short owing to a
breach of contract, and again application for assistance was made to the
City, who were asked to lend such gunpowder as lay in the Companies'
halls.(1065) In March of the following year (1653) the request for guns in
the City's magazines to be delivered to the ordnance officers for the
public service was repeated,(1066) and by November they were all in the
custody of the lieutenant of the Tower.(1067) By that time a victory had
been gained over the Dutch admirals Tromp and De Ruyter off Portland (18
Feb., 1653) by Blake and Monk, the latter having for a time exchanged land
service for the sea. This success was the more welcome inasmuch as Blake
had previously suffered a signal defeat (28 Nov., 1652) at the hands of
the Dutch admirals and had himself been wounded. Moreover Tromp had been
so elated at his victory that in bravado he had fixed a broom to his
masthead, in token of his resolution to sweep the sea of English vessels.

(M543)

The example set by parliament of opening a subscription for those wounded
at sea was followed by the Common Council of the city. Each member of the
court was ordered (4 March) to take steps to "collect the benevolence of
the inhabitants in money and old linen, for relief of the wounded soldiers
and mariners which God hath made instrumental in the late great success of
the Commonwealth at sea against the Dutch." In reporting to the court the
total amount thus gathered (L1,071 9_s._ 5_d._) Alderman Fowke intimated
that it was the express wish of many of the contributors that the widows
and children of those that had been killed should share in the charity. To
this the court agreed.(1068) The money was despatched to the fleet by the
hands of Alderman Tichborne, and gratefully acknowledged by the admirals
Deane and Monk in a letter addressed to the lord mayor (2 April).(1069)
Two months later Deane was dead, having been killed in another engagement
with the Dutch, when the English fleet again came off victorious. For this
success a general thanksgiving at St. Paul's was voted by the Court of
Aldermen, who were invited to attend the public funeral of the late
gallant admiral.(1070)

(M544)

A few weeks before the Long Parliament was so rudely "interrupted" by
Cromwell (20 April, 1653) it raised the ire of the Common Council of the
city by the action of its commissioners, sitting at Haberdashers' Hall,
who had prosecuted and fined certain inhabitants of the ward of Farringd