glorious in his estimation awaited him on the smoother
element of the court.

In the games of chivalry he bore off the prize of courage and dexterity
from all his peers; the romantic band of knights-tilters boasted of him
as one of its brightest ornaments, and her majesty deigned to encourage
his devotedness to her glory by an envied pledge of favor.

As he stood or kneeled before her, she dropped her glove, perhaps not
undesignedly, and on his picking it up, graciously desired him to keep
it. He caused the trophy to be encircled with diamonds, and ever after
at all tilts and tourneys bore it conspicuously placed in front of his
high-crowned hat.

But the emergencies of the year 1588 summoned him to resign the
fopperies of an antiquated knight-errantry for serious warfare and the
exercise of genuine valor. Taking upon him the command of a ship, he
joined the fleet appointed to hang upon the motions of the Spanish
armada and harass it in its progress up the British Channel; and on
several occasions, especially in the last action, off Calais, he
signalized himself by uncommon exertions.

In reward of his services, her majesty granted him her royal commission
to pursue a voyage to the South Sea, which he had already projected; she
even lent him for the occasion one of her own ships; and thus
encouraged, he commenced that long series of naval enterprises which has
given him an enduring name. After two or three voyages he constantly
declined her majesty's gracious offers of the loan of her ships, because
they were accompanied with the express condition that he should never
lay any vessel of hers on-board a Spanish one, lest both should be
destroyed by fire. Such was the character of mingled penuriousness and
timidity which pervaded the maritime policy of this great princess, even
after the defeat of the armada had demonstrated that, ship for ship, her
navy might defy the world!

At this period, all attempts against the power and prosperity of Spain
were naturally regarded with high favor and admiration; and it cannot be
denied that in his long and hazardous expeditions the earl of Cumberland
evinced high courage, undaunted enterprise, and an extraordinary share
of perseverance under repeated failures, disappointments, and hardships
of every kind. It is also true that his vigorous attacks embarrassed
extremely the intercourse of Spain with her colonies; and, besides the
direct injury which they inflicted, compelled this