THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



that the nurse that fed him in his childhood will likewise 

 nourish him in his old age, and, finding the dug dried 

 and withered, enforced then to behold his folly, tormented 

 in mind, dieth with a starved body.' To redeem his 

 favour with the Queen, Drake had thought to repeat 

 some of his brilliant early exploits. No good thing can be 

 repeated ; and this last voyage saw a dramatic reversal of 

 his most fortunate achievements. His forces were repulsed 



Death of at Las Palmas and at Puerto Rico. Here Hawkins 

 sickened and died. They sacked and burned Rio de la 

 Hacha, seized Nombre de Dios, and thence sent forward a 

 land expedition to surprise and plunder Panama. The 

 isthmus was held in force by Spain, and the English 

 were beaten off. Drake's chief hopes were now shattered, 

 and he did what he had seldom done while his star 

 prevailed; he asked the advice of his officers. 'Since 

 our return from Panama,' says Maynarde, ' he never 

 carried mirth nor joy in his face ; yet no man he loved 

 must conjecture that he took thought thereof.' It was 

 resolved to make an attempt on Granada, Leon, and the 

 towns on the Lake of Nicaragua. The course was laid 

 for St. John's Harbour, but the wind was steadily against 

 them ; sickness broke out in the crews, and after some 

 weeks' struggle, Drake * resolved to depart, and to take 

 the wind as God sent it.' He had been attacked by the 

 prevalent sickness; on the morning of the 28th of 



Death of January, 1596, he died, and was buried in the sea off 

 Puerto Bello. * He was as famous,' says Stow, ' in 

 Europe and America, as Tamburlaine in Asia and 

 Africa.' When the news of his death was brought^ 

 there was joy in Spain, and the people felt that the 

 heavy hand of God had at last been lifted from them. 



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