him, knowing the Prince's love was never towards any unworthy of such regard.

I must not omit to mention somewhat of the Prince, related to me by my dear son, which tells much for his kindliness, though so great a soldier, children and animals being, I have always heard, attracted, or the opposite, by something in the eye of strangers. When landing on some barbarous shore among the Moors, the morning being very thick, his Highness, with one hundred men, came suddenly upon a large party of black people, who, affrighted at the white complexions of the Prince and his men, fled, though his Highness endeavoured by all means to speak with them. One, in his haste, left his little son behind which poor infant running to the Prince, embraced his legs very fast, as though taking him for his own parent; and the Prince took charge of the little blackamoor until the next day, when the savages implored for it to be returned to them.

The Prince's usual good-fortune attended them, and he and my dear son reached Sir

Roger Mostyn's unmolested: the ship sailing away with a fair wind to France. But the coming of his Highness got noised abroad in some way unknown; likewise the meeting of my dear lord with many who were rightly suspected of holding fast by the crown (though truly now did it hang on a bush), caused suspicion, for all that it was conducted as privily as might be. Five days after the Prince's visit, my dear lord, Sir Peter Leycester, the Baron of Kinderton, Sir Richard Grosvenor, Mr. Warren of Poynton, and Mr. Massy of Puddington, were all sent prisoners to Chester Castle, under suspicion, it was termed, of being still malignants, and disaffected to the Lord Protector's government; from which durance they were not released until a huge sum was paid for their deliverance.

CHAPTER XVI.

The loss of my sweet son Charles, with full mention of the drowning of his Highness's ship, in the voyage to the Western Islands, wrote by command of his Highness to Sir Geoffrey Shakerley; and, further, his behaviour and words at the last, by word of mouth from his Highness this present year, after the Restoration of his Majesty.

IS soon as we were at anchor at the island of St. Michael's, having saluted

their fort, they returned us thanks, and the Governor sent some officers to welcome his Highness, who brought with them a present of refreshments, according to the custom of the country. His Highness returned him thanks, and, at their departure, gave them guns. After victualling, both with wine and flesh, we stood away for Terceira with our Spanish prize, but met with such foul weather that we could hardly bear our course. In this unfortunate gust the

Admiral sprung a leak; and the wind increasing, and the ships labouring much, the leak increased so that both the pumps could hardly keep her free. The Vice-Admiral (having Prince Maurice on Board), and the Honest Seaman, bore up with the Admiral, and kept as close as the waters would permit, labouring with disturbed winds as well as distempered seas. Men may propose, but God will dispose; for the Admiral's pinnace, being too large to be hoisted in, was moored astern, and was forced from the ship by rage of the weather. The Vice-Admiral being likewise surprised by the storm, and endeavouring to hoist in the boat, sank it by the ship's side.

These were sad presages. For three days after, the wind being rather enraged than abated, the ship straining hard, started a butthead, which added so much water that no pumping could keep her free. They continued firing off guns, to give the other ships notice to keep near them. This disaster befell us about six in the morning, keeping that rate until after ten. By force of hands we gained

upon the leak, and, endeavouring to stop it within board, thrust down one hundred and twenty pieces of raw beef into it, and stanchioned them down. This gave us some hopes of life, but it lasted not long; for the ship setting hard, drove in the stanchion, and sprang the plank; so that now, being past hopes of recovery, they made a waft with the standard at the flagstaff head, to let the other ships know our condition, and began to heave our guns overboard, to lighten the ship. But all in vain, for the water gained so fast upon us they could not stand in the hold to bale; the casks, rolling to and fro, beat them from their work. Notwithstanding all this they strove with cheerful resolution to the last, without hope, for the wind was so high, and the sea so overgrown, that no ship dare to approach near for our assistance, lest they should perish together.

The Admiral's mainmast being cut by the board, the Honest Seaman ran aboard on the weather bow, expecting some of them would save themselves upon it; but our resolutions