and battles was now reduced to five fhips, into Car thagena, he demanded leave of the Spanish governor to attack him in the harbour, but received the fame anfwer which had been returned before by the Portuguefe; "That they had a right to protect all fhips that "came into their dominions; that if the admiral were "forced in thither, he should find the fame fecurity; and "that he required him not to violate the peace of a "neutral port." Blake withdrew upon this answer into the Mediterranean; and Rupert then leaving Carthagena entered the port of Malaga, where he burnt and funk feveral English merchant fhips. Blake, judging this to be an infringement of the neutrality profeffed by the Spaniards, now made no fcruple to fall upon Rupert's fleet in the harbour of Malaga, and, having destroyed three of his fhips, obliged him to quit the fea, and take fanctuary at the Spanish court.

In February, 1650-1, Blake, ftill continuing to cruise in the Mediterranean, met a French fhip of confiderable force, and commanded the captain to come on board, there being no war declared between the two nations. The captain, when he came, was afked by him, whether" he was willing to lay down his fword, "and yield;" which he gallantly refufed, though in his enemy's power. Blake, fcorning to take advantage of an artifice, and detefting the appearance of treachery, told him, " that he was at liberty to go back "to his fhip, and defend it as long as he could." The captain willingly accepted his offer, and after a fight of two hours confeffed himself conquered, kiffed his fword, and furrendered it.

In 1652 broke out the memorable war between the two commonwealths of England and Holland; a war,

in

in which the greatest admirals, that perhaps any age has produced, were engaged on each fide, in which nothing lefs was contefted than the dominion of the fea, and which was carried on with vigour, animofity, and refolution, proportioned to the importance of the dif pute. The chief commanders of the Dutch fleets were Van Trump, De Ruyter, and De Witt, the most celebrated names of their own nations, and who had. been perhaps more renowned, had they been oppofed by any other enemies. The States of Holland having carried on their trade without oppofition, and almost without competition, not only during the unactive reign of James I. but during the commotions of England, had arrived to that height of naval power, and that affluence of wealth, that, with the arrogance which a long-continued profperity naturally produces, they began to invent new claims, and to treat other nations with infolence, which nothing can defend but fuperiority of force. They had for fome time made uncommon preparations at a vaft expence, and had equipped a large fleet, without any apparent danger threatening them, or any avowed defign of attacking their neighbours. This unufual armament was not beheld by the English without fome jealoufy, and care was taken to fit out fuch a fleet, as might fecure the trade from interruption, and the coafts from infults: of this Blake was conftituted admiral for nine months. In this fituation the two nations remained, keeping a watchful eye upon each other, without acting hoftilities on either fide, till the 18th of May, 1652, when Van Trump appeared in the Downs with a fleet of forty-five men of war. Blake, who had then but twenty fhips, upon the approach of the Dutch admiral faluted him with

three

three fingle fhots, to require that he fhould, by ftriking his flag, fhew that refpect to the English, which is due to every nation in their own dominions: to which the Dutchman answered with a broadfide; and Blake, perceiving that he intended to difpute the point of honour, advanced with his own fhips before the rest of his fleet, that, if it were poffible, a general battle might be prevented. But the Dutch, instead of admitting him to treat, fired upon him from their whole fleet, without any regard to the customs of war, or the law of nations. Blake for fome time ftood alone against their whole force, till the reft of his fquadron coming up, the fight was continued from between four and five in the afternoon till nine at night, when the Dutch retired with the lofs of two fhips, having not deftroyed a fingle veffel, nor more than fifteen men, moft of which were on board the admiral, who, as he wrote to the parliament, was himself engaged for four hours with the main body of the Dutch fleet, being the mark at which they aimed; and, as Whitlock relates, received above a thousand shot. Blake, in his letter, acknowledges the particular bleffing and prefervation of God, and afcribes his fuccefs to the juftice of the cause, the Dutch having first attacked him upon the English coaft. It is indeed little lefs than miraculous that a thousand great fhot fhould not do more execution; and those who will not admit the interpofition of Providence, may draw at least this inference from it, that the braveft man is not always in the greatest danger.

In July he met the Dutch fishery fleet with a convoy of twelve men of war, all which he took, with 100 of their herring-buffes. And in September, being stationed in the Downs with about fixty fail, he dif

covered

covered the Dutch admirals De Witt and De Ruyter with near the fame number, and advanced towards them; but the Dutch being obliged, by the nature of their coaft, and fhallownefs of their rivers, to build their fhips in fuch a manner that they require less depth of water than the English veffels, took advantage of the form of their fhipping, and fheltered themfelves behind a flat, called Kentifh knock; fo that the English, finding fome of their fhips aground, were obliged to alter their courfe; but perceiving early the next morning that the Hollanders had forfaken their station, they pursued them with all the speed that the wind, which was weak and uncertain, allowed, but found themselves unable to reach them with the bulk of their fleet, and therefore detached fome of the lighteft frigates to chase them. Thefe came fo near as to fire upon them about three in the afternoon; but the Dutch, instead of tacking about, hoifted their fails, fteered toward their own coast, and finding themselves the next day followed by the whole English fleet, retired into Goree. The failors were eager to attack them in their own harbours; but a council of war being convened, it was judged imprudent to hazard the fleet upon the fhoals, or to engage in any important enterprize without a fresh fupply of provifions.

That in this engagement the victory belonged to the English is beyond difpute, fince, without the lofs of one ship, and with no more than forty men killed, they drove the enemy into his own ports, took the rear admiral and another veffel, and fo difcouraged the Dutch admirals, who had not agreed in their measures, that De Ruyter, who had declared against hazarding a battle, defired to refign his commiffion, and De Witt,

who

who had infifted upon fighting, fell fick, as it was fup pofed, with vexation. But how great the lofs of the Dutch was, is not certainly known; that two fhips were taken they are too wife to deny, but affirm that those two were all that were deftroyed. The English, on the other fide, affirm that three of their veffels were difabled at the first encounter, that their numbers on the second day were vifibly diminished, and that on the laft day they faw three or four fhips fink in their flight.

De Witt being now difcharged by the Hollanders as unfortunate, and the chief command reftored to Van Trump, great preparations were made for retrieving their reputation, and repairing their loffes. Their endeavours were affifted by the English themfelves, now made factious by fuccefs; the men who were intrusted with the civil administration being jealous of those whofe military commands had procured fo much honour, left they who raifed them fhould be eclipfed by them. Such is generally the revolution of affairs in every state; danger and diftrefs produce unanimity and bravery, virtues which are feldom unattended with fuccefs; but fuccefs is the parent of pride, and pride of jealousy and faction; faction makes way for calamity, and happy is that nation whofe calamities renew their unanimity. Such is the rotation of interests, that equally tend to hinder the total destruction of a people, and to obftruct an exorbitant increase of power.

Blake had weakened his flect by many detachments, and lay with no more than forty fail in the Downs, very ill provided both with men and ammunition, and expecting new fupplies from thofe whofe animofity hindered them from providing them, and who chose

rather