And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea,
But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty-three.
Ship after ship the whole night long their high-built galleons came,
Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle-thunder and
flame;
Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back with her dead and her
shame.
For some were sunk and many were shatter'd, and so could fight us no
more--
God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before?
_The Revenge_ had by this time spent her last barrel of gunpowder; all
her pikes were broken, forty of her best men slain, and most of the
remainder wounded. For her brave defenders there was now no hope,--no
powder, no weapons, the masts all beaten overboard, all her tackle cut
asunder, her decks battered, nothing left overhead for flight or below
for defence.
Sir Richard, finding himself in this condition after fifteen hours'
hard fighting, and having received about eight hundred shots from
great guns, besides various assaults from the enemy, and seeing,
moreover, no way by which he might prevent his ship falling into the
hands of the Spanish, commanded the master gunner, whom he knew was
a most resolute man, to split and sink the ship. He did this that
thereby nothing might remain of glory or victory to the Spaniards:
seeing that in so many hours' fight, and with so great a navy, they
were not able to take her, though they had fifteen hours in which
to do so; and moreover had 15,000 men and fifty-three ships of war
against his single vessel of five hundred tons.
He endeavoured to persuade his men to yield themselves to God, and to
the mercy of none else; that, as they had repulsed so many enemies,
they should not shorten the honour of their nation by prolonging their
lives by a few hours or days.
The captain and master could not, however, see the matter in this
light, and besought Sir Richard to have a care of them, declaring that
the Spaniards would be ready to treat with them; and that, as there
were a number of gallant men yet living whose wounds were not mortal,
they might do their country and prince acceptable service hereafter.
They also pointed out that as _The Revenge_ had six feet of water in
the hold and three shots under water, but weakly stopped, she must
needs sink in the first heavy sea; which indeed happened a few days
later. But Sir Richard refused to be guided by such counsels.
Whilst, however, the dispute was going on, the master of _The Revenge_
opened communication with the Spaniards and concluded an arrangement
fully honourable to the British, by which it was agreed that those on
board _The Revenge_ should be sent to England in due course; those of
the better sort to pay a reasonable ransom, and meantime no one was
to be imprisoned. The commander of the Spanish fleet agreed to this
readily, not only because (knowing the disposition of his adversary)
he feared further loss to his own side by prolonging the fight, but
because he greatly admired the valour of Sir Richard Grenville, and
desired to save his life. The master gunner, finding Sir Richard and
himself alone in their way of thinking, would have slain himself
rather than fall into the hands of the enemy, but was forcibly
prevented from carrying out his intention and locked in his cabin.
Being sent for by Don Alfonso Bassan, the Spanish commander, Sir
Richard made no objection to going, answering that he might do as he
pleased with his body, for he esteemed it not. As he was being carried
out of the ship he swooned, and reviving again desired the company to
pray for him.
Though the Spaniards treated Sir Richard with every care and
consideration, he died the second or third day after the fight, deeply
lamented both by, the enemy and by his own men.
"Here die I, Richard Grenville," said he, "with a joyful and quiet
mind; for that I have ended my life as a true soldier ought to do,
that hath fought for his country, queen, religion and honour. Whereby
my soul most joyfully departeth out of this body, and shall always
leave behind it an everlasting fame of a valiant and true soldier,
that hath done his duty as he was bound to do."
The reason the other British ships did not take part in the contest
was that it was altogether hopeless; and that, had the admiral ordered
it, the entire fleet would probably have fallen into the hands of the
Spaniards, seeing that they so greatly outnumbered the British ships.
Six small ships ill supplied with fighting men against fifty-three
bigger ones filled with soldiers was too great a disparity of force to
give even a hope of victory.
And, although Lord Howard would himself have gone into battle even
against such odds as that, yet the other commanders were greatly
opposed to so rash an enterprise; and the master of his own ship said
he would rather jump into the sea than conduct her Majesty's ship and
the rest to be a prey to the enemy.
Hence it was that _The Revenge_ fought alone on that September day the
entire Spanish fleet, and has given us one of the most glorious pages
in the annals of our national history.