ther Adam, so that I may see if he
has really made you his universal heirs." Nor did the two Henrys
forget the claims of England. Henry VII claimed most of the eastern
coast of what are now Canada and the United States, in virtue of the
Cabot discoveries. In the Naval Museum at Madrid you can still see the
bullock-hide map of Juan de la Cosa, which, made in the year 1500,
shows St. George's Cross flying over these very parts.

But it was not till after 1545, when the mines of Potosi made Europe
dream of El Dorado, the great new Golden West, that England began to
think of trying her own luck in America. Some of the fathers of
Drake's "Sea-Dogs" had already been in Brazil, notably "Olde Mr.
William Hawkins, a man for his wisdome, valure, experience, and skill
in sea causes much esteemed and beloved of King Henry the Eight."
Hawkins "armed out a tall and goodlie ship called the Pole of
Plimmouth, wherewith he made three long and famous voyages into the
coast of Brasil." He went by way of Africa, "where he trafiqued with
the Negroes, and took of them Oliphants' teeth; and arriving on the
coast of Brasil, behaved himself so wisely, that he grew into great
friendship with those savages"--very different from the vile cruelty
with which the Spaniards always treated the poor natives. These
voyages were made about 1530; and the writer says that they were "in
those days very rare, especially to our Nation."

In 1554 Charles V planned to make all such voyages work for the glory
of Spain instead of England. But, thanks chiefly to the English
Sea-Dogs, everything turned out the other way. Charles saw that if he
could only add England to his vast possessions he could command the
world; for then he would have not only the greatest land-power but the
greatest sea-power too. Queen Mary seemed made for his plan. Her
mother, Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife, was a Spaniard,
and she herself cared less for England than for Spain. She was only
too ready to marry Charles's heir, Philip, of Armada fame. After this
Charles would leave his throne to Philip, who would then be King of
England as well as King of Spain.

Philip sailed for England with a hundred and sixty ships, and came up
the Channel with the Spanish standard at the main (that is, at the tip
top of the main, or highest, mast). Lord Howard of Effingham sailed to
meet him and answer Philip's salute. But Philip and his haughty Dons
thought it was nonsense f