“About the end of September the duke of Medina arrived in Spaine, being as much discountenanced at court, as discouraged in his journey; and of all his royall navy which he caryed foorth, there returned only threescore sayle, sore distressed, the rest whereof, some were taken and spoyled by the English in the narrow seas, and some taken by the Hollanders, and some made a fayre escape by landing in Scotland; but the most perished upon the Irish coast, and slaine by Gallowglasses, whose generall losse was much lamented through Spaine, for that every noted family had lost a kinsman or a neere ally. “Shippes under the command of the lord high admirall of England, this yeare, 1588: Of shippes Royal 17 Attended by other warlike ships 12 And of lusty pinnaces 6 From London there were sent of brave, warlike ships 16 And of pinnaces 4 From Bristow there were sent of serviceable ships 3 And one pinnace 1 From Barstaple there were sent in this expedition, of ships 3 From Excester there were sent of ships 2 And one pinnace 1 From Plimmouth there were sent of ships well appointed 7 And one flye boat 1 “There was sent a pinnace of the lord admirall’s—also a pinnace of the lord Sheffield’s, and a pinnace of Sir William Winter’s. “The merchant adventurers of England set foorth at their own proper charges, of lusty ships—10. “Ships under the lord Henry Seymour in the narrow seas:—Of ships royall, accompanied with other very warlike ships well appointed, being in number—16. “Besides all these, there were many other barkes, ships, and pinnaces, sent out of the north parts and west parts, as also particularly by divers persons, as by the lord admirall, by divers other lordes, knights, and gentlemen, and some others his followers, and by sundry other noble and vallerous gentlemen and gallant marchants, whereof I could never attaine the certaine knowledge, though I greatly sought it.” The partisans of the two contending nations differ widely, as is to be expected, in their estimates of the loss sustained. The victors said that eighty vessels and 18,000 men had perished: Strada rates it at thirty–two captured and wrecked, and 10,000 men: but he acknowledges that the result of the expedition filled all Spain with mourning. [Illustration] CHAPTER X. [Illustration] Sequel of the Life of Miltiades—of Aristides—of Themistocles.