prise of the King of Spain. The Armada sailed, and came in sight
of the English coast on the 20th of July, 1588.

The struggle was of an extraordinary character. On the one side was
the most powerful naval armament that had ever put to sea. It consisted
of six squadrons of sixty fine large ships, the smallest being of 700
tons. Besides these were four gigantic galleasses, each carrying fifty
guns, four large armed galleys, fifty-six armed merchant ships, and
twenty caravels--in all, 149 vessels. On board were 8000 sailors,
20,000 soldiers, and a large number of galley-slaves. The ships
carried provisions enough for six months' consumption; and the supply
of ammunition was enormous.

On the other side was the small English fleet under Hawkins and Drake.
The Royal ships were only thirteen in number. The rest were
contributed by private enterprize, there being only thirty-eight
vessels of all sorts and sizes, including cutters and pinnaces,
carrying the Queen's flag. The principal armed merchant ships were
provided by London, Southampton, Bristol, and the other southern ports.
Drake was followed by some privateers; Hawkins had four or five ships,
and Howard of Effingham two. The fleet was, however, very badly found
in provisions and ammunition. There was only a week's provisions on
board, and scarcely enough ammunition for one day's hard fighting. But
the ships, small though they were, were in good condition. They could
sail, whether in pursuit or in flight, for the men who navigated them
were thorough sailors.

The success of the defence was due to tact, courage, and seamanship.
At the first contact of the fleets, the Spanish towering galleons
wished to close, to grapple with their contemptuous enemies, and crush
them to death. "Come on!" said Medina Sidonia. Lord Howard came on
with the Ark and three other ships, and fired with immense rapidity
into the great floating castles. The Sam Mateo luffed, and wanted them
to board. "No! not yet!" The English tacked, returned, fired again,
riddled the Spaniards, and shot away in the eye of the wind. To the
astonishment of the Spanish Admiral, the English ships approached him
or left him just as they chose. "The enemy pursue me," wrote the
Spanish Admiral to the Prince of Parma; "they fire upon me most days
from morning till nightfall, but they will not close and grapple,
though I have given them every opportunity." The Capitana, a galleon
of 1200 tons, dropp