Drake, Nelson and Napoleon | Page 9

Walter Runciman

above and would be sustained by the mystery that gave him it in such
abundance, but, in fact, he never doubted what was known as the
doctrine of the divine right of kings.
The human support which kept him in authority did not enter into his
calculations. The popular notions of the democracies then was that no
physical force could sever the alliance which existed between God and
monarchs; and there is no evidence that Philip was ever disillusioned.
He regarded his adversaries, especially Hawkins and Drake, in the light
of magicians possessed of devilish spirits that were in conflict with the
wishes of the Deity. His highly placed and best naval officer, Santa
Cruz, took a more realistic view than his master, though he might have
had doubts as to whether the people who were at war with Spain were
not a species of devil. But he expressed the view which even at this
distance of time shows him to have been a man of sane, practical
thought. Philip imagined he could agree with the acts of assassins (and
also support the Holy Office) in their policy of burning English sailors
as heretics. Santa Cruz reflected more deeply, and advised the King that
such acts were positively courting disaster, because "the British corsairs
had teeth, and could use them."
Spain looked upon her naval position as impregnable, but Elizabeth's
pirates contemptuously termed it "a Colossus stuffed with clouts."
Priests, crucifixes, and reliance on supernatural assistance had no
meaning for them. If any suggestion to impose on them by such means
had been made, they would have cast the culprits over the side into the
sea. They were peculiarly religious, but would tolerate no saintly
humbugs who lived on superstition. When they had serious work in
hand, they relied on their own mental and physical powers, and if they
failed in their objective, they reverently remarked, "The reason is best
known to God"--a simple, unadorned final phrase.
Some of the sayings and doings, reliable or unreliable, that have been

handed down to us, are extremely comical, looking at them from our
religious standpoint in these days; for instance, Drake's method of
dealing with insubordination, his idea of how treason was to be
stamped out, and the trial of Doughty, the traitor.
People who sit in cosy houses, which these early sailors made it
possible for them in other days and now to acquire, may regard many
of the disciplinary methods of Drake and his sea contemporaries as
sheer savage murder, but these critics are not quite qualified to judge as
to the justice or injustice of the actions of one man who is responsible
for the safe and proper navigation of a vessel, no matter whether on an
enterprising voyage of piracy, fair trade, or invasion. If a nautical
project is to be carried out with complete success, the first element in
the venture is discipline, and the early seafarers believed this, as their
successors have always done, especially during the different periods of
the sailing-ship era. A commander, if he wishes to be successful in
keeping the spirit of rebellion under, must imbue those under him with
a kind of awe. This only succeeds if the commander has a magnetic and
powerful will, combined with quick action and sound, unhesitating
judgment. All the greatest naval and military chiefs have had and must
have now these essential gifts of nature if they are to be successful in
their art. The man of dashing expediency without judgment or
knowledge is a great peril in any responsible position. When either a
ship or nation or anything else is in trouble, it is the cool, calculating,
orderly administrator, who never makes chaos or destructive fuss, that
succeeds. That is essential, and it is only this type of person that so
often saves both ships, armies, and nations from inevitable destruction.
The Duke of Wellington used to say that "In every case, the winning of
a battle was always a damned near thing." One of the most important
characteristics of Drake's and Hawkins' genius was their fearless
accurate methods of putting the fear of God into the Spaniards, both at
sea and ashore. The mention of their names made Philip's flesh creep.
Even Admiral Santa Cruz, in common with his compatriots, thought
Drake was "The Serpent"--"The Devil." And the Spanish opinion of
him helped Drake to win many a tough battle. Amongst the thrilling
examples are his dashes into Corunna and Cadiz. Drake never took the
risk before calculating the cost and making certain of where the
vulnerable weak spot of the enemy lay, and when and where to strike it.

The complete vanquishing of the Armada is another instance of Drake's
great qualities of slashing yet sound judgment put accurately into
effect.
Of course, the
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