RUPERT. 



all the great qualities that could be defired in an admiral ; 

 for, by his happy return to the fleet, he wrelted from the Dutch 

 the only viftory they had the appearance of gaining, and, 

 afterwards, on the 24th of June, beat them effectually, 

 purfued them to their own coatt, blocked up their harbours, 

 and made them fully fenfible of the fuperiority of Englifh 

 courage when not oppreffed by numbers. In the autumn 

 of the fame year, having the fole command of the fleet, 

 and learning that the Dutch were endeavouring to join a 

 French fquadron of forty fail under the duke of Beaufort, 

 he followed them fo clofely into the Boulogne road, that, 

 to avoid a battle, they hauled fo near the fhore, as in all 

 probability they mull either have been funk or burnt, if a 

 hidden floim had not forced the prince to return to St. 

 Helen's bay. 



On the prince's return home he was kindly received by 

 the king, and grew into high eiteem with the nation. The 

 Dutch war was again renewed in 1673, the French being 

 at this time in alliance with the Englifh. Prince Rupert 

 was appointed admiral of the Englifh fleet, having under 

 him fir Edward Spragge, and the earl of OfTory. Two 

 indecifive actions enfued in May and June, and prince 

 Rupert, whofe bravery could not be doubted, was fuf- 

 pedted, probably without reafon, of being difinclined to 

 the favourite political fchemes of aflifting the French to 

 ruin the Dutch, and of augmenting the royal auhority at 

 home. On his part he complained that he was ill fupplied 

 with necellary articles by the admiralty, which was under 

 the controul of the duke of York. To prove the fadt, he, 

 without particular orders, returned home, immediately 

 after the battle of the 5th of June, and had addrefs enough 

 to perfuade the king to come and examine the ftate of the 

 fleet with his own eyes. This put the matter beyond all 

 cavil and difpute, and obtained the necellary fupplies with- 

 out any delay, and a,s he had fnewn his fpirit by appealing 

 to the fenfes of his majefty, fo he gave as fignal a proof of 

 his aftivity and enterprife, by carrying the whole fleet 

 through the Narrow feas on the 19th of July, and appearing 

 on the Dutch coalt, almoft as foon as they had received 

 certain intelligence of his returning to his own. In the 

 following Auguft, however, an engagement took place off 

 the Texel, in which the two maritime rivals difplayed all 

 the obftinate valour that had rendered their former contefts 

 fo memorable in naval hiftory, and of which a full and moit 

 interefting account will be found in Campbell's Lives of 

 the Admirals, vol. ii. ed. 1S13. Prince Rupert was per- 

 fonally oppofed to De Ruyter, and by the greateft exer- 

 tions he difengaged his fquadron from numerous aflailants, 

 and came to the relief of that of fir Edward Spragge, 

 which had loft its brave commander. ( See Spragge. ) The 

 French kept aloof, and both fides claimed the viftory. 

 This was the clofe of prince Rupert's warlike fervices. 



On his return from the command, the king exprefled 

 fome coolnefs, which was owing, not more to the arts 

 of his highnefs's enemies, than to the quicknefs of his letter, 

 in which he gave an account of this laft fight, the contents 

 of which a contemporary hiftorian gives in the following 

 words. " In the midll of fo many intrigues of oppofition 

 here at home, fo many delays of his commiffion, fo few 

 powers contained in it, fuch fcanty number of feamen, fo 

 little afTurance of divers chief commanders, fuch failure of 

 provifions ; fuch want of ammunition, and all other necef- 

 fanes, fuch deceit of navy officers, fuch non-obfervance of 

 orders at fe3, amongft his own Englifh, and fo many mani- 

 fefl defections of the French, not to be flaggered in his 

 refolution, nor to be put out of all patience aid prudence 

 in afti'on, nor to abate of his affeftion and zeal for the 



honour and fervice of his majelly, the fafe-guard and interefl 

 of religion and the kingdom ; in a feafon when fo many 

 Popifh projectors played a game under' boa'-d, and above 

 too ; will be an everlafling argument of his highnefles'a 

 valour and renown, and mull needs be a llrong obligation 

 upon the king, the parliament, and the people of England, 

 who are now left to judge, whether it was not a wonderful 

 good providence of God, or one of the mofl memorable 

 pieces of fervice ever done at fea, to furmount all thofe 

 difficulties, and even envy itfelf ; and, after all, to bring 

 home the fleet royal of England, without the lofs of one 

 man of war, to her own fhore in fafety, in defpite of all 

 enemies that deiigned otherwife by fea and land." 



But the king's difpleafure was not lalting, and he was foon 

 replaced in his favour. After this, prince Rupert led a quiet 

 and, in a great mealure, a retired life, moltly at Windfor 

 caltle, of which he was governor, and fpent a great part of 

 his time in the profecution of chemical and philofophical 

 experiments, as well as the practice of mechanic arts, for 

 which he was very famous. He is mentioned by foreign 

 authors with applaufe for his (kill in painting, and celebrated 

 by one of the mod judicious of our own, for his invention of 

 mezzo-tinto prints, fince rifen, from their foftnefs and 

 beauty, into fo high eileem. He likewife delighted in making 

 locks for fire-arms, and was the inventor of a compofition 

 called, from him, Prince's metal. He communicated to 

 the Royal Society his improvements upon gunpowder, by 

 refining the feveral ingredients, and making it more care- 

 fully ; which, as appears upon feveral trials reported to that 

 learned body, augmented its force, in comparifon of ordi- 

 nary powder, in the proportion of ten to one, an invention 

 which, though too expenfive for common occafions, deferves 

 to be remembered, becaufe, in particular cafes, it may be of 

 lingular utility. He alfo acquainted them with an engine 

 he had contrived for railing water, and fent them an inltru- 

 ment, of which he made ufe, to call any platform into per- 

 fpedtive, and for which they deputed a feleft committee of 

 theirmembers toreturnhim their thanks. He was the inventor 

 of a gun for difcharging feveral bullets with the utmoft fpeed, 

 facility, and fafety,' which was generally and juflly admired. 

 The Royal Society received likewife from his highnefs the in- 

 timation of a certain method of blowing up rocks in mines, and 

 other lubtcrraneous places. The very ingenious and indefati- 

 gable Dr. Hooke has preferved another invention of his for 

 making hail-fhot of 3I1 fizes. He devifed a particular kind of 

 fcrew, by the means of which, obfervations taken by a quadrant 

 at fea were fecured from receiving any alteration by the 

 unfleadinefs of the obferver's hand, or through the motion of 

 the fhip. It was faid that he had alfo, among other fecrets, 

 one that was very curious, and, if preferved, might be very 

 beneficial, which was that of melting or running black lead, 

 like a metal, into a mould, and reducing it back again into 

 its original form. 



As to his public character in the lalt ten years of his life, 

 it was that of a patriot, which was owing to the insate ho- 

 nefly of his temper, and not to his having any liking to in- 

 trigues. He gave indefatigable attention to whatever ap- 

 peared to him conducive to the public good. He was a 

 great promoter of the trade to Africa, and a principal pro- 

 teftor of the Royal African Company ; as a proof of 

 which, before the tirft Dutch war in this reign, he offered 

 his majefty to fail with a fquadron to the coalt of Guinea, 

 in order to vindicate the honour of the crown, aflert the juft 

 rights of the company, and redrefs the injuries done to the 

 nation ; but the king, unwilling to hazard his perfon at fuch 

 a diflance, and in fo lickly a climate, though he received the 

 motion kindly, would not confent to it, but contented him- 



felf 



