Chapter XXV: In the Queen's Presence

UTTERLY worn out, we returned to the _Ark Royal_. As in a dream I heard the Lord High Admiral bestow words of praise upon us, after which we went below and slept soundly, even though the combat was fiercely renewed, for finding the Spaniards in hopeless terror and confusion, orders were given for the whole of our fleet to be let loose upon them.

During the next and the following day the fight raged, till, beaten from pillar to post, for the Hollanders sent a large fleet to aid against our mutual foes, the Spaniards bore away northwards in full flight.

But our work was not yet done. Doubtless the Spaniards hoped to find shelter for their shattered fleet in the waters of the Firth of Forth, and confidently hoping that he might entrap and destroy them, the Lord High Admiral decided to press on in pursuit with the main body of our ships.

It was after the council of war at which the plan was adopted that Lord Howard of Effingham sent for me.

"Captain Roy," quoth he, "it is my purpose to send a swift vessel into the Thames to bear the tidings of our victory to Her Most Gracious Majesty. You I have chosen for that mission. Here is a letter to be delivered into the hands of the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty. Now get you gone."

Here was good fortune indeed. I was to be spared the tedious chase of a beaten foe, and, instead, was to be the harbinger of victory to the Queen in person.

Right joyfully I boarded the _Distaff_ a swift armed merchantman, which immediately set sail for the Thames.

As soon as we were fairly on our way I stripped off my armour and powder-blackened clothing, and eased my limbs in a hot bath, for I was so stiff that I could scarce move without giving vent to a groan.

Then a skilful leech, who had himself been wounded on board the _Nonpareil_, rubbed me with a sweet-smelling oil, that greatly eased the stiffness. The owner of the _Distaff_--a silk mercer, who had thrown aside his ell-rod to take up a sword in the defence of his country, and served on board his own ship--most kindly provided me with a complete change of raiment, so that I looked more like a court gallant than a seasoned and hard-handed mariner.

With our pennons and streamers spread bravely to the breeze, the _Distaff_ passed Tilbury, where we saw the tents of the army that had been raised for the defence of the capital, and I thanked God that the soldiers had not been called upon to fight. For, although they were brave and resolute, I am not sure whether they would have held their own against the highly disciplined veterans of the Duke of Parma. However, 'twas over, and we had seen the last of the Spanish galleons off our shores for ever and aye, I trust.

Having picked up a favouring tide off Gravesend, and a free wind aiding us, we quickly sailed up to London Pool.

Although we had lost no time, the news of our glorious victory had preceded us, and the City was one blaze of colour flags and gay hangings being displayed everywhere--while the streets were thronged with joyous crowds, cheering and singing to the strains of music, till it seemed as if Bedlam had been let loose.

Making my way through the crowd that lined the wharf for, knowing that we had come direct from the fleet, and anxious to gather more tidings, they pressed around till they were in danger of pushing each other into the water--I obtained a horse and rode to Whitehall.

Though 'twas yet early, being but ten o' the clock, Her Majesty had already received Burleigh, Walsingham, and others in audience; and, on announcing my errand, I was ushered into the Royal presence.

The Queen almost snatched the letter as I knelt before her, and thrust it under the nose of the aged Lord Burleigh, bidding him read it forthwith. But the veteran minister, being at pains to decipher the Lord High Admiral's crabbed fist, halted so much that Her Majesty, in her anxiety to hear the tidings, tore the parchment from him and gave it to Walsingham.

The moment Secretary Walsingham began to read all signs of emotion vanished from the Queen's face. Stern, almost masculine in appearance, she sat, rigid as if graven in stone, till Walsingham had completed the reading of the letter; then, calling upon the Dean of St. Paul's, she bade him straightway offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for the glorious victory over her enemies.

Then the wave of impetuosity returned, and with many strong expressions, more befitting a war-worn veteran than a Queen, she bade one write to her cousin of Scotland, bidding him take proper measures to guard his shores; another had to draft a letter to the Stadtholder of Holland, thanking him for the assistance rendered by the fleet of the Republic, and another to the Lord High Admiral, expressing her gratification at the good news.

"And, beshrew me, what of the army at Tilbury? How can I suffer them to remain there, eating off their heads in idleness? Give orders that they be forthwith disbanded, for 'tis a great drain upon the revenue of the State. And the fleet, my Lord of Burleigh? Seeing that the danger is now past, is it not meet and right that most of the ships should return to be laid up forthwith?"

Thus the Queen fell to giving orders with a most scrupulous regard for the public chest, though I could not help thinking 'twas a somewhat hasty and parsimonious proceeding, for though the Spaniards were in full flight northwards, we knew not but what they might rally and make another attempt upon the flat, unguarded shores of Lincolnshire or Norfolk.

However, that was a matter on which I could form an opinion yet durst not voice it; so after I had delivered up the Admiral's letter, I withdrew to a corner of the council-chamber, although I dared not take my leave until I was dismissed.

At length Walsingham spoke again.

"Madam," said he, "there is a postscript from my Lord Howard of Effingham, desiring to bring to your notice one Captain Ralph Roy, by whose hand these presents were brought hither," and he straightway read the Lord High Admiral's version of my small achievements couched in words that made my ears tingle with pride.

"Then let us see this doughty sea-captain," exclaimed Her Majesty. "Desire him to stand forth."

As in a dream I advanced once more, and knelt before my Sovereign.

"Beshrew me!" she exclaimed. "Is this the captain of whom he speaks? Methought 'twas a gilded popinjay, one of Effingham's fawning minions, who brought us the news. A mere youth clad like a court gallant! Have I heard aright?"

The Queen spoke tartly, with such an expression of scorn that I felt my knees tremble as I knelt, and I bemoaned the fact that I had discarded my harness and soiled clothes.

"May it please your Gracious Majesty," I exclaimed desperately, "but these are indeed borrowed garments. For days past I had lived without change of raiment, my clothes reeking with powder, and in my armour, dented and rusty with hard knocks and the stain of the salt seas."

Then, speech failing me, for I was never apt with my tongue, I knelt, wondering what would happen next.

"Your Majesty, might I be permitted to testify to this young man's bravery?" exclaimed a voice that I recognised as that of Sir Henry Radclyffe, the Governor of Portsmouth, who, though I knew it not, had lately been created Earl of Sussex.

"Say on, then, Sussex," commanded the Queen, and straightway my champion related how I had assisted in bringing in the great galleon _Sol del Esto_, and that previous to the sailing of the Great Armada I had rendered good service against the Spaniards.

"An excellent record for one so young," quoth the Queen, and, taking a sword from the hands of one of her courtiers, she forthwith tapped me across the shoulder, saying, "Arise, Sir Ralph Roy."

Here my story ends, though I continued to sail the salt seas, having gotten a wholesome little craft, larger than the _Damsel of Lyme_; but withal, I had not the same pride in her as I had in the brave little pinnace that had served her country so well. Of the expeditions to the Groyne, Cadiz, and the Bay of Cezimbra I could say much, having taken a part in all three, but there is time and place for all things.

As for my staunch comrade, Jack Staynton, he, too, bore himself right valiantly in the after issues 'gainst our natural foes. At length, his restless spirit prompted him to engage upon an expedition to the vast and almost unknown Pacific, and though I have had no tidings of him these two years, I doubt not that his courage and natural sagacity, combined with the firm belief in the workings of a Divine Providence, will in due time bring him safely home.

Sir Thomas Slingsby--Tom, as he insisted upon my calling him--recovered from his wounds, though not in time to take a further part in the chase of the Armada. When at rare intervals his heavy duties in London Town permit him to journey to his country seat at Bramdean, I always seize the opportunity of visiting my old comrade-in-arms, and we fight our battles o'er again.

But one incident must I relate ere I bring my story to a close.

Having occasion to put into the port of Bordeaux, I was invited by a courteous captain in the service of King Henry IV. of France to inspect a new galley under his command. He showed me how the miserable slaves were ordered merely by a gesture and the notes of his silver whistle. There were, I should say, nearly a hundred of these wretches, having their heads shaven close, and wearing only a pair of canvas drawers apiece. They were doubly chained about their waists and legs, in pairs, the fetters being fastened to the thwarts on which they sat, lived, and slept, while up and down a narrow gang-plank walked a stalwart seaman, armed with a cruel-thonged whip, which he did not hesitate to use, often without the smallest provocation.

Suddenly I caught sight of a face that seemed familiar, and, in spite of his shaven head and toil-racked frame, I recognised the villainous Captain Don Iago d'Alvarez.

The recognition was mutual, but such a piteous look of appeal did he give me that my compassion went out to him, hardened rogue that he was. I learnt afterwards from the French captain that the rascal had been captured in the act of despoiling a harmless merchantman of Nantes, and had been straightway condemned to the galleys for life.

Before I took my leave I obtained a promise from my entertainer that the hard lot of Don Iago would be lightened as far as 'twas in his power to do so.

Thus are the high and mighty put down from their seats, and the meek and humble exalted; and so it is with princes and kingdoms.

So, too, I rejoice to think that this England of ours has been raised above the perils and dangers that beset her in those bygone days, when I bore my small share in the struggle 'gainst the might of Spain.

THE END.

_Printed by_
MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED
_Edinburgh_

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[Transcriber's Notes:

Pagenumbers are omitted in the 'plain-text'-version. In the
'HTML'-version they are present.

Obvious punctuation/spelling errors were corrected without note.

The paper version of this book uses italic and bold text to
emphasize parts of the text. In the 'plain text'-version that will
be indicated thus:

_italic text_
+bold text+

This book contains a number of misprints.
The following misprints have been corrected:

[Old Roger Staynton? Gramercy!"] ->
[Old Roger Staynton? Grammercy!"]
(with double 'm' occurs 3 times in the text)

[struck her 'tgallants] ->
[struck her t'gallants]
(the author uses the latter in several other books)

A few additional remarks:

In chapter III there's an "invitory" containing superscript
characters. In the 'plain-text' version this is simulated by
surrounding the superscript characters with curly braces.

Probably not a misprint or spelling error, but still worth
mentioning: [an olde] / [on olde] Both 'spellings' occur two
times in a textfragment that should represent the writing style
of the 16th era.
]