The gates were open set, out rush’t the hoast, Both horse and foote in armes confused sound, Who vaunting of their power did vainely boast, Their fainting foes in battaile to confound, If their bold feete durst presse the sandie ground, Not doubting all their fleete, with fire t’inflame, If from their ships to fight on shore they came. 397. And in the gulfie mouth of that faire bay, Where the proud waues doe wash the towne’s white breast, The Spanish nauie ready anchoring lay, All mighty ships bound for the Indian east; But now for fight themselues they soone addrest, With whom twice ten stout gallies did prepare ’Gainst th’English fleete to trie the chaunce of warre. 398. The honour’d peeres, great _Essex_, and his mate Renowned _Howard_, Time’s swan-white hair’d sonne, Sitting in counsell wisely did debate, How by their fleete with best aduantage wonne, Against the foes the fight might be begunne; For both the castle, forts and towne in sight, Did threaten danger in the nauall fight. 399. But through the windowes of heauen’s crystall bowres, Ioue seeing the foemen’s force so full of dread, The citie so well fenc’d with loftie towres; The sea with faire ships fill’d, the field ore spread With men of armes, that from the towne made head, Did send to shield _Elizae’s_ fleete from harmes, His braine-borne childe, th’vnconquered queene of armes. 400. Who to effect th’Olympian god’s great will, About the fleete from ship to ship did flie, And with such courage euery heart did fill, Inflaming their desires in fight to trie The valour of the vaunting enemie, That euery one did thirst to trample downe The loftie pride of Cadiz towring towne. 401. [Sidenote: Now Earle of Suffolk.] The Norfolke noble duke’s vndaunted sonne, Sterne-visag’d like the grim-fac’d god of war, As was decreed, the fight at first begun, Who to the foes like some disastrous star, Or blazing comet did appeare from far; Shooting forth fierie beames from his blacke ship, Which with the mounting waues did forward skip. 402. Each aduerse force to fight drew forth their powers, And in a golden morne, when Phœbus drew From off the battlements of Cadize towers, The ruddie cheekt Aurorae’s pearlie dew, The thundring bullets interchanged flew, And either side a glorious day to win, With deadly furie did the fight begin. 403.