Her eyes were opened; and, infected for a
moment with the warlike spirit into which her people and her Parliament
had lashed themselves, she ordered Drake in 1587 to the coast of Spain.
It was no longer as a privateer that he was to act. He held the rank of
her majesty's admiral-at-the-seas, and William Borough, the comptroller
of the navy, was his vice-admiral. Four of the Queen's largest
battle-ships and two of her pinnaces were under his command, and the
London merchants committed to his flag ten fine cruisers, with the
famous Merchant Royal at their head. Besides these, he had six hundred
tons of his own shipping, as well as some of the lord admiral's. In all,
exclusive of tenders, there were twenty-three sail--five battle-ships,
two first-class cruisers, seven of the second class, and nine gunboats
large and small. With this fine force he was instructed to proceed to
Cape St. Vincent, and by every means in his power to prevent the
concentration of the several divisions of the Armada by cutting off
their victuallers, and even destroying them in the ports where they lay.
If the enemy sailed for England or Ireland, he was to hang on their
skirts, cut off stragglers, and prevent a landing; and, finally, he was
given a free hand to act against the East and West India convoys.
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