Leicester, courageous, self-confident, and sanguine as ever; could not restrain his indignation at the parsimony with which his own impatient spirit had to contend.  “Be you assured,” said he, on the 3rd August, when the Armada was off the Isle of Wight, “if the Spanish fleet arrive safely in the narrow seas, the Duke of Parma will join presently with all his forces, and lose no time in invading this realm.  Therefore I beseech you, my good Lords, let no man, by hope or other abuse; prevent your speedy providing defence against, this mighty enemy now knocking at our gate.”

For even at this supreme moment doubts were entertained at court as to the intentions of the Spaniards: 

Next day he informed Walsingham that his four thousand men had arrived.  “They be as forward men and willing to meet the enemy as I ever saw,” said he.  He could not say as much in, praise of the commissariat:  “Some want the captains showed,” he observed, “for these men arrived without one meal of victuals so that on their-arrival, they had not one barrel of beer nor loaf of bread—­enough after twenty miles’ march to have discouraged them, and brought them to mutiny.  I see many causes to increase my former opinion of the dilatory wants you shall find upon all sudden hurley burleys.  In no former time was ever so great a cause, and albeit her Majesty hath appointed an army to resist her enemies if they land, yet how hard a matter it will be to gather men together, I find it now.  If it will be five days to gather these countrymen, judge what it will be to look in short space for those that dwell forty, fifty, sixty miles off.”

He had immense difficulty in feeding even this slender force.  “I made proclamation,” said he, “two days ago, in all market towns, that victuallers should come to the camp and receive money for their provisions, but there is not one victualler come in to this hour.  I have sent to all the justices of peace about it from place to place.  I speak it that timely consideration be had of these things, and that they be not deferred till the worst come.  Let her Majesty not defer the time, upon any supposed hope, to assemble a convenient force of horse and foot about her.  Her Majesty cannot be strong enough too soon, and if her navy had not been strong and abroad as it is, what care had herself and her whole realm been in by this time!  And what care she will be in if her forces be not only assembled, but an army presently dressed to withstand the mighty enemy that is to approach her gates.”

“God doth know, I speak it not to bring her to charges.  I would she had less cause to spend than ever she had, and her coffers fuller than ever they were; but I will prefer her life and safety, and the defence of the realm, before all sparing of charges in the present danger.”

Thus, on the 5th August, no army had been assembled—­not even the body-guard of the Queen—­and Leicester, with four thousand men, unprovided with a barrel of beer or a loaf of bread, was about commencing his entrenched camp at Tilbury.  On the 6th August the Armada was in Calais roads, expecting Alexander Farnese to lead his troops upon London!