THE impending peril thoroughly aroused England. All parties, both Catholics and Protestants, rose and joined in the defence of their country and their queen. The English sea-forces under Howard, a Catholic, as admiral, and Drake, second in command, were assembled at Plymouth, watching for the enemy.
When the long-looked-for fleet came in sight,* beacon fires were lighted on the hills to give the alarm. The enemy’s ships moved steadily towards the coast in the form of a crescent seven miles in length; but Howard and Drake were ready to receive them. With their fast-sailing cruisers they sailed around the unwieldy Spanish warships, firing four shots to their one, and “harassing them as a swarm of wasps worry a bear.”* Several of the enemy’s vessels were captured, and one blown up.
At last the commander thought best to make for Calais to repair damages and take a fresh start.* The English followed. As soon as night came on, Drake sent eight blazing fire-ships to drift down among the Armada as it lay at anchor.*
* The first sighting was reported on July 19th. The opening engagement was at Eddystone Rock in Devon two days later.
* Montgomery surrounded these words with quotation marks, and in later editions changed ‘would’ to ‘worry,’ which has been adopted here, but he did not attribute the quotation.
* The enormous fleet gathered about the harbour at Gravelines, some twelve miles east of Calais. Calais had been an English possession from 1347 to 1558.
* The fireships were sent on the night of July 28th.