garrisoned and kept; but Itoward and all the other senior officers were opposed to the project, and mxious to return to Engl:md. The place, therefore, was given over to pillage, its fortifications were razed, and many of its principal buildings, the churches excepted, were burnt.

On July 5th, the fleet weighed again and proceeded to Faro in Algarve, hmdrcd miles to the westward. The town had been deserted, the inhabitants carrying off nearly all their goods, and little spoil beyond he bishol)'s libraj was taken.

Essex was not wholly stisfied with what had been done, and suggested sailing to the Azores, and there lying in wait for the home-coming East India carracks. Lord Thomas Howard and Admiral Duijvcnvoorde concm'red; but all the other officers seem to have been beset by a fear of losing what they had gained, and by desire to hasten home to enjoy it. Essex thereupon asked that those ships which were short of stores or had many sick on board might be sent to England, together with the land forces, and thai he, with two of her mesty's ships and ten other vessels, might be suffered to go to the Azores and look for the carracks. The council would not, however, consent even to this; whereupon Essex insisted upon ech member delivering his views in writing, in order that his own attitude might be vindicated.

The sole concession that he succeeded in obtaining was that on the homeward voyage visit should be paid to Cormna; but neither in Corunna, nor in the neighbom'ing po't of Ferrol, was a single Spanish ship found. Essex, still anxious to effect something more, would have taken Corunna, and attacked such Spanish vessels s were in Santandcr and San Sebastian. Once more the gallant Duijvenvoorde supported him, and once more the two were over- ruled. - And so the fleet returned to England, s vith the two galleons, a htudrcd bss guns, and an immense amount of very valuable miscellaneous booty.

Then followed an amusing and undignified struggle for the plunder, most of the office protesting that little or none had fallen

This booty fell to Essex, who succeeded in retaining it in spite of Elizabeth's efi'ts to secure it. He afterwards gave tart of it to Sir Thomas Bodley, and so it became the nucleus of the Bodleian Library.

For Esscx's defence of his conduct, see Cotton 5ISS. Julius, F. vi. 103, [ol. 271.

s Reaching Plymouth on August 8th, 1696. Essex, who convoyed the St. drew,

and a fly-boat laden with ordnance, arrived two days later.