He but a few servants and stragglers of the army.1 The interruptions which the English troops met with,2 threw them a little into disorder;3 when the moon arising, showed them the Scottish army, which they had supposed to be retreating, drawn up in complete order, and prepared to fight.* The battle commenced 5 with the greatest fury; for Percy and Douglas were the two most distinguished soldiers 6 of their time, and each army trusted in the courage and talents of their commanders, whose names were shouted on either side. The Scots, who were outnumbered,9 were at length about to give way, when Douglas, their leader, caused his banner to advance, attended by his best men10. He himself, shouting his war-cry of "Douglas!" rushed forward, clearing his way with the blows of his battle-axe, and breaking into the very thickest of the enemy.12 fell, at length, under three mortal wounds.13 Had his death been observed 14 by the enemy, the event would probably 15 have decided the battle against the Scots; but the English only knew that some brave man-at-arms had fallen. 16 Meantime, the other Scottish nobles pressed forward, and found their general 17 dying among several of his faithful esquires and pages, who lay slain around.18 A stout priest, called William of North Berwick, the 12 Turn, Then, shouting (use pousser, here) his &c., he rushed forward himself into the very thickest of the enemy (dans le plus fort de la mêlée), clearing his way with the blows of (se frayant un passage avec) his battleaxe.' 1 quelques tratnards (or, traîneurs) et quelques valets d'armée. 2 the obstacles which he presented to the march of the English troops.' put some (quelque, here) disorder in their ranks.' 'when,' &c. ; turn, 'and it was at the moment that (see page 18, note 10) they thought the Scotch in full retreat, that by the moonshine (à la clarté de la lune) they saw them drawn up in complete order, and prepared to fight (rangés en ordre de bataille et les attendant de pied ferme).' 5 Use s'engager. 'celebrated captains.' chefs. 8 étaient répétés à grands cris de chaque. 9 inferior in number.' 15under the escort of his best warriors.' 11 See page 86, note 1. chaplain of Douglas, was protecting the body of his wounded patron with a long lance.2 3 "How fares it, cousin?" said Sinclair, the first Scottish knight who came up to the expiring leader. "Indifferently," answered Douglas; "but blessed be 5 God, my ancestors have died in fields of battle, not on down beds. I sink fast; but let them still cry9 my warcry, and conceal my death from my followers. 10 There was 11 12 a tradition in our family that a dead Douglas should win a field,13 and I trust it will be this day accomplished." 14 The nobles did as he had enjoined; they concealed the Earl's body, and again rushed on to the battle, shouting, "Douglas! Douglas!" louder 15 than before. The English were weakened by the loss of the brave brothers, Henry and Ralph Percy, both of whom were made prisoners, fighting most gallantly,17 and almost no man of note 18 amongst the English escaped death or captivity. 16 Sir Henry Percy became the prisoner of Sir Hugh Montgomery, who obliged him for 19 ransom to build a castle for him at Penoon in Ayrshire.20 The battle of Otterburn was disastrous to the leaders on both sides--Percy being made captive, 21 and Douglas slain on the field.22 It has been the subject of many songs and poems, and the great historian Froissart says that, one other action only excepted, it was the best fought battle of that warlike time. 23 (W. SCOTT, Tales of a Grandfather.) 1 aumônier is more used, in this sense, than chapelain; see, besides, page 27, note 2. 2 de son maître, armé d'une lance. 5 grâce à. 9 14 See page 104, note 12. 15 See page 116, note 16 See page 56, note 1. THE DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA. [1588.] IT was on Saturday, the 20th of July, that Lord Effingham came in sight of his formidable adversaries. The "invincible" Armada was drawn up in form of a crescent, which from horn to horn 2 measured some seven miles. There was a south-west wind; and before it the vast vessels sailed slowly on.3 The English let them pass by; and then, following in the rear, commenced an attack on them. A running fight 5 now took place, in which some of the best ships of the Spaniards were captured; many more received heavy damage; while the English vessels, which took care not to close with their huge antagonists, but availed themselves of their superior celerity in tacking and manoeuvring, suffered little comparative loss. Each day added not only to the spirit, but to the number of Effingham's force. Raleigh justly 10 praises the English admiral for 11 his skilful tactics. 12 He says, "Certainly, he that will happily perform a fight at sea, must be skilful in making choice of vessels to fight in; he must believe that there is more belonging to a good man-of-war, upon the waters, than great daring; ; 13 and must know that there is a great deal 1 Use aligner, here (a naval term), not ranger (a military term). 2 from one horn to the other.' -'to measure,' in this sense, avoir. 'some,' environ, or, à peu près. 3 The vast vessels sailed slowly on, having the wind behind them (ayant le vent en poupe) which blew from the south-west." We say, likewise, in the same sense, avoir (and also filer-'to sail on') vent arrière (i.e., lit., 'to have to sail on with the wind right aft― astern'). 4 par derrière. 5 'Un combat en chasse. ☎ 6 many others.' 1 of difference between fighting loose, or at large, and grappling. The guns of a slow ship pierce as well, and make as great holes, as those in a swift. To clap ships together, without consideration, belongs 3 rather to a madman than to a man of war." The Armada lay off 4 Calais, with its largest ships ranged outside. The English admiral could not attack them in their position without great disadvantage, but on the night of the 29th he sent eight fire-ships among them, with almost equal effect to that of the fire-ships which the Greeks so often employed against the Turkish fleets in their late war of independence. The Spaniards cut their cables and put to sea 5 in confusion. One of the largest galeasses ran foul of another vessel and was stranded.s The rest of the fleet was scattered about on the Flemish coast, and when the morning broke,10 it was with difficulty and delay that they obeyed their admiral's signal to range themselves round him near Gravelines. Now was the golden opportunity for the English to assail them, and prevent them from ever letting loose Parma's flotilla against England; and nobly was that opportunity used.11 9 6 implies a war-ship, whilst navire is said of any other ship (merchant vessel or &c.); bâtiment is the general term for all kinds of ships. 1 se battre à distance, et en venir à l'abordage. 2 To clap together (mettre ensemble) ships.'-in a swift;' turn, 'of a swift ship.' 3 est (or c'est) le fait (followed by de, not by d-to'). When there is only one infinitive (as here, mettre) serving as a subject, or nominative to another verb (est, here), the use of ce is not indispensable: taste must decide it; yet, in general, it is better to use that pronoun, when the infinitive has a regimen of a certain length. But when there are several infinitives serving as nominatives to another verb, ce must be used; and, by the way, the verb must, even then, remain in the singular, as infinitives, not having in themselves the property of number, cannot, when used as subjects, communicate the form of the plural to the verb: thus, manger, boire et dormir, c'est (not ce sont, as mentioned p. 158, n. 8) leur unique occupation. 4to lie off,' être (or, se trouver) devant (or, à la hauteur de). 5 See page 94, note 7. 6 This was the name of an ancient Venetian kind of galley. 7 aborda par accident. 8 et échoua sur la côte (or, simply, échoua); or, et fit côte. 9 côte de Flandre. Always use the name of the country, instead of the adjective, in such a case as this. 10 the day appeared.' 11 'they obeyed,' &c.; turn, 'she (i. e., la flotte-fem.) obeyed,' &c. 'Now was,' &c. &c.; turn, Drake and Fenner were the first English captains who attacked the unwieldy leviathans: then came Fenton, Southwell, Burton, Cross, Raynor, and then the lord. admiral, with Lord Thomas Howard and Lord Sheffield. The Spaniards only thought of forming and keeping close together, and were driven by the English past Dunkirk,2 and far away from the Prince of Parma, who in watching their defeat from the coast, must, as Drake expressed it, have chafed like a bear robbed of her whelps. This was indeed the last and the 3 decisive battle between the two fleets. It is, perhaps, best described in the very words of the contemporary writer as we may read them in Hakluyt.4 "Upon the 29th of July in the morning, the Spanish fleet after the abovementioned tumult,5 having arranged themselves again into order, were, within sight of Gravelines, most bravely and furiously encountered by the English; where they once again got the wind of the Spaniards; who suffered themselves to be deprived of the commodity of the place in Calais road, and of the advantage of the wind near unto Dunkirk, rather than they would change 10 their array or separate their forces now conjoined and united together, standing only upon their defence.11 "And howbeit 12 there were many excellent and warlike13 'It was for the English a precious opportunity of giving the attack, and of preventing for ever (page 220, note 7) the Spaniards from letting loose (lacher) the flotilla of the duke-the prince-of Parma (Parme) against England (see page 22, note 1); and that opportunity was admirably used (mise à profit).' 1 à se former et à serrer la ligne (a naval term).--The military term is, serrer les files. 2 Dunkerque. 3 the' should not be repeated, as both adjectives qualify the same noun this case is the reverse of that at p. 192, n. 9, and p. 238, n. 1. Simply, Mais laissons parler un écrivain contemporain, H. 5affray' (échauffourée) would now be the word, here. 6 having put itself again (de nouveau) in order of battle.— were,' &c.; see page 41, note 7. 7 There; put within sight of Gravelines' last, and put a full stop after 'Gravelines.' 8to get the wind of,' gagner le vent (or, le dessus du vent) à. 9 rade, in this sense; and turn, 'the road of C-.' 10 rather than change (de, besides que, before the verb).'` 11 We should say, now-a-days, 'and standing only upon the defensive.' 12 'although,' 13 warlike,' in this case, bien armés en guerre. |