upon us. All hurried on board to weigh anchor and escape, as there was no fighting against such odds. But Sir Richard Grenville, having seen every one of his men embark, was the last to leave the shore; and by this necessary delay the Revenge was left alone. He seeing that there was no hope of recovering the wind, knew nothing was possible but to cut his mainsail, tack about, and be off with what speed he might, or stay and fight with all that could come up with him: but though the enemy had surrounded his ship in such a way as to leave him little chance of escape, and though ninety of his men were on the sick-list, and only a hundred able for duty, he was not the fellow to turn from a parcel of villain Spaniards; so he had everything prepared for action, and bore down to force a squadron that stood on his weather bow.

"There, my messmates, was a sight to see," continued the old mariner, his honest weather-beaten face glowing at his own narration; "one ship attacking a whole squadron! And the gallant Grenville was nigh being as successful as his great heart merited; for divers of the villain Spaniards springing their loof, fell under his lee; but a cursed big galleon of fifteen hundred tons gained the wind, and bearing down on the Revenge, did so becalm her sails that neither could she make way or obey the helm. You may have a notion, messmates, of what sort of a customer this galleon was like to be, when I tell you that she carried three tier of guns on each side, and discharged eight foreright from her chase, besides those of her stern ports. Well, as ill luck would have it, whilst we were peppering away at this monster in such sort as soon made her glad to sheer off, two of the like kind boarded us on the starboard, and two on the larboard; but we minded 'em not a whit; nay, we beat 'em off, one after another, big as they were, till we had fought some sixteen of them for the space of fifteen hours; two of which we sunk and two made complete wrecks, and the rest we handled pretty rudely, I promise you.

"But how fared we all this time, my messmates? Scarce one of us escaped-forty as brave fellows as ever trod a deck were sent aloft, where 'tis to be hoped they'll be well cared for; and of the rest scarce any were left without something to shew of the sort of employment they had been at. I got this slash across my figure head, with a bullet through my starboard fin, and another near the main hatchway; all along of those villain Spaniards. Sir Richard, who had not left the upper deck for eight hours after he was first wounded, which was in the early part of the action, was then shot through the bulwarks; and as they were repairing the damage, he received another bullet, and saw the doctor regularly capsized alongside of him. But the Revenge was treated worse than all; for when the morning broke she was nothing but a naked hull; having received as many as eight hundred shot of great artillery, which those bullies of galleons had fired into her, whereof some were under water: her masts were beat overboard-her tackle split to ribbons-her upper works levelled to the water's edge; and she was altogether in so pitiful a condition that she moved only with the motion of the billows.

"For all that, my messmates, Sir Richard wasn't for striking his flag; but proposed to sink the ship rather than fall into the hands of

such notorious villains, in the which he was seconded by myself and some few of the crew; but the rest not being of the like spirit, compelled him to surrender; and this, methinks, rather than his wounds, caused him to die soon after."

"There went a noble heart!" cried one of the seafaring men.

"In truth he was a gallant gentleman," said the handicraftsman; and others made like ejaculations, for all had listened with exceeding interest to the old man's stirring account of the fight.

"But how got you out of their clutches, Simon Mainsail?" asked one; "and how did they behave to you?

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"Slife! they used me like a dog, messmate," replied the veteran, in a monstrous indignation; my wounds were most infamously handled; and how I recovered under such barbarous treatment is a marvel to me. But we were all served alike, clapped in irons, and treated with mouldy biscuit and bilge water, till we came to an anchor at Cadiz, when we were paraded through the streets, accompanied by shoals of papist priests, soldiers, and a bloodthirsty mob, yelling at the sight of us, as if they had reason to boast of their victory. It was given out that we were to be hanged, which sent some of us on our beam ends at the thought of it; but I told 'em not to despair, and set them up to a thing which made them put their helms up in a presently. You must know, messmates, that these Spaniards hate us for not caring a breath of wind for their images, relics, and such like Popish abominations, and curse us in their hearts for heretics; but the priests are mightily pleased at the thought of converting a protestant, as they look upon it as a sort of victory. So we got one of our crew who understood their patter, to say we would fain change our religion: thereupon came father this and father t'other, who preached to us by the hour, and very easily persuaded our whole company to cross ourselves, to kiss this image, and the other image, and assent to whatever they directed. Then, seeing us such good catholics, we were taken out of our chains-our victuals became of a better sort, and they kept not so sharp an eye on us as they did. The end of all this was, one night we broke out of prison very quietly, got into some boats that were high and dry on the beach,-with them hoarded a ketch that lay at anchor in the bay; and having found the crew asleep, took possession of her without a blow; and in the morning we were far out at sea, better protestants than ever, making for Old England, with a whole crew of villain Spaniards our prisoners.'

"I'faith that was well done!" exclaimed one; in the which all seemed to assent, especially the apprentices, who, having finished their tankard, had grown bold enough to express their approval of the old mariner's conduct.

"I should like to beat a Spaniard hugely," said Tim to the other, very bravely.

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Suppose he stand upon his weapon and will not be beat of thee -what then?" asked his companion.

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Why a" observed Tim, somewhat as it were in a sort of hesitation-"I would e'en tell him go hang for a knave, and let him go." "Walk in, my masters-walk in, I pray you!" cried out mine host as he ushered into the room two serving men, who looked by the

dust on their jerkins and long boots, that they had come of a journey. "There be room enough and to spare, I warrant you and if so be you are as dry as are the roads, doubtless you will be all the better for a wetting."

"What sayest thou, Diggory, shall we have a tankard?" asked one of the other as they swaggered themselves into a seat.

"Ay, Peter, let it be a tankard," replied Diggory.

"That you shall have, and of the best," said Ephraim Spigot, "and 'tis to be hoped 'twill enable you to drink away your drought, and draught away your drink." And away went the portly tapster, with a loud chuckle at his own conceit.

"Doth that fellow laugh at us?" said Peter with exceeding fierceness. "Nay, and by goles I'll rap him over the pate an' he do." "Prythee do not," said his companion urgently, "for rememberest thou what Sir Nicholas Throckmorton said—' Mention my name on no account, and of all things keep out of brawls.'"

"Ha! so said he sure enough, Diggory," replied the other, "I mind it well, and will be as close upon this business as if I knew it not. Nay, if there be any so daring as to say I be Sir Nicholas Throckmorton's serving man, I'll swear he lies in his throat, and slit his weasan for him."

"Dost think Stephen Shortcake will be long Peter?" asked Diggory.

"Indeed, I cannot say," responded he sharply. "To tell thee the truth, Diggory, I like him not; for when I wanted to cut off that impudent varlet's ears that did seem to dog us so as we came along, he would on no account let it be; and did give me a rating for seeking to endanger the reputation of our mistress by my quarrelsomeness. 'Slife, I take him to be a very precise fellow, Diggory."

"Here you are, my masters!" cried mine host bringing in the liquor and setting it before his customers," and never tasted you better stuff, I'll be bound for it."

Our master, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, hath better liqHang thee, Diggory, what dost tread on my toes for!" exclaimed Peter, cutting himself short in the middle of his speech, and making an exceeding wry face.

"Here's the money, good sir," said Diggory in a civil manner to his host," and doubt I not the excellency of your liquor, believe me." "I'll believe any one who pays without being asked for his reckoning," replied Ephraim Spigot with a knowing look; and thereupon proceeded out of the room.

"I marvel at thee, Peter," exclaimed the other, immediately mine host had turned his back, "thou wouldst have begun thy brawling had I not stopped thee."

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"'Slife! and shall a paltry tapster have better ale than our master?" cried Peter indignantly. By goles, I could out with my tool and beat the knave into shavings.

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Prythee be quiet, and take a drink," said Diggory.

"Well, here's to thee, and confusion to all beggarly knaves that cannot fight their way," replied his companion, taking a hearty swill at the tankard.

"How look the roads, my master?" exclaimed an honest looking yeoman in the next corner.

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Why, but indifferently, good sir,"responded Diggory, with a like civility. Indeed, I may say that ever since I left the house of my master, Sir Nicholas Throck-Hang thee, Peter, what dost pinch me so for ?" cried he, turning sharp upon the other.

"'Slife, man, thou wert a saying Sir Nicholas Throckmorton's name, which be against the law," said Peter in a whisper, which was overheard by every one in the room. "But

"Thou didst right to interrupt me then," replied Diggory. prythee don't pinch quite so hard again," and then he took a hearty swill at the tankard.

"All that be not sea-faring men be cowards!" cried out a drunken boatswain, as he woke up from his sleep on the bench.

"Thou liest, dog!" shouted Peter, drawing out his rapier, "I be no sea-faring man, yet will I prove myself valiant upon thy villanous body."

"Have at thee, then!" exclaimed the seaman, endeavouring to stand up and draw his weapon.

"Peter! Peter!" cried Diggory, beating his fist against the other's back to make him attend. "Rememberest thou the law? Peter, I say, thou knowest there must be no brawling. Put up thy weapon, Peter, I prythee!"

"For shame upon you, my masters!" exclaimed Simon Mainsail, running in between the combatants, and assisting with others to make them desist of their intended violence; whilst the two apprentices, like prudent youths, as soon as they saw there was like to be a fighting with swords, took to their heels.

"No brawling, I pray you my masters?" exclaimed mine host, rushing into the room as if with a fear of mischief.

"Make not an honest man's house a place for the shedding of blood," cried the handicraftsman.

“Hang him, villain !" shouted Peter, endeavouring to get at his opponent, who was held from him by the bystanders. "Shall he call me a coward because I be no sea-faring man? He lies in his throat! By goles, I'll cut off his ears for't!"

"Peter! Peter, I say!" cried Diggory, pulling and thumping him with all his might.

"'Slife! man, dost want to pound my back to a powder!" bawled out Peter to his companion. "I will let out my valour upon him. I'll cut him over his knave's pate at least. Nay, our master, Sir Nicholas Throck".

"Put up thy weapon, varlet, this instant!" angrily exclaimed Stephen Shortcake as he entered the room and seized his uplifted arm? 66 How darest thou draw upon any man? Wert not expressly forbid to brawl and to mention names? and I leave thee only for a short space, and find thee a doing of both. Up with thy weapon, or thou shalt rue it."

Peter slowly and somewhat reluctantly put away his rapier, and the friends of the sea-faring man hurried him out of the room.

"O' my life thou art the most pestilent knave that lives," cried the old butler to the pugnacious serving man. "Thou art like to bring us all into trouble by thy villanous quarrelsomeness. What need hadst thou with a drawn weapon in thy hand; nay, I marvel hugely that thou shouldst be allowed a weapon at all."

"He did say that all were cowards except sea-faring men," replied Peter doggedly, " and I could not stand by and disgrace our master by stomaching it."

"Thou hast disgraced thy master as it is," said Stephen Shortcake, looking very wrath at him. "But see that thou offend not again, or it shall go hard with thee. And I am ashamed of thee, Diggory, that thou shouldst have stood by and hindered him not," he added, turning sharp round upon the other.

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Nay, I do assure you, I did essay all means to withhold him from it," answered Diggory. "I did remind him that our master, Sir Nicholas-Oh!"

"Hang thee, thou babbling knave!" cried the enraged old man, as he seized the uncautious Diggory by the ear- "Is this the way thou obeyest thy master's orders? O' my life, I know not which is the most pestilent villain of the two. Now I charge thee stay here till I return; and if there be any more prating, or the least stir to a brawl, at thy peril be it." So saying, Stephen Shortcake took himself out of the room, leaving the two serving men mightily intent upon their best behaviour, and the rest of the company in a famous marvelling at the strangeness of their conduct. He then proceeded up a winding flight of stairs to the first landing, where there was a door, at the which he knocked, and being bid come in, he did enter accordingly.

"Well, good Stephen-what news have you?" enquired the beautiful young wife of Sir Walter Raleigh, who sat leaning on her arm looking out of the casement, attired as if she had but just come off a journey.

"Indeed, sweet mistress, I have very comfortable news," replied the old butler respectfully. "I did make enquiries of divers worshipful captains and men of the sea, and some have told me, that they know for certain my honoured master is on board a vessel that hath but lately come in."

""Tis comfortable news indeed, Stephen," said Dame Elizabeth, brightening up exceedingly. "But how looks he? Doth he ail anything? Hath he prospered in his voyage? When shall I see him?" she then eagerly enquired.

"Of his looks I could learn but little," answered Stephen Shortcake. 66 Seeing that I have met with none that have had speech of him since he left here; and of his voyage know I no more, for there were none who were informed of it. And as for when you shall see him, sweet mistress! methinks 'twill not be long first, as I did lose no time in despatching a trusty boatman with your note, who hath promised me to use all speed, and to give it into Sir Walter's own hand."

"Thanks, good Stephen!" exclaimed she. "I am glad the information I received that he was spoke with off the coast, hath