including even the captain of his own ship, to proceed in their long boats, with chosen crews, and destroy them. This was accordingly executed, with the loss of only twenty-five men killed, and forty-eight wounded, while the Admiral and his fleet covered the assailants from the fire of the castle, by playing continually on it with their cannon. This daring action spread the terror of his name, and produced concessions with very little trouble from the Bey of Tripoli; after which, he again returned to Tunis, where he now met with nothing but submission. As the purpose of this expedition was to procure satisfaction for all the injuries and spoliation suffered by the English in the Mediterranean, during the civil wars, when it was thought they could be inflicted with impunity, several of the minor Christian powers, who had taken similar liberties, were next called to account. Among the rest, the Knights of Malta were obliged to submit to reparation, as also the Duke of Tuscany, who was compelled to pay 60,000l. as a compensation for losses sustained from his subjects by the English. It is added, that the Admiral sent home no less than sixteen ships, laden with effects thus exacted, for insults and injuries endured by English subjects in that sea, during the political struggles which had harassed their country at home.*

These exploits were performed in the spring of 1655, and such a formidable opinion did they create of the power, strength, and tenacity of the English government, that most of the states of Italy thought proper to send messages of compliment to the Protector; and the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the states of Venice, in particular, distinguished themselves by splendid embassies. It is, in fact, difficult to select a period in English history, when the country was so feared and courted, as under the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. Some of this deference was, no doubt, attributable to the political situation of Europe at the time, but no small part was due to the great abilities of the Protector, and to the vigour and efficiency of his councils. His instruments too, as in the instance of Blake, were well chosen; and as, by the depression of the ancient aristocracy, he was called upon for few or no sacrifices to family support

and connexions, so he had no occasion to give employments to persons who were unfit for them. He was indeed one of those master spirits, who can employ ability without fearing it—a faculty exceedingly rare, even among able rulers.

By this time, the secret expedition, under Penn and Venables, sent by Crom well to surprise and capture St. Domingo, and which terminated in the taking of Jamaica, had become known to the court of Madrid, which immediately confiscated all the English property in Spain; and the war between the two countries was from that time carried on with extreme vigour and animosity. Blake, of course, did his best to ruin the maritime force of Spain in Europe, as Penn was endeavouring to do in the West Indies; and so great and incessant was his activity, that his constitution began to sink under efforts so unremitting. Fearing that some bad consequences might ensue, if he were not joined by a colleague, proper to take charge of the fleet, in the event of his decease, he suggested the expediency of joining some able commander in the commission with himself; in compliance with which suggestion, Admiral Montague was sent out, with a strong squadron to reinforce and assist him. Soon after the arrival of Montague, they repaired, with the joint fleet, to Cadiz in 1656, where they continued to blockade a Spanish squadron for several months. The Admiral then having taken the major part of his fleet to the coast of Portugal, to obtain water and refreshments, Captain Stayner, who had been left cruizing with a small squadron, fell in with the Spanish homewardbound Plate fleet, and captured the ViceAdmiral, Rear-Admiral, and another galleon, with two millions of dollars on board; all which prizes, together with the prisoners, were sent to England, under Montague; Blake, notwithstanding his illness, remaining in the Medi

terranean.

Chronicle, p. 366.

six heavy galleons and ten smaller ships moored close to the shore, with their broadsides towards the sea, the inner vessels secured by a boom, and all disposed in such a manner as to present the appearance of being almost unassailable. Nothing seemed to have been omitted by the Spanish commander, a man of courage and conduct, to render a successful attack impossible. The ships were defended not only by a strong castle in a very commanding situation, and furnished with heavy ordnance, but seven additional forts had been erected, mounting from three to six guns each, and united by lines of communication, manned by musketeers. Yet, notwithstanding these able dispositions of the Spanish General, such an idea was generally entertained of Blake's enterprising character, that the captain of a Dutch merchantman, then in the bay, at once made up his mind, from the manœuvres of the English Admiral, that an attack was intended; and to avoid ill consequences to himself from the approaching conflict, he immediately waited upon the Spanish Commander, and requested leave to quit the harbour, plainly stating as his reason for the request, his conviction that Blake would be soon among them. The resolute Spaniard at once granted him the desired permission, exclaiming with a confident smile" Get you gone, if you like, and let Blake come if he dare."*

The Admiral had by this time settled the question of daring, having made all his dispositions for the attack. A squadron of ships was selected for the first onset, commanded by Captain Stayner, in the Speaker frigate, who proceeding directly into the bay, assailed the Spanish fleet with extreme fury, perfectly regardless of the guns of the forts which played on his ships in every direction. Another division of the fleet was judiciously sent to occupy the attention of the castle and the forts, while Blake himself joined Stayner, and attacked the Spanish ships, which were not much fewer in number than the English, while the crews greatly exceeded them. Notwithstanding this advantage, in a few hours the Spaniards were driven entirely from their shipping, and Blake, who perceived the impossibility of carrying the vessels out, ordered his men to set fire to their prizes. This was done so effectually, that all the

• Heath's Chronicle, p. 391.

Spanish ships were reduced to ashes, except two, which sank during the engagement, and exhibited only a small portion of their masts above the water.*

It is necessary to mention a circumstance which has exposed this celebrated affair to much professional remark, both at the time it occurred, and even since. It is stated that the direction of the wind which prevented Blake from bringing his prizes out, would have prevented him from getting out himself, but for its sudden veering to the south-west, a change of very rare occurrence at that time of the year. Should this latter assertion be true, it must be confessed that this daring attack wears the appearance of a trusting to contingency, or bare possibility, which must be deemed rash in the extreme, and so it has been frequently termed by authors of considerable reputation. Unhappily the gallant performer of the exploit died before he reached his native land, which deprived the world of his own explanation of the affair; but as the bay of Santa Cruz is open, without any difficulty in the egress, we cannot help suspecting, that the land breeze, which so timely carried him out, was not so unusual as here represented; and that he rested upon a feasible exertion of skill and seamanship, and not upon an interference in his favour so apparently special, that it might almost be deemed miraculous. The writer of the account whence we gather this narration, directly attributes this change of wind to Providence, which leaves Blake's professional prudence in great jeopardy, as he could have scarcely looked forward to such an interposition. Is it not more probable, that a man, who united so much coolness and judgment to undaunted resolution, saw many things possible which were invisible to less gifted eyes? Blake never seems to have made any signal mistake in the whole of his naval career, for it has already been shown, that his attack of Van Tromp, with an inferior force, has by no means been proved to be either unnecessary or unadvisable. Other and more general reasons render it probable that the alleged critical change of wind was exaggerated in the narratives of the day People like to seem indebted to the visible favour of Providence, and its

• Heath's Chronicle, p. 391; + Heath,

special protection was always very unequivocally claimed by that predominant English party to whom Blake's success was peculiarly acceptable. On the other hand, a taste for the marvellous is even still more prevalent; and simply as an extraordinary event, the more surprising the version of the story, the more would it be cherished by the multitude. In a word, it is difficult to believe that an officer of the high character and experience of Blake, would risk his reputation by an act which nothing but a most unusual phenomenon could prevent from being at once fatal to himself and injurious to his country.

*

Rapin, who seems never to have been cordial to the memory of this great seaman, on account of his success against the Dutch, remarks, that however heavy the loss to the Spaniards in ships, money, men, and merchandise, the English gained nothing by this enterprise, but glory. Dr. Johnson however, tersely and justly observes, that in warfare an increase of military reputation is an increase of power, and that he who weakens his enemy, in effect strengthens himself. As respects Spain, this was particularly the case, for her South American treasures had become the chief source of her power of annoyance. This is not to defend the vain glory of war, or to vindicate its barbarities: the more clearly indeed it is shown that havoc and destruction are inevitably connected with it, the more plainly is proved the wickedness of that policy which would wantonly inflict its horrors, or create artificial pretexts for the calamities which are its inseparable attendants.

To return to the Admiral: the union of skill and bravery in this transaction is forcibly evinced by the fact that the loss of the English amounted, in killed and wounded, to about 200 men only, without the destruction of a single ship. An affair, which must have been very afflicting to him, occurred in this battle, and the manner in which he acted in respect to it exhibits the clear and patriotic spirit of the man most characteristically. His brother, Captain Humphrey Blake, who commanded a ship for the first time, showed some lack of courage and talent as an officer, which convinced Blake that he was altogether

▪ Rapin, Hist. of Eng., English 8vo. edition,

vol. xi. p. 96.

Life of Blake in Gent. Mag,
Lives, English and Foreign, vol. ii. p. 121.

unfit for the profession of arms; and with the inflexible spirit of an ancient Ro man, the Admiral immediately cashiered and sent him home. What adds to the fine spirit of this conduct is, that he continued to regard him kindly as a brother notwithstanding, and at his death left him his paternal estate. A stranger to fear himself, he was enough of a philosopher to be satisfied, that a constitutional temperament is not always to be corrected by the will; and that a man may be useful in the peaceable walks of society, whom it is impossible to stimulate into military ardour. His country, its service, and its renown, were preferred to everything else in the mind of Blake: those saved harmless, he was again enabled to indulge his domestic affections; and in all his dealings with vanquished enemies, he was uniformly one of the most humane and placable of men.

As soon as the news of this extraordinary piece of service reached England, the Protector sent his secretary to acquaint the Parliament, who ordered a public thanksgiving, and directed that a diamond ring of the value of 500%. should be sent to the Admiral. One hundred pounds were also voted to the Captain who brought home the news; and the thanks of the House were ordered to be conveyed to all the officers and seamen employed, by the mouth of their commander. As the affair of Santa Cruz was the concluding exploit of this valiant seaman, so the honours thus conferred upon him proved the last tes timonials of respect that he was destined to receive from his beloved and grateful country. Returning towards the Mediterranean, after cruising some time before Cadiz, he discovered that his end was rapidly approaching, and became anxious to reach England. This, however, he was never again to behold, for he died just as the fleet reached Plymouth Sound. As he approached the Channel, it is said that he frequently inquired if the land was seen; but the exact circumstances attendant on his death are not recorded. He yielded up his gallant spirit on board the St. George, on the 17th day of August, 1657, having just completed his fifty-ninth year.*

The life and death of Blake will remind the reader of two distinguished Admirals of modern times :-the splendour of his career resembling the heroic Nelson's-and its close, that of the indefatigable and devoted Collingwood!

Mercurius Politicus, p. 375.

Nothing was wanting on the part of the Protector, the Parliament, or the people, to evince their high estimation of a man who had so ardently and disinterestedly devoted himself to the service of his country. The day after he died, he was embalmed and wrapped up in lead; his bowels were buried in the Great Church, at Plymouth, and his body sent round with the fleet to the Downs, and thence conveyed by water to Greenwich. There it lay in state, until the 4th of September, when it was borne up the Thames in a barge, covered with black velvet, and adorned with escutcheons and devices, to Westminster. Besides his brother, relations, and domestics, the funeral was attended by Oliver's Privy Council, the Commissioners of the Admiralty and Navy, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, the Field Officers of the Army, and other persons of office or quality, who followed in a great number of barges and boats, covered with black cloth, and marshalled by the Heralds at Arms, who arranged the procession. On landing, they proceeded through a guard of several regiments of foot, drawn up to receive the procession at the Abbey; General Lambert, with whom the deceased had been on terms of great intimacy, being present. The procession having reached the Cathedral, the body was interred in a vault constructed for the purpose in Henry the Seventh's Chapel. It is melancholy to be obliged to add, that at the Restoration the shadowy honour of an interment in the Abbey was no longer to be allowed to this great commander, whose body was dug up with those of Cromwell, Ireton, and many more. Some distinction was however made: the remains of Blake were decently reinterred in St. Margaret's Churchyard, while the bones of the others were treated with the greatest ignominy. The propriety of this transaction as regards Blake was questioned at the time, even among the friends to the restoration; at present it will be regarded with unmixed disgust. The naval services of this valiant man were so truly national; he had done so much to render the power and character of his country respected, and in such strict accordance with the ideas entertained of public duty on all sides, that any manifes

Kennet's Register and Chronicle, p. 536.

+ Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. iv. p. 174. Grey's Examination of Neal's Hist., vol. iii. p. 318,

tation of disrespect to the ashes of so illustrious a patriot, was as revolting to good feeling as to good policy. In every point of view, indeed, posthumous revenge is mean and disgraceful; and those who can derive satisfaction from insulting the remains of men, before whose ascendency they were forced to bend while living, only doubly proclaim their natural inferiority.

To the public and professional character of Blake the testimonies are numerous; and with a little abatement on the score of party feelings, nearly unanimous. It has been already remarked, that, in common with many other distinguished characters of the day, he appears to have formed his notions of patriotism from the republican models of antiquity. Love of country, and devotion to its greatness, freedom, and independence, were, theoretically at least, the primary duty of every wise and virtuous republican of Greece and Rome; and Blake adopted that principle with a stoical firmness of soul, which enabled him to excel nearly the whole of his contemporaries in fulfilling his high notions of the sacrifices due from a patriot to the public good.

From the moment Blake entered public life, he never seems to have indulged in any sort of cabal or intrigue for political influence; the peculiar openness and sincerity of his conduct being vouched for by all who have written about him.+ His freedom from every thing like a passion for acquisition, was equally conspicuous; for notwithstanding the immense sums which passed through his hands, so upright was his conduct as a public servant, that he scarcely left 5007. behind him, in addition to his paternal estate of about 2007. per annum. Love of fame may very possibly be thought to have been a considerable incentive: it might be so, but the love of fame is injurious only so far as it conduces to a selfish performance of extraordinary actions, with a view to mere personal no

The celebrated Hobbes was so impressed with the effect of the Greek and Roman historians and orators on the mind of the youth of the preceding age, that in the spirit of his opinions concerning pas rejection in the education of Englishmen. sive obedience, he goes near to advise their total

The testimony given of this quality is peculiarly lively and spontaneous. He (Blake) was," says Whitelock, "a man of as much gallantry and sincerity as any of his time, and as successful." Bates, although a very decided royalist, in his Elenchus Mortuum, is equally prompt in the praise of Blake's honour and frankness.

toriety; while, on the contrary, it may be deemed a salutary stimulus to ardent exertions in the fulfilment of duty. It

is sufficient to ensure a high estimation of the character of Blake, that with the total absence of all views which, in the general opinion of mankind, are pronounced mean, selfish, or interested, he rendered the greatest services to his country; to advance whose welfare and reputation, formed the constant passion of his life.

As a warrior, both on sea and land, Blake forms a remarkable instance of the latent aptitude for a peculiar line of exertion, which may exist in men before they have any opportunity of displaying it. He was forty before the civil war broke out, and nearly fifty before he served at sea, and that as a commander at once. The mere fact of fighting ably and bravely at sea, would not distinguish him from many of his colleagues; but he no sooner stepped on ship-board than he gave a new character to naval warfare, and made the most striking improvement in this impertant service, by the strength of his own genius, unaided by experience. The testimony of Lord Clarendon is unequivocal on this point, and it cannot be given better than in his own words.

"He (Blake) was the first man who declined the old track, and made it manifest that the science might be attained in less time than was imagined, and despised those rules which had been long in practice, to keep his ship and 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 the ships to contemn castles on shore, 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 making 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 though 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 achievements."*

It is scarcely necessary to add, that the foregoing passage from a writer who

Hist, of the Rebellion, vol, iii, p. 602,

cannot be suspected of partiality, is conclusive as to the high professional merits of Blake, who seems to possess an indisputable claim to the honour of having infused a great portion of that peculiar energy and spirit into the English navy, by which it has ever since been distinguished. The fact that both in his own days, and subsequently, he has been accused of rashness, will derogate but little from the justness of these pretensions. When a man of invention and enterprise ventures boldly, and is uniformly successful, it is both more generous and more just, to attribute the success to his superior capacity, than to dwell invidiously upon apparent temerity, or surprising good fortune. Every case no doubt is, strictly speaking, individual, and must rest upon its own merits; but the naval annals of Britain would have been very different from what they are, had a too calculating spirit of caution been prevalent in those whose deeds they record.

There is another point of view, in which the character of Blake, as a commander, exacts attention, and that owing to the very peculiar nature of the times, and the consequent object of the expeditions in which he was engaged. A general disposition prevailed, particularly on the part of maritime and commercial powers, to take advantage of the disorders in England; and in consequence, much spoliation and insult had been endured by English merchantmen. To this cause of irritation was subsequently added a manifest reluctance to act fairly towards the Commonwealth, unless when prompted by fear. On this account, Blake, especially in his later services, was frequently called upon to exercise a discretion in his negociations, which peculiarly evinced the spirit and character of the man. It is not to be denied that, in some instances, he displayed the overbearing features of the republicanism of antiquity, and, alive only to the honour of his own country, neglected the consideration which is due to the feelings and rights of others; but this was the prevailing spirit of all the leaders of the Commonwealth, and all men must be judged with an allowance for the predominant sentiment of the times. The sword-inhand intercourse of the Admiral with the Courts of Spain and Portugal, the Duke of Tuscany, and others in the Mediterranean, more particularly illustrate the existence of the disposition here alluded to, as relates to specific