As lie was feared at home, so he made himself re spected abroad. The Dutch, after many severe con flicts, were completely humbled at sea, in a battle fought the 29th of July, between Blake and Tromp, in which the latter fell, and the enemy lost SO ships. They sued for peace, and obtained it, on consenting to pay defer ence to the British flag, to abandon the interests of young Charles, and to pay a fine to the English East India Company.
Either from want of pecuniary resources, or from a wish lor popularity, Cloinwell resolved to give the na tion a parliament of a much more respectable nature than the last. But this parliament, from the circum stance of its being fairly elected, so as to represciL the feelings ol the nation, became only the organ of Ls dis contents. And so severe was their investigation of his conduct, and so free their censures, that, alter having extorted from them, by force, a recognition of his au thority, he was obliged to dismiss diem before they had sat the time ordained by the new constitution. The royalists, in their joy at the odium which this arbitrary measure occasioned, forgot that there was either a ter• ror of the protector's arms in the country, or men less attached to royalty man themselves, they projected a conspiracy, which the dexterity of the protector crushed in the bud. Only 200 of them convened at Salisbury, who were speedily suppressed by a troop of horse. The affair was a sufficient pretext to Cromwell for raising a heavy tax, by way of punishment, on the whole party of suspected royalists, or rather on all individuals whom this rapacious officer chose to pronounce disaffected. Ten major generals were appointed to raise this tax, and the kingdom was divided into so many military jurisdic tions. The iniquitous tax was levied, without prowl or trial of delinquency, at the mercy of those minions of his usurpation.
Cromwell's ambition was not satisfied with the bar ren and disputed glories of the Dutch war ; but lie was impelled, by the hopes of plunder and of additional re nown, to signalize his arms against Spain. After he had equipped two squadrons on the unknown destina tion, of which the attention and fears of all Europe were fixed, one of them, consisting of 30 capital ships, sailed to the Mediterranean, and overawed the powers of Italy. Then returning westward, restrained the piracies of the African States. Blake, who commanded this armament, having received a defiance from the Dey of Tunis, who shelved him his three castles and bade him do his ut most, drew up his ships close to the fortress, and tore them in pieces with his artillery ; after which he burned every ship that lay in the Tunisian harbour. The other squadron tinder Venables and Pcnn, was not so splendid ly successful. Those commanders having made an at tempt on Hispaniola with 9000 men, were repulsed with loss by the Spaniards; but afterwards, steering to Ja maica, they took that island without a blow. YA so little
was this valuable conquest esteemed, that, on their re turn home, the commanders were committed to the Tower for their failure of the primary object of the ex pedition.
The Spaniards having declared war in consequence of this unwarrantable violation of the treaty, admiral Blake lay for some time off Cadiz, in expectation of in tercepting the Plate fleet ; but was at last obliged, for want of water, to sail towards Portugal Hearing that the Spanish fleet of 16 ships of immense value had taken shelter in the Canaries, he pursued them thither, and sailing into the port of Santa Cruz, burnt them in the face of seven castles which defended the harbour. A sudden change of the wind brought him safe back from before the batteries. Leaving Europe astonished at this act of fortunate temerity, Blake returned home, arid died within sight of his native shore, (see BLAKE.) The whole of Europe was either overawed by the arms of the protector, or willingly courted his alliance. He rvbliged the duke of Savoy to abstain from the persecu tion of the Protestants, and dictated the same toleration to France. Yet when Catholic powers interceded for the Catholics in Britain, he gave them an imperious re fusal.
Amidst external successes, the protector's domestic administration was in general upright. He erected, it is true, high courts of justice, for the trial of offensive persons, whom he knew that an English jury would not be servile enough to condemn. He set aside the ver dicts of juries; and in the case of Lilburne and others, inflicted unlawful punishments ; but his treatment of those enemies of his government, is not to be compared, in the most distant degree, with the enormities of the star-chamber ; and except in some political instances, the administration of justice was unexceptionable. He maintained a national church, which was neither Epis copal nor Presbyterian. A number of commissioners called triers, laymen, ecclesiastics, presbyterians, and independents, examined those who received holy orders, presented to all livings, and inspected the lives, doc trine, and behaviour of the clergy. The candidates were not puzzled with questions in Greek and Roman erudition, but their advances in grace were severely scrutinised. The independents were chiefly favoured by him, and such of that sect as could digest his usurpa tion were mutually attached to him ; but he tolerated all sects except prelatists and papists. As he found many enemies among the military, though the army in the main supported his power, be established a militia over the counties, to form a check to that lormidable body.