Leaving Java on March 26, they failed homewards by the Cape of Good Hope, which they saw on June the 5th; on the 15th of Auguft paffed the Tropic; and on the 26th of September arrived at Plymouth, where they found that, by paffing through fo many different climates, they had loft a day in their account of time, it being Sunday by their journals, but Monday by the general computation.

In this hazardous voyage they had spent two years, ten months, and fome odd days; but were recompensed for their toils by great riches, and the univerfal applause of their countrymen. Drake afterwards brought his fhip up to Deptford, where queen Elizabeth visited him on board his ship, and conferred the honour of knighthood upon him; an honour in that illuftrious reign not made cheap by proftitution, not even beftowed without uncommon merit.

It is not neceffary to give an account equally particular of the remaining part of his life, as he was no longer a private man, but engaged in public affairs, and affociated in his expeditions with other generals, whofe attempts, and the fuccefs of them, are related in the hiftories of thofe times.

In 1585, on the 12th of September, Sir Francis Drake fet fail from Plymouth with a fleet of five-andtwenty fhips and pinnaces, of which himself was admiral, captain Martin Forbisher vice-admiral, and captain Francis Knollis rear-admiral: they were fitted out to cruize upon the Spaniards; and having touched at the ifle of Bayonne, and plundered Vigo, put to fea again, and on the 16th of November arrived before St. Jago, which they entered without refiftance, and rested there fourteen days, vifiting in the mean time San Domingo,

7

mingo, a town within the land, which they found like wise deserted; and, carrying off what they pleafed of the produce of the island, they at their departure deftroyed the town and villages, in revenge of the murder of one of their boys, whofe body they found mangled in a most inhuman manner.

From this island they purfued their voyage to the Weft-Indies, determining to attack St. Domingo, in Hifpaniola, as the richeft place in that part of the world: they therefore landed a thousand men, and with fmall lofs entered the town, of which they kept pof feffion for a month without interruption or alarm; during which time a remarkable accident happened, which deferves to be related.

Drake, having fome intention of treating with the Spaniards, fent to them a negro-boy with a flag of truce, which one of the Spaniards fo little regarded, that he ftabbed him through the body with a lance. The boy, notwithstanding his wound, came back to the general, related the treatment which he had found, and died in his fight. Drake was fo incenfed at this outrage, that he ordered two friars, then his prifoners, to be conveyed with a guard to the place where the crime was committed, and hanged up in the fight of the Spaniards, declaring that two Spanish prifoners fhould undergo the fame death every day, till the offender fhould be delivered up by them: they were too well acquainted with the character of Drake not to bring him on the day following, when, to imprefs the fhame of fuch actions more effectually upon them, he compelled them to execute him with their own hands. Of this town, at their departure, they demolished part,

and

and admitted the reft to be ranfomed for five-andtwenty thousand ducats.

From thence they failed to Carthagena, where the enemy, having received intelligence of the fate of St. Domingo, had strengthened their fortifications, and prepared to defend themselves with great obftinacy; but the English, landing in the night, came upon them by a way which they did not fufpect, and being better armed, partly by furprize, and partly by fuperiority of order and valour, became mafters of the place, where they stayed without fear or danger fix weeks, and at their departure received an hundred and ten thousand ducats, for the ranfom of the town.

They afterwards took St. Augustin, and, touching at Virginia, took on board the governor, M. Lane, with the English that had been left there the year before by Sir Walter Raleigh, and arrived at Portsmouth on July 28, 1586, having loft in the voyage feven hundred and fifty men. The gain of this expedition amounted to fixty thousand pounds, of which forty were the share of the adventurers, who fitted out the ships, and the reft, diftributed among the several crews, amounted to fix pounds each man. So cheaply is life fometimes hazarded.

The tranfactions against the Armada, 1588, are in themselves far more memorable, but lefs neceffary to be recited in this fuccinct narrative; only let it be remembered, that the poft of vice-admiral of England, to which Sir Francis Drake was then raifed, is a fufficient proof that no obfcurity of birth, or meanness of fortune, is unfurmountable to bravery and diligence.

In 1595 Sir Francis Drake, and Sir John Hawkins, were fent with a fleet to the Weft-Indies, which expedition

pedition was only memorable for the deftruction of Nombre de Dios, and the death of the two commanders, of whom Sir Francis Drake died January 9, 1597, and was thrown into the sea in a leaden coffin, with all the pomp of naval obfequies. It is reported by fome that the ill fuccefs of this voyage haftened his death. Upon what this conjecture is grounded does not appear; and we may be allowed to hope, for the honour of fo great a man, that it is without foundation; and that he, whom no feries of fuccefs could ever betray to vanity or negligence, could have fupported a change of fortune without impatience or dejection,

BARRE

BARRETIER*.

H

AVING not been able to procure materials for a compleat life of Mr. Barretier, and being nevertheless willing to gratify the curiofity justly raised in the public by his uncommon attainments, we think the following extracts of letters, written by his father, proper to be inferted in our collection, as they contain many remarkable paffages, and exhibit a general view of his genius and learning.

JOHN PHILIP BARRETIER was born at Schwabach, January 19, 1720-21. His father was a Calvinist minifter of that place, who took upon himself the care of his education. What arts of inftruction he used, or by what method he regulated the studies of his son, we are not able to inform the public; but take this opportunity of intreating thofe, whọ have received more complete intelligence, not to deny mankind so great a benefit as the improvement of education. If Mr. Le Fevre thought the method, in which he taught his children, worthy to be communicated to the learned world, how juftly may Mr. Barre

This article was firft printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1740.