Page:Royalnavyhistory01clow.djvu/520

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472
MILITARY HISTORY, 1485-1603.
[1557.

once returned the salute in the usual friendly way. Hervey calls this "a noble instance of spirit which well deserves to be commemorated." Campbell considers it "a circumstance worthy of immortal remembrance, and one would think too of imitation."[1]

Philip landed at Southampton on July 19th, and the marriage took place at Winchester on the 25th of the same month. On August 12th, the royal pair made their public entry into London, amid the barely repressed disgust of the greater part of the nation.

Philip remained in England only until September, 1555, and did not revisit the country, save for a short period in 1557; yet he was not without influence upon its policy; and his accession to the throne of Spain, upon the abdication of his father in January, 1556, enabled him to involve England in disastrous wars with France and Scotland. Nor, in all probability, was he entirely irresponsible for the supercession, on February 10th, 1557, as Lord High Admiral, of Howard of Effingham by Edward, Lord Clinton; although, no doubt, Howard's devotion to the Princess Elizabeth was the ostensible reason why the change was made.

The French campaign opened well. William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, with seven or eight thousand men, and in co-operation with Spanish troops, contributed to the victory of St. Quentin, in Picardy, on July 7th, 1557; but there was soon a great misfortune to be set off against this somewhat useless success. On January 1st, 1558, Francis, Duke of Guise, suddenly appeared at the Bridge of Nieullay, close to Calais, and surprised the defences there. Next day, D'Andelot de Coligny[2] seized Fort Risban on the sea front; and on the 5th, the citadel was carried by assault. On the 7th, Lord Wentworth, the governor, who had but five hundred men at his disposal, capitulated; and so, after upwards of two hundred years of English occupation, this important strong place was lost, owing to the culpable indifference of the English Government, which, although it was war time, had failed to provide it with necessary men and supplies.[3] On January 20th, Earl Grey de Wilton had to surrender Guines;[4] and presently there remained to England not a single foot of her once splendid dominions in France.

  1. See also Monson's 'Tracts,' in Churchill's Voyages, 243; Speed, 824; Holinshed, ii. 1118.
  2. Brother of Gaspard, the Admiral of France.
  3. Grafton, 1354, 1355; Godwin, 330, 331; Daniel, viii. 210; Stowe, 631, 632; Burleigh's Diary (Murdin), 747; Dupleix, iii, 576, 577; Guérin, ii. 174, 175.
  4. Grafton, 1357-1359; Godwin, 331, 332; Stowe, 632.