CHAPTER XII

CADIZ AND FAYAL

Division of command-Ralegh's delay-Unwillingness of men to serve --Disputes-Ralegh's wise plan of action-The attack-The sack-Ralegh wounded-His small share of spoil-Return homeSends ship to Guiana-Death of Lady Cecil-Robert Cecil's policy -Expedition to Azores-Fayal-Quarrel with Essex.

RA

ALEGH did not long remain inactive. He found that a great adventure was in course of preparation in which he must needs take his part. A year before the Armada Sir John Hawkins had planned an attack on Spain's chief harbour, Cadiz, and in this year of 1596 Lord Howard of Effingham, High Admiral of England, determined to carry the plan into effect. The Earl of Essex was put in command of the land forces, Effingham of the fleet. Elizabeth invariably favoured the dangerous policy of divided command, which Ralegh in his " History of the World" cannot censure too strongly. The reason why such a clever woman continued to make this mistake is not known. Probably she feared that one man by a conspicuous victory would become too powerful for a subject. If this were the reason, and it seems likely that it was, her fears would naturally increase with her age. The same feeling, no doubt, prompted her strange choice of the inexperienced Essex. He, at any rate, she would think, would remain her loyal subject, and would not aspire to rebel against his royal mistress.

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The preparations were on an extensive scale. The fleet was divided into four squadrons, which were led by Essex, by the Lord Admiral, by Ralegh, and by Lord Thomas Howard. The total muster numbered seventeen Queen's ships and seventy-six hired ships, which were chiefly used for transport, besides pinnaces and small craft. They were assisted by a Dutch squadron of twenty-four vessels. The men were nearly sixteen thousand in all, land-soldiers and mariners.

Essex was waiting with the fleet at Plymouth for Ralegh, who had been commissioned to find men for the expedition. Ralegh's delay was the cause of much anxiety, and naturally there were not wanting men ready to construe that delay into treachery. Gossip Bacon suggests that he was endeavouring to undermine the position of Essex and get himself nominated general of the land forces in his stead. The true reason of his delay is, however, available. On May 4 he writes from Northfleet on the Thames to Sir Robert Cecil, telling him of the difficulty he experienced in obtaining ships and men for the service. "Mr. Pope presst all the ships. Hee can also informe you how little her Majestie's autoretie is respected. For as fast as wee press men one day they come away another and say they will not serve." He recommends Mr. Pope to Sir Robert Cecil for his keenness, and proceeds, "Here are at Gravesend sume 22 saile. Thos above that ar of great draught of water cannot tide it down, for they must take the high water and dare not make after an houre ebb untill they be past Barking Shelf. And now the wind is so strong as it is impossible to turne down, or to warpe down or to tooe downe. I cannot writ to our generalls all this tyme; for the pursevant found me in a countre villag, a mile from Gravend honting after runaway marriners and

dragging in the mire from ale-house to ale-house, and could gett no paper, butt that the pursevant had this peece."

The unwillingness to serve on a foreign expedition was common in England then: men began to weary of the hardships of fighting: they knew too intimately the horrors of a sea-battle. Essex, too, found the men at Plymouth ready to mutiny and desert. He immediately took stringent measures: soldiers were tried by martial law, and two were executed forthwith "on a very fair pleasant green called the Ho."

On June 1 the fleet at length put out to sea, and came to anchor on June 20 in the bay of St. Sebastians, which is half a league distant from Cadiz. The voyage had been taken without any mishap, except that the unwisdom of a divided command soon became apparent. From Dover Lord Howard of Effingham wrote to Robert Cecil: "My commission in being joined to the Earl is an idle thing; I am used but as a drag." But the weather was favourable, and several prizes were taken. From St. Sebastians Ralegh had instructions to sail with the ships under his charge and the Dutch squadron to the Main, and to lie just outside the harbour; he was bidden to take special care that the ships riding near Cadiz did not escape, but not to fight, except in selfdefence, without further direction. "When I was arrived back again (which was two hours after the rest) I found the Earl of Essex disembarking his soldiers; and he had put many companies into boats, purposing to make his descent on the west side of Cales; but such was the greatness of the billow, by reason of a forcible southerly wind, as the boats were ready to sink at the stern of the Earl; and indeed divers did so, and in them some of the armed men; but because it was formerly resolved (and

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that to cast doubts would have been esteemed an effect of fear) the Earl purposed to go on until such time as I came aboard him, and in the presence of all the collonels protested against the resolution; giving him reasons and making apparent demonstrations that he thereby ran the way of our general ruin, to the utter overthrow of the whole armies, their own lives, and her Majesty's future safety. The Earl excused himself, and laid it before the Lord Admiral, who (he said) 'would not consent to enter with the fleet till the town were first possessed.' All the commanders and gentlemen present besought me to dissuade the attempt, for they all perceived the danger, and were resolved that the most part could not but perish in the sea, ere they came to set foot on ground, and if any arrived on shoar, yet were they sure to have their boats cast on their heads; and that twenty men in so desperate a descent would have defeated them all. The Earl hereupon prayed me to perswade my Lord Admiral, who, finding a certain destruction by the former resolution, was content to enter the port.

"When I brought news of this agreement to the Earl, calling out of my boat Entramus, he cast his hat into the sea for joy and prepared to weigh anchor."

In these words Ralegh tells how he saved England from a great disaster. It is not known to whom he wrote this account, but it was found and printed by his grandson, Philip Ralegh, just one hundred and three years later. Probably Lord Howard took a negative attitude; he found, no doubt, a grim satisfaction in seeing the impetuous young fool, Essex, send the land force which he commanded to its inevitable destruction. He would think that he could easily set matters right again with his fleet, and Essex would be once for all humiliated, if not slain. Ralegh saved the situation. He

had the moral courage to disdain the charge of cowardice, and the ability to prove in words the complete wrongness of the plan of attack. That was not all. The situation was still perilous to a degree. The day was drawing to a close; boats were filled in disorder with men from different ships. They were an attacking force with whom time was of the utmost value, and they were without a plan of attack. Ralegh was indefatigable. All his powers were called into play-his influence over men, his capacity of managing affairs, his knowledge of tactics in sea-fighting and land-fighting-and he mastered the crisis.

The men were disposed to their ships, and the ships were anchored at the very mouth of the harbour, and probably Ralegh was at the pains to prove to them that this retirement was no disgrace. Order was not restored until ten o'clock at night, and then Ralegh drew up a full account of the manner in which the attack should be conducted, full in every detail of the arrangement of the ships and the precedence of the commanders. His plan was accepted, and at his own request he was allowed the post of honour, much coveted, as leader of the van. Lord Thomas Howard especially coveted the foremost position; "he pressed the Generals to have the service committed unto him, and left the Meer Honour to Mr. Dudley, putting himself in the Nonpareill. For mine own part, as I was willing to give honour to my Lord Thomas, having both precedency in the army, and being a nobleman whom I much honoured, so yet I was resolved to give and not take example for this service; holding mine own reputation dearest, and remembering my great duty to her Majesty. With the first peep of day, therefore, I weighed anchor, and bare with the Spanish fleet, taking the start of all ours a good distance."