DRAKE. Responsibility! To whom? To our Queen? She will hold us responsible, only for failure in our enterprise. In plain words, for bringing home no money. Besides, she has no jurisdiction here, nor are we sailing under her flag, or the authority of a Lord High Admiral, or his Court. We Rovers sail under our own red bunting, acknowledging no Courts; and fight our way, not palter about Treaties. Law cannot defend us; should the Spaniards but get us into their clutches, would they vouchsafe to us, trial in a lawful court? No! We should have neither law nor mercy. The Inquisition! Torture! the Auto-de-fe, that is fire and faggot, would be our lot. For my part, I will acknowledge no responsibility, but to God, upon His own ocean! So long as I live, I shall consider it my best duty to him, to make war upon Spaniards, who are alike his enemies and ours. Is that monster Philip without other motive than the impulse of a cruel nature, to sit unopposed in his cabinet like a spider weaving his webs of slavery for mankind, to monopolise the earth’s surface with all the gold in its bosom, and the whole ocean as well? Why not its circumambient air, that we may ask his leave to breathe? I tell you, Hawkins, that whilst I can muster a keel, and men and Britons to man it, I shall ask no licence from mortal man; I shall boldly take my share of its wild waves, in spite of all the Despots in the world, and claim it as my patrimony from God! (_He turns away in great excitement_.) _The report of a solitary gun booms along the water_, _and cuts short the debate_. _They are all startled_, _but before there is time for utterance_, _it is followed by a discharge from the batteries on the island_, _and successive volleys from a number of Ships in the offing_. HAWKINS, (_in alarm_), What can this mean? Those are no signal guns, no friendly salutes. HAMPTON. No, General, no blank cartridges there! The report is too sharp; it has the ring of metal. We are surprised. It is time to get ready, and stand by our guns; it must be a Spanish fleet! HAWKINS. God grant it be not the outward bound fleet of Spain, we must keep them out. Get ready my pinnace! Bear a hand! We must be off to the island, and see to this. Get your ships under weigh, and stand by, to dispute the mouth of the harbour. (_Exeunt_.) SCENE II.—AN ISLAND WITH BATTERIES COMMANDING THE MOUTH OF THE HARBOUR. _The Spanish fleet of thirteen sail_, _sent out expressly to look for_ HAWKINS, _and to treat him as a pirate_. _The English forbid entrance_. _A party of Spaniards_, _with the Spanish Ambassador and the new Viceroy of Spain_, _under a flag of truce_, _await the arrival of the English Commander to treat_. Enter Sir JOHN HAWKINS, DRAKE, HAMPTON, BOLTON, and others. SPANISH AMBASSADOR. Have I the honour to address the great, invincible and renowned, Sir John Hawkins, whose fame is throughout the world?