the most distinguished adventurers of an adventurous age, fitted out the first of his numerous privateerlug expeditions. It consisted of three small ships, the Red Dragott, I3, rk Clifford, and Jlvc, and a pinnace, the Dorothy, belonging to Ralegh, the whole being under the command of Robert Vidrington. In the Channel, the adven- turers rifled some ]-Iamburg ships which were alleged to have Spanish goods on board; on the west coast of Africa they came into what appears to have been unnecessary hostile collision with the negroes; off the Rio de 1, Plata they c. aptured two Portuguese craft. from one of which the3: learnt of the taking of John I)r,ke of the Fr(,wi.% of Fenton's expedition; at Bahia they seized more Portuguese ships; and, after making other prizes, they returned to England, having abaudoned their original design of cruising in the Pacific. In the same year, Ralegh fitted out two little pinnaces, the So,Tent and the M, ry ,Sparkc, for a cruise to the coast of Spain and the Azores. After having taken several prizes and started on their retm'n to England, they fell in with four-and-twenty Spanish merchantinch, with which they maintMned a running fight f,r thirty-two hours. Ralegh did not himself accompany this expedition. - In pm'snance of her promise to the 1X:etherlanders, Elizabeth, at the beginning of 1586, sent the Earl of Leicester to Flushing with a fleet of .fifty stil, and, in addition to troops, a body of five hundred gentlemen. Leicester, to the gq'eat displeasm'e of his royal mistress, accepted from the States the title of Goveruor and Captain-General f Holland. Zeeland. and the United Provinces, and was informed by the queen that although she was ready to relieve her distressed ncighl,ours, she ncver meant to assume any power over them. The earl, in spite of his considerable force and large powers, did no good, and returned tt the end of the year in something very like disgrace. A more important event of 1586, as bearing upon the prospects of Enghmd, around which the thickest clouds were gathering, was the conclusion of a treaty of alliance and "stricter amity" with Scothind. The execution in the following 5'ear of James's mother, Mary of Scots, did not disturb this alliance nor prevent King James from co-operating in the prepanttions against the Spanish Armada.

Ilarris, ' Voyages,' ii. 685; Ilakluyt, iii. 761. 
llakhyt, i. P. ii. 121. 

In 1587 'avendi.sh departed on ],is wyage round the world. See �'hal,. XVI.