Don Guerau, and with audacious coolness represented that he and many of his friends were dissatisfied with the Queen’s service.  He said he had found her faithless and ungrateful, and he and they would gladly transfer their allegiance to the King of Spain, if the King of Spain would receive them.  For himself, he would undertake to bring over the whole privateer fleet of the West, and in return he asked for nothing but the release of a few poor English seamen who were in prison at Seville.

Don Guerau was full of the belief that the whole nation was ready to rebel.  He eagerly swallowed the bait which Hawkins threw to him.  He wrote to Alva, he wrote to Philip’s secretary, Cayas, expatiating on the importance of securing such an addition to their party.  It was true, he admitted, that Hawkins had been a pirate, but piracy was a common fault of the English, and no wonder when the Spaniards submitted to being plundered so meekly; the man who was offering his services was bold, resolute, capable, and had great influence with the English sailors; he strongly advised that such a recruit should be encouraged.

Alva would not listen.  Philip, who shuddered at the very name of Hawkins, was incredulous.  Don Guerau had to tell Sir John that the King at present declined his offer, but advised him to go himself to Madrid, or to send some confidential friend with assurances and explanations.

Another figure now enters on the scene, a George Fitzwilliam.  I do not know who he was, or why Hawkins chose him for his purpose.  The Duke of Feria was one of Philip’s most trusted ministers.  He had married an English lady who had been a maid of honour to Queen Mary.  It is possible that Fitzwilliam had some acquaintance with her or with her family.  At any rate, he went to the Spanish Court; he addressed himself to the Ferias; he won their confidence, and by their means was admitted to an interview with Philip.  He represented Hawkins as a faithful Catholic who was indignant at the progress of heresy in England, who was eager to assist in the overthrow of Elizabeth and the elevation of the Queen of Scots, and was able and willing to carry along with him the great Western privateer fleet, which had become so dreadful to the Spanish mind.  Philip listened and was interested.  It was only natural, he thought, that heretics should be robbers and pirates.  If they could be recovered to the Church, their bad habits would leave them.  The English navy was the most serious obstacle to the intended invasion.  Still, Hawkins!  The Achines of his nightmares!  It could not be.  He asked Fitzwilliam if his friend was acquainted with the Queen of Scots or the Duke of Norfolk.  Fitzwilliam was obliged to say that he was not.  The credentials of John Hawkins were his own right hand.  He was making the King a magnificent offer:  nothing less than a squadron of the finest ships in the world—­not perhaps in the best condition, he added, with cool British impudence, owing to the Queen’s parsimony, but easily to be put in order again if the King would pay the seamen’s wages and advance some money for repairs.  The release of a few poor prisoners was a small price to ask for such a service.