the same day Hawkyns appealed to XVdsngham for bold and decisive action.

"Having of long time seen," he wrote, "Ihe malicions practices of combin generally throughout Christendom to alter the govenment of this reaha an,I to bring it to papistry, and iconseqncutly to servitude, I have a good will fi'om time to time to do and set forward something as I could have crolit to imach their purl,. But it hath prevailed little, tbr lthat there was never any sutantial ground ]aid to be followol efitnally .... If we stand at this point in a nmmmerin an,l at a stay, we consume, d our Comn.,nwealth doth utterly decay.... We hae to choose either dishonourablc and uncertain peace, or to put on virilous and valiant minds, to make a way through with such a-settled war as may bring forth and COnlmand a quiet ace." He went on to recommend ,"that there he always six prcipal good shil of her Iajty's upon the coast of Slxain, victualll tbr four months, and accompani! with me six small vessels, which shall haunt the coast of Spain and the islands, md be a sufficit company to distress anything that goeth through the cas. And when these must return, there wouhl be other six gd ships, likewise accompanil, to kp lle place.... For thee six ships we shall not break the strength ,f the navy; lbr we shall have a sufficient company always at home to front any violence that can be any- way ofibrt unto us .... And therefore I conclude that with God's blessing and lawful olin war, the Lord sha bring us a mt honourable and qoiet ima(-e, to the glory of 11is Church, and W the honour of her lajesty d this reabn vl' England."

On Febru 29th, Howard learnt that the Armad was about to sail from Spain. He had recovered from his dejection, and, writing to Burghley, said:

"If I may hae the four great hil come to me in time, and 20 good hoys, but with 20 men apiece, which is but a small charge, and each of them but wih two iron piece, I douht not hut to nmke her !ajesty a good acconnt of anything that shall

done by the Spanish lbrces, and I wi make him wish his galleys at home again .... 

I protest before G!, and as my soul sh swer for it, that I thk there were never in any ple in the world worthlet ships than thee are, for so many. And as tYw as we are, if the King of SI,ain's lbrces be uot hundreds, we will make gd sport with them. And I pray you tell her Majesty from me that her money was well given the !rk Balegh, s for I think her the odd ship in the world Ibr all nditions; and truly I think there can no great ship make me change d go out of her. IVc can ee no sail, great nor small, hut how ttr soever they be off, we feh them and speak with them."

And Sir XVilliuu XVyntcr, writing on Fcbrua, 2sth, to the Pncipal Officers of the Naw * after the winter had tried the fleet, spoke with equl enthusiasm of the vessels.

"Our shil ," he aid, "do show thcmlves like gallants here. I asante yoo, it will do a man's heart good to hehoh[ them; and would t*, (od the Prince of l':u-nm were

S. P. Dom. xiii. 47. From on hal the e . P. Dom. ccviii. 87. From on ard the rlrk.

Bought from Sir W. l[alegh for . The sum as in 1592 dhwl! from his debt to the Crown.

S. P. D*,m. ccii. 85. From on board the ],g,ard in the