It is necessary for our purpose to take note also of the mode or means by which this mighty duel was carried on. Philip aspired to universal dominion; England was the great obstacle that stood in his way. His first endeavour was to obtain the hand of Elizabeth, and thus to become its king as he had been before. Failing in this, he tried to flatter and cajole her, by his Ambassadors and hirelings, into a belief that he was her friend, without whom she could not reign; whilst all the time he was labouring to have her assassinated—organizing rebellion against her by Jesuit spies—Then he tried more openly to ruin her Commerce and her Naval power, by seizing English ships in his ports, confiscating them and their cargoes, delivering over their crews to the Inquisition to be burned at the stake, or consumed by cruel treatment in his dungeons. Finally, he slily invaded Ireland, in order to wrest it from England. All this without a declaration of war. Nay! whilst his Ambassadors were pretending peace and amity. The English Government was paralysed, and it would seem as if our Commerce was to have been suppressed, and our very maritime existence stamped out in blood. England, however, was not left to a weak, divided, or corrupt Government for defence. The proud fierce Briton of that day was not slow to take his own part, or that of his county against any odds. The ships of Commerce went armed for war, and fearlessly flouted their saucy flag in the face of the foe, whose Royal Navy, in terror, gave them generally what Sailors call a wide berth! Patriotic Nobles, Gentlemen, Merchants, and Adventurers, rallying to their standard the bold fishermen and sailors of the Western Counties, at their own expence, fitted out a Volunteer Navy. They covered the Channel and the Ocean with a swarm of Privateers, which not only securely defended England, but preyed fearlessly on the Coast and Commerce of Spain, plundering Churches, sacking towns, burning or sinking ships, crews and all, making prize of whatever was worth carrying away, and audaciously putting up to open auction in our seaports any Great Officer, Noble, or Merchant, who could find money or friends to pay his ransom. The tide of blood if not of battle was turned. Philip was not only frustrated in his object of Conquest, but became alarmed for his own. His losses were enormous, and even his military operations in the Low Countries were seriously embarrassed. Drake, by his wonderful achievements in the West Indies and the Pacific, gave the finishing blow. His seizure of three millions completely crippled Spain. Alva’s army was in mutiny for their pay, and had Drake been allowed to pursue his own BOLD PLAN, Philip would have been driven from the Sea in a month.