conferred on him the title of governor and
captain-general of the united provinces, appointed a guard to attend
him, and treated him in some respects as their sovereign. But this step
had a contrary effect to what they expected. The queen was displeased
with the artifice of the states, and the ambition of Leicester. She
severely reprimanded both; and it was with some difficulty that, after
many humble admissions, they were able to appease her.

America was regarded as the chief source of Philip's power, as well as
the most defenceless part of his dominions, and Elizabeth, finding that
an open breach with that monarch was unavoidable, resolved not to leave
him unmolested in that quarter. The great success of the Spaniards and
Portuguese in both Indies had excited a spirit of emulation in England;
and as the progress of commerce, still more that of colonies, is slow
and gradual, it was happy that a war in this critical period had opened
a more flattering prospect to the avarice and ambition of the English,
and had tempted them, by the view of sudden and exorbitant profit, to
engage in naval enterprises. A fleet of twenty sail was equipped to
attack the Spaniards in the West Indies: two thousand three hundred
volunteers, besides seamen, engaged on board of it; Sir Francis Drake
was appointed admiral; Christopher Carlisle, commander of the land
forces.

{1586.} They took St. Jago, near Cape Verde, by surprise; and found in
it plenty of provisions, but no riches. They sailed to Hispaniola; and
easily making themselves masters of St. Domingo by assault, obliged the
inhabitants to ransom their houses by a sum of money. Carthagena fell
next into their hands, after some more resistance, and was treated in
the same manner. They burnt St. Anthony and St. Helens, two towns on the
coast of Florida. Sailing along the coast of Virginia, they found the
small remains of a colony which had been planted there by Sir Walter
Raleigh, and which had gone extremely to decay. This was the first
attempt of the English to form such settlements; and though they have
since surpassed all European nations, both in the situation of their
colonies, and in the noble principles of liberty and industry on which
they are founded, they had here been so unsuccessful, that the miserable
planters abandoned their settlements, and prevailed on Drake to carry
them with him to England. He returned with so much riches as encouraged
the volunteers, and with such ac