the Spanish Admiral to the Prince of Parma; "they fire upon me
most days from morning till nightfall, but they will not close
and grapple, though I have given them every opportunity." The
Capitana, a galleon of 1200 tons, dropped behind, struck her flag
to Drake, and increased the store of the English fleet by some
tons of gunpowder. Another Spanish ship surrendered, and another
store of powder and shot was rescued for the destruction of the
Armada. And so it happened throughout, until the Spanish fleet
was driven to wreck and ruin, and the remaining ships were
scattered by the tempests of the north. After all, Philip proved
to be, what the sailors called him, only "a Colossus stuffed with
clouts."

The English sailors followed up their advantage. They went on
"singeing the Ring of Spain's beard." Private adventurers fitted
up a fleet under the command of Drake, and invaded the mainland
of Spain. They took the lower part of the town of Corunna;
sailed to the Tagus, and captured a fleet of ships laden with
wheat and warlike stores for a new Armada. They next sacked
Vigo, and returned to England with 150 pieces of cannon and a
rich booty. The Earl of Cumberland sailed to the West Indies on
a private adventure, and captured more Spanish prizes. In 1590,
ten English merchantmen, returning from the Levant, attacked
twelve Spanish galleons, and after six hours' contest, put them
to flight with great loss. In the following year, three merchant
ships set sail for the East Indies, and in the course of their
voyage took several Portuguese vessels.

A powerful Spanish fleet still kept the seas, and in 1591 they
conquered the noble Sir Richard Grenville at the Azores--fifteen