nto the channel and slowly conquer England. The defeat of the Grand Armada in 1588 avoided the planned invasion of England but was not a permanent setback for the Spanish fleet, which recovered and continued to be an effective naval force in European waters.
             It is in the approach of the seventeenth century that Spain begins to see its decline in power. Philip has his third bankruptcy, and in the next year he passes away. Neither Philip III, or Philip IV provided the great leadership of their father.
             Cervantes himself was not only influenced by this time period, but later influenced some events, through his own life experiences. During the time of the war, he served time in the military, where he fought bravely in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. There he lost the use of his left hand. Returning to Spain by sea, he was captured by Algerian corsairs, and made a slave for five years. After four attempts to escape, he was finally ransomed and sent back home. Cervantes was married at age 37 to a woman of 19. He also had an affair which created his only offspring.
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