anish coast, attended by very few
ships[**] He complained much to the queen of their want of spirit in
this enterprise; nor was she pleased, that they had returned without
attempting to intercept the Indian fleet;[**] but the great success, in
the enterprise on Cadiz, had covered all their miscarriages: and that
princess, though she admired the lofty genius of Essex, could not
forbear expressing an esteem for the other officers.[***] The admiral
was created earl of Nottingham; and his promotion gave great disgust to
Essex.[****]

* Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 97.

** Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 121.

*** Camden, p. 593.

**** Sidney Papers, vol. ii. p. 77.

In the preamble of the patent it was said, that the new dignity was
conferred on him on account of his good services in taking Cadiz, and
destroying the Spanish ships; a merit which Essex pretended to belong
solely to himself: and he offered to maintain this plea by single combat
against the earl of Nottingham, or his sons, or any of his kindred.

The achievements in the subsequent year proved not so fortunate; but
as the Indian fleet very narrowly escaped the English, Philip had still
reason to see the great hazard and disadvantage of that war in which he
was engaged, and the superiority which the English, by their naval power
and their situation, had acquired over him. The queen, having received
intelligence that the Spaniards, though their fleets were so much
shattered and destroyed by the expedition to Cadiz, were preparing a
squadron at Ferrol and the Groine, and were marching troops thither,
with a view of making a descent in Ireland, was resolved to prevent
their enterprise, and to destroy the shipping in these harbors. She
prepared a large fleet of a hundred and twenty sail, of which seventeen
were her own ships, forty-three were smaller vessels, and the rest
tenders and victuallers: she embarked on board this fleet five thousand
new-levied soldiers, and added a thousand veteran troops, whom
Sir Francis Vere brought from the Netherlands. The earl of Essex,
commander-in-chief both of the land and sea forces, was at the head of
one squadron; Lord Thomas Howard was appointed vice-admiral of another;
Sir Walter Raleigh of the third: Lord Mouatjoy commanded the land forces
under Essex: Vere was appointed marshal: Sir George Carew lieutenant
of the ordnance, and Sir Christopher Blount first colonel. The earls
of Rutland and Southampton,