Drake carried the naval war [Sidenote: 1585] to the coasts of Spain and to her colonies.

The consequent bankruptcy of the Bank of Seville and the wounded national pride brought home to Spaniards the humiliation of their position.

All that Philip could do was to pray for help and to forbid the importation of English wares.

[Sidenote: April 1587] In reply Drake fell upon the harbor of Cadiz and destroyed twenty-four or more warships and vast military stores.
So at last the decision was taken to crush the one power that seemed to maintain the Reformation, to uphold the Huguenots and the Dutch patriots and to harry with impunity the champions of Catholicism.

Pope Sixtus V, not wishing to hazard anything, promised a subsidy of 1,000,000 crowns of gold, the first half payable on the landing of the Spanish army, the second half two months later.