GRENVILLE Long Neglected

Radio Record, Volume X, Issue 9, 11 September 1936, Page 24

GRENVILLE Long Neglected

IR RICHARD GRENVILLE" is the story of a Man Whose career has long remained obscure, and who has been remembered only by the blaze of glory in which he met, his death. That no previous biography of Grenville has been written is strange, for he was 2 figure of considerable importance in Elizabethan England, and played a much larger part in the early attempts at colonisation of Virginia than he is generally eredited with. The author relates how, at On early age, Grenville fought for the Emperor Maxmilian against the Turks in Hungdry, and, again, under’ Don John of Austria, at the famous nayal- battle of Lepanto. For two years he wis Sheriff of Cork, and for some years sat in Parliament as member for Cornwall. At 34:he was appointed High Sheritf of Cornwall, and in that capacity. was responsible for preparing the defences of the West Country against, the everexpected Armada., ‘The performance of these duties precluded. possibility of his active participation When the Armada did finally, come, : Grenville is shown: to have planned to have established: ‘a colony in America ten years before. Raleigh. ‘Indeed, at. the time Raleigh was little’ more than a boy. Grenville obtained a charter, but before he could set -sail it. was revoked by Elizabeth. Tater, in ‘asxsociation with Raleigh, he commanded two expeditions which made nnsticcessful attempts to establish ‘colonies. The story, which is full of incident. and presents an excelient picture of life in Blizabethan England, leads up, step by step, to Grenville’s famous fight in the Revenge. The author deals | with this at some length, and stggests that the effect of this battle on the Spanish morale was second only to the defeat of the Armada, and, whether acting rightly or wrongly, Grenviile undoubtedly raised the character of the Navy. "Sir Richard Grenville." @G@. H. Bushnell, George G, Harrap. Our copy from -the publishers.