He Appointed For General Of
This His So Called Invincible Armada, The Duke Of Medina Sidonia, Who
Was Employed On
This occasion more for his high birth and exalted rank,
than for any experience in sea affairs; for so many
Dukes, marquises,
and earls had volunteered on this occasion, that it was feared they
might repine if commanded by a person of lower quality than themselves.
They departed from Lisbon on the 19th of May 1588, with the greatest
pride and glory, and with less doubt of victory than ever had been done
by any nation. But God, angry with their insolence, turned the event
quite contrary to their expectation.
[Footnote 344: Church. Col. III. 157.]
The directions given by the king of Spain to his general, the duke of
Medina Sidonia, were to repair, as wind and weather might allow, to the
road of Calais in Picardy, there to wait the arrival of the prince of
Parma and his army, and on their meeting they were to open a letter
containing their farther instructions. He was especially commanded to
sail along the coasts of Brittany and Normandy in going up the channel,
to avoid being discovered by the English; and, if he even met the
English fleet, he was in no case to offer them battle, but only to
defend himself in case of attack. On coming athwart the North Cape[345]
the duke was assailed with contrary wind and foul weather, by which he
was forced to take shelter in the _Groyne_, or bay of Corunna, where
part of his fleet waited for him.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 598 of 842
Words from 163109 to 163374
of 230997
