to
enable him to recover his kingdom,--or at least to take upon herself the
payment of his debts, amounting to twelve or thirteen pounds, without
which his poor creditors are likely to be ruined. The first part of this
extraordinary alternative the prudent princess certainly declined; what
might be the fate of the second does not in this place appear: but we
learn elsewhere, that during the long vacancy of the see of Ely which
the queen caused to succeed to the death of bishop Cox in 1581, a part
of its revenues were appropriated to the maintenance of this unfortunate
competitor for royalty. It was imagined however, by the projectors of
the present expedition, that the discontent of the Portuguese under the
yoke of Spain would now incline them to receive as a deliverer even this
spurious representative of their ancient race of monarchs; and don
Antonio received an invitation, which he joyfully embraced, to embark
himself and his fortunes on board the English fleet.

[Note 99: Strype's Annals, vol. iii. p. 450.]

The armament consisted of 180 vessels of all kinds, carrying 21,000 men;
it set sail from Plymouth on April 18th, sir Francis Drake being admiral
and sir John Norris general. The earl of Essex, urged by the romantic
gallantry of his disposition, afterwards joined the expedition with
several ships fitted out at his own expense in support of don Antonio's
title, though he bore in it no regular command, since he sailed without
the consent or privity of her majesty. The first landing of the forces
was at Corunna; where having captured four ships of war in the harbour,
they took and burned the lower town and made some bold attempts on the
upper, which was strongly fortified: but after defeating with great
slaughter a body of Spaniards who were intrenched in the neighbourhood,
sir John Norris, finding it impracticable to renew his assaults on the
upper town, on account of a general want of powder in the fleet,
re-embarked his men, already suffering from sickness, and made sail for
Portugal.

After some consultation they landed at Penicha, about thirty miles to
the north of Lisbon, took the castle; and having thrown into it a
garrison, every man of which was afterwards put to the sword by the
Spaniards, they began their march for the capital. So ill was the army
provided, that many died on the road for want of food; and others who
had fainted with the heat must also have perished, had not Essex, with
characteristic