Two Lions, by Sir Walter Raleigh

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FOR by it, besides the sparing of our British blood, heretofore and during the difference so often and abundantly shed, the state of England is more assured, the kingdom more enabled to recover her ancient honour and rights, and by it made more invincible than by all our former alliances, practices, policies, and conquests. It is true that hereof we do not yet find the effect; but had the Duke of Parma,* in the year 1588, joined the army which he commanded with that of Spain, and landed it on the south coast, and had his majesty at the same time declared himself against us in the north,* it is easy to divine what had become of the liberty of England, certainly we would then, without murmur, have bought this union at a far greater price than it hath since cost us.

by Sir Walter Raleigh 1554-1618

From the Preface to ‘The History of the World’ (1614) by Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), as excerpted in ‘The Life and Times of Sir Walter Raleigh’ (1854) by Charles Whitehead (1804-1862).

* Alexander Farnese (1545-1592), Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro (1586-1592) and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (1578-1592). The Duke, an outstanding general with a vast army, wanted to invade England from the Netherlands (where Elizabeth was supporting rebels protesting against the Inquisition) but King Philip II of Spain ordered him to wait for his ‘Invincible Armada’. In the event, the Armada was defeated and the Duke’s army never crossed the Channel. See The Spanish Armada.

* James VI of Scotland came to the throne in 1567 at the age of one, when his mother Mary Queen of Scots was deposed by her nobles; Mary was executed in 1587 while seeking (and frankly abusing) the protection of her cousin Elizabeth I. Raleigh is imagining what would have happened if James VI of Scotland had backed Spain in 1588, when the Spanish Armada came, and what price would have had to be paid to buy the Scots off. Among Sir Walter’s ‘molehill’ of grievances was that James was now altogether too friendly with the Spanish, whereas Elizabeth had quite deliberately employed Raleigh and Drake to harass Spanish shipping. After his release from gaol in 1616, Raleigh led an expedition to Guiana where he clashed repeatedly with the Spanish. On his return, James had him executed. See posts tagged Sir Walter Raleigh.

Précis

Sir Walter admitted that the benefits may not be obvious so soon, but he invited his readers to imagine what would have happened had James supported the Spanish Armada in 1588. Now that the two countries had one king, he argued, neither need fear that artful European powers would turn them against each other again.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

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