in his power ; but yet they should be restored at a moderate ransom ; and if the admiral thought good, they would conclude a peace, and for the future offer no acts of violence to any of the English fhips and natives.”

A peace being accordingly concluded, Blake failed from thence to Tunis, where, having made the same demand as at Algiers, instead of the like submiflion, he received this resolute answer, that there were their castles of Goletta, and their ships and castles of Porto-Ferino ; he might do his worst, for he should not think to fright them with the fight of his fleet." Provoked at this answer, Blake resolved to destroy their ships in Porto-Ferino. Accordingly he ordered his captains to man their long-boats with stout feae men, and sent them into the harbour to fire those ships, whilst the admiral with all his fleet thundered most furiously against their castles. The seamen fó bravely performed their parts, that all the Turkish ships of war were soon reduced to alhes, with the loss of only twenty-five men, and forty-eight wounded, on the English fide. These were actions

of the highest conduct and courage, which made the English name very formidable in those feas.

There was another reason of Blake's sailing into the Mediterranean; which was, to demand satisfaction of all princes and states, that had molested the English in the time of confusion at home.

Accordingly, among other places, he failed to Leghorn, and dirpatched his secretary to demand of the great duke of Tuscanny 60,000 1. for damages sustained by the English in his dutchy ; prince Rupert having taken and sold as many English ships, as mounted to that value, to the great duke's subjects. The duke was willing to pay part of the fum, and desired time to confult the pope about the rest.

about the rest. Blake said, the pope had nothing to do with it, and he would have the whole sum ; which was paid him. The duke pretended that the pope ought to pay

of the damage, fome of the ships having been sold to his subjects;

accordingly accordingly the next succeeding pope repaid 20,000 pistoles. Admiral Blake sent home fixteen thips laden with the effects he had received from several states, for fatisfactions and damages ; and they were ordered to Cail up the Thames together, for a pleasant spectacle to the people.

§. 7. The king of Spain, provoked at the late attempt upon the West-Indies, declared war against England; and the protector dispatched orders to admirål Blake, to watch the return of the Spanish platefeet, and make what destruction he could upon the coasts of Spain ; and thought fit now to finish his alfiance with France, sending Lockhart his ambassador thither for that end. His highness undertock to fend over an army of fix thousand foot ; and when the forts of Dunkirk and Mardyke should be taken, they were to be put into his hands.

Admiral Blake, and Montague afterwards earl of Sandwich, having blocked up the port of Cadiz for some weeks, without being able to bring the Spaniards to a fight, were obliged to fail to Wyersbay in Portugal, to take in supplies. They left behind them captain Stayner, with only seven ships ; who, while the commanders were retired, perceived the Spanish plate-feet making directly to Cadiz. Notwithstanding the small force he had with him ; Stayner resolved to fall on the Spaniards; which he did with such fuccess, that in a few hours the whole feet was spoiled. One ship was sunk; another burnt, in which the viceroy of Mexico, with his lady, pe. rished in the flames : two were forced on ground; one got off, and two remained in the conqueror's hands ; which being brought to Portsmouth, the bullion, tó the value of two millions, was there landed, and conveyed in carts to London, as a trophy of this great victory *.

g. 8.

* See (in the appendix, No. II. of the poems) Mr. Waller's beautiful poem on this victory, entitled, Of a war with Spain, and fight at Sea by general Montague.

$. 8. Blake being returned to Cadiz, and having there rode out the winter of 1657, he received intelliġence, that another Spanish plate-fleet, much richer than the former, was coming home ; but, the fear of the English Aleet, had put into the bay of Santa-Cruz in the Canaries. Upon this Blake weighed anchor April the 13th, and by the zoth stood off of the said bay ; where he accordingly found the galleons arrivd, to the number of fixteen men of war. The bay was secured by a strong castle well furnished with ordnance, besides seven forts more in several parts of it, mounted with fix, four, and three guns apiece, and united by a line of communication from one fort to another, which was mann'd with musqueteers. Don Diego Diagues, the Spanish admiral, caused all his smaller ships to moor close to the more, covered by the castles and forts, and posted the fix large galleons farther of at anchor, with their formidable broadfides to the sea. A Dutch merchant-man was at this time in the bay, the master whereof perceiv. ing the English were ready to enter, desir'd Don Diego's leave to depart : "'For, said he, I am very fure Blake will presently be among us." To which the Don resolutely answered, “ Get you gone if you will, and let Blake come if he dares.”

Blake having called a council of war, and finding it impracticable to carry off the galleons, resolved to burn them all : to which end he ordered captain Stayner, with a squadron, to stand into the very bay ; who by eight the next morning fell furiously on the Spaniards, without the least regard to their forts, and fought them almost an hour. The admiral seconding him, posted some of the larger ships to cannonade the castle and forts; which play'd their parts fo well, that the enemy was forced to leave them. Blake for the space of four hours engaged the galleons, which made a brave resistance, but were at last abandon'd by the enemy: as were likewise the smaller vessels, which lay under the forts; which were burnt by Stayner, whilft Blake did the fame by the large galleons : so that this whole plate-fleet, of inestimable value, was utterly destroyed, without the loss of one English fhip, and with no more than forty-eight men killed, and an hundred and twenty wounded. The news of this brave and unparallel'd action being brought to England, the parliament ordered a day of thanksgiving for this great success; and the protector, at their defise, sent the admiral a diamond ring of 500 l. value, and knighted Stayner at his return to England.

$. 9. Blake, after this noble exploit, failed back to Spain, whence, after having long kept all their ports in awe, he returned for England. But falling fick of a fever, he died in the 59th year of his age, just as the fleet was entering into Plymouth Sound; where he passionately enquired for the land, but found his own element the more proper bed of honour. He had a publick funeral juftly bestowed upon him, and the honour of being interred in Henry the seventh's chapel. The lord Clarendon says, was the first man that declined the old track, and made it manifeft, that the naval science might be attained in less time than was imagined ; and despised those rules which had been long in practice, to keep his ships and his men out of danger, which had been held in former times a point of great ability and circumspection ; as if the principal art requisite in the captain of a ship, had been to be sure to come home safe again. He was the first man who brought ships to contemn castles on More, which had been thought ever very formidable, and were discovered by him to make a noise only, and to fright those who could rarely be hurt by them. He was the first that infused that proportion of courage into the seamen, by mak. ing them see by experience, what mighty things they could do, if they were resolved ; and taught them to fight in fire as well as upon water : and tho' he hath been very well imitated and followed, he was the first that gave the example of that kind of naval courage, and bold and resolute atchievements.” A very proper ser. vant this to such a maiter as Cromwell!

Blake had a very great regard to the honour of his country, and the English dominion of the seas. One instance of his care to preserve this honour, mer tioned by bishop Burnet, I cannot omit. He says, that Blake happening to be at Malaga with the fleet, before Cromwell made war upon Spain, some of the feamen going ashore, met the hoft

, as it was carrying about, and not only refused to pay any honour to it, but laugh'd at those that did. Whereupon one of the priests ftirr'd up the people to resent this affront; and so they fell upon them, and beat them severely. The feamen returning to their ship, and complaining of the usage they had met with, Blake immediately dispatched a trumpeter to the viceroy, to demand the prielt who had been the chief occasion of it; to which the viceroy returned this anfwer, “ that he had no authority over the priests, and fo could not dispose of him.” But Blake sent hima word again, " that he would not enquire who had power to send the priest to him ; but if he were not sent within three hours, he would burn their town." And so being unable to refift, they fent the priest to him; who justifying himself upon the rude behaviour of the seamen, Blake answered, " that if he had sent a complaint to him of it, he would have punished them severely, since he would not suffer his men to affront the established religion of any place; but he took it ill, that he set on the Spaniards to do it ; for he would have all the world know, that an Englishman was only to be punished by an Englishman. And fo he civilly treated the priest, and dismisfed him, being satisfied that he had him at his mercy. Cromwell was exceedingly pleased with this, and read the letters in council with great fatisfaction, telling them, " he hoped hé 'fhould make the name of an Eng lithman as great as ever that of a Roman had been."

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