failing to the fouth, and Van Tromp to the northward; and this not being fufpected by the English, he both joined de Witte's fquadron, and gained the weather-gage. The next day proving very foul and windy, the fea ran fo high, that it was impoffible for the ficets to engage, the English particularly, finding it hard enough to avoid running upon the enemy's

coafts.

On Sunday July 31, the weather being become favourable, both fleets engaged with terrible fury. The battle lafted at least eight hours, and was the most hard-fought of any that had happened throughout the war. The Dutch fire-fhips were managed with great dexterity; many of the large veffels in the English fleet were in the utmost danger of perifhing by them; and the Triumph was fo effectually fired, that most of her crew threw themselves into the fea, and yet thofe few who staid behind, were fo lucky as to put it out. Lawfon engaged de Ruyter brifkly, killed and wounded above half his men, and fo difabled his ship, that it was towed out of the fleet: yet the admiral did not leave the battle fo, but returned in a galliot, and went on board another fhip. About noon, Van Tromp was fhot through the body with a mufket-ball, as he was giving orders. This miferably difcouraged his countrymen; fo that by two, they began to fly in great confufion, having but one flag ftanding amongst them. The lightest frigates in the English fleet purfued them clofely, till the Dutch admiral, perceiving they were but small, and of no great ftrength, turned his helm, and refolved to engage them; but fome bigger fhips coming into their affiftance, the Dutchman was taken. It was night by that time their scattered fleet recovered the Texel.

This was a terrible blow to the Dutch, of whom, according to Monk's letter, no lefs than thirty fhips were loft; but, from better intelligence, it appeared, that four of thefe had efcaped, two into a port of Zeland, and two into Hamburgh. Their lofs, however, VOL. VII.

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was very great: between four and five thousand men killed, twenty-fix fhips of war either burnt or funk. On the fide of the English, there were two fhips only, viz. the Oak and the Hunter frigate burnt, and upward of five hundred feamen.

Some very fingular circumftances attended this extraordinary victory, and deferve therefore to be mentioned. There were feveral merchant-men in the fleet, and Monk, finding occafion to employ them, thought proper to fend their captains to each other's fhips, in order to take off their concern for their owners veffels and cargoes; a fcheme which answered his purpose perfectly well, no fhips in the fleet behaving better. He had likewife iffued his orders in the beginning of the fight, that they should not either give or take quarter; which, however, were not fo ftrictly obferved, but that twelve hundred Dutchmen were taken out of the fea, while their fhips were finking.

The parliament then fitting, who were of Cromwell's appointment, upon the eighth of August 1653, ordered gold chains to be fent to the generals Blake and Monk, and likewife to vice-admiral Penn, and rear-admiral Lawfon; they fent alfo chains to the rest of the flag-officers, and medals to the captains. The 25th of Auguft was appointed for a day of folemn thanksgiving, and Monk being then in town, Cromwell, at a great feaft in the city, put the gold chain about his neck, and obliged him to wear it all dinnertime. As for the States, they fupported their lofs with inexpreflible courage and conftancy: they buried Tromp very magnificently at the public expence.

From the rigorous terms prefcribed by the parliament, the negotiation carried on by the Dutch minifters at London, met at first with many difficulties: but an accident (if indeed the effect of Cromwell's intrigues ought to be called fo) delivered them out of their diftrets. The parliament, on the 12th of De-cember 1653, took a fudden refolution of delivering up their power to him from whom it came, viz. the

lord general Cromwell; who foon after took upon him the fupreme magiftracy, under the title of protector. He quickly admitted the Dutch to a treaty upon fofter conditions, though he affected to make ufe of high terms; and this treaty ended in a peace, which was made the fourth of April 1654. In this negotiation it was in the firft place ftipulated, that fuch as could be found of the perfons concerned in the maffacre at Amboyna, fhould be delivered up to juftice. This was very fpecious, and calculated to give the people a high idea of the protector's patriotifm, who thus compelled the Dutch to make fatisfac-· tion for an offence, which the two former kings could never bring them to acknowlege. But as this article was never executed, fo we may reasonably conclude, that the Dutch knew the protector's mind before they made him this boafted conceffion. They acknowleged the dominion of the English at fea, by confenting to strike the flag, fubmitted to the act of navigation, undertook to give the Eaft India company fatisfaction for the loffes they had fuftained; and by a private article bound themselves, never to elect any of the houfe of Orange to the dignity of Stadtholder.

The war between England and Holland had not continued quite two years; and yet, in that time, the English took no lefs than one thousand seven hundred prizes, valued by the Dutch themselves at fixty-two millions of guilders, or near fix millions fterling. On the contrary, thofe taken by the Dutch could not amount to the fourth part, either in number or value. Within that space the English were victorious in no iefs than five general battles, whereas the Hollanders cannot justly boaft of having gained one. For the action between de Ruyter and Ayfcue, in which they pretended fome advantage, was no general fight; and the advantage gained by Tromp in the Downs, is owned to have been gained over a part only of the English fleet. As fhort as this quarrel was, it brought

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the Dutch to greater extremities, than their fourfcore years war with Spain.

Hoftilities between France and England ftill continued; our fhips of war taking, finking, or burning theirs wherever they met them; and the French privateers difturbing our commerce as much as they were able. An attempt was made by the French miniftry, to have got France, as well as Denmark, included in the peace made with the ftates: but Cromwell would not hear of this, because he knew how to make his advantage of the difficulties the French then laboured under another way; in which he fucceeded perfectly well, obliging them in 1655, to fubmit to his own terms, and to give up the interefts of the royal family, notwithstanding their near relation to the houfe of Bourbon. He likewife obtained a very advantageous treaty of commerce; and without question his conduct with regard to France would have deferved commendation, if, for the fake of fecuring his own government, he had not entered too readily into the views of cardinal Mazarine, and thereby contributed to the aggrandizing of a power which has been troublesome to Europe ever fince. It is generally fuppofed, that the primary as well as principal inftigation to the Spanish war came from him; who gave the protector to understand, that the Eng lifh maritime force could not be better employed, than in conquering part of the Spanish Weft Indies,. while France attacked the fame crown in Europe; and to purchase his affiftance, would readily relinquifh the royal family, and fo rid him from all fears of an invafion.

No fooner was the Dutch war ended, than the protector ordered his navy to be repaired, augmented, and put into good condition; whence it was evident enough, that he intended not to be idle, though no body knew against whom this new force was to be exerted. In the fummer of the year 1654, he ordered two great fleets to be provided and while he

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was making thefe preparations, all the neighbouring nations, ignorant of his intentions, remained in fufpence, and looked with anxious expectation on what fide the storm would difcharge itself. One of the fquadrons, confifting of thirty capital fhips, was fent into the Mediterranean under Blake; whofe fame was now spread over all Europe. No English fleet, except during the Croisades, had ever before failed those feas; and from one extremity to the other, there was no naval force, Christian or Mahometan, able to refit them. The Roman pontiff, whofe weakness and whofe pride, equally provoke attacks, dreaded invafion from a power, which profeffed the moft inveterate enmity against him; and which fo little regulated its movements by the common motives of intereft and prudence. Blake, cafting anchor before Leghorn, demanded and obtained of the duke of Tufcany fatisfaction for fome loffes, which the English commerce had formerly sustained from him. He next failed to Algiers, and compelled the Dey to make peace; and to restrain his pyratical fubjects from all farther violences on the English. He prefented himself before Tunis, and having made the fame demands, the Dey of that republic bade him look to the caftles of Porto-Farino and Goletta, and do his utmoft. Blake needed not to be rouzed by fuch a bravado: he drew his fhips close up to the castles, and tore them in pieces with his artillery. He fent a numerous detachment of feamen in their long-boats into the harbour, and burned every ship which lay there. This bold action, which its very temerity, perhaps, rendered fafe, was executed with very little lofs; and filled that part of the world with the renown of English valour.

The other squadron was not equally fuccefsful. It was commanded by Pen; and carried on board 4000 men, under the command of Venables. About 5000 more joined them from Barbadoes and St. Chriftophers. Both thefe officers were inclined to the king's fervice;

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