and about the fame time advanced him from vice-admiral of the red to be admiral of the blue.

King William having diffolved the parliament on the feventh of July, 1698, and a proclamation being iffued out on the thirteenth, to call another, Sir George Rook was chosen a member for Portfmouth; in which truft, none durft offer to fay, that he did not difcharge himself with the utmolt application and fidelity.

The year 1699 being a year of peace all Europe over, that of 1700 gave Sir George a fresh opportunity to fignalize his conduct in the Baltic for a ftrong confederacy having been formed by the czar of Mufcovy, the king of Denmark, and the king of Poland, against the young king of Sweden, and his brotherin law the duke of Holftein; and the Dane having actually invaded that duchy, the king of England and the states-general not only interpofed their good offices for mediating an accommodation, but fitted out squadrons of men of war, in order to fail into the Sound, the more effectually to forward the fame, his Bri tannic majefty thought no body fo fit for this fervice of admiral, and a fort of plenipotentiary, as Sir George Rook, of whofe abilities and fidelity he had had fo long experience.

Sir George, before the end of May, arrived with the fquadron under his command before the Maefe, and went himself to the Hague to confer with the ftates deputies

about

dor is paid afar Sever varð again na aut teng met is me Durch fe ander demand te herrena: admau keand der were derames. fe is # LEPE DE e D cats in contrary whit; sove, der made a fi before the end of me are at Gottemberg; aud, on the eigta of jug, entered the Sound W221 217 2pcino.

The Eigil actral fluted the cafe of Cronenburg with three gas, and a like nomber was retired; the Dutch admiral gave Aine, and the caine fred three in return.

The wire feet comffed of thirty men of war beides fre-tips, bob-veels, and renders. The Swedih Beet having, in like manper, put to fea, when they came to an anchor Bear one another, on the fifteenth, near Landfroon, beyond the Ifle of Vere (upon which the Danish feet retired under the guns of the citadel of Copenhagen).

It is very remarkable, that, though the English and Dutch fquadrons came to affift and Tave the Swedes from ruin, that the latter took no notice of them that evening, all the next day, and part of the morning of the feventeenth; when the English admiral, having wifely weighed matters, and pursuing his orders for precedency, commanded a fignal to be made by a fmall Dutch frigate, as if she were a neutral ship, for all flags to come on board; where he reprefented the cafe so eftually to the Swedes, who expected to have

the

the chief command, that, upon his return to his ship again, and the fignal given, the whole fleet of English, Dutch, and Swedes readily failed under his command to Copenhagen, which they pretended to bombard a little, without fcarce any damage done; though we have been affured, by fome intelligent perfons prefent, they could have laid the city in afhes.

But the admiral's inftructions and defigns tended only to peace; which being foon after happily concluded at Travendall, Sir George returned home, about the middle of September, with the general applaufe of the people, for the great prudence and conduct he had fhewn in fo nice and ticklish a conjun&ture.

In the fpring of the year 1701, his majefty was pleased to conftitute Sir George Rook to be admiral and commander in chief; but the war against France not breaking out, on this fide of Europe, till next year, there was no naval enterprize yet undertaken by him. In the mean time, king James II. dying at St. Germains, and the French owning his pretended fon for king of England, chafed the people of England to a high degree; and hist majesty, in this juncture of affairs, thinking fit to call a new parliament, Sir George Rook was again elected for Portsmouth; and the day of meeting, which was the thirtieth of December, being come, the commons were dirested to go and chufe their speaker.

The

about this grand affair. He went aboard again in a few days, and, being joined by the Dutch fquadron under the command of lieutenant admiral Allemond, they were detained, for feveral days, on the Dutch coafts by contrary winds; however, they made a shift, before the end of June, to arrive at Gottenburg; and, on the eighth of July, entered the Sound without any oppofition.

The English admiral faluted the caftle of Cronenburg with three guns, and a like number was returned; the Dutch admiral gave nine, and the castle fired three in return.

The whole fleet confifted of thirty men of war, befides fire-fhips, bomb-veffels, and tenders. The Swedish fleet having, in like manner, put to fea, when they came to an anchor near one another, on the fifteenth, near Landfcroon, beyond the Ifle of Vere (upon which the Danish fleet retired under the guns of the citadel of Copenhagen).

It is very remarkable, that, though the English and Dutch fquadrons came to affift and fave the Swedes from ruin, that the latter took no notice of them that evening, all the next day, and part of the morning of the feventeenth; when the English admiral, having wifely weighed matters, and pursuing his orders for precedency, commanded a fignal to be made by a fmall Dutch frigate, as if fhe were a neutral fhip, for all flags to come on board; where he represented the cafe fo ef. fectually to the Swedes, who expected to have

the

the chief command, that, upon his return to his ship again, and the fignal given, the whole fleet of English, Dutch, and Swedes readily failed under his command to Copenhagen, which they pretended to bombard a little, without fcarce any damage done; though we have been affured, by fome intelligent perfons prefent, they could have laid the city in afhes.

But the admiral's inftructions and defigns tended only to peace; which being foon after happily concluded at Travendall, Sir George returned home, about the middle of September, with the general applause of the people, for the great prudence and conduct he had fhewn in fo nice and ticklish a conjun&ture.

In the fpring of the year 1701, his majesty was pleased to conftitute Sir George Rook to be admiral and commander in chief; but the war against France not breaking out, on this fide of Europe, till next year, there was no naval enterprize yet undertaken by him. In the mean time, king James II. dying at St. Germains, and the French owning his pretended fon for king of England, chafed the people of England to a high degree; and hist majefty, in this juncture of affairs, thinking fit to call a new parliament, Sir George Rook was again elected for Portfinouth; and the day of meeting, which was the thirtieth of December, being come, the commons were dirested to go and chuse their speaker.

The