The Last Fight of the Revenge, off Flores, in the Azores by Charles Dixon.

There is but one Revenge for Englishmen, the Revenge of Sir Richard Grenvilles last fight. We have had other Revenges of the Royal Navy to achieve distinction inthe 309 years since August 31st, 1591, but none of the have a fame approaching hers. The present modern battleship Revenge was, of course, the flagship of the Particular Service Squadron of the year of the Kaisers memorable telegram to ex-President Kruger in 1896. The Revenge flagship of Sir Richard Grenville was one of a squadron sent to waylay a fleet of Spanish treasure ships from the Indies. They were lying, on the last day of August, 1591, off Flores, in the Azores, short of water, and with half the men down with sickness. Suddenly an alarm was given that a large Spanish fleet was upon them, coming round the back of the island. All cut their cables or let slip their anchors and made for the open sea - all save one. Sir Richard Grenvilles Revenge was in no haste to fly. Grenville, who was second in command in the squadron, waited. He got on board and stowed in safety below all his sick who had been landed to recuperate ashore. After that, with only 100 men to fight and work the ship, he weighed anchor and stood out to sea. Sir Richard utterly refused to turn from the enemy, alleging that he would rather choose to die than to dishonour himself, his country, and Her Majestys ship, persuading his compnay that he would pass through their two squadrons in spite of them, and enforce those of Seville to give him way, which he performed upon diverse of the foremost, who, as the mariners term it, sprang their luff, and fell under the lee of the Revenge. So the survivors of the Revenge told the famous Sir Wlater Raleigh, Grenvilles cousin, when they came home. Soon a giant Spanish flagship of 1500 tons, the San Philip, came up alongside, and took the wind out of the sails of the Revenge, her huge bulk overtoppling the little English ship. After the Revenge was entangled with the San Philip, Raleigh tells us, four others boarded her, two on her larboard and two on her starboard. The fight, thus beginning at three oclock in the afternoon, continued very terrible all that evening. But the great San Philip, having received the lower tier of the Revenge, shifted herself with all diligence from her sides, utterly misliking her first entertainment. The Spanish ships were filled with soldiers, in some 200 besides the mariners, in some 500, in others 800. In ours there were none at all, besides the mariners, but the servants of the commander and some few voluntary gentlemen only. After many interchanged volleys of great ordnance and small shot, the Spaniards deliberated to enter the Revenge, and made divers attempts, hoping to force her by the multitude of their armed soldiers and musketeers, but were still repulsed again and again, and at all times beaten back into their own ship or into the sea.

Published in 1901 by George Newnes Ltd, this is an original book plate from a large format naval book. The text shown here also appears on the reverse side of the print. Only a few of these original book plates are still available today, more than a century after they were first published.

Original Chromolithograph, 1901. One Copy Only.

Paper size 14 inches x 10 inches (36cm x 25cm)