original of that lovely picture, he would forsake all the world." Then then began to talk of business: "But I found," continues the ambassador, "that the dumb picture did draw out more speech and affection from him, than all my best arguments and eloquence."
Such was the effect of this most gross flattery that we soon find Elizabeth sending her portrait as a pretended present to Henry's sister, and Henry capping his acting by seizing it, and keeping it, which was done at a hint from Lord Sheffield; and Henry crowned all by sending her word that he felt sure she must have meant it for him, and could not find it in his heart to part with it. The upshot of this amusing farce was, that 2,000 troops were sent to garrison Boulogne and Montreuil, and thus protect them from the Spaniards.
Sir Walter Raleigh. From the original Picture.
The hostile preparations in the ports of Spain at this time occupied all the attention of Elizabeth and her Government, and the more so as during the past years she had lost her two famous commanders, Drake and Hawkins. They had been sent out on one of their predatory expeditions against the Spanish settlements in South America and the West Indies. But circumstances in these quarters had become greatly changed. The colonies had acquired population and strength: the former ravages of these commanders had put the people and the Government on their guard. Wherever the English fleet appeared, it found the ports and coasts well guarded and defended. Their attacks wore repulsed, and such was the deplorable failure of the expedition, and the contrast to their former profitable and splendid exploits, that both commanders sunk under their anxiety and mortification, and died. The survivors only returned to experience the anger of the queen, who felt with equal sensibility the loss of reputation and of the accustomed booty.
The Lord Howard of Effingham, the brave high admiral who had so successfully commanded the fleet against the Armada, recommended at this crisis that the British Government should adopt the advice which he had given on the former occasion, to anticipate the intentions of Spain, and attack and destroy the menacing fleet ere it left the port. In this counsel he was ardently seconded by Essex; who loved above all things an expedition of a bold and romantic character, and the more so,
