English sustained in this unparalleled action; not one ship being left behind, and the killed and wounded not exceeding two hundred men, when the slaughter on board the Spanish ships and on the shore was incredible." *

Blake's career was now nearly run. His illness daily assumed a more serious form, until it became evident to his sorrowful followers that he had fought his last fight and won his last victory. The devout Puritan confronted death with calm composure, for he was not only a soldier, but a Christian. His sole wish was to see the loved shore of old England once again before he passed away. His wish was gratified. As his ship came within sight of Plymouth his attendants lifted his feeble form in their arms, that he might look out upon the green hills and smiling fields of Devonshire. He gazed eagerly on the well-known landscape, and then lay back to die.

This was on the 7th of August, 1657.

This splendid achievement is graphically described by Carlyle. "Blake arrives there in time this Monday morning (April 20); finds the fleet fast moored in Santa Cruz Bay: rich silver-ships, strong war-ships, sixteen as we count them; stronger almost than himself, and moored here under defences unassailable apparently by any mortal. Santa Cruz Bay is shaped as a horse-shoe: at the entrance are castles, in the inner circuit are other castles, eight of them in all, bristling with great guns; war-ships moored at the entrance, war-frigates moored all round the beach, and men and gunners at command: one great magazine of sleeping thunder and destruction to appearance, if you wish for sure suicide to run into, this must be it. Blake, taking measure of the business, runs into it, defying its loud thunder-much out-thunders it-mere whirlwinds of fire and iron hail, the old Peak never heard the like; silences the castles; sinks or burns every sail in the harbour; annihilates the Spanish fleet; and then, the wind veering round in its favour, sails out again, leaving Santa Cruz Bay much astonished at him!"

甘

GEORGE, LORD ANSON.

1697-1763.

Ar Shugborough, in Staffordshire, on the 23rd of April, 1697, was born George Anson, the son of a country gentleman of good family. Of his early life no particulars have been recorded; but it would seem that he entered the navy when but a boy, for in his nineteenth year he passed the necessary examination for a lieutenant's commission, and was serving on board the Hampshire frigate in the Baltic fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir John Norris. In 1717 he was appointed lieutenant of the Montague, and underwent his baptism of fire in Sir George Byng's action with the Spanish fleet off Cape Parmeo. His thorough seamanship recommended him to speedy promotion, and as commander of the Weazel sloop, in 1722, he displayed much activity in capturing the smugglers who infested the North Sea. The following year saw him a captain, and he was dispatched to South Carolina, with instructions to repress the depredations of pirates, to grant convoys to and from the Bahamas, and to suppress all illegal trading. He was engaged in this mission until July, 1730, and that he executed it with entire satisfaction to the colonists is proved by the perpetuation of his name in connection with various towns and districts, such as Anson County, Ansonville. A Mrs. Hutchinson, of South Carolina, has left on record her view of his character at this period.

"Mr. Anson," she writes, "is not one of those handsome men whose persons alone may recommend them to the generality of our sex, though they be destitute of sense, good nature, or good manners; but, nevertheless, his person is what you would call very agreeable. He has good sense, good nature, is polite and well-bred; free from that loathsome ceremoniousness which often renders many people, who may perhaps rank themselves among the most accomplished, extremely disagreeable. He is generous without profusion, elegant without ostentation, and, above all, of a most tender, humane disposition. His benevolence is extensive, even to his own detriment. At balls, plays, concerts, &c., I have often the pleasure of seeing and sometimes of conversing with Mr. Anson, who, I assure you, is far from being an anchorite, though not what we call a modern pretty fellow, because he is really so old-fashioned as to make some profession of religion; moreover, he never dances, nor swears, nor talks nonsense. As he greatly admires a fine woman, so he is passionately fond of music; which is enough, you will say, to recommend him to my esteem; for you know I never would allow that a character could be complete without a taste for that sweet science.

"Mr. Anson's modesty, inoffensive easy temper, good nature, humanity, and great probity doubtless are the antidotes that preserve him from the poisonous breath of calumny; for, amidst all the scandalous warfare that is nourished here, he maintains a strict neutrality, and, attacking no party, is himself attacked by none."

This is a character of which almost any man might be proud; but Mrs. Hutchinson proceeds to note his grave defects, which seem hardly compatible with the "profession of religion" she ascribes to Captain Anson. She speaks of his loving "his bottle and his friend so well," that "he was not soon weary of their company, especially when they happened to be

perfectly to his taste, which is pretty nice as to both;" and she adds that, if report might be credited, he was "very far from being a woman-hater: "—

"His heart, his mistress and his friend did share;
His time, the Muse, the witty, and the fair."

Probably, however, if we allow for a lady's natural censoriousness on these points, we shall not suspect him of any actual violation of the laws of religion or morality, or regard him as addicted to intemperance.

In August, 1734, we find him serving again on the American. coast. In June, 1735, he arrived at Spithead, and for the first time during the nineteen years since he had received his first commission was permitted to remain between two and three years on shore.

In 1739 England declared war against Spain, much to the regret of Walpole, then the head of the British Cabinet; but both countries had been for some time on hostile terms, and in England the ill-feeling against Spain had spread through all classes, rousing a national enthusiasm which no Ministry could hope to repress. When the declaration was issued, a triumphal procession paraded the streets of London, as if victory had already been won. From all the metropolitan steeples the bells sent forth merry peals. "Let them ring," said Walpole moodily; "by-and-by there will be wringing of hands." The spirit of "Jingoism," in truth, was rampant; and England, to use a well-known phrase, went into war with a light heart, and in total ignorance of the burden it had undertaken.

I am concerned here, however, with Anson's individual career, and not with the national history. The Ministry having determined on an expedition against the Spanish possessions in the South Sea, Anson was selected to take command of it. His squadron consisted of the following ships :