Spanish Main; for the Channel swarmed with Protestant privateers, no
gentler, when they caught a Spaniard, than Spaniards were when they
caught them. He was twenty-two when he went out with Hawkins and would
be in his twenty-fourth year when he returned to England in the little
_Judith_ after the murderous Spanish treachery at San Juan de Ulua.

Just as the winter night was closing in, on the 20th of January, 1569,
the _Judith_ sailed into Plymouth. Drake landed. William Hawkins, John's
brother, wrote a petition to the Queen-in-Council for letters-of-marque
in reprisal for Ulua, and Drake dashed off for London with the missive
almost before the ink was dry. Now it happened that a Spanish treasure
fleet, carrying money from Italy and bound for Antwerp, had been driven
into Plymouth and neighboring ports by Huguenot privateers. This money
was urgently needed by Alva, the very capable but ruthless governor of
the Spanish Netherlands, who, having just drowned the rebellious Dutch
in blood, was now erecting a colossal statue to himself for having
'extinguished sedition, chastised rebellion, restored religion, secured
justice, and established peace.' The Spanish ambassador therefore
obtained leave to bring it overland to Dover.

But no sooner had Elizabeth signed the order of safe conduct than in
came Drake with the news of San Juan de Ulua. Elizabeth at once saw that
all the English sea-dogs would be flaming for revenge. Everyone saw that
the treasure would be safer now in England than aboard any Spanish
vessel in the Channel. So, on the ground that the gold, though payable
to Philip's representative in Antwerp, was still the property of the
Italian bankers who advanced it, Elizabeth sent orders down post-haste
to commandeer it. The enraged ambassador advised Alva to seize
everything English in the Netherlands. Elizabeth in turn seized
everything Spanish in England. Elizabeth now held the diplomatic trumps;
for existing treaties provided that there should be no reprisals without
a reasonable delay; and Alva had seized English property before giving
Elizabeth the customary time to explain.

John Hawkins entered Plymouth five days later than Drake and started for
London with four pack horses carrying all he had saved from the wreck.
By the irony of fate he travelled up to town in the rear of the long
procession that carried the commandeered Spanish gold.

The plot thickened fast; for England was now on the brink of war with