er this, more busily employed than ever in
purchasing bow staves, as Sir Thomas urged the Government by writing
frequently, and, when he went home, personally, to make every
preparation for war. He had discovered the hatred which the Roman
Catholic sovereigns had for England, now that Queen Elizabeth had
declared herself so decidedly Protestant. At the same time, he deemed
it important to supply England with the precious metals, that she might,
in case of a war, have wherewith to pay her troops.

As the bullion was purchased, it was shipped, as I have already
mentioned, on board vessels. At length, in consequence of the expected
scarcity of shipping, Sir Thomas resolved to make a large shipment on
board one particular vessel. The amount had been carefully done up
inside various packages, as I believe I have before described.

"It is necessary that a trustworthy person should be on board, to see
that the goods are not tampered with," observed Sir Thomas to me. "You
and A'Dale will therefore go down and see them shipped, and you will
afterwards continue on board and proceed with the ship to England. As
soon as she is unloaded, you will return in her, and report to me all
that takes place, and all the news you can hear in London. You will go
to Lombard Street, and receive despatches from Master John Elliot to
bring with you."

As a small portion of the goods only had been shipped when we reached
the vessel, the bulk not having arrived, A'Dale and I determined to
remain at the hostel instead of going on board to sleep. We were seated
in the public room, and talking together in English, when, in a pause in
the conversation, I heard three rough-looking persons speaking Flemish
at a little distance from me. I pricked up my ears as I heard one of
them remark:

"Oh! they are only two English lads; they cannot, depend on it,
understand a word we say."

This made me listen more carefully, though I continued speaking with
greater energy apparently than ever to A'Dale.

I still kept my ears, however, open to hear everything my neighbours
said. I soon found that they were talking about our ship--the
_Diamond_.

"She began to receive her goods to-day," said one; "and by to-morrow
evening she will probably be able to sail with the turn of the tide. We
must not let her escape us, as some of those English vessels of late
have done. The question is, whether we shall attack her before she gets
out of the Scheld, or wai