*291 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



their titles, their houses, and their lands, be bestowed upon the 



^conquerors. 



Elizabeth and her councillors heard these ominous denuncia- 

 tions undismayed, and adequate preparations were made to re- 

 ceive the crusaders. London alone furnished ten thousand men, 

 and held ten thousand more in reserve : the whole land-force 

 amounted to sixty-five thousand. The fleet numbered one 

 .hundred and eighty-one vessels, — fifty more in number than the 

 Armada, but hardly half as powerful in tonnage. Eighteen of 

 these vessels were volunteers, and but one of the one hundred 

 -and eighty-one was of the burden of eleven hundred tons. 

 'The Lord High- Admiral of England, Charles, Lord Howard of 

 Effingham, commanded the fleet, with Drake, Hawkins, and 

 Frobisher in command of the various divisions. A form of 

 prayer was published, and the clergy were enjoined to read it 

 on Wednesdays and Fridays in their parish churches. In this, 

 Elizabeth was compared to Deborah, preparing to combat the 

 pride and might of Sisera-Philip. The country awaited the 

 arrival of the Spaniards in anxiety, and yet with confidence. 



The Armada sailed from the Tagus late in May, with the 

 solemn blessing of the Church, and patronized by every influeo 



HULL OF A VESSEL OF THE ARMADA. 



tial saint in the calendar. A storm drove it back with loss, and 

 it ,did not sail again till the 12th of July. It was descried oflf 

 Plymouth on the 20th, "with lofty turrets like castles, in front 

 like a naif-moon; the wings thereof spreading out about the 



