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The Last Fight of the Revenge

Chapter 3: SOME APPRECIATIONS
By Walter Raleigh
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History - BritishHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)History - Warfare

About This Book

A detailed narrative reconstructs a single ship’s desperate engagement with a far larger enemy force, tracing the course of a prolonged night battle, the damage and losses sustained, and the vessel’s final fate. The text interleaves eyewitness-like description with contemporary tributes and assessments, profiling the ship and its commander while examining themes of honour, courage, and sacrifice at sea. Extended reflection contrasts moral resolve with material superiority in naval conflict. Plates, facsimiles, and an introductory essay frame the account and give it both documentary and elegiac dimensions, presenting the episode as an exemplar of seafaring valour and its enduring memory.

“In the year 1591 was that memorable Fight of an English Ship called the Revenge, under the command of Sr Richard Greenvill; Memorable (I say) even beyond credit, and to the Height of some Heroicall Fable. And though it were a Defeat, yet it exceeded a Victory.”

Sir FRANCIS BACON

“Sr Richard Greenfield got eternall honour and reputation of great valour, and of a experimented Souldier, chusing rather to sacrifice his life, and to passe all danger whatsoever, then to fayle in his Obligation.... And rather we ought to imbrace an honourable death then to live with infamie and dishonour, by fayling in dutie.”

Sir RICHARD HAWKINS

“Than this what have we more! What can be greater!”

JOHN EVELYN

“Struck a deeper terror, though it was but the action of a ship, into the hearts of the Spanish people; it dealt a more deadly blow upon their fame and moral strength than the destruction of the Armada itself.”

J. A. FROUDE

“Perhaps in all naval history there never was a more gallant fight than that of the Revenge off the Western Isles.”

PROFESSOR ARBER

And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea,
But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty-three.
Ship after ship, the whole night long, their high-built galleons came,
Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle-thunder and flame;
Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back with her dead and her shame.
For some were sunk and many were shatter’d, and so could fight us no more—
God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before?
Tennyson, “The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet.”

By permission of Messrs Macmillan & Co., Ltd, the owners of the copyright.