plan from first to last. The commander of the whole expedition was the Duke of Parma; on his head was the whole 'responsibility. Not a gun was to be fired, if it could be avoided, until he had come forth with his veterans to make his junction with the Invincible Armada off Calais. Yet there was no arrangement whatever to enable him to come forth-not the slightest provision to effect that junction. It would almost seem that the letter-writer of the Escorial had been quite ignorant of the existence of the Dutch fleets of Dunkerk, Newport, and Flushing," although he had certainly received information enough of this 'formidable obstacle to his plan...... 5. Thus there were bread, beef, and powder enough; there were monks and priests enough; standards, galleyslaves, and 'inquisitors enough; but there were no light vessels in the Armada, and no heavy vessels in Parma's fleet. Medina could not go to Farnese, nor could Farnese come to Medina. The junction was likely to be difficult, and yet it had never once entered the head of Philip or his 'counsellors to provide for that difficulty. The king never seemed to imagine that Farnese, with forty thousand or fifty thousand soldiers in the Netherlands, a fleet of three hundred transports, and power to dispose of very large funds for one great purpose, could be kept in prison by a fleet of Dutch skippers and corsairs. 6. Where was Farnese? Most 'impatiently the Golden Duke paced the deck of the Saint Martin. Most eagerly were thousands of eyes strained towards the eastern horizon to catch the first glimpse of Farnese's flotilla. But the day wore on to its close, and still the same inexplicable and 'mysterious silence prevailed. There was utter solitude on the waters in the direction of Gravelines 6 and Dunkerk, not a sail upon the sea in the quarter where bustle and activity had been most expected. The mystery was profound; for it had never entered the head of any man in the Armada that Farnese could not come out when he chose...... 7. As the twilight deepened, the moon became totally obscured, dark cloud-masses spread over the heavens, the sea grew black, distant thunder rolled, and the sob of an approaching tempest became distinctly audible. Such indications of a westerly gale were not encouraging to those *cumbrous vessels, with the 'treacherous quicksands of Flanders under their lee. 8. At an hour past midnight it was so dark that it was difficult for the most practised eye to pierce far into the gloom. But a faint drip of oars now struck the ears of the Spaniards as they watched from the decks. A few moments afterwards the sea became suddenly luminous, and six flaming vessels appeared at a slight distance, bearing steadily down upon them before the wind and tide. 9. There were men in the Armada who had been at the siege of Antwerp only three years before. They remembered with horror the devil-ships of Gianibelli,7 those floating volcanoes, which had seemed to rend earth and ocean, whose explosion had laid so many thousands of soldiers dead at a blow, and which had shattered the bridge and floating forts of Farnese, as if they had been toys of glass. They knew, too, that the famous engineer was at that moment in England. 10. In a moment one of those horrible panics, which spread with such contagious rapidity among large bodies of men, seized upon the Spaniards. There was a yell throughout the fleet, "The fire-ships of Antwerp ! the fire-ships of Antwerp!" and in an instant every cable was cut, and frantic attempts were made by each galleon and galeasse to escape what seemed 'imminent destruction. The confusion was beyond description. Four or five of the largest ships became entangled with one another. Two others were set on fire by the flaming vessels, and were consumed. 11. Medina Sidonia, who had been warned, even before his departure from Spain, that some such artifice would probably be attempted, and who had even, early that morning, sent out a party of sailors in a pinnace to search for indications of the scheme, was not surprised or dismayed. He gave orders, as well as might be, that every ship, after the danger should be past, was to return to its post, and await his further orders. But it was useless in that moment of unreasonable panic to issue commands. The despised Mantuan, who had met with so many rebuffs at Philip's court, and who-owing to official 'incredulity-had been but partly successful in his magnificent enterprise at Antwerp, had now, by the mere terror of his name, inflicted more damage on Philip's Armada than had hitherto been accomplished by Howard and Drake, Hawkins and Frobisher 10 combined. [The Spanish fleet sailed northwards. The English ships pursued it for some time; but they were compelled to retire, as their ammunition ran short. After the Armada passed the Orkneys it encountered a violent storm, and many vessels were wrecked. Not half of the splendid navy returned to Spain.] J. L. MOTLEY: History of the United Netherlands. au-di-ble, able to be heard. for-mi-da-ble, serious; causing fear. in-di-ca-tions, signs. in-quis-i-tors, members of the court squad-rons, divisions. treach-er-ous, misleading; danger ous. in-ex-pli-ca-ble, not able to be ex- vet-er-ans, experienced soldiers; lit plained. 1 New/port, a fortified town in West Flanders, 10 miles south-west of Ostend. 2 Sluys (Slooz), a fortified town in Zeeland, 22 miles north-east of Ostend. 3 Dun/kerk, a sea-port of France, 24 miles north-east of Calais. At the time spoken of it belonged to Flanders. It was sold to Louis XIV. of France by Charles II. of England for £200,000, in 1664. erally, old men. 4 The Escorial, the magnificent palace of the Spanish kings, 25 miles north-west of Madrid; built by Philip II., 1563-86. The "letter writer" is Philip. 5 Flush'ing, a sea-port in Zeeland, on the south of the island of Walcheren. 6 Gravelines', a sea-port 12 miles north-east of Calais. 7 Gianibelli, a famous Italian en- | English seaman; a native of Plymouth. gineer, a native of Mantua. He founded a hospital at Chatham, for the relief of wounded and decayed seamen. 8 How'ard, Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, Lord High Admiral of England. Though a Roman Catholic, he took the command against the Armada. 9 Hawkins, Sir John, a famous 10 Fro/bisher, Sir Martin, an eminent seaman; a native of Doncaster. He was an Arctic explorer. 6.-" MERRIE ENGLANDE." 1600 A.D. 1. English society made rapid strides of improvement during the Tudor Period. The Elizabethan houses 1 greatly surpassed those of Henry the Seventh's reign, both in point of internal convenience and outward beauty. The furniture, too, displayed increasing artistic taste-carved tables and buffets, richly ornamented clocks, and Turkey carpets for the covering of couches, having become not uncommon in the mansions of the great. 2. The Gull's Hornbook, written by the dramatist Dekker,2 supplies us with a picture of fast London life in the opening of the seventeenth century. The morning toilet of the gallant-his lounge in the fashionable walk at St. Paul's Churchyard-his chance visit to the neighbouring bookstalls-his practice in the schools for dancing and fencing -the elaborate apparatus of his smoking machine, which he kindles in the 'smoking-ordinary-the eleven o'clock shilling dinner at the fashionable eating-house-the cards and pipes that followed-the stool upon the stage, where he smokes and makes audible remarks upon the actors in the middle of their tenderest or most tremendous partsthe 'revelries of the closing night, and the perilous homeward walk, at nine or so, through the dark, thief-swarming lanes, lighted only by the rare and feeble glimmer of the watch-lantern, rise in succession as we read the vivid pages. 3. An evening or rather an afternoon party was then amused, as we are now, chiefly with music, dancing, and games of various kinds. Playing on the 'cittern or the 'virginals accompanied by the voice, dancing corantos, lavoltas, or that extremely rigid dance called pavo3 or pavin after the solemn strutting peacock, varied with backgammon, shovel-board, and different games at cards, sped the hours quickly on. In town the theatre was a great resort. From one o'clock till four, that is during most of the interval between dinner and supper, the flag on the roof of the play-house fluttered its gaudy announcement that the play was going on. 4. The pageant still continued to be not merely the delight of the citizens, but also the stated amusement of the court. Of all the 'variegated shows which the time produced, the displays at Kenilworth in honour of Elizabeth's visit to Dudley 5 bear the palm. Tinselled pasteboard giants, with real trumpeters inside, greeted Her Grace as she neared the gate. A porter, dressed as Hercules, presented her with the keys. Then over the pool or moat came a mock Lady of the Lake, glittering with classical gifts of the heathen gods-grain in silver bowls from Ceres, wine and grapes from Bacchus, instruments of music from Apollo, and so forth. What with music, fireworks, hunting, bear-baiting, pageants on the water with Arion singing on the dolphin's back, 'masques, banquets, and plays, it was not Dudley's fault if his royal mistress lacked entertainment in his castle. 5. The Christmas that was kept in old English manorhouses at this time was a 'picturesque and hearty festival. With shouts of merriment on Christmas Eve the huge Yule-log6 was dragged into the hall, wetting the rushes underfoot with the drip of its half-thawed 'icicles. Smoking torches flared red in the frosty air outside; within, the wide chimney gaped for its expected load, while on the antlered walls around, decked with the spoils and |