Well might he wonder now at God's providence, as with lightened heart
he sailed homeward with his prize. For not only was it the richest ever
seen in England before or since, not only was its cargo valued at over
a million of our money, but in it were papers which disclosed to our
merchants all the mysteries and richness of the East India trade. It
was a revelation to English commerce. It intoxicated the soberest
capitalists; and they knew no rest till they had formed the great East
India Company, to widen the gap which Drake had opened, and to lay the
foundation of our Indian Empire.
DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA
A.D. 1588
SIR EDWARD SHEPHERD CREASY
Two years after the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne of
England, the Geneva Confession of Faith (Calvinistic) was adopted by
the Scottish nation, which thus formally became Protestant. The aim
of Mary, Queen of Scots, to restore the Catholic religion in that
kingdom added many complications to her royal task, as well as to
her personal fortunes. Her final condemnation and execution, 1587,
for conspiracy against Elizabeth, occurred at a time when the shadow
of Spanish supremacy was being cast broadly over Europe.
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