Revenge") ?> ballad of the Revenge tells a true story of the war that was fought between Queen Elizabeth of England and Philip II of Spain. A fleet of six English ships was overtaken at the Azore Islands in August, 1591, by fifty-three Spanish men-of-war, many of them of very large size and carrying big guns. The English ships were in need of repairs, and many of their sailors were ill on shore. The Admiral, Lord Thomas Howard, seeing how great were the odds against him, gave orders to fly at once. But Sir Richard Grenville, commander of the small ship Revenge, said that more than ninety of his crew were ill on shore, and that he could not leave them there to fall into the hands of the Spaniards, who would treat them as heretics and ill-use them.

The Admiral left with his five ships, and Sir Richard carried all his sick sailors, men from Bideford in Devonshire, on board the Revenge, while they blessed him for not surrendering them to the cruel Spaniards. Then he sailed from the Azores, with a crew of only a hundred men.

The Spanish fleet, built so high at bow and stern that they looked like castles on the water, caught up with the Revenge. Sir Richard sent his little craft straight through the enemy's men-of-war, and fought them all that afternoon and all that night. At dawn they were still fighting, and then Sir Richard wanted to sink his ship rather than let her fall into the hands of Spain. But his men protested, saying they could get honorable terms of surrender from their foes.

Sir Richard was wounded and dying when his men yielded. The Spaniards carried him like a hero to their flag-ship, where he died. Then they manned the little Revenge with their own crew, and the whole fleet set sail. But that night a great gale rose and shattered the Spanish fleet, and together with the other ships the Revenge sank at sea.

Tennyson follows the account of the actual sea-fight closely. The words of Sir Richard as he fell on the deck of the Spanish man-of-war are said to have been: "Here die I, Richard Grenville, with a joyful and quiet mind; for I have ended my life as a good soldier ought to do, who has fought for his country and his queen, for his honor and religion."

Revenge") ?>

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
(A Ballad of the Fleet)
(August, 1591)

 'Fore God I am no coward;", "") ?>


Revenge ran on sheer into the heart of the foe,", "") ?> Revenge ran on through the long sea-lane between.", "") ?> San Philip that, of fifteen hundred tons,", "") ?>
San Philip hung above us like a cloud,", "") ?>
San Philip, she bethought herself and went,", "") ?>
more—", "") ?>

die—does it matter when?", "") ?> Gunner—sink her, split her in twain!", "") ?>

Revenge with a swarthier, alien crew,", "") ?>
Revenge herself went down by the island crags,", "") ?>