wants of their own poor fellows, who had endured so
patiently and fought so magnificently. On the 13th of August they saw
the last of the Armada, turned back, and made their way to the Thames.

But the story has yet to be told of the final fate of the great
'enterprise of England' (the 'empresa de Inglaterra'), the object of so
many prayers, on which the hopes of the Catholic world had been so long
and passionately fixed. It had been ostentatiously a religious crusade.
The preparations had been attended with peculiar solemnities. In the
eyes of the faithful it was to be the execution of Divine justice on a
wicked princess and a wicked people. In the eyes of millions whose
convictions were less decided it was an appeal to God's judgment to
decide between the Reformation and the Pope. There was an
appropriateness, therefore, if due to accident, that other causes
besides the action of man should have combined in its overthrow.

The Spaniards were experienced sailors; a voyage round the Orkneys and
round Ireland to Spain might be tedious, but at that season of the year
need not have seemed either dangerous or difficult. On inquiry, however,
it was found that the condition of the fleet was seriously alarming. The
provisions placed on board at Lisbon had been found unfit for food, and
almost all had been thrown into the sea. The fresh stores taken in at
Corunna had been consumed, and it was found that at the present rate
there would be nothing left in a fortnight. Worse than all, the
water-casks refilled there had been carelessly stowed. They had been
shot through in the fighting and were empty; while of clothing or other
comforts for the cold regions which they were entering no thought had
been taken. The mules and horses were flung overboard, and Scotch
smacks, which had followed the retreating fleet, reported that they had
sailed for miles through floating carcases.

The rations were reduced for each man to a daily half-pound of biscuit,
a pint of water, and a pint of wine. Thus, sick and hungry, the wounded
left to the care of a medical officer, who went from ship to ship, the
subjects of so many prayers were left to encounter the climate of the
North Atlantic. The Duke blamed all but himself; he hanged one poor
captain for neglect of orders, and would have hanged another had he
dared; but his authority was gone. They passed the Orkneys in a single
body. They then parted, it was said in a fog; but each commander had to