“VALIANT AND TRUE.”

THE STORY OF SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE.

One of the most glorious of the many battles of the British navy was fought on the 10th and 11th September, 1591, by Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Grenville, in his ship The Revenge, against a great fleet of Spanish vessels.  The fight was described by the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh, from whose account (published in November, 1591) the facts given in the following narrative are taken.

If the story seems somewhat out of place amongst nineteenth century records, it is, nevertheless, such a unique display of stubborn heroism “under fire” that I have not hesitated to include it.

On the 10th of September, 1591 (31st August, old style), Lord Thomas Howard, with six of her Majesty’s ships, five victualling ships, a barque and two or three pinnaces, was at anchor near Flores, one of the westerly islands of the Azores, when Captain Middleton brought the news that the Spanish fleet was approaching.

He had no sooner delivered his message than the Spaniards came in sight.  The few ships at Lord Howard’s command were in a very unready state for fighting.  Many of the seamen were ill.  Some of the ships’ companies were procuring ballast, others getting in water.

Being so unprepared for the contest, and so greatly outnumbered, the British ships weighed their anchors and set sail.  The last ship to get under weigh was The Revenge, as Sir Richard waited for the men left on the island, who would have otherwise been captured.

The master of the ship wanted him to “cut his mainsail and cast about, and to trust to the sailing of his ship”; but Sir Richard utterly refused to turn from the enemy, saying that he would rather choose to die than dishonour himself, his country, and her Majesty’s ship, and informed his company that he would pass through the two squadrons in spite of them.  He might possibly have been able to carry out his plan; but the huge San Philip, an immense vessel of 1500 tons, coming towards him as he was engaging other ships of the fleet, becalmed his sails and then boarded him.  Whilst thus entangled with the San Philip, four other ships also boarded The Revenge.

“The fight thus beginning at three of the clocke in the after noone,” says Sir Walter Raleigh, “continued verie terrible all that evening.”

Before long, the San Philip, having received the fire of The Revenge at close quarters, “shifted herself with all diligence, utterly misliking her first entertainment”.

The Spanish ships had a great number of soldiers on board, in some cases two hundred, in others five, and in some even eight hundred; whilst on The Revenge there were in all only one hundred and ninety persons, of whom ninety were sick.

After discharging their guns the Spanish ships endeavoured to board The Revenge; but, notwithstanding the multitude of their armed men, they were repulsed again and again, and driven back either into their ships or into the sea.