Hawkins. Abandon the Jesus! You forget that she is the Queen’s ship—the only one in the expedition. Do you know the temper of our good Queen? She will expect her ship back, and also her share of the profit. What if, instead, I should bring the Kingdom under heavy demands from Philip for our infraction of the Treaty; I ask you, do you know her temper, or what her Royal and gentle Majesty would say? Heh!
Drake (laughing as at a joke). Fire and Steel! I should think I did, Ha! Ha! Ha! I know our Royal Mistress well. Her Majesty is a good Protestant, but she has two idols set up in her heart, whose worship she will never abandon for any other creed, “ambition and avarice;” the love of power, and the love of gold. Give her these, what cares she for an old hulk. Let her know that her heroes can sweep the seas, that we defy, and soon shall break the force of haughty Spain. Above all, drench her with gold and show me the power on earth that can drag it from her. (He walks aside with his hands up). She will swallow man the gold of the Indies, but believe me, disgorge it, never. Temper! Fire and Steel! I think I see her temper on the receipt of a dispatch from Philip, that clerk king, whose sceptre is his pen with which he dooms brave men to death, and nations to slavery, whilst he himself, the veriest slave to Monks and Priests, delegates the authority of his high office to what he calls the Holy House of the inquisition. Restitution forsooth! What she would say! “God’s death,” she would exclaim, “Is the fellow a fool, to ask me for money? Let him catch Hawkins and Drake, and the rest of the freebooters himself, and take what satisfaction he can out of them.” That is pretty much what she would say. But if he should come himself to demand it, I think she would be very likely to box his Royal ears for him, and tell him to go and be hanged, as she did the stout Earl of Essex, when he had the impudence to turn his back upon her. (Laughter.)
Hawkins. This is bold advice, Drake, but I do not like the responsibility.
Drake. Responsibility! To whom? To our Queen? She will hold us responsible, only for failure in our enterprise. In plain words, for bringing home no money. Besides, she has no jurisdiction here, nor are we sailing under her flag, or the authority of a Lord High Admiral, or his Court. We Rovers sail under our own red bunting, acknowledging no Courts; and fight our way, not palter about Treaties. Law cannot defend us; should the Spaniards but get us into their clutches, would they vouchsafe to us, trial in a lawful court? No! We should have neither law nor mercy. The Inquisition! Torture! the Auto-de-fe, that is fire and faggot, would be our lot. For my part, I will acknowledge no responsibility, but to God, upon His own ocean! So long as I live, I shall consider it my best duty to him, to make war upon Spaniards, who are alike his enemies and ours. Is that monster Philip without other motive than the impulse of a cruel nature, to sit unopposed in his cabinet like a spider weaving his webs of slavery for mankind, to monopolise the earth’s surface with all the gold in its bosom, and the whole ocean as well? Why not its circumambient air, that we may ask his leave to breathe? I tell you, Hawkins, that whilst I can muster a keel, and men and Britons to man it, I shall ask no licence from mortal man; I shall boldly take my share of its wild waves, in spite of all the Despots in the world, and claim it as my patrimony from God! (He turns away in great excitement.)
The report of a solitary gun booms along the water, and cuts short the debate. They are all startled, but before there is time for utterance, it is followed by a discharge from the batteries on the island, and successive volleys from a number of Ships in the offing.
Hawkins, (in alarm), What can this mean? Those are no signal guns, no friendly salutes.
Hampton. No, General, no blank cartridges there! The report is too sharp; it has the ring of metal. We are surprised. It is time to get ready, and stand by our guns; it must be a Spanish fleet!
Hawkins. God grant it be not the outward bound fleet of Spain, we must keep them out. Get ready my pinnace! Bear a hand! We must be off to the island, and see to this. Get your ships under weigh, and stand by, to dispute the mouth of the harbour. (Exeunt.)
Scene II.—AN ISLAND WITH BATTERIES COMMANDING THE MOUTH OF THE HARBOUR.
The Spanish fleet of thirteen sail, sent out expressly to look for Hawkins, and to treat him as a pirate. The English forbid entrance. A party of Spaniards, with the Spanish Ambassador and the new Viceroy of Spain, under a flag of truce, await the arrival of the English Commander to treat.