capture the treasure ships was made by a squadron of seven vessels of the Royal Navy, with six victuallcs and some pinnaces, under Lord Thomas Howard,'" who sailed to Flores, in the Azores, and remained in the neighboudood for six months. He narrowly escaped being surprised there by l)on Alonso de ]azan, who had been sent out with a fleet of fifty-three ships to meet and convoy home the expected carracks. The Earl of Cumberland, as has been mentioned above, had happened to learn 'of the fitting out of this fleet at Corunna, and had, with much foresight, ordered Sir. Middle- ton, master of the Moosltite pinnace, to discover its force and object, and then, if necessary, to proceed with all speed and w;trn Lord Thomas. 5Iiddlcton kept the Spaniards in sight until there

ws no longer any doubt of their intentions; and thereupon set all

sail for Flores, arriving very little ahead of the enemy? This was on August 31st. Howard at once weighed. His second in command, Sir Richard Greynvile, of the Reregc, had a number of men ashore, and, according to sonm accounts, waited for them. Camden, and others, have it that he refused to turn his back upon the enemy, and so allowed himself to be hemmed in between the Spaniards and the island. Some also suppose that he mistook the squadron of ])on Alonso for the expected treasure ships, and therefore disobeyed the orders of his conmander-in-chief. ]ut, be this as it nay, he was presently surrounded and attacked by practically the whole of the best part of the Spanish fleet. Howard, with the remaining six toefl-of-war, seems to have been engaged for a considerable time with the enemy, but not in such a position as to afford any support to Greynvile. The Foresiglt made a serious effort to assist the lZlevege, but, owing to the wind, could not get very near her. The Ierege fought against these overwhelming odds for fifteen hou; and Greynvile, no matter whether he was, as has often been asseeO, or was not, blaneworthy as being rash, stubborn, and a,Defiace, Lrtl Thomas Howard; R.eege, Sir Richard Greynvile (as vice- admiral); Nopareil, Sir Edward Dcnny; Bonarentttre, Captain Robert Crosse; Lioz, Captain Thomas Fenner; l'bresight, Captain Thomas �avasour; Grate, Captain Duffield. a Hakluyt, ii. P. ii. 169; Prchas, iv. 1678. Lord Thonas was second son of the )tke 0f Nol'folk. s For accounts of the expedition and fight, see ]Ionson's Tract% 178, 179 (Churchill); Camden, iii. 637, 638; Rlegh's lleport in Hakluyt, ii. 169; Carew's

' ,qurv. of Cornwall,' 62; Hawkyns's Ohservats.,' 10.