James demanded from Ralegh the details of the expedition, the number of ships and men and arms, promising on his honour as a king (what more fragile pledge could he find?) not to divulge the secrets to any man. But Sarmiento, the Spanish ambassador, had the exact measure of James. He laughed at the story of the mine, and laughed at James for his childishness in thinking that a man who was no fool would be gulled by such a child's tale. The real motive of the expedition, Sarmiento assured James with laughing suavity, he and all the world knew very well was nothing else than to rob Spain at the distant source of her wealth while keeping her off her guard by the show of friendliness at home. James could not bear his ridicule and his assurance. He swore to Sarmiento that if a hair on the head of one Spanish subject were touched, Ralegh should be sent to Madrid in chains to be hanged in Madrid's chief square. That was not all. To prove that Ralegh's end was the mine, he handed over to Sarmiento all the secret papers of the expedition. So Sarmiento gained his purpose; he had the papers carefully copied and a special messenger was soon on his way to Spain bearing the copy to the Spanish king, as has been seen. James was friendly with Sarmiento. A weak man likes to deceive himself. James wanted to be friendly with Spain, from fear of Spain's power. But if Ralegh could break Spain's power at the risk only of his life, James was quite content to accept the first place in Europe and then dispose of Ralegh. It was not his nature, however, to face anything and strike boldly. He kept up the illusion in his own mind that the mine was all he wanted, and all that Ralegh intended to make for and, like the weak creature he was, he allowed his personal dislike of Ralegh to hinder his plan, and his fear of ridicule to render the whole scheme ridiculous. [Illustration: PHILIP III. OF SPAIN] Meanwhile Ralegh's arrangements were proceeding, and gradually the new ship, the _Destiny_, which he had built, became a fashionable resort, even as his destination was the common talk not only of the Court in London, but also of many foreign Courts. Did England intend to support Spain and the Catholics, or the Protestant cause? The diplomacy of James was even more intricate and twisted than diplomacy is wont to be. At length, at the beginning of April, Ralegh's small fleet of seven vessels weighed anchor, and sailed down the Thames. Even at the very moment of his sailing his purpose was not credited. Lionello, a Venetian resident, wrote to the Senate of Venice, "I know very well that Sir Walter Ralegh's only object in embarking in this enterprise was to free himself from his imprisonment. He would gladly change this scheme for any other. Many people know the fact as well as I."