ia even now counseled
abandonment; but religious faith, the fatalistic pride of Spain,
and Philip's dogged fixity of purpose drove them on. Putting out
of Corunna on July 22, and again buffeted by Biscay gales, they
were sighted off the Lizard at daybreak of July 30, and a pinnace
scudded into Plymouth with the alarm.

[Illustration: CRUISE OF THE SPANISH ARMADA]

For England the moment of supreme crisis had come, Elizabeth's
policy of paying for nothing that she might expect her subjects
to contribute had left the royal navy short of what the situation
called for, and the government seems also, even throughout the
campaign, to have tied the admirals to the coast and kept them from
distant adventures by limited supplies of munitions and food. But
in the imminent danger, the nobility, both Catholic and Protestant,
and every coastwise city, responded to the call for ships and men.
Their loyalty was fatal to Philip's plan. The royal fleet of 25
ships and a dozen pinnaces was reenforced until the total craft of
all descriptions numbered 197, not more than 140 of which, however,
may be said to have had a real share in the campaign. For a month
or more a hundred sail had been mobilized at Plymouth, of which
69 were greatships and galleons. These were smaller in average
tonnage than the Spanish ships, but more heavily armed, and manned
by 10,000 capable seamen. Lord Henry Seymour, with Palmer and Sir
William Winter under him, watched Parma at the Strait of Dover,
with 20 ships and an equal number of galleys, barks and pinnaces.
The Lord High Admiral, Thomas Howard of Effingham, a nobleman of 50
with some naval experience and of a family that had long held the
office, commanded the western squadron, with Drake as Vice Admiral
and John Hawkins as Rear Admiral. The _Ark_ (800 tons), _Revenge_
(500), and _Victory_ (800) were their respective flagships. Martin
Frobisher in the big 1100-ton _Triumph_, Lord Sheffield in the
_White Bear_ (1000), and Thomas Fenner in the _Nonpareil_ (500)
were included with the Admirals in Howard's inner council of war.
"Howard," says Thomas Fuller, "was no deep-seaman, but he had
skill enough to know those who had more skill than himself and
to follow their instructions." As far as as possible for a
commoner, Drake exercised command.

[Illustration: From Pigafetta's _Discorso sopro l'Ordinanza dell'
Armata Catholico_ (Corbett's _Drake_, Vol. II, p. 213).

ORIGINAL "EAGLE" FORMATION OF THE ARMADA