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THE LIFE OF

GEORGE ROOK.

IR GEORGE Rook was born in the county

of Kent, of an antient and genteel family; and, having been very well educated in his youth, his father put him, when he grew up and fit to enter upon bufinefs, to an honourable profeffion; but his genius violently inclining him to try his fortune on the watery element, his father at length gave way to it. To fea he went, pretty early in the reign of king Charles II. and made fuch proficiency in the naval art, that he was, in fome time after, preferred to the poft of a lieutenant, and, if I mistake not, made a captain, before the death of that prince, which happened in February, 1684: but king Charles having spent several years of the latter part of his reign in peace with his neighbours, we have little to fay concerning this our hero till the reign of king James II. who entertained him in his poft in the fleet, and feemed to discover a mighty opinion and efteem for him; that prince, to do him juftice, taking great delight in the fons of the fea, and having uncommon skill and experience in maritime affairs. But, as

captain.

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captain Rook did not at all favour the defigns: concerted by that prince against his country, there was indeed nothing but meer neceflity, I mean the want of good officers, that made the king entertain him, and fome others, in

his fervice.

Captain Rook, upon the landing of the prince of Orange in England, and the fuccefs of his arms, coming into the Downs, under my lord Dartmouth's command, king James, his admiral, there readily concurred to have feveral officers in the fleet, that were known, or at least fufpected, to be Papifts, to be dif miffed from their employments; and indeed this gentleman in particular, as much affected to the religion and liberty of his country as any in the navy could be, engaged in his ftation early and heartily in promoting the happy re volution that ensued.

Arthur Herbert, efq. being, on the fourteenth of March, appointed admiral of the fleet by his majefty king William, the admiral thought fit, about the end of April, to fend captain Rook with a squadron of ships to the coaft of Ireland, to affift the generals of the land-forces in the reduction of that kingdom.

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His majesty king William finding his prefence to be abfolutely neceffary in Holland, in that great congrefs to be held at the Hague concerning the operations of the enfuing campaign, in, and concerting proper measures tâ, bring down the over-grown greatness of France,

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no body was thought more proper to be trufted with the guard of his royal perfon in that voyage than Rook, then rear-admiral; and it is the more remarkable, because this was the first time of his majefty's going over into Holland fince he had been king of Eng. land.

The admiral failed out of the Downs on the twenty-fixth of January, with the squadron of men of war under his command towards Margate-road; and his majefty embarking at Gravefend, they put to fea on the feventeenth, and, after having encountered great dangers from the ice on the coaft of Holland, he landed fafely, a little to the northward of the Maefe; and the rear-admiral having honourably and faithfully difcharged his great truft, and continued on that coaft till he faw the yatchts and small frigates harboured, he returned with the fquadron, on the twenty-fifth, to Margate-road. I am not pofitive, but I believe the rear-admiral was, in like manner, the perfon appointed to convoy his majesty home again. I am fure he failed to the eaft ward with a fquadron of men of war on the fifteenth of March, but returning on the twenty-firft of the fame month, in the Charles galley, from the coaft of Holland, where his majefty was not ready to embark, the king took the opportunity, about the middle of April, of returning with part of the Dutch fquadron for England: however, making no long ftay here, rear-admiral Rook had the ho

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