CHAPTER XIX. Part 1. Philip Second in his Cabinet--His System of Work and Deception--His vast but vague Schemes of Conquest--The Armada sails--Description of the Fleet--The Junction with Parma unprovided for--The Gale off Finisterre--Exploits of David Gwynn--First Engagements in the English Channel--Considerable Losses of the Spaniards--General Engagement near Portland--Superior Seamanship of the EnglishIt is now time to look in upon the elderly letter-writer in the Escorial,and see how he was playing his part in the drama.His counsellors were very few. His chief advisers were rather likeprivate secretaries than cabinet ministers; for Philip had beenwithdrawing more and more into seclusion and mystery as the webwork ofhis schemes multiplied and widened. He liked to do his work, assisted bya very few confidential servants. The Prince of Eboli, the famous RuyGomez, was dead. So was Cardinal Granvelle. So were Erasso and Delgado.His midnight council--junta de noche--for thus, from its original hour ofassembling, and the all of secrecy in which it was enwrapped, it washabitually called--was a triumvirate. Don Juan de Idiaquez was chiefsecretary of state and of war; the Count de Chinchon was minister for thehousehold, for Italian affairs, and for the kingdom of Aragon; DonCristoval de Moura, the monarch's chief favourite, was at the head of thefinance department, and administered the affairs of Portugal and Castile!The president of the council of Italy, after Granvelle's death, wasQuiroga, cardinal of Toledo, and inquisitor-general. Enormously longletters, in the King's: name, were prepared chiefly by the twosecretaries, Idiaquez and Moura. In their hands was the vastcorrespondence with Mendoza and Parma, and Olivarez at Rome, and withMucio; in which all the stratagems for the subjugation of ProtestantEurope were slowly and artistically contrived. Of the great conspiracyagainst human liberty, of which the Pope and Philip were the double head,