thirty-three ships, under Vice-Admiral William Penn; and the third, or blue squadron, thirty-four ships, under RearAdmiral John Lawson. Captain Crispin commanded the "Assistance" frigate, one hundred and eighty men and forty guns, in Penn's squadron. This fleet, on the 2d and 3d of June, 1653, took or destroyed between twenty and thirty Dutch ships of war, took thirteen hundred and fifty prisoners, and pursued the Dutch to their own harbors.

After this engagement the "Assistance" spent the rest of the year cruising, convoying merchantmen, and preying on the Dutch commerce, as evidenced by the following abstracts of letters in the Calendar:

"Aug. 9th, 1653, William Crispin, 'Assistance' between the shore and the 'Whittaker' to the Navy Commissioners. Being ordered by the General to bring his ship to Deptford for repairs, he asks orders for masts and other stores.

"Sept. 2, 1653, Captain William Crispin, 'Assistance,' Hole Haven to Admiralty Commissioners. Has received the remainder of his victuals and stores, and will sail to-night for the Downs; the 'Sapphire' and 'Hector' sail to-morrow.

"Oct. 5, 1653, Capt. William Crispin, 'Assistance,' off Plymouth, to Admiralty Commissioners. Sailed from Isle of Wight with the 'Hector,' 'Nightingale' and sixty-five merchant vessels, and meeting the 'Pearl,' sent her with orders to Captain Sparling [of the "President"] and the captain of the 'Hopewell,' pink, to join him, but they declined, being bound for Guernsey and Jersey with some money, then to carry defective guns to Portsmouth or the Thames, and then for St. Malo. Parted with the fleet off Ushant, and took a ship of Middleburg, with hoops from Newhaven bound to Nantes, and the 'Nightingale' took her consort; a pink belonging to Delft has come in with the prizes and to get a supply of men and provisions, when he will put to sea again.

"Oct. 12, 1653, Captain John Humphery, 'Nightingale,' to Admiralty Commissioners. Has been cruising at sea with Captain Crispin of the 'Assistance.' Took a prize from Rotterdam, and had a dispute with some men-of-war from Brest for two hours, but as there were fourteen or fifteen of them, sailed towards Falmouth for assistance; intends to follow them, and then go for Ireland.

"Oct. 22, 1653, Captain William Crispin, 'Assistance,' Falmouth, to Robert Blackborne. Victualled and tallowed his ship for five months, and has been plying eastward by order of the Generals. Put into Falmouth and received some more men; hearing there are some Dutch men-of-war about the Land's End, intends plying that way. Of the

forty men pressed by Capt. Mills, all but four are landsmen, and taken from their callings in the field, to the prejudice of the country. He suffers the seamen to be cleared on feeing the constables. Has sent Captains Humphreys and Sparling their instructions for sailing to Ireland."

The next year Oliver Cromwell, who was then Protector, decided to send an expedition against the Spanish possessions in the West Indies, which was despatched secretly because England was at peace with Spain. A fleet of thirty-eight ships was sent out under Admiral Penn, with General Venables in command of the soldiers. The fleet was divided into three squadrons,—one directly under Penn, one under Vice-Admiral Goodson, and one under RearAdmiral Dakins. Captain William Crispin commanded the "Laurel," one hundred and sixty seamen, thirty soldiers, and forty guns, which belonged to Penn's squadron. On Wednesday, December 20, 1654, fifteen ships, some from each squadron, under Rear-Admiral Dakins, sailed from Spithead. The "Laurel" probably was one of these, for the Calendar has a letter from Captain Crispin, dated on the "Laurel," off the Lizard, December 26, 1654, to the Admiralty Commissioners, saying that he was ordered by Rear-Admiral Dakins to lie out, so as to speak with any ship homeward bound, and informing them that the majorgeneral and all the rest on board the squadron were well, and only wanted the "Indian," which had not yet joined. The rest of the fleet sailed on the 26th. The expedition arrived in sight of Barbadoes January 29, 1654/5, and having put in there, made their plans and preparations; the leaders decided to first attack Hispaniola, and the fleet sailed from Barbadoes March 31, 1655; they sighted the port of St. Domingo April 13, and landed the soldiers the same day. Captain Crispin sailed along the shore to make observations. The journal of the expedition, on April 24, says, "Letters, at eleven o'clock at night, came from General Venables and the rear-admiral [on shore, the latter in command of a party of sailors on land service]. The general intimated that the army was just on the point to march, and that they intended that evening, or next morning betimes,

to be at the landing place discovered by Captain Crispin, to the northward of the Fort Jeronimo, in a little sandy bay." Some days of fighting resulted in failure, and it was then determined to try Jamaica. The fleet sailed for that island Friday, May 4, 1655, and on the 10th anchored in Jamaica harbor, except Captain Crispin's ship, the "Laurel," which again cruised about outside. The same day the attack was made; the Spaniards made little opposition, and on the 17th formally surrendered. A few days later it was decided that, on account of the scarcity of provisions, part of the fleet should return to England, three ships go to New England to procure supplies, and fifteen stay at Jamaica. On Monday, June 25, the ships selected to go home set sail, Penn's being one of them. Penn went with her, leaving Vice-Admiral Goodson in command at Jamaica. The "Laurel" was one of those that remained, and, although Crispin and some of the other captains expressed a desire to leave, Crispin appears to have stayed with his ship.2 Captain William Crispin, Richard Wadeson, and Thomas Broughton, who were appointed to take charge of supplying the English forces in the island, were called by the home authorities the "Commissioners for supplying Jamaica." Crispin returned to England early in the spring, for the Calendar has a letter dated London, April 24, 1656, from him to Colonel John Clerke and Mr. Hopkins, about some

1 The account of Captain Crispin by his great-grandson, already mentioned, gives a story of this engagement which appears to be entirely without foundation. It is to the effect that, the fleet having arrived before St. Jago, the then capital of Jamaica, William Crispin fired the first and third shots, the latter striking the flag-staff and felling it, whereupon the Spaniards surrendered; and that on the return of the expedition to England, its commander, Admiral Penn, was granted an addition of three balls to his coat of arms, in recognition of the three shots.

It has been stated that the rear-admiral then acted in Goodson's place as vice-admiral, and that Captain Crispin became acting rear-admiral. The journal of the expedition (as quoted by Granville Penn in his "Memoirs of Admiral Penn"), at this point, says, "Some of the captains expressed their desire to go home, notwithstanding their vessels remained, viz: rear admiral Captain Crispin (of the Laurel), C. Newbery and C. Story."

Jamaica hides to be disposed of for the use of General (Admiral) Penn.

Penn and that part of the fleet that returned had arrived at Spithead August 31, 1655, and soon afterwards he and Venables were committed to the Tower, the reason given being that they had disobeyed orders by returning, but in reality because Cromwell knew that they favored the Prince of Wales. Penn was soon released, but was dismissed from the service of the Protector, and retired to his Irish estates.1 About this time many of the principal men in the navy and their adherents found much cause for dissatisfaction in Cromwell's conduct, especially in the ascendency of the army over the navy which he fostered. For a number of years they had borne the brunt of foreign wars and successfully carried out expeditions of conquest; in return for which, instead of being given higher commands or other suitable rewards, they were either dismissed the service or required to serve under Cromwell's land officers, whom he made admirals and generals-at-sea over the heads of tried and experienced naval officers. During the internal troubles most of the leading naval officers had had little to do with party strife at home, being at sea engaged in fighting the common enemies of the whole English nation, consequently they had not much sympathy with Cromwell and his party; some of them, indeed, were royalists by birth and education, and had been in the navy before the struggle between King and Parliament began. Penn was one of these, and, as we have seen, he had been dismissed by the Protector. Crispin was retained longer; but when the naval party began to plan opposition to the Protector's government and adherence to the King, he was among the leaders of the movement. Granville Penn in his "Memoirs of Admiral Penn" has shown that the naval party laid the foundation for the Res

1 In the autumn of 1657 he was living on his estate of Macromp in County Cork; this was the confiscated estate of Lord Muskerry; after the Restoration it was restored to the latter (then Earl of Clanricarde), and, in compensation, Penn was given the estate of Shannagarry, in the same county.

toration, which was afterwards accomplished by General Monk. This naval party had been gradually forming for some time, and circumstances contributed to increase its following. Hume in his "History of England" says that many of the inferiors, as well as the leaders of the West Indies expedition, were inclined to the King; and that, when Spain declared war against England on account of the violation of treaty by the sending out of this same expedition, several sea officers, entertaining scruples against this war, threw up their commissions. Crispin was undoubtedly one of the latter; and they, with the officers dismissed by Cromwell and their friends still in the service, formed the nucleus of the naval party which took part in the succeeding events.

In 1656 the fifth-monarchy men began to hold secret meetings and prepare for an outbreak; at the end of the year the naval party and some of the royalists hearing of it, attempted to turn it to their own account, and in the beginning of the next year (March, 1657) had come to terms with them and were prepared for a rising against Cromwell. Secretary Thurloe made a report of the discovery and frustration of this scheme, which is published in his collection of State Papers (Vol. VI. pp. 184-186). After describing the actions of the fifth-monarchy men, Thurloe's report says,

"Thinges being thus settled amongst the men of these principles, those, who were all this while behind the curtain, and thought themselves as well of their own judgement as some of others, began to thinke, that these men might be made good use of; and in order thereto, the first step must be to reconcile the fifth monarchy and the common wealth partye. And to this end a meetinge was betweene them, which they agreed should consist of twelve. The persons who met, were vice-ad. Lawson, col. Okey, capt. Lyons, capt. Crispin, capt. Dekins, one Portman, Venner, mr. Squib, and some others. Four of these were officers at sea, and three deserted the fleet, when it went upon the coast of Spayne."

1 In the index to this volume Crispin is described as a fifth-monarchy man, but, as Granville Penn points out, the report to which the index refers shows him to have been one of those Thurloe calls "behind the curtain."