On the coasts of England the English people kept watch for a Spanish invasion, not yet knowing the fate of the Armada. By August 18 it was considered safe enough for the queen to ride to Tilbury, where about seventeen thousand men, under the command of Robert Dudley, massed in preparation for the threatened invasion. There the queen delivered one of her most stirring speeches, as quoted in the Norton Anthology of Literature, 6th edition:

I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms. . . .

The English enthusiastically celebrated their victory, which proved that Spain’s domination could be stopped and that England had a rightful place among the powers of Europe. Elizabeth’s standing as the triumphant queen of England was revered. But most Englishmen understood that their victory could be attributed as much to the weather as to military competence. This nine-day battle would not end the war. In fact Spain and England would continue to battle for fifteen more years, and England won very few victories. England’s attempt to invade Spain and Portugal in April 1589 failed miserably. In 1596 Francis Drake and John Hawkins both died after being defeated by the Spanish in Puerto Rico. Spain did little better, however. In 1596 and 1597 Philip used his vast resources to send two fleets greater than the original Armada to invade England but they were, once again, scattered by storms. Until Elizabeth’s death England and Spain remained in a stalemate.

BOOKS Hanson, Neil. The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True History of the Spanish Armada. New York: Knopf, 2005. Martin, Colin and Geoffrey Parker. The Spanish Armada. New York: Norton, 1988. Norton Anthology of Literature. 6th edition, Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 1993. Smith, Lacey Baldwin. The Elizabethan Epic. London: Panther, 1969. Weir, Alison. The Life of Elizabeth I. New York: Ballantine Books, 1998.