an oftrich, as a prefent, it died at Amfterdam in a few days, by swallowing iron nails, which the populace threw to it, upon a prefumption that it could digeft them like other food; but the oftrich being opened, about eighty nails were found entire in its fto mach. All the creatures that are here fhewn are regularly fed with food proper for them, and as carefully attended, as if they were indeed of royal dignity. This takes off much of their favage nature, and makes them tame and fubmiffive, and perhaps contributed not a little 'to difappoint the expectations of king James I. when he made trial of the fierce nature of a lion; for that prince having ordered a lion to be turned out of his den, and a bear to be put to him, the lion refused to attack the bear; they tried another, and at length two together, but in vain; the lions discovered plain fymptons of fear, by making to their dens: fuch were the effects of indolence and high feeding upon animals the most remarkable of any for courage and ferocity. N. B. There is foon expected in this place, a beautiful ZEBRA, or PAINTED ASS, which was lately prefented to her majesty, and is now fhewn at the king's fables in Buckingham Yard. This creature is about twelve hands high, of a milk white ftreaked with black; its body and legs are finely turned; but it has long ears, and in other refpects resembles an ass. Of the Spoils of the INVINCIBLE ARMADA. WHEN you enter the WHEN you enter the great gate of the Tower one of the warders will attend you, and carry you in a regular order to the feveral places where the curiofities are fhewn; the firft of which is fituated to the fouthward of the White Tower, and in it are B 2 repofited repofited the SPOILS of the INVINCIBLE ARMADA, as it was filed by Philip II. of Spain, in order to perpetuate to lateft pofterity, the memory of that fignal victory obtained by the English, over the whole naval power of Spain, which will ever make the reign of Q. Elizabeth glorious in the British annals. This ARMADA, when it rendezvoufed at the Groyne, under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, confifted of 132 fhips, including transports, on board of which were embarked 19290 foldiers, 8350 failors, 2080 gally flaves, and 2630 pieces of cannon, which at that time of day, when ships of 1200 tons carried hardly 60 pieces of ordnance, was a prodigious force. On the 21st of July 1588, this formidable fleet appeared off Plymouth, and was met there by the Engli under the command of Lord Effingham, Lord High Admiral; Drake, Hawkins, and Forbifher; when both fleets immediately formed the line of battle. The van of the Spanish fleet was led by Alphonfo de Levya; the duke of Medina commanded the center; and Juan Martinez de Ricaldo in the rear. The Lord high Admiral of England in his own fhip, called the Ark Royal, feconded by the reft of his fquadron, fell upon Levya's divifion, and a terrible engagement enfued; but Drake, Hawkins, and Forbisher, mutually fupporting each other where the danger was greatest and taking the advantage of the enemy where they obferved them. weakeft, put their rear into diforder, and forced them upon the center, which occafioned fome confufion; but night coming on, obliged both parties to lie by; and the English being ill provided with ammunition and ftores, were in no hafte to renew the engagement well knowing that every day would weaken their adverfaries, and increase their own ftrength. Accordingly, the very night after the firft engagement, one of the fhips of the line, by fome accident or other, blew blew up, and the fire from her communicating itfelf to the ship whereof Don Pedro de Valdez was captain, fhe fell an eafy prize to Admiral Drake, who sent her into Dartmouth. This was looked upon as a favourable omen of a compleat victory. Two whole days, however, were spent in repairing the damages fuftained on both fides, in which time the English were continually reinforced from the neighbouring ports, with men, ammunition, and fhips, which enabled them on the 23d, after fome time spent in ftriving to gain the wind, to fight the enemy on more equal terms than in the preceeding engagement; and having gained their point, fell upon Ricaldo's squadron with their whole force, and would certainly have destroyed it, had not the Spanish Admiral made a gallant attempt for his prefervation. Then the fight became general, and the English managed their fhips with fo much eafe and dexterity, that the unwieldy Spaniards, who lay like hulks in a dead calm, could make but little ufe of their fuperior ftrength, orders having been given by the English commander in chief, to avoid by all means a close engagement; by which, as the enemy's fhips were full of men, a great flaughter was made of them without fuffering in return any confiderable lofs. In this manner, a fort of running fight was maintained for two days, with no decifive advantage on either fide, other than what arose from the disparity of the numbers killed. It should have been before remarked, that accord ing to the original plan of this invafion, the Spanish admiral was to have been joined in the British channel by the Duke of Parma, with a body of 30,000 land forces from the Spanish Netherlands; but feeing no appearance of their arrival, he had dispatch'd express after express to haften their embarkation; and at length. B 3 length fet fail himself to the ftreights of Calais to faciLitate their junction. This motion had been foreseen, and a ftrong fquadron of 40 fail under Lord Henry Seymour, and Sir William Winter, were properly ftationed, as well to block up the ports from whence thofe fuccours were to embark, as to watch the future motions of the Spanifb admiral. This was a noble ftroke of policy, and was foon followed by another that ruin'd their whole project, and put an end to the great confternation, that had overfpread the whole nation on the first appearance of fo vaft an armament. When it was discovered by the Lord high Admiral what courfe the Spaniards had fteered, a council of war was immediately called, wherein it was refolved not to lofe a moment from pursuing them; on this occafion Admiral Drake, whofe prefence of mind never failed him on the moft preffing emergencies, bethought himself of an expedient to diftrefs the enemy, without rifquing the Queen's fhips in fo unequal a conflict. Thus having communicated his scheme to the commander in chief, it was refolved to put it in execution, and the rather as the contrivance was new, and confequently unfufpected. Accordingly, eight old and shattered ships were haftily fitted up, and filled with all forts of combustibles; and when the fleet came up with the enemy, who lay at anchor off Calais waiting for the Duke of Parma, thofe fhips were fecretly dispatched in the night, with proper inftructions to their refpective captains, to grapple at proper distances, where the enemy were clofeft in the line, obferving always to keep the wind; and when their fhips were thus properly stationed to fet them on fire, and then bring off their men: this was executed under the direction of the captains Prowse and Young, with all imaginable fuccefs; for while the Spaniards, thinking themselves furprised, were pre paring paring for an unexpected attack, the captains of the firefhips did their bufinefs, and in little more than an hour, the whole ocean feemed on fire, as if to devour what she could not fwallow up, of that prefumptuous Armada, which had braved the majesty of Heaven, been bleffed by the pope, and pronounced invincible. Now nothing but horror, confufion, and hurry enfued; fome were on fire, fome fell foul of others, fome cut their cables, and drove on fhore; and had it not been for the calmness of the Duke of -Medina, their whole fleet had that night perifhed with their hopes; but he seeing the danger, and penetrating the caufe, ordered his fleet to feparate, every one fhifting for himself, and to rendezvous next morning at Graveling: though these were the sagest orders that could have been iffued in the prefent dilemma, yet the English reaped from the confequences all the advantage they could have wished: it furnished them with an opportunity of attacking their huge fhips fingly, with what force they thought proper; and of coming to a general engagement, before the Spaniards were recovered from the dreadful panic with which they were ftruck. Drake and Forbifher, experienced feaofficers as ever the world produced, well knew how to improve this critical turn of fortune in their favour, and resolutely attacked the Duke of Medina's own fquadron before it could be half formed, and made terrible havock, while the other commanders were as vigilant in feeking out the scattered remains of Levya's and Rycaldo's; in a word, the fea feemed covered with wrecks; and the flower of the English nobility, who had waited on fhore for the event of this engagement, feeing all fears over from the Spaniards landing, flocked on board the ships, which were now encreased to the number of 150 fail, to B 4 be |