Wednesday afternoon was utilised for a council of war. The English fleet was redistributed into five squadrons, and from each squadron were selected small, fast vessels to make sudden night-attacks. Lord Howard's cautious circumspection and cool courage had won the respect of the greater seamen, like Drake and Frobisher; his way of asking advice and taking it when given proved how sensible he was. At this council several of his younger officers, with more heat than discretion, earnestly entreated him to let them lay aboard the enemy. Howard refused their request, not with a hasty and peremptory "No," but with calm statement of his reasons. He pointed out the enormous size of the Spanish ships compared with his own, their lofty turrets fore and aft, from which they could hurl missiles, even fragments of rock, and might annihilate those who fought beneath them; he reminded his officers of the large numbers of regular troops with which they were filled, and said they must save themselves for the crisis, when the Duke of Parma's flotilla should join the Armada. Both fleets were becalmed most of Wednesday, but the Spaniards kept very good order, and the larger galleons protected the smaller. On Thursday, the 25th of July, there was sharp fighting off the Isle of Wight. The _Santa Anna_ and a Portuguese galleon were singled out by Frobisher for attack. Don Alphonso with a large force hurried up to relieve them, and it would have gone hard with Frobisher had not Lord Charles Howard in his _Ark Royal_ and Lord Thomas Howard in the _Golden Lion_ come to the rescue. They cut up the rigging of the Spanish flagship with chain-shot, and then got out of reach before they could suffer much damage. "These two ships, the _Ark_ and the _Golden Lion_, declared this day to each fleet that they had most diligent and faithful gunners. The galleasses, in whose puissance the greatest hope of the Spanish fleet was founded, were never seen to fight any more--such was their entertainment that day." On Friday Lord Howard knighted Frobisher, Hawkins, and some others for their valiant conduct on the previous day. The two fleets moved slowly and quietly along the Sussex shore as far as Dungeness; thence they turned and steered across towards Calais. Those who looked on from the shore might well imagine that the great ships of the Armada were undefeated, for it was mostly in their masts and rigging that they had suffered harm. On Sunday evening the Spaniards anchored off Calais, and the Lord Admiral followed and coolly dropped anchor within cannon-shot of his enemy.