Drake. Alas, I know not. I saw the Jesus and the Spanish Admiral both in flames. I fear they are all dead, or worse—prisoners. We fought our way through fire and slaughter, and we alone remain to tell of their glory and their fate.
Hawkins. Alas! Alas, (wringing his hands with great emotion and grief). This is a dreadful business; the fellest swoop Spain has yet made on us. What is to be done? Alas! Alas! (he walks about in distraction.)
Cobham (fiercely). Cover the ocean with our cruizers! Burn their towns! Sink their ships! Seize their treasure! War! War to the death.
Crowd. War! War to the death! A Cobham! A Cobham.
Sailor (stepping out and brandishing his axe). I’ll swear eternal war (walks about brandishing his axe). Death to every Spaniard I fall in with on sea or land.
Drake (much agitated). Come along, kinsman, I must be off at once to London and see the Queen, I must tell her all personally; her treaties broken, commerce invaded, her own ship burned, her seamen slaughtered, above a million gone; let me be off.
(Exeunt Drake, Hawkins, Cobham, and others, excited and followed by a raging crowd, gesticulating violently and shouting).
Crowd. We’ll pay them. War! Plunder! That’s the game! War! Revenge! Hurrah for Drake, and war! Plunder! Plunder! (Exeunt Omnes).
(Scene changes).