miration it had excited in his companion; but he soon turned to notice the appearance of the English and Dutch fleet in the bay. Those that had been engaged in the conflict bore on them numberless marks of its fury, and of these the Warspite seemed to be the most roughly handled of all, for she was shot about in every direction. In the distance were seen fly-boats and other vessels making for that part of the bay where the galleons were, and on the land side were the Spanish fleet, some dispersed, some run aground, some scorched and burning to the water's edge, and the San Matéo and San Andrés-another galleon of a like size, were in prize of the English. The soldiers of the Warspite were busy in securing their prisoners, and the mariners were going in parties under divers of their officers, to different parts of the ship to inspect their prize, and to guard against treachery on the part of the Spaniards. Master Francis and Harry Daring were upon the chief deck with a company of their men keeping guard upon such officers and soldiers of the Spaniards they had secured; but this Master Francis was not allowed to do long, for there came a message from Sir Walter Raleigh to the intent, that he was to take a boat well manned, and make all speed to my Lord of Essex to acquaint him with the victory; and this he hurried to do.

Upon getting on board of the Repulse, which lay but a little way from the Warspite, he found my Lord Essex on the quarter-deck surrounded by his officers. He had seen Sir Walter's messenger before, both in Sir Walter's company, and when he had been so insultingly used of Queen Elizabeth, and liking his gallant appearance, and having heard much of his valiant behaviour, he received him with a very pleasant courtesy: but when he heard the good news brought by him, it put him in as agreeable a humour as might be seen in the sociablest gentleman that ever lived; and gave instant orders for the landing of three thousand shot and pikemen to assault the town. Whilst the officers were getting their men into the boats, my Lord Essex detained Master Francis, inquiring of him particulars of the taking of the galleons; the which he answered modestly as regarded himself, but with plentiful commendation of all others who had been engaged in that enterprise—the which seemed infinitely to the satisfaction of his noble listener.

"And how fareth my gallant friend, Sir Walter ?" inquired he.

"He is badly hurt in the leg, my lord, from a splinter," replied Master Francis, "else doubtless would he have been here himself."

"He hath sent a right proper representative," said my lord.. "Yet I hope his wound be one of no great moment, for I doubt not we shall have hot work presently, and we cannot well spare so valliant a commander at so critical a time."

"If it please you, my lord, I will hasten back to the Warspite and tell him this," observed the young secretary. "I am quite sure he would like nothing so well as sharing, with your lordship, in the glory of this noble enterprise."

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Nay, Master Francis, I cannot part with you just yet," replied Essex. "I will send a messenger to Raleigh, requir ing of him to support me, if his hurt will let him, with what force he can get together; and state to him I have kept you to be officer of mine for the present."

"If it so please you, my lord," answered Master Francis, who was not dissatisfied with this design of the lord general's. "Quite sure am I Sir Walter will hasten to support you, even if he be carried to the field, for I have oft heard him speak in so friendly a manner of your lordship's valiant disposition, that I am sure he hath that regard for you that would hasten him into any enterprise by which he might do you a service."

"Dost think so?" inquired my lord, looking into the other's face somewhat incredulously. "Hast heard him speak in such friendly manner as should warrant your saying this." "That have I out of all manner of doubt," replied his companion.

"By this hand, I have heard the clean contrary," exclaimed Essex.

"Then such who told you, my lord, did most grossly belie him," answered Master Francis with such exceeding earnestness as carried conviction with it. "I have had better oppor

tunities of knowing his true nature than have many, and I do affirm, it be utterly impossible he would not appreciate such qualities of behaviour as your lordship possesses. Believe me, my lord, they have most vilely slandered him who have said otherwise, for one more ready to acknowledge the merit of another did I never know."

'Tis likely enough," said the lord general. "I cannot imagine that one who hath behaved with the notable true valour he hath shown to-day, and on divers other occasions,

should be given to such poor passions as envy and maliciousness."

"I will answer for his true-heartedness with my plied his companion eagerly.

life!" re

"I doubt you not at all, Master Francis,' answered the other. "I shall think of him all the better for what you have said. But I pray you attend me in my barge. We will talk more on this matter when opportunity allows."

My lord Essex then sending a messenger to Sir Walter Raleigh, proceeded to the barge which was waiting for him, in company, with Master Francis; and the latter found himself putting to shore with three regiments of soldiers well appointed, filling a little fleet of barges and boats rowed by the mariners. They landed in a sandy bay, close upon Fort Puntal, the garrison whereof waited not to come to blows with them, but abandoned it as speedily as they might upon their first appearance; whereupon Essex took possession of the fort, and finding he could only be annoyed from the main land. by the Puente de Zuazo, despatched at least one half his force under able officers to take that bridge and at the same time sent a message to my lord admiral, to attempt the Mexican fleet lying at Puerto Real, to prevent their escape or burning; and then with the remainder of his regiments advanced in good order towards the town which lay at about three miles distance; but the road being all of a deep sliding sand, and the day hot and dry, made the march wonderfully fatiguing.

At some slight distance from the town they found a force of some five thousand foot and eight hundred horse, and although my Lord Essex had with him but fifteen hundred men in all, these attacked the Spaniards with such fierceness that they abode very little fighting, and did make their retreat with such speed that when the English came up to the walls of Cadiz, they found the fugitives safe within them, and the gates closed. Whilst some of the assailants were striving to break through the gates, others, among whom was Master Francis, by means of an unfinished work, mounted the walls and leapt down as fast as they could; and the gate having been forced, the rest entered in good order, with their flags flying and trumpets blowing, and charged at all they met. But now the struggle commenced; for they found every house turned into a fort, its flat roof having been made a magazine for weighty stones, which women as well as men let fall as they advanced-others

of the Spaniards annoying them with fire-arms in the meanwhile.

Some houses were so offensive in this way that the lord general was obliged to detach small parties of his men under commanders of most approved courage to take them by assault; and to one which seemed to be a church or religious house of some kind he sent Master Francis against, with a force of fifty men, whilst he sought to make his way to the market-place.

The young commander, after an obstinate opposition, carried the place by assault, which proved to be a nunnery; for, upon his forcible entrance at the head of his men, he noticed the nuns flying before him, screaming and calling on the saints for assistance. Taking care that none such should be hurt, he followed on briskly till he came to the cloisters, and, greatly to his surprise, perceived at some little distance from him a man in the habit of an ecclesiastic dragging along by the hair of her head a female in the dress of a novice.

"Turn, villain!" cried Master Francis, hurrying towards him with his sword drawn. "Thou art but a coward to use a woman so. Let go thy hold or I will cut thee to the chine."

"Ha!" exclaimed the man turning towards him the well known face of the Padre Bartolomé, looking more malignant than ever he had known it.

"Art thou here, accursed heretic! Then this to thy heart, wanton!" In the same moment, to Master Francis's horror and surprise, he saw the Jesuit snatch a dagger from his vest, and bury it in the breast of his female companion, who sunk with a scream at his feet; and then with a fiendish laugh was seeking to make off by a side passage; but the young officer was upon him too quickly.

"There, thou abhorred murderer, and damned treacherous villain!-take thy reward!" shouted he as he ran the priest through the body. The thrust seemed to have gone home; for the padre fell on his back and spoke not afterwards, but fixed on his assailant so hateful a glance that the other was glad to turn away his eyes. His men had by this, time come up, and looked wondering to see a nun slain by a priest.

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"She moves!" cried their commander, hastening to the prostrate novice, who gave some evidence of life. Mayhap the blow the villain gave her was not deadly." She lay on her side, with her long glossy hair streaming over her face,

and a stream of blood issuing from a wound a little below her breast, that had stained her garments down to her feet. Master Francis gently raised her from the ground, and gaz. ing upon her pallid face, beheld there the idolised features of the mercer's daughter of Eastcheap.

CHAPTER IX.

Lo! Here the hopeless merchant of this loss,
With head inclined, and voice dammed up with woes,
With sad set eyes, and wretched arms across,

And lips now waxen pale.

SHAKSPEARE.

Oh, where have I been all this time?-how friended,
That I should lose myself thus desperately,

And none for pity show me how I wandered!
There is not in the compass of the light

A more unhappy creature. Sure, I am monstrous !
For I have done those follies, those mad mischiefs,
Would dare a woman. Oh, my loaden soul!
Be not so cruel to me; choke not up

The way to my repentance! Oh, my lord!

BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

"DISTURB not yourself, I pray you!" exclaimed Master Francis earnestly, as he bent with an anxious countenance over the form of Joanna. She now reclined upon a pallet in a narrow cell, furnished only with a small table, on which appeared to be a missal or breviary, a rosary, and a crucifix ; and he was sitting on a chair close beside her, holding of one of her hands. Her face looked marvellous pale-that settled pallor that betokeneth approaching dissolution; and her eyes, though still turned towards him with all the affec tionate tenderness that had once dwelt in them, looked with wonderful languor and uneasiness, and lacked much of that extreme brilliancy by which they had used to be distinguished.

"The chirurgeon hath told me that I have but a few hours to live," replied the mercer's daughter in a low voice. “And I would fain devote such short time as is allowed me to make my peace with God and my conscience, by a confession which