not be improper to enumerate them in the order of time in which they were publifhed, it is wholly unneceffary to give any other account of them.

He published in 1707, "Inftitutiones Medicæ," to which he added in 1708 "Aphorifmi de cognofcendis ❝ & curandis morbis."

1710, "Index ftirpium in horto academico."

1719, "De materia medica, & remediorum for"mulis liber;" and in 1727 a fecond edition.

1720, "Alter index ftirpium," &c. adorned with plates, and containing twice the number of plants as the former.

1722, "Epiftola ad cl. Ruifchium, quâ fententiam "Malpighianam de glandulis defendit."

1724, "Atrocis nec prius defcripti morbi hiftoria "illuftriffimi baronis Waffenariæ."

1725, "Opera anatomica & chirurgica Andreæ "Vefalii," with the life of Vefalius.

1728, "Altera atrocis rariffimique morbi mar❝chionis de Sancto Albano hiftoria."

"Auctores de lue Aphrodifiaca, cum tractatu " præfixo."

1731, "Aretaei Cappadocis nova editio." 1732, "Elementa chemiæ."

1734, "Obfervata de argento vivo, ad reg. foc. &

"acad. fcient."

These are the writings of the great Boerhaave, which have made all encomiums useless and vain, since no man can attentively perufe them without admiring the abilities, and reverencing the virtue of the author *.

* Gent. Mag. 1739, p. 176.

A a 3

BLAKE.

BLA K

E.

A

Ta time when a nation is engaged in a war with

an enemy, whofe infults, ravages, and barbarities, have long called for vengeance, an account of fuch English commanders as have merited the acknowledgements of pofterity, by extending the power, and raifing the honour of their country, feem to be no improper entertainment for our readers *. We fhall therefore attempt a fuccinct narration of the life and actions of admiral Blake, in which we have nothing farther in view than to do juftice to his bravery and condu&t, without intending any parallel between his atchievements and thofe of our present admirals.

ROBERT BLAKE was born at Bridgwater, in Somerfetfhire, in Auguft 1598, his father being a merchant of that place, who had acquired a confiderable fortune by the Spanish trade. Of his earliest years we have no account, and therefore can amufe the reader with none of thofe prognofticks of his future actions, fo often. met with in memoirs.

In 1615 he entered into the university of Oxford, where he continued till 1623, though without being

This Life was first printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for the year 1740.

much

much countenanced or careffed by his fuperiors, for he was more than once difappointed in his endeavours after academical preferments. It is obfervable that Mr. Wood (in his Athenæ Oxonienfes) afcribes the repulse he met with at Wadham College, where he was competitor for a fellowship, either to want of learning, or of ftature. With regard to the first objection, the fame writer had before imformed us, that he was an early rifer, and fludious, though he fometimes relieved his attention by the amufements of fowling and fishing. As it is highly probable that he did not want capacity, we may therefore conclude, upon this confeffion of his diligence, that he could not fail of being learned, at least in the degree requifite to the enjoyment of a fellowship; and may fafely afcribe his difappointment to his want of ftature, it being the custom of Sir Henry Savil, then warden of that college, to pay much regard to the outward appearance of those who folicited preferment in that fociety. So much do the greatest events owe fometimes to accident or folly!

He afterwards retired to his native place, where "he "lived," fays Clarendon, " without any appearance of "ambition to be a greater man than he was, but in"veighed with great freedom against the licence of the times, and power of the court,"

In 1640 he was chofen burgefs for Bridgwater by the Puritan party, to whom he had recommended himself by his difapprobation of bifhop Laud's violence and feverity, and his non-compliance with thofe new ceremonies which he was then endeavouring to introduce.

When the civil war broke out, Blake, in conformity with his avowed principles, declared for the parliament; and, thinking a bare declaration for right not all the duty of a good man, raised a troop of dragoons

for his party, and appeared in the field with so much bravery, that he was in a fhort time advanced, without meeting any of thofe obftructions which he had encountered in the university.

In 1645 he was governor of Taunton, when the Lord Goring came before it with an army of 10,000. men. The town was ill fortified, and unsupplied with almost every thing neceffary for fupporting a fiege. The ftate of this garrifon encouraged Colonel Windham, who was acquainted with Blake, to propose a capitulation; which was rejected by Blake with indignation and contempt: nor were either menaces or perfuafions of any effect, for he maintained the place under all its difadvantages, till the fiege was raised by the parliament's army.

He continued, on many other occafions, to give proofs of an infuperable courage, and a steadiness of refolution not to be fhaken; and, as a proof of his firm adherence to the parliament, joined with the borough of Taunton in returning thanks for their refolution to make no more addreffes to the king. Yet was he fo far from approving the death of Charles I. that he made no fcruple of declaring, that he would venture his life to fave him, as willingly as he had done to ferve the parliament.

In February 1648-9, he was made a commiffioner of the navy, and appointed to ferve on that element, for which he feems by nature to have been defigned. He was foon afterwards fent in purfuit of prince Rupert, whom he shut up in the harbour of Kingfale in Ireland for feveral months, till want of provifions, and despair of relief, excited the prince to make a daring effort for his efcape, by forcing through the parliament's fleet:

this

this defign he executed with his ufual intrepidity, andfucceeded in it, though with the lofs of three fhips. He was pursued by Blake to the coaft of Portugal, where he was received into the Tagus, and treated with great diftinction by the Portuguese.

Blake, coming to the mouth of that river, fent to the king a meffenger, to inform him, that, the fleet in his port belonging to the publick enemies of the commonwealth of England, he demanded leave to fall upon it. This being refufed, though the refufal was in very soft terms, and accompanied with declarations of esteem, and a prefent of provifions, fo exafperated the admiral, that, without any hesitation, he fell upon the Portuguese fleet, then returning from Brafil, of which he took feventeen fhips, and burnt three. It was to no purpose that the king of Portugal, alarmed at fo unexpected a destruction, ordered prince Rupert to attack him, and retake the Brafil fhips. Blake carried hoine his prizes without moleftation, the prince not having force enough to purfue him, and well pleafed with the opportunity of quitting a port where he could no longer be protected.

Blake foon fupplied his fleet with provision, and received orders to make reprifals upon the French, who had fuffered their privateers to moleft the English trade; an injury which, in those days, was always immediately refented, and, if not repaired, certainly punished. Sailing with this commiffion, he took in his way a French man of war valued at a million. How this ship happened to be fo rich, we are not informed; but as it was a cruiser, it is probable the rich lading was the accumulated plunder of many prizes. Then following the unfortunate Rupert, whofe fleet by ftorms

and