BLAKE. 



573 



Blake. After the conclusion of the Dutch war, Cromwell 



/ ' ordered his navy to be repaired ; and sent Blake 



with a considerable fleet into the Mediterranean to 

 support the honour of the English flag, and to take 

 vengeance on those powers by whom it had been in- 

 sulted. This important commission he executed 

 with his wonted spirit and success. The terror of 

 his name commanded respect almost every where ; 

 and, when submission did not follow, he exacted it 

 by force of arm* , Several facts are recorded, which 

 shew how much he was feared. While he continued 

 in the Road of C-.diz, where he arrived in the be- 

 ginning of December, the Spaniards behaved to 

 him with the greatest reverence and civility. A 

 Dutch admiral, who happened to be there, would 

 not venture to hoist his flag till Blake's departure. 

 One of his tenders happening to be separated in a 

 storm, was stopped by a French squadron ; but the 

 admiral, as soon as he learned to whom the tender 

 belonged, brought the captain on board his own 

 ship, drank Blake's health before him under a dis- 

 charge of five guns, and then dismissed him. The 

 Algerines, too, were so much afraid of him, that 

 they stopped the Sallee rovers, and obliged them to 

 deliver up the English prisoners' in their possession, 

 whom they immediately sent to Blake to conciliate 

 his favour. 



From Cadiz, Blake sailed to Malaga ; and, while 

 in that port, an incident occurred, which served to 

 place his peculiar temper and character in a striking 

 point of view. Some of the sailors, who happened 

 to be ashore, met the host as it was carried along 

 the street, and not only refused to pay it any re- 

 spect, but, with their characteristic thoughtlessness 

 and humour, fell a laughing at the superstition. 

 Upon this, the people, instigated by their priest, 

 attacked the sailois, and beat them severely. They 

 complained to the admiral, who instantly became 

 very indignant, and sent a message to the viceroy, 

 to demand the offending priest. The viceroy an- 

 swered, that he had no authority over the priests. 

 Blake then sent a second message, declaring, that it 

 did not lie with him to determine who should send 

 the priest ; but that, if he was not sent, he would 

 most certainly burn the town about their ears. The 

 inhabitants hearing this threat, compelled their vice- 

 roy to send the priest, which, when he came before 

 the admiral, excused himself, on account of the be- 

 haviour of the seamen. Blake told him, that if he 

 had complained of the injury, they should have been 

 punished ; for he did not allow his men to insult the 

 established religion of any place ; but that he did 

 wrong in stirring up a mob of Spaniards to beat 

 them, and " that he would have him, and the whole 

 world know, that none but an Englishman should 

 chastise an Englishman." 



We have mentioned, that the Algerines shewed 



M marks of submission to the admiral. They 

 had sinned, however, too deeply against England to 

 be forgiven on account of such partial oblations. 

 Blake, therefore, appeared before Algiers on the 

 10th of March, and sent an officer ashore to demand 



^faction for the piracies which he had committed 

 against English ships, and the release of all the 

 Englishmen whom they held in captivity. The Dey 



complied, as far as was possible, with the terms 

 prescribed ; promised the redemption of the prison- 

 ers, who were now private property, on the most 

 easy terms ; and offered to make a treaty with him, 

 engaging to commit no hostilities against the Eng- 

 lish in future. 



He next sailed to Tunis ; there, however, the 

 Dey not only refused his demands, but would not 

 permit him to take in fresh water. " Here," said 

 he, " are our castles of Golletto and Porto Ferino ; 

 do your worst." Blake, on hearing this, was high- 

 ly incensed ; and, according to his custom on such 

 occasions, began to curl his whiskers. Having 

 shortly consulted with his officers, he entered the 

 Bay of Porto Ferino with his large ships, bore 

 up within musket shot of the castle, from which 

 60 guns played on him at once, and opened 

 such a tremendous fire, that, in two hours, he dis- 

 mounted their artillery, and rendered the works 

 quite defenceless. He also gave orders to attack 

 and destroy all their shipping in the road, which 

 service was gallantly performed, with the loss of 

 above 70 men killed and wounded. From Tunis he 

 went to Tripoli, where the government readily con- 

 sented to liberate the English captives, and to con- 

 clude a peace. And returning thence to Tunis, he 

 obliged the Tunisians to implore his mercy, and to 

 beg of him a peace, which he granted, on terms 

 equally mortifying to them, and advantageous for 

 England. He also paid a visit to Malta, and com- 

 pelled the knights to restore the effects which their 

 privateers had taken from the English. By these 

 daring enterprises, and successful exploits, he made 

 his own name formidable, and so elevated the cha- 

 racter of his country, that most of the Italian states 

 sent solemn embassies to England to compliment his 

 master, the protector. 



Blake was in the Road of Cadiz, living on the 

 best terms with the Spaniards, when intelligence 

 came of the capture of Jamaica, and consequently 

 of a Spanish war. In compliance with instructions 

 from the protector, he watched the arrival of a 

 Plate fleet that was expected, and succeeded in in- 

 tercepting it. After cruizing for a considerable 

 time on that station, he heard that another Plate 

 fleet had put into the Bay of Santa Cruz, in the 

 island of Teneriffe. He immediately set sail with 

 25 ships, and came to his point of destination on the 

 20th of April 1657. The Spanish ships, amounting 

 to 16, of which 6 galleons were laden, were placed 

 in a riost secure and formidable position. They 

 were not only capable of making an obstinate de- 

 fence by their own strength, but also protected by 

 a castle, which stood at the mouth of the haven, 

 and was well supplied with heavy ordnance, and by 

 seven forts situated round the bay, and joined by a 

 line of communication, which was manned with mus- 

 keteers. The Spanish governor thought himself 

 quite safe ; and was so confident of the excellence 

 and sufficiency of his dispositions, that when the 

 master of a Dutch ship, knowing the certainty, 

 and dreading the consequences of an attack, asked 

 leave to depart, he answered, angrily, " Get you 

 gone, if you will, and let Biake come, if he dares." 

 Blake called a council of war, in which it was deter- 



Blakc. 



