in the sixth volume of the Memoirs of Count Joseph de Puisaye, who commanded the expedition, and whose name, already distinguished by an illustrious birth, deserves still more to be so in the annals of fidelity and true royalism. As to the peculiar regard and support with which the officers of the French marine have been favoured in this country, I must refer the reader to a note at the end of this volume, not to lengthen any more an episode which may already appear too long.

Cromwell, crowned with success, is met at Acton by the speaker, many members of parliament; the council of state, the mayor, and the magistrates, and rides in triumph into London, where the Scotch prisoners are brought up and sold as slaves for the West Indies. Ireland subdued by Ireton, and Scot land by Monk, were now entirely reduced to tranquillity. Bermudas, Antigua, Virginia, and Barbadoes had been obliged to submit. With equal ease, Jersey, Guernsey, Scilly, and the Isle of Man had been brought under subjection to the republic; and notwithstanding the late wars and bloodshed, the present factions, and the unpopularity of the parliament, who, among other acts of oppression, had erected several high courts of justice, composed of men devoted to the ruling party, which entirely intercepted the trial by jury, the power of England had never in any period appeared so formidable to the neighbouring kingdoms as it did at this time. A numerous and well-disciplined army served both to retain every one in implicit subjection to the established authority, and to keep foreign nations in awe. The military genius of the people had, by civil contests, been roused from its former lethargy, and excellent officers were formed in every branch of service. The power of peace and war was lodged in the same hands as that of imposing taxes, and no difference of views among the several members of

the legislature could any longer be apprehended. The confusion into which all things had been thrown, had given opportunity to men of low stations to break through their obscurity, and to raise themselves, either by their courage or conspicuous talents, to military commands and civil employments, which they were well qualified to exercise, but to which their birth could never have entitled them under the ancien regime; and while the malecontents and enemies of the republic imputed to fortune or to lucky chances the constant success of all its enterprises, the wise and impartial men ascribed it only to the abilities and activity of the persons who filled all the principal places, and into whose hands so great a power was lodged, and exercised under the direction of such an extraordinary genius as Cromwell.

An order of parliament is issued to bring in a bill for settling a period for the session of the present parliament, and for constituting a new assembly of representatives, (September 17th.)

Ann. 1652.

An act is read for incorporating Scotland into one commonwealth with England. Monk, by his prudent conduct in that country, succeeds in reconciling the minds of the people, harassed with dissensions, of which they never well understood the

cause.

A treaty is proposed to the Dutch of so close an union with England, as to form together one single republic; but the conditions of the treaty being entirely framed to the advantage of England, without any reciprocity in favour of the Dutch, they declined to accede to it. The English envoys immediately retired, very much displeased at it, and they were still more so at the insults they received

from the populace at the Hague. Their account of these transactions so highly offended the parliament against the states general, that a war with the Dutch was unanimously resolved. To cover these hostile intentions, the parliament framed the famous act of navigation, which prohibited all nations from importing into England, in their bottoms, any commodity which was not the growth and manufacture of their own country. By this law, though the terms in which it was conceived were general, the Dutch were principally affected, as they subsisted chiefly by being the general carriers and factors in Europe. Letters of reprisal were granted to several merchants, who complained of injuries which they pretended, they had received from the states, and above eighty Dutch ships fell into their hands, and were declared lawful prizes.

In the mean time the states general equipped a fleet of one hundred and fifty sail, and admiral Tromp, commanding forty.two sail, was ordered to protect the Dutch navigation against the English privateers. In the road of Dover he met with an English fleet, much inferior in number, and commanded by Blake, who, though his squadron con. sisted only of fifteen vessels, reinforced by eight more after the beginning of the battle, gallantly maintained the fight for five hours, sunk one ship of the enemy, and took another. Night parted the combatants, and the Dutch fleet retired towards the coast of Holland, each admiral charging his adversary with being the aggressor.

The states vainly entreated the parliament to appoint commissioners to clear up the truth: all their remonstrances were rejected, and Blake was ordered to sail northwards, and to fall upon the herring busses, which were escorted by twelve men of war. All these he either, took or dispersed. Tromp followed him with a fleet of above one hundred sail.

When they were in sight of each other, and preparing for battle, a furious storm attacked them: Blake took shelter in the English harbour; the Dutch fleet was dispersed and received great damage.

The English were not so successful in the Mediterranean. Vangalen, with much superior force, attacked captain Badily and defeated him. He bought, however, the victory with the loss of his life.

After several actions of no great importance, Tromp, seconded by Ruiter, met, near the Good. wins, with Blake, whose fleet was inferior to the Dutch, but who resolved not to decline the combat. Great bravery and skill were displayed on both sides; but the Dutch had the advantage in this action: they took two ships, two were burned, and one sunk, Blake was wounded, and night came opportunely to save the English fleet. After this victory, which took place on the 29th of November, Tromp, in a bravado, fixed a broom to his main-mast, as if he were resolved to sweep the sea of all English vessels.

Ann. 1653.

The disgrace of the 29th of November was gallantly wiped off on the 18th of February, when Blake, at the head of eighty sail, attacked the Dutch fleet, consisting of seventy-six ships, sailing up the channel, along with a convoy of three hundred merchantmen, commanded by admirals Tromp and Ruiter. The combat continued three days with the utmost rage and obstinacy, and was no less glorious to the vanquished than to the victor, as the Dutch admiral, though he had lost seventeen ships of war, and had two thousand men killed, and one thousand five hundred taken prisoners, made a skilful retreat, and saved his convoy, except thirty vessels. The English, though many of their ships were extremely

shattered, had but one sunk. This success was chiefly owing to the unusual size of the ships, which the late king had ventured to build with the produce of that ship-money which had been the object of such bitter censures and reproaches, though he had evi. dently employed it in putting the navy into a situation which it had never attained in any former reign.

The fatal issue of the last battle was but a small misfortune to the Dutch, in comparison of those which their trade sustained from the English. Their whole commerce by the Channel was cut off; that to the Baltic was much infested by English privateers; their fisheries were totally suspended; above one thousand six hundred of their ships had fallen into the hands of the enemy: and these disasters were the result of an unaccountable quarrel of point-d'honneur and personal resentments, utterly unconnected with any national interest or necessity. They resolved therefore to send again to the parliament and make some advances towards peace, not only with the approbation of Cromwell, but, as it was believed, under his secret directions. He already suspected that this affected animosity of the parliament against the Dutch was nothing but a veil to conceal both their jealousy towards himself, and a plan of employ ing the immense expences requisite for a maritime war, as a sufficient motive to disband, as now useless, the greatest part of the land forces, upon which essentially rested his power and authority. He was the more confirmed in these suspicions when he saw the pacific overtures of the Dutch haughtily rejected, though, at that period, such an honorable peace, as it was to be easily obtained, was no less advantageous and even necessary to England than to Holland.

In this perplexity, Cromwell did not long hesitate on the plan he was to pursue, and resorted to his