his hand, and withdrew.  On the conclusion of peace with the States, the ambassadors received from him an invitation to dinner.  He sat alone on one side of the table, they, with some lords of the council, on the other.  Their ladies were entertained by the lady protectress.  After dinner, both parties joined in the drawing-room; pieces of music were performed, and a psalm was sung, a copy of which Cromwell gave to the ambassadors, observing that it was the best paper that had ever passed between them.  The entertainment concluded with a walk in the gallery.[1]

This treaty with the United Provinces was the first which engaged the attention of the protector, and was

[Footnote 1:  Clarendon Papers, iii. 240.  Thurloe, i. 50, 69, 154, 257.  It appears from the Council Book that the quarterly expense of the protector’s family amounted to thirty-five thousand pounds. 1655, March 14.]

not concluded till repeated victories had proved the superiority of the English navy, and a protracted negotiation had exhausted the patience of the States.  In the preceding month of May the hostile fleets, each consisting of about one hundred sail, had put to sea, the English commanded by Monk, Dean, Penn, and Lawson; the Dutch by Van Tromp, De Ruyter, De Witte, and Evertsens.  While Monk insulted the coast of Holland, Van Tromp cannonaded[a] the town of Dover.  They afterwards met each other off the North Foreland, and the action continued the whole day.  The enemy lost two sail; on the part of the English, Dean was killed by a chain-shot.  He fell by the side of Monk, who instantly spread his cloak over the dead body, that the men might not be alarmed at the fete of their commander.

The battle was renewed the next morning.[b] Though Blake, with eighteen sail, had joined the English in the night, Van Tromp fought with the most determined courage; but a panic pervaded his fleet; his orders were disobeyed; several captains fled from the superior fire of the enemy; and, ultimately, the Dutch sought shelter within the Wielings, and along the shallow coast of Zeeland.  They lost one-and-twenty sail; thirteen hundred men were made prisoners, and the number of killed and wounded was great in proportion.[1]

Cromwell received the news of this victory with transports of joy.  Though he could claim no share in the merit (for the fleet owed its success to the exertions

[Footnote 1:  Whitelock, 557.  Ludlow, ii. 27.  Heath, 344.  Le Clerc, i. 333.  Basnage, i. 307.  It appears from the letters in Thurloe, that the English fought at the distance of half cannon-shot, till the enemy fell into confusion, and began to fly, when their disabled ships were surrounded, and captured by the English frigates.—­Thurloe, i. 269, 270, 273, 277, 278.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1653.  June 2.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1653.  June 3.]

of the government which he had overturned), he was aware that it would shed a lustre over his own administration; and the people were publicly called upon to return thanks to the Almighty for so signal a favour.  It was observed that on this occasion he did not command but invite; and the distinction was hailed by his admirers as a proof of the humility and single-mindedness of the lord-general.[1]