With These, And Lemons, With
Which They Were Abundantly Supplied, His People Were Much Refreshed.
After two days stay at that place, taking in a supply of wood and water,
and procuring refreshments, they sailed from thence on the 24th July.
Next day, they were in lat.
25 deg. 30' N. under the tropic of Cancer, fifty
leagues from land. Being completely supplied with all necessaries, they
continued their voyage, without stopping any where, and arrived at
Plymouth on Monday the 26th of September, 1580, having been absent two
years, nine months, and thirteen days. By their reckoning, the day of
their arrival was only Sunday the 25th, as in going completely round the
world in the same course with the sun, that luminary had risen once
seldomer to them than to those who remained stationary, so that they had
lost a day in their computation.
SECTION V.
Reception of Sir Francis Drake in England, and same Notices of his
remaining Actions.
The fame of his return from this wonderful voyage round the world soon
spread over England, and all strove to express their sense of the
worthiness of Captain Drake, by praises and other testimonies of regard.
Several collections were made of poems, epigrams, and songs, celebrating
him and his ship in the highest strains. Yet, in the midst of almost
universal applause, some endeavoured to censure his conduct, and to
place this great exploit in a wrong light. These persons alleged, that
his circumnavigation of the globe served only to amuse the minds of the
vulgar, while the main purpose of the voyage had been plunder, of which
they pretended he had acquired sufficient to exempt the nation from
taxes for seven years. They also set forth, as war had not been
proclaimed against Spain, that it was dangerous to own such an
adventurer, lest the nation might be made to pay dearly for his prizes:
For, as the merchants had great effects in Spain, their goods might
possibly be seized to make good his depredations.
The Spanish ambassador also assailed him with very warm memorials,
styling him the Master Thief of the Unknown World. The friends and
patrons of Drake, finding themselves wounded through his sides, took all
manner of pains to vindicate his conduct, alleging that he had the
queen's commission and authority to justify him in making reprisals;
that by so much wealth as he had brought home the nation would be
enriched; that the Spaniards had already done us much injury; and, if
the king of Spain were disposed to seize the effects of our merchants,
the public ought to receive this treasure as an equivalent; which, were
it returned, would break the spirit of our brave tars, who otherwise
were more likely to humble the pride of the Spaniards.
In the mean time, matters remained long in suspense, during which Drake
must have suffered considerable anxiety, lest, after all his toils
abroad, he might be deemed a pirate at home. The queen long delayed to
declare her sentiments, perhaps wishing to see what effects her conduct
might have with the court of Spain, which was probably withheld from
precipitating hostilities, by the hope of being able to recover this
great treasure. To keep up this hope, she artfully consented to part
with some small sums to Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador. At length,
matters coming to a crisis, she threw off the veil, and giving notice to
Captain Drake of her intentions, she visited him on the 4th April, 1581,
on board his ship, then at Deptford, where she was magnificently
entertained; and, after dinner, she was graciously pleased to confer the
honour of knighthood on Captain Drake, telling him that his actions did
him more honour than the title she had conferred. A prodigious crowd
attended the queen on this occasion, so that the bridge laid from the
ship to the shore broke down with their weight, and more than 200
persons fell into the Thames, yet no one was drowned, or even materially
hurt. After this public approbation from the sovereign, all ranks of
people redoubled their congratulations, and henceforward the reputation
of Sir Francis Drake continually increased, so that he became a kind of
oracle in maritime affairs, both to the nation and the court. - Here,
strictly speaking, we ought to conclude our account of this illustrious
navigator; yet it may not be amiss to give a short sketch of his
succeeding actions.
The war with Spain still continuing, he went out in 1585, general by sea
and land, of an expedition to the West Indies, where he took the cities
of St Jago, St Domingo, and Carthagena, and the fort and town of St
Augustine; returning from this expedition with great glory and
advantage, the profits amounting to L60,000, after defraying all
charges, of which L20,000 were divided among the seamen, and L40,000
came clear to the undertakers or adventurers. In 1587, he had the
command of another fleet, with which he sailed to the bay of Cadiz, and
thence to the Tagus, where he destroyed 10,000 tons of shipping, which
the king of Spain had collected for the purpose of invading England. He
likewise brought home the St Philip, a very rich prize, said by the
writers of these times to have been the first carack ever taken and
brought home to England.
In the glorious year 1588, by commission from the queen, Sir Francis
Drake was appointed vice-admiral of the fleet of England, then fitted
out for opposing the invincible Spanish Armada. In this arduous
service, on which the independence and existence of England depended, he
performed even more than his former actions gave reason to expect. In
the very beginning of the fight, he captured two very large ships of
war, one commanded by the Spanish vice-admiral Oquendas, and the other
by Don Pedro de Valdez. This latter officer defended his ship with great
gallantry for a long time; and at length, on surrendering, and
delivering his sword to Sir Francis, he addressed him to the following
effect:
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