A SERVICEABLE ACCUSATION 353 polls. At the time, however, it was a serviceable accusation to hurl at them, that they desired to prolong their own power. The eagerness of the admirers of Cromwell, to get this assumption accepted, seems to imply that it constitutes, to their minds, a valid excuse for his violently seizing upon the supreme power, and retaining it during the rest of his life. Well, perhaps this excuse is as good as any which they are able to offer. N CHAPTER XX Peace with Holland. Attempts to reform His Domestic Policy. The Republicans in Suspense. Further Sea Fights. "We do not even hear a dog bark at their going," said Cromwell in his joy at his triumph. Colonel Hutchinson, we are told,' found divers of the members of parliament consulting together in London. They had friends enough in the army, city, and country, to have disputed the matter; but they thought, that if they should vex the land by war amongst themselves, the royalists and Presbyterians would have an opportunity to prevail to the ruin of both. One thing was clear, the parliament had willed a new election, and were prevented by Cromwell from accomplishing it, and Cromwell could have accomplished it and would not. If he really wished the voice of the country to be taken, it was now in his power at once to call for an election, and to see that neither the old parliament nor the other parties should enjoy any unfair advantage. As long as he was chief of the army, Cromwell had a force sufficient to quell all opposition, but the army of the commonwealth was not a tool to be used 1 Memoirs, vol. ii., p. 206. MANAGEMENT OF THE ARMY 355 to do anything like the mercenaries of a Sicilian tyrant or the janissaries of the East, where the downfall of one despot but meant the elevation of another. The very soldiers had their own opinions and their objects which they expected the lord-general to fulfil and they were averse to be led in the very direction he wanted to go. Indeed, the first difficulty came from some of the officers. Colonel Okey, distinguished for his skill and gallantry during the civil war, repaired to the general to desire satisfaction about his proceedings. Cromwell professed himself resolved to do much more good, and that with more expedition than could be expected from the parliament. This put most of the officers to silence, and they determined to wait to see what further he should do; but Colonel Okey inquired of Colonel Desborough what his meaning was to give such high commendations to the parliament, when he endeavoured to dissuade the officers of the army from petitioning them for a dissolution, and so short a time after to eject them with so much scorn and contempt, who had no other answer to make, but that, if ever he had drolled in his life, he had drolled then.' The time was most opportune for the usurper occupying the high position attained by the parliament: all enemies within the British Isles were reduced, the Dutch much weakened, and the public treasury full. The Dutch ambassadors had welcomed the usurpation in hopes of getting better terms from Cromwell; but finding themselves mistaken, they did their best to continue the struggle, counting at least on divided action. In this, too, they found themselves mistaken, for 1 Ludlow's Memoirs, vol. ii., p. 460. the commissioners of the navy, "not clearly seeing to what extremities things would be driven combined to act in their station" (Ludlow). When the news of the expulsion of the Long Parliament reached his fleet lying off Aberdeen, Blake said to his captains: "It is not the business of a seaman to mind state affairs, but to hinder foreigners from fooling us." Nevertheless, his republican sentiments and incorruptible integrity moved Cromwell to make General Monk, against whom there were no such objections, admiral of the fleet, with Deane as vice-admiral. With a fleet of 120 sail manned hastily, Tromp appeared off Dover firing into the town. The English fleet, separated in three squadrons, was hurriedly gathered into one, and couriers riding day and night sped north to call Blake. The two hostile fleets met in the Channel on the morning of June 2. The English had 105 ships, 3840 guns, and 16,260 men; the Dutch were about equal in guns and men, though they had more ships, and the sea-fight raged through the long summer day. Deane was killed by a cannon shot. At night they lay within sight of one another repairing damages as well as they could. Next morning Tromp, who thought Blake could never arrive in time to take part, lost some hours manoeuvering to gain the advantage of the wind. The fight began again about noon, with doubtful success on either side; but towards evening1 the thunder of artillery on the flank of the Dutch fleet gave warning of the terrible approach of the "SeaKing," and the ship of his nephew, young Robert 1 Dixon says about two o'clock; but in the original dispatch from Monk and Blake it is said, "About seven o'clock last night General Blake, with 13 sayle of shipps and some victuallers, came up with us." See Historical Commission (Alfred Morrison), 9th Report, p. 432. A BAD COMMISSARIAT 357 Blake, burst through the Dutch line, volleying fire from each side. His appearance was greeted with one of these manly shouts that stir men's hearts on the battlefield. The heroic Dutch admiral did his utmost to sustain the spirit of his men. He ran his own ship, the Brederode, aboard of Penn's ship the James. The English crew drove them back and cleared the quarterdeck of the Brederode of its defenders, when Tromp, resolved not to be taken alive, set a match in the powder room, which sent the upper deck and the boarders into the air. Tromp himself escaped from the disabled ship into a fast sailing frigate, and hurried through the fleet to urge his captains to continue the struggle. In vain! the brave old sailor had at last to give orders for a retreat, and it was only the coming of night that saved his fleet from destruction. The Dutch lost 13 ships taken and 6 sunk, and 1350 men taken. The victors counted 126 men killed, and 236 wounded, with much damage to their ships. coast. A blockade was then kept up along the Dutch We may fairly infer from the urgent requests of Blake for supplies that the commissariat on shore was far from being so well looked after as during Vane's administration. In one letter he complains that his stores were all run short; the beer was sour; the bread bad; the butter rancid; the cheese rotten. The amount of sickness on board was so great that, in spite of the enemy's weakness, and the advantage of holding them in close blockade, he feared that he would be compelled, by want and sickness, to return to England. In another letter Blake writes: "Our |