The hounds of God: A romance

"The Hounds of God" by Rafael Sabatini is a historical adventure novel written in the early 20th century. Set in Elizabethan England and Spain, it blends sea-borne warfare, courtly intrigue, and the shadow of the Inquisition. The tale centers on the daring West-Country seaman Gervase Crosby, the independent Lady Margaret Trevanion and her misanthropic father, and a stranded Spanish grandee, exploring loyalty, faith, and love across hostile lines.

The opening of the story traces the Earl of Garth’s sour disillusion, born from the Thomas Seymour scandal, his retreat to Cornwall, and the free-spirited upbringing of his daughter Margaret, who coolly repels suitors—especially the persistent Gervase. Gervase turns to the sea under Drake, proves himself in audacious raids, and returns to a chilly welcome before the Spanish Armada gathers. In the Channel crisis he volunteers for a perilous reconnaissance at Calais, then helps send in the fireships that break the Armada, earning a knighthood at Whitehall. He rushes home to claim Margaret, only to meet pride, rivals, and a wary promise softened by affection. Meanwhile, a Spanish noble, Don Pedro de Mendoza, is wrecked on the Cornish coast, foreshadowing an intimate collision of enemies that will propel the plot.