it was to the health of the captain-general.  Early in January the Cardinal Archduke was sent to Lisbon to lecture him, with instructions to turn a deaf ear to all his remonstrances, to deal with him peremptorily, to forbid his writing letters on the subject to his Majesty, and to order him to accept his post or to decline it without conditions, in which latter contingency he was to be informed that his successor was already decided upon.

This was not the most eligible way perhaps for bringing the captain-general into a cheerful mood; particularly as he was expected to be ready in January to sail to the Flemish coast.  Nevertheless the Marquis expressed a hope to accomplish his sovereign’s wishes; and great had been the bustle in all the dockyards of Naples, Sicily, and Spain; particularly in the provinces of Guipuzcoa, Biscay, and Andalusia, and in the four great cities of the coast.  War-ships of all dimensions, tenders, transports, soldiers, sailors, sutlers, munitions of war, provisions, were all rapidly concentrating in Lisbon as the great place of rendezvous; and Philip confidently believed, and as confidently informed the Duke of Parma, that he, might be expecting the Armada at any time after the end of January.

Perhaps in the history of mankind there has never been a vast project of conquest conceived and matured in so protracted and yet so desultory a manner, as was this famous Spanish invasion.  There was something almost puerile in the whims rather than schemes of Philip for carrying out his purpose.  It was probable that some resistance would be offered, at least by the navy of England, to the subjugation of that country, and the King had enjoyed an opportunity, the preceding summer, of seeing the way in which English sailors did their work.  He had also appeared to understand the necessity of covering the passage of Farnese from the Flemish ports into the Thames, by means of the great Spanish fleet from Lisbon.  Nevertheless he never seemed to be aware that Farnese could not invade England quite by himself, and was perpetually expecting to hear that he had done so.

“Holland and Zeeland,” wrote Alexander to Philip, “have been arming with their accustomed promptness; England has made great preparations.  I have done my best to make the impossible possible; but your letter told me to wait for Santa Cruz, and to expect him very shortly.  If, on the contrary, you had told me to make the passage without him, I would have made the attempt, although we had every one of us perished.  Four ships of war could sink every one of my boats.  Nevertheless I beg to be informed of your Majesty’s final order.  If I am seriously expected to make the passage without Santa Cruz, I am ready to do it, although I should go all alone in a cock-boat.”