BARROW ' S MEMOIRS OF ELIZABETH'S NAVAL WORTHIES.
THIS volume is a sort of sequel to Mr. Barrow's Life of Drake; its production stimulated, probably, by the success of that work, and by the materials that turned up in the course of the author's researches into the biography of the great circumnavigator. His subjects are the most dis- tinguished naval captains of the Elizabethan age. Some of them—as "Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher, the most renowned seamen in Eu- rope "—are already pretty well known by name to most people. Others—like Davis, the Northern explorer, and Cavendish, the second English circumnavigator—are celebrated for daring seamanship and resolute perseverance rather than for a connexion with great political -events or the establishment of any naval principle. Lord Howard of 'Effingham, the Admiral of the fleet that defeated the Armada, and the unfortunate Essex, rather a soldier than a seaman, are partly indebted to -fortune for their fame; Sir Walter Raleigh was equally distinguished in literature, arms, statesmanship, and courtiership, though less remark- able as a sailor than for his other qualifications ; Monson is better known for his Naval Tracts than his own exploits ; and Lancaster is remarkable for having been the first who sailed to the East Indies, and established a commercial connexion with that country. The rest are bold and able men, but who acted in a subordinate capacity, or engaged in undertakings that terminated in themselves or with their age. Their names are Sir Humphrey Gilbert, John Oxenham, Edward Fenton Sir Richard Hawkins, Thomas Fenner, Lord Thomas Howard Earl of Suffolk, and Clifford Earl of Cumberland. Of these, Richard Hawkins, the son of Master afterwards Sir John, is entitled to notice for his account of his voyage to the South Seas; which exhibits a more close and judicious observation than was common to seamen in that age, or, allowing for difference of education, in any age' and Sir Humphrey Gilbert is memorable as the first attempting founder of an English colony, and for his heroical death.
' One reason that Mr. Barrow assigns for undertaking his publication is, that the merits of these naval worthies are scattered among the records -of contemporary writers—Camden, Hakluyt, Purchas, and others. But he surely forgets Southey; who, in his Lives of the Admirals, in Lardner's Cyclopedia, has compiled, from the published materials, the bio- graphy of many of these men with more copiousness, literary skill, and
sound judgment, than Mr. Barrow can lay claim to. But no matter. or these Elizabethan and nautical worthies the public has a maw-
" that, like an ample shield,
Can take in all, and verge enough for more."
There is an inherent interest for an Englishman in the courage and unso- phisticated homeliness of these old oceanic adventurers, which no repe- tition palls. Master Hawkins alone, with his troubles in obtaining his cargoes of "Blacks," and his further troubles in disposing of them to the
Spaniards and the heraldic honours that awaited the ori- ginator of the British Slave-trade in the shape of a crest—" a demi Moor in his proper colour, bound with a cord "—are worth whole waggon- loads of John Russellism, Young Englandism Exeter Hall, and Repale
with their endless talkee-talkee. Nor is Barrow unfitted for this kind of memoir-writing. He is industrious, earnest in his task, and agreeable in his manner. He may leave some things undone, and do others oddly ; but he has a hearty sympathy with his subject, sees what he does see clearly, and infuses a species of vitality into his narrative. Like the official gentleman of good society, as he is, he may not give much information, and may offer some conclusions to which we must demur ; but his discourse still pleases, and he is never profound enough to tire.
The real novelty of Mr. Barrow's Memoirs consists, however, in the original letters and documents with which his work is freely interspersed. A remark of the Edinburgh Review in noticing Mr. Barrow's elaborate Life of Drake has induced him to publish a translation of the journal kept by a Spanish officer on board the Armada, brought to this country at the close of the Revolutionary war, and lodged in the Admiralty; which, if it throws no new light upon the subject, is curious as being the Spanish version of the defeat, and for its substantial correspondence with the English accounts. The same Review also directed Mr. Barrow's at- tention to a manuscript in the British Museum, as likely to afford in- formation respecting Drake's execution of Doughty, in the Straits of Magellan ; and this he has reprinted as fragments of the evidence. It seems rather a preliminary examination of some of the witnesses than the evidence itself; and, though a graphic exhibition of character, and a proof that Doughty was a busy, mischief-making, intriguing man, very likely to hatch a foolish conspiracy, yet the fragments do not establish a conspiracy. From the same repository Mr. Hawkins has extracted minutes of Drake's Court-martial, held on the desertion of the Lion, which we no- ticed at fiill in our review of the Life of Drak,e.* This seems to be, in the words of Borroughs, "his own booke, which he did reade the 25 July at Tyballs" : for, sure enough, "he panneled a jurie, and nppon their verdicte (by his law and himselfe the judge) pronounced a sentence of death against me, Porroughs,] the master of the shippe, the boatswane, and others.' This " booke" is remarkable as being the first naval court- martial on record ; striking for the precision and regular proceedings of Drake in a difficult case when he had no precedent to guide him, and in- teresting for its picture of naval men and the naval service at that time.
• Spectator for 1844, page 1214.
From the State Paper Office Mr. Barrow has drawn a number of letters by Lord Howard of Effingham, relating to the Armada and other ser- vices; which exhibit the manly, straightforward, and amiable character of the man, whilst they display much freedom of remark, and show what risks Elizabeth ran through a niggardly economy. The same source has furnished other letters from other officers. Here is part of one from Hawkins, then Treasurer of the Navy, to Burleigh, on the endless subject of the needful.
"But this endlesse and unsaveri occupacion in eallyng for mony ys allwayes unpleasant. I protest unto your Lordship, before God, in whose presence I staid with a elere concyence, that nothynge dothe more myslyke me then when any service ys comaundyd: the necessy tye ys souche that Lmust be the instrewment to make the demaunds for mony to accomplyshe-them;-although I may boldlye say that none of those demaunds do advayle or benefytt me; neyther wyll I ever durynge my lyffe seeke or practyce any way to deceave Her Majestic in any thynge, for all the proffyt or comodytye that can grow unto me; for I thanke God I do dyspyse and abhorre any gayne that shall any way grow unto me, that shall not be obtayned with a elere congence in the presence of God, from whose syght no mortal man can hyde his thoughts. And as I ems thorowghly perswadyd my sellf to dele symplyeand trewly in Her Majesties service, so wyll 1 indevour to cawse others to do the lyke ; but in the service of prynces the smaller nomber do serve as they ought to do, but seeke to serve ther owne tomes."
The troubles of this office of Treasurer seem to have been grievous to Hawkins; though he held it till his death, either because he had the habit of complaining, or his place could not be supplied. There is something characteristic in this epistle of Drake, referring to an expedition to Portugal the year after the defeat of the Armada.
"Sir Francis Drake to Secretary Wolley. 1589, May 8th. "I have nether matter, or leasure, to write long. We saw Spayne the 23d of Aprell; we landed at Groyne the 24th: we tooeke the lower towne of Groyne the 25th, with 4 great shines, dyvers bar &c. and 150 poses of ordenance. The 6th day of May we gave the enemy a great overthrowgh, wherin were Blayne nere a thowsand bpanyards. We have donne the Kyng of Spayne many pretty servyses here at this place, and yeat I beleve he will not thanek 11.9. I desyre of God that the want of meat and powder be not repented; fyve thowsand pound in vittuall before our comyng out of Yngland, to that we had, and tow thowsand pound in powder, hapely would a yelded Her Majestic and contry mych qwyettnes. The King of Spayne slepeth not, nor wanteth no will to dow 1113 hurt. God grant we may prevent hym. Humbly takyng my leave, I besech God to blesse NS a, and gore us grace to live in his ffeare. From the groyne, this 8th May, 1587.
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