Thus he had a large supply of great ships to
draw upon in addition to those of the royal navy, while in England
the largest vessels belonging to private owners did not exceed four
hundred tons, and there were not more than two or three vessels of
that size sailing from any port of the country. The total allowance
by the queen for the repair of the whole of the royal navy, wages
of shipwrights, clerks, carpenters, watchmen, cost of timber, and,
all other necessary dockyard expenses, was but 4000 pounds a year.
In December the fleet was ready for sea, together with the contingent
furnished by the liberality and patriotism of the merchants and
citizens of the great ports. But as soon as it was got together
half the crews collected and engaged at so great an expense were
dismissed, the merchant ships released, and England open to invasion,
and had Parma started in the vessels he had prepared, Lord Howard,
who commanded the English navy, could not have fired a shot to have
prevented his crossing.
Well might Sir John Hawkins in his despair at Elizabeth's caprices
exclaim: "We are wasting money, wasting strength, dishonouring
and discrediting ourselves by our uncertain dallying." But though
daily reports came from Spain of the readiness of the Armada to
set sail, Elizabeth, even when she again permitted the navy to be
manned, fettered it by allowing it to be provided with rations for
only a month at a time, and permitting no reserves to be provided
in the victualling stores; while the largest vessels were supplied
with ammunition for only a day and a half's service, and the rest
of the fleet with but enough for one day's service.
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