in accordance with the Spanish custom, the ships' boys were to cMI ou the morning salutation the foot of the mainmst. On the ;qq,roach of nigh they were to recite the Ave Maria, and, et.rtin dys, he Salve nd Litany. As symbolising the Catholic faith and Spanish dominion. hanuers bearing the figure of Christ, the figure of the Virn, and the arms of l'hilip, were to be carried bv the fleet.
At last the Armd ws in condition to sail. It put t se from Lishon on the' nlorling of May th, 15, nd on June th, 5[cdin Sidoni, with part of it, entered Corumm. The rest of the fleet was to have entered the same port on the following &y, hut was scattered, nd to some extent damaged, hv violent storm. [edina Sidonia ws at once disheartened, and dvised Philip, seeing that the ships were separated, mny of the people sick, provisions bad and scarce, and ocem and men unfit for their work, to make an honourable treaty with the English.
The commander-in-chief of the Ad, in word, wished ive up his undertMdng before he had left SpMn or caught sight of the enemy. And, indeed, he had reasons for not feeling entirely satisfied. lie mentioned the ahsence of manv of his ships; and that the crews hd complained of the ictuals. Yet he showed clearly enough, hy his ttitude on that occasion, how unsuitahle he was for the leadership of men.
It is remarkMle that Philip, thus informed by 5[edin Sidoni himself of the character of theft ocer, did not appoint a stronger man to supersede him. Philip, however, kept his dmiral, while he wholly neglected his admiral's dvice. He directed 5Icdim Sidoni to wMt the rrival in port of his heaviest ships, and expressed a hope that they would be ready for sea on July nd.
In the course of short tilne, almost all the missing vessels s;tfely reached Corulma and other Spanish ports. Some of theIn h;td been driven nearly as fa.r as the Scilly Isles? Haste was made over the nqairs of the damaged ships, and in the furnishing of
Duro, doc. 10D, p. e2.
]& doc. 115, p. 10;; doc. 118, p. 113. May 30th, s ,, Meallos Ionmsos."
]b., doc. 1:;-!.
Where they sighted and chased several English traders about June 13th:
Dom. ccxi..17, 4S; l)tn, ds. 185 137, 140.