This last was a little touch of gallantry, which we should be glad to
remember with the honour due to the brave English sailor who commanded
the 'George Noble;' but his name has passed away, and his action is an
_in memoriam_, on which time has effaced the writing. All that August
night the fight continued, the stars rolling over in their sad majesty,
but unseen through the sulphurous clouds which hung over the scene. Ship
after ship of the Spaniards came on upon the 'Revenge,' 'so that never
less than two mighty galleons were at her side and aboard her,' washing
up like waves upon a rock, and falling foiled and shattered back amidst
the roar of the artillery. Before morning fifteen several Armadas had
assailed her, and all in vain; some had been sunk at her side; and the
rest, 'so ill approving of their entertainment, that at break of day
they were far more willing to hearken to a composition, than hastily to
make more assaults or entries.' 'But as the day increased,' says
Raleigh, 'so our men decreased; and as the light grew more and more, by
so much the more grew our discomfort, for none appeared in sight but
enemies, save one small ship called the "Pilgrim," commanded by Jacob
Whiddon, who hovered all night to see the success, but in the morning,
bearing with the "Revenge," was hunted like a hare among many ravenous
hounds--but escaped.'

All the powder in the 'Revenge' was now spent, all her pikes were
broken, 40 out of her 100 men killed, and a great number of the rest
wounded. Sir Richard, though badly hurt early in the battle, never
forsook the deck till an hour before midnight; and was then shot through
the body while his wounds were being dressed, and again in the head. His
surgeon was killed while attending on him; the masts were lying over the
side, the rigging cut or broken, the upper works all shot in pieces, and
the ship herself, unable to move, was settling slowly in the sea; the
vast fleet of Spaniards lying round her in a ring, like dogs round a
dying lion, and wary of approaching him in his last agony. Sir Richard,
seeing that it was past hope, having fought for fifteen hours, and
'having by estimation eight hundred shot of great artillery through
him,' 'commanded the master gunner, whom he knew to be a most resolute
man, to split and sink the ship, that thereby nothing might remain of
glory or victory to the Spaniards; seeing in so many hours they were not
able to take her, having had above fifteen