But the gallant courtier had a half-brother--Sir Humphrey Gilbert--who had just returned from a voyage around the world in the good ship _Golden Hind_.
"Let"s fit out a small fleet," said he to Raleigh, "and establish an English colony in Newfoundland."
"I"m with you," cried Sir Walter. "We"ll found another England in far distant America! On with it!"
Thus, an expedition of five ships sailed from Plymouth, in the early summer of 1583. Sir Humphrey boarded the _Squirrel_, and bade his kinsman an affectionate adieu.
"You must remain behind," said he, "and regain our position at court!"
"That I will endeavor to do," answered Raleigh. "Good luck and G.o.d speed."
The expedition was a failure from the start. Scarcely had the shallops gone to sea, than one of them--the _Raleigh_--deserted its companions and put back. The rest reached Newfoundland, but the men were lawless and insubordinate.
"This is the Deuce of a cold place for a colony," they said. "Home to Merrie England!"
Gilbert was forced to yield to their angry demands, and re-embarked.
"Don"t sail in that rattle-trap of a _Squirrel_," said his officers to him. "She"ll founder!"
But Sir Humphrey had that obstinacy which characterized General Braddock.
"No: I will not forsake the little company, going homeward," said he.
"I"ll stick to my ship."
He stuck--and--when they hailed him one stormy night, he said:
"Be of good cheer, my friends: we are as near to Heaven by sea as by land!"
That night the _Squirrel_ was sailing a little in advance of the other ships, and, as those on board the _Golden Hind_ watched the frail barque, they saw her lurch, heave, and then sink from view. Thus the soul of brave Raleigh"s kinsman found a watery grave. He had paid for his obstinacy with his life.
Raleigh was overwhelmed with grief when he learned of the death of his heroic half-brother.
"I"ll yet found my Colony," said he. "And I"ll go myself."
This pleased the jealous courtiers more than ever, for they would now have him out of the way for all time.
With his ample wealth, the indefatigable adventurer found no difficulty in fitting out an expedition, and, in the year after the death of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, he sent forth two vessels to explore the coast of the Carolinas.
"I"m going to stay at home and face my enemies!" said the gay blade.
"Again good luck and G.o.d Speed!"
They had a fortunate voyage, and, when they returned, the Captains told of the beautiful harbors, fine rivers, magnificent forests and abundance of game. The Queen was delighted, and at once named the fair country for herself, with characteristic egotism. That men might know that this fruitful land was explored in the time of the Virgin Queen, it was called "Virginia." Raleigh was wild with delight.
And the jealous courtiers looked dejected and sad.
A fleet of seven vessels--with one hundred colonists--was now sent to Virginia, under the command of one Grenville, who was eager to become suddenly rich: a disease as common now as in those venturous days. No sooner had the people landed, than they began to treat the savages with such harshness and rapacity--that they had to gain their own food, as the natives would have nothing to do with them. Dissensions tore the little community into shreds. So they were only too glad to return with the gallant old sea-dog, Sir Francis Drake, when he happened that way, with a large amount of booty which he had just taken from the Spaniards in the southern seas.
Another expedition was sent over by Raleigh; and yet another. They were failures. But there was one, single thing which was not a failure. This was the discovery of a herb called "Yppowoc," or tobacco, the leaves of which--when dried--were smoked by the natives in long pipes.
Curious Sir Walter had a jeweller in London make him a silver pipe, after the fashion of those used by the native Virginians. In this he began to smoke the tobacco, and soon grew to like it very much; so much, indeed, that he was scarcely ever without this comforter, when enjoying the quiet of his home.
One day he was sitting cosily by his fire with his Long Nine in his mouth, and the smoke was curling gracefully over his head. Just as he was puffing out a particularly thick cloud, one of his servants happened to enter the room with a tankard of ale, for the luncheon table.
"Ye G.o.ds!" cried he. "My Master"s on fire!"
_Swash!!_
Over Sir Walter"s head went the ale, and the frightened lackey dashed down the steps.
"H-e-l-p! H-e-l-p!" cried he. "My Master is burning up! H-e-l-p!"
But Sir Walter did not burn up this time. Instead he near split his gallant sides with laughing.
Now, Boys, don"t smile! "Tis said that good old Queen Bess tried, herself, to smoke a Long Nine. But--hush--"she became so dizzy and ill from the effects that she never ventured upon the experiment again!"
(Keep this quiet! Very quiet! Will you!)
On one occasion she was watching Sir Walter blowing circles of smoke over his head, and said to him--
"Zounds! (or something stronger) Sir Walter! You are a witty man; but I will wager that you cannot tell me the weight of the smoke which comes from your pipe!"
"I can, indeed," was the confident reply of the gallant courtier.
"Watch me closely!"
At once he took as much tobacco as would fill his pipe and exactly weighed it. Having then smoked it up, he--in like manner--weighed the ashes.
"Now, Your Majesty," said he, smiling. "The difference between these two weights is the weight of the smoke."
And again Queen Bess remarked "Zounds!" (or Eftsoons!). At any rate, she paid the wager, for--with all her frailties--she was a Good Loser.
Raleigh, in fact, shortly became reinstated in Royal favor, and, when he aided Drake and Hawkins--soon afterwards--in dispersing the Invincible Armada, he was again in the good graces of his sovereign.
There was, however, a pretty, young Maid-of-Honor at court, called Elizabeth Throgmorton, and no sooner had the bright eyes of Sir Walter fallen upon her, than he fell in love. In paying court to this amiable lady he was compelled to use great caution and secrecy, for jealous Queen Bess watched him narrowly, and with suspicion. In spite of her preference for Ess.e.x, Elizabeth was quite unwilling that Raleigh--her less favored lover--should transfer his affections to another. So, in making love to Elizabeth Throgmorton, the gay courtier was compelled to use the utmost care.
But Murder (or Love) will out!
It chanced one day, that the Queen discovered what was going on between her Maid-of-Honor and the cavalier. Her rage knew no bounds.
She berated Raleigh before her ladies, and forbade him to come to court. She fiercely commanded the Maid-of-Honor to remain a prisoner in her room, and, on no account to see Raleigh again. So the venturous Knight turned his attention once more to wild roving upon the sea.
Now the jealous courtiers fairly chuckled with glee. "Ha! Ha! Ha!"
laughed they. "Ho! Ho! Ho! He! He! He!"
But Sir Walter engaged very actively in fitting out some squadrons to attack the Spanish ships.
"Egad! I hate a Spaniard!" he said. "They are my country"s special enemies and I intend to do them all the harm that I can!"
The Queen was glad enough to separate him from his lady love and not only consented to his project, but promised to aid him in it. Ere long fifteen vessels were anch.o.r.ed in the Thames--all ready to sail--but, before he set out, the gallant commander made up his mind that he would marry his beloved Maid-of-Honor. It was not difficult to find a clergyman who would splice him tighter than he ever spliced a rope aboard ship. The deed was done. He set sail. All was going propitiously.
"I"ll attack the Spanish ships in the harbor of Seville," said Raleigh. "Then--off to the Spanish Main and sack the town of Panama."
He laughed,--but what was that?