advantageous treaty with the United I?rovinces of the Netherlands? Th other was the death of Elizabeth's life-long enemy, Philip II. 2 of Sprain.

Icferring to 1599, Sir Villiam Monson says :--

"[ cannot write of anything done this year; tbr though there was never greater expectation of war, there was never less perfirmance. Whether it was a mistrust one nation had of the otheh or policy hehl on both sides to make peace with sword in hand, a treaty being entertained by consent of each prince, I am not to examine: but sure I am. the 1,retaration was great on bvh sides, one expecting an invasion from the other. It was, however, generally conceived not to be intended by either."

The Spaniards had collected ships and galleys at Corunna. The object of the concentration was supposed to be a descent upon England or Ireland in 1599; but, as the event proved, the preparations were made against the Netherlands. In Ireland, Essex was supposed to be hatching schemes of ambition and revenge. Jctdous watch, therefore, had to be kept upon at least two quarters; and, to meet the necessities of the noment, a fleet was mobilised with a rapidity previously unexampled. The work of gging, victual- ling, and completely fitting out was accomplished iu twelve days. Monson assures us that foreigners declared that "the queen was never more dreaded abroad frr anything she ever did." Happily the fleet was not called upon to act, and, after having lain for three weeks or a month in the Downs, was sent peaceably back to its ports; but, both as a demonstration of the perfection to which the organisation of the English navy had attolined, and as an exercise in hurried preparation for war, the experiment was well worth the comptwatively small sum of money which it cost. In more than one respect it resembled the mobilisation of the Particular Service Squtdron in Janutry, 1896. looking, hoxvever, to all the circmu- stances of the two cases, it must be admitted that the results attained in 1599 xvere much more remarkhle than those attained in 1896. The mobilisorion of 15:lt.! seems to have really ttkcn officers, men, and dockyards by surprise. The mohilisation of 18913, on the other hand, had beeu unofficially preptred for scvcrtl weeks. Yet the intcrwd between the moment when the formal order went fortIt from london and the moment whcn the mobilised ships were fully ready to go anywhere trod do anything, was actually as short

I I F(pdera,' xvi. 341.

On September; 13th, the anniversary of the birth of his rival Burghley, xvho had

predeccased him on August 15th.