Lord Henry Seymour and Sir William Winter, consisted now of a hundred and forty Sail, all stout Ships, and nimble and good Sailors; tho’ the main Brunt of the Engagement lay but upon fifteen or sixteen of them.
The Spaniards now sent several Messengers, one after another, to the Duke of Parma, to press and importune him to send out forty Fly-Boats to their Assistance; without which, by reason of the Unwieldiness of their Ships, they could not, as they said, engage the light and active Vessels of the English; they entreated him likewise, with great Earnestness, to use all Speed in embarking his Army, and be ready to take the first Opportunity, under their Protection, of landing in England; but it seems he was not ready, and so could not answer their Summons; his flat-bottom’d Boats were all leaky, his Provisions not yet all brought in, and his Sailors, who had been hitherto kept together against their Wills, had deserted in great numbers; besides, thirty five Men of War belonging to Holland and Zealand, commanded by Count Justin de Nassau, continued to block up the very Mouth of the Harbours of Dunkirk and Nieuport, from whence alone he could put to Sea; and so well were they furnished with great Guns and small Arms, that he could not possibly put from Shore, without running a very great and manifest Danger; however, intending as soon as he conveniently could, to join the Spanish Fleet, he sent a Pinnace to inform the Duke of Medina, “[[84]]That he could not be ready for them ’till the Friday following, September 4;” but the Spanish Fleet was forced to depart before that time, in the utmost Hurry and Confusion.
[[85]]For, on July 28, the next Day |[Plate 9].|after their coming to an Anchor, the Lord Admiral, by the Queen’s express Command and Direction, singled out eight of his worst Ships; bestowed upon them good Plenty of Pitch, Tar, Rosin, and Wildfire; lined them well with Brimstone and other combustible Matter; and loaded all their Cannon with Bullets, Chains, and the like destructive Instruments; thus equip’d, he sent them with the Wind and Tide, about two o’ Clock in the Morning, into the midst of the Spanish Fleet, under the Conduct of —— Young and —— Prowse; who when they were come within Cannon-Shot, set Fire to the Trains, and then retired. The Approach of these Fire-Ships, and the dreadful Blaze which the Fire made all the Sea over, was no sooner perceived by the Spaniards, but it put their whole Fleet into the utmost Consternation. Many of the Soldiers on board had been at the Siege of Antwerp[[86]], and seen the destructive Machines made use of there: Suspecting therefore that these were big with other Engines of Slaughter, besides the destructive Element that show’d itself without, they began to raise a most hideous Clamour of, Cut your Cables, or get up your Anchors; [[87]]and in a panic Fright put to Sea with all the Confusion and Precipitancy imaginable.
[[88]]The Spaniards reported, however, That their Admiral, upon the Approach of the Fire-Ships, made the Signal for weighing Anchor, and standing out to Sea; and ordered that each Ship, after the Danger was over, should return to her Station; that he did return himself, and fired a Gun as a Signal for the rest to do the like; but the Report thereof was heard but by few; because their Fears had so dispersed them, that some were got a considerable way out to Sea, and others among the Shoals on the Coast of Flanders.
However it was, the Spanish Fleet being by this successful Stratagem thus driven from their Station in Calais-Road[[89]], another very sharp Engagement began the next Morning about Eight o’ Clock, July 29, and continued eight Hours. The chief Galleass, commanded by Hugo de Moncada, having in the last Night’s Confusion lost her Rudder, by falling foul of another Ship’s Cable, and floated up and down for some time before the Wind, endeavoured to save herself by rowing into |[Plate 10].|Calais Harbour; which the Lord Admiral perceiving, he dispatch’d Mr. Amias Preston, one of his Lieutenants, into his Long-Boat, with Mr. Thomas Gerrard, Mr. William Hervey, and others, to take her; she did not however surrender ’till after a sharp and doubtful Dispute, wherein Hugo de Moncada was killed, by a Shot in the Head; and the Soldiers and Rowers to the number of four hundred, either drowned or put to the Sword: [[90]]The Ship and Guns, after the English had freed three hundred Galley-Slaves which were on board, and taken out fifty thousand Ducats of Gold, of the King of Spain’s Money, fell, as a Wreck to Monsieur Gourden, Governor of Calais[[91]].
[[92]]In the taking of this Galleass, Mr. Gerard and Mr. Harvey signalized themselves; for they entered it only with their Swords; a thing then commonly spoken of with Admiration, the like having never been hazarded before, considering the Height of this Galleass compar’d to a Ship’s Boat.
[[93]]The rest of the Spaniards in the mean time, managed their Fleet as well as they could, and stood over against Graveling, where the English once more getting the Weather-Gage of them, deprived them of the Conveniency of Calais-Road, and kept them from receiving any Supplies from Dunkirk.
[[94]]Whilst the Lord Admiral was employed in taking the forementioned Galleass, Sir Francis Drake in the Revenge, with Mr. Thomas Fennar in the Nonpareil, and the rest of his Squadron, warmly engaged the Spanish Fleet; soon after Sir John Hawkins in the Victory, accompanied with Mr. Edward Fenton in the Mary Rose, Sir George Beeston in the Dreadnought, Mr. Richard Hawkins in the Swallow, and the rest of that Squadron; together with Sir Robert Southwell in the Elizabeth-Jonas, and Mr. Robert Cross in the Hope; bearing up with the Middle of the Spanish Fleet, there continued all that Forenoon a furious Engagement, wherein Sir George Beeston behaved himself very valiantly; they were in the mean time seconded by the Lord Admiral, the Lord Thomas Howard, and the Lord Sheffield, who also acquitted themselves very bravely: Astern of these a great Galleon was attack’d by the Earl of Cumberland and Mr. George Ryman in the Bonaventure, and was likewise battered by the Lord Henry Seymour in the Rainbow, and Sir William Winter in the Vanguard; and tho’ she then recovered the Fleet, yet she sunk the Night following.
[[95]]On the other hand, the Duke of Medina, with the rest of the Spanish Captains, as Leva, Oquendo, Recalde, &c. having with much ado got clear of the Shallows, were forced to stand the Brunt of the English Fire, ’till they were miserably torn, and in several Places shot through; [[96]]and a great Galleon of Biscay, of five hundred Tuns, with two Saicks, were sunk. The Galleon St. Matthew, of eight hundred Tuns, commanded by Don Diego de Piementelli, coming to the Assistance of Don Francisco de Toledo, in the St. Philip, another Galleon of seven hundred Tuns, they were both miserably shattered by the Lord Henry Seymour and Sir William Winter; [[97]]and being driven on the Coast of Ostend, were likewise there roughly handled by the Zealanders; but Piementelli refusing to leave his Ship, (though the Duke of Medina sent him his own,) did all he could to disengage himself; and therefore making towards the Coast of Flanders, he was there again attacked by five Dutch Men of War, and forc’d at last to strike to Peter Dousa[[98]], one of the Dutch Captains, who carried him into Zealand and, for a Trophy of his Victory, hung his Flag in the Church of Leyden, which reach’d from the top of it to the bottom; [[99]]during which, a Castilian Ship of four hundred Tuns, was cast away on the Flemish Coast. The St. Philip, after having been driven almost as far as Ostend, where her Commander left her because she proved extremely leaky, was seized by some Ships of Flushing.