THE OCEAN AS A BATTLE-FIELD 289 



commercial sense as for warlike purposes. France, 

 Laving long been the cockpit of Europe, having been 

 a battle-field for centuries, had at last emerged into 

 the proud position of being the foremost among 

 continental nations, and the fall of Spain gave an 

 impetus to her warlike propensities of the greatest 

 force. Her seamen were brave and adventurous, her 

 naval architects the best in the world, and it was 

 hardly to be wondered at that she should view the 

 growing power of her hereditary enemy, England, 

 with ever-accumulating envy and hatred. The great 

 rebellion in England gave her a pretext, if indeed any 

 were needed, to increase her naval forces and to look 

 forward to the time fast drawing near when she might 

 repay her ancient debt with interest. For it was 

 obvious, even at that early day, that, so long as 

 England was powerful at sea, it was hopeless to think 

 of successful invasion. But now it really seemed as 

 if the time was at hand when the long-cherished idea 

 of humbling England at the feet of France might be 

 realized. 



Fortunately for us, there was no great weakening of 

 our naval forces, although, even at sea, civil war was 

 carried on, and the spectacle of opposing fleets, each 

 under the British flag, was presented to the longing 

 eyes of the continental peoples. But England was 

 fortunate even then, because the Puritan spirit which 

 formed the finest army that England has ever owned 

 was alive in her fleet as well, and the naval genius of 

 the race never shone brighter than at that troubled 

 time. Robert Blake suddenly developed from a simple 

 country squire into a leader of men, second only to 

 Cromwell, and in an incredibly short space of time did 



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