ROOKS, SIR GEORGE, a celebrated naval com mander, was born in 1650. His passion for the navy was so strong, that he entered the service as a volun teer; and having distinguished himself by his courage and attention to business, he soon obtained the post of lieutenant, from which he rose to that of captain before he was thirty years of age. In 1690, he was appointed rear-admiral of the blue; and in 1692, he obtained the rank of vice-admiral, and served in the famous battle of La Hogue.* On the day following the battle, he succeeded in burning twelve ships of the line, and a 56 gun frigate in La Hogue. In conse quence of this service, the king settled upon him a pension of .2 1000 per annum. In 1693, he received the honour of knighthood, and was made vice-admiral of the red. In 1696, he received the chief command of the Channel fleet, and he held this situation till the peace of Ryswick, in 1697. He was elected mem ber of parliament for Portsmouth, and appointed one of the lords of the admiralty. In parliament he voted principally with the Tories ; and when the Whigs went so far as to press King William to remove him from the Admiralty, his Majesty resolutely replied, " I will not.—Sir George served me faithfully at sea,
and I never will displace him for acting as he thinks most usefully for the service of his country in the House of Commons." In 1700, lie commanded the fleet which bombarded Copenhagen. In 1701, he com manded the Channel fleet; and when Queen Anne as cended the throne, he was appointed, as vice-admiral of England, to the united English and Dutch fleet which went out against Cadiz. Although that expe dition failed, yet Sir George had the good luck to learn, that 22 Spanish galleons, guarded by a French squadron, had arrived in the harbour of Vigo, and hav ing sent fireships into the harbour, he destroyed the men of war and several galleons, and captured the rest. After performing some other services to his coun try, Sir George retired into private life, and spent the remainder of his days in Kent, where he died in 1708, in the 58th year of his age. See Campbell's Lives of the ddinirals.