been
the case, the Parliament demanded that a fleet and army should be placed
at their disposal to quell the rebels. Soon afterwards the King,
leaving London, raised his standard at Northampton, and declared war
against the Parliament and those who sided with it. Mr Blake was among
the first gentlemen who took up arms in the south of England in defence
of the people's right, his first military achievement being the gallant
defence of Prior's Hill, Bristol. The rest of his career up to the time
of which I am speaking I have already mentioned, and I may truly say
that he had never been defeated. He had, for some time before I was
received on board his flag-ship, been engaged in reforming the navy,
into which numerous corruptions had crept. His great object was to see
that the men were duly paid and well fed, that hospitals were provided
for the wounded, and that stout seaworthy ships were alone employed. He
perseveringly engaged even in the most minute details, to add to the
comfort of his men, and already they had learned to trust and revere
him. His fame had spread even among the Royalists, numbers of whom,
escaping when opportunities occurred, eagerly came on board our ships to
serve under his flag. That flag was now a red-cross on a white ground,
and that banner was destined soon to claim the respect of England's
foes, wherever it was seen waving at the peak.

While we were watching Kinsale harbour to prevent the escape of Prince
Rupert's cruisers, General Cromwell, who had gone over to the north of
Ireland with an army, was righting his way to the southward.

Blockading was no pleasant duty, for often heavy gales from the eastward
compelled us to keep an offing from the shore, or when they blew from an
opposite direction we had to beat backwards and forwards under
close-reefed sails to maintain our position, and several times we had to
run for Milford Haven, to escape the danger of shipwreck. We young
seamen, however, thereby gained much practical experience in nautical
affairs, as did undoubtedly our superiors, who had hitherto been more
accustomed to the command of regiments of foot and horse than to the
management of ships.

By the first bag of letters despatched after we got on board the
_Triumph_, we wrote an account of our adventures to our friends at Lyme.
In due course we received others in return, with expressions of
thankfulness that we had escaped the perils to which we had been
exposed.

Au