2nd Sailor. Confusion to Philip and all Foreigners! England for the English!
3rd Sailor. Aye! Aye! lads. We’ll keep them out! No landing of the foe on our coasts. Our cruizers will keep the channel clear.
4th Sailor (with energy). The Channel’s ours!
Spy (aside) No doubt, they will clear it of everything that carries gold, or other foreign valuables, without being over particular about their nationality.
The chief or general, standing beside the banner, a tall powerful man, though young, sunburnt, and weather-beaten, gaudily dressed as silk, velvet, gold and jewels can make him. In his broad belt plaited with gold, are stuck a brace of heavy pistols, richly chased with silver, and a long dagger hafted with gold and diamonds. On his head a blue velvet cap with a gold band. On the velvet, emblazoned with jewels, a ship with the words “El Dorado.” He holds forth in his left hand a large ingot, or bar of gold.
Chief. Look ye here, ye sons of the Ocean Queen, ye storm-birds that have the daring spirit of your sea-king race, that love the raging surf, and the mountain wave when it rolls the highest! Ye of the forward step, and the ready fist, who wish for a little of this! (holding out the ingot). (Cheers). Who’ll volunteer for the good ship El Dorado? We don’t want every lubber that may offer, only roaring boys that are not afraid to board a Spanish galleon without counting the square feet of her lumbering hull, or the hundreds of her cowardly crew. The El Dorado has a speedy forefoot, I can tell you; she can run the Caribs in about a fortnight, and we don’t care who knows the When and the Whither, not as much as one!—Copper!—Maravedi! (snapping his fingers).
Crowd, (cheering), Hurrah! That’s the talk and no bunkum! We know you, General. We’ll follow you to the death.
1st Bystander. Who is he? A gallant bearing and tall! He looks a hero born for command.
2nd Bystander. So he ought to look; Don’t you know him? That’s young Lord —. (He whispers the name), one of Elizabeth’s early lovers. One of the five hundred young nobles who rode beside her in defiance of Mary’s wrath. When his idol was insulted at Court, he behaved so violently that he became a marked man, and the persecution growing hot, he took to the sea for vengeance on the Spanish party. Now he sticks to it, you perceive, for something else, (with a knowing look).
Chief. Now then! who’s for the free flag and the gold coast? We have already seventy hands, and want a few to make up a hundred. That’s enough of Englishmen to carry any of their goldships, or any Spanish town in the world. We want especially the sons of our brave men who have died in Spanish dungeons, or by fire and faggot! (Shouts of indignation and hurrah for the General).