The Spanish Armada and
England's preparations for defence.
Cherishing the vain hope that the English freebooter
would render him powerful assistance, Philip
despatched, after three years' careful preparation, his
famous Armada, comprising all the naval forces then
at the disposal of the Peninsula. He had the most
perfect confidence in the result. The invasion and
subjugation of England were to his mind matters that
could not admit of doubt; nor had the government
and people of this country much hope of resisting so
formidable a fleet, consisting as it did of one hundred
and thirty-two ships and twenty caravels, amounting
together to fifty-nine thousand one hundred and
twenty tons, exclusive of four galliasses and four
galleys, the whole manned by thirty-two thousand
seven hundred and nine men of all ranks, under the
command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia. But,
though the defence appeared to be hopeless, the
feeling of despair seems never to have entered the
minds of the English people, who with one accord
made the most strenuous efforts to meet this apparently
overwhelming force. London, ever foremost in its
loyalty, furnished Elizabeth with large sums of
money, the citizens rivalling with each other in the
amounts they raised, and furnishing double the
number of ships and men required by the royal
edict. The same patriotic spirit pervaded the
whole of the country, especially the seaport towns
and the merchant marine. The collective force of
the English fleet has often been published,[1] and in
abstract may be stated as follows:
- ↑ It will be found in detail in the Cottonian MSS. at the British Museum. The English fleet was commanded by Lord Howard of Effingham, Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher.
