of the unsettled state of religion, which then existed in that kingdom, and having a prospect of discharging his ministerial functions more usefully elsewhere, he quitted his preferments and came to England, near the end of the reign of Charles II. It was not long before he was taken notice of by Compton, bishop of London, who prevailed on him to go to Virginia, as a missionary, about the year 1685, where he so recommended himself by his exemplary conduct and unwearied labours in the work of the ministry, that in the year 1689, he was appointed ecclesiastical commissary for that province.

While his thoughts were intent on doing good in his office, he observed, with concern, that the want of schools and proper seminaries for religion and learning, was so great an impediment to the propagation of the gospel, that little could be hoped for till that obstacle was first removed. He, therefore, formed a vast design of erecting and endowing a college, at Williamsburgh, formerly the seat of government, in Virginia, for professors and students in academical learning; in order to which, he had himself set on foot a voluntary subscription, amounting to a considerable sum; and not content with that, went over to England in 1693, to solicit the affair at court. Queen Mary was so well pleased with the noble design, that she zealously espoused it, and King William readily concurring with her, a patent was passed for erecting and endowing a college by the name of "The William and Mary College," of which Mr. Blair was appointed president, and held that office nearly 50 years. He was also rector of Williamsburgh and president of the council of that colony. He was an ornament to his profession and the several very important offices which he held, and died in a good old age, in the year 1743.

His works are, "Our Saviour's Divine Sermon on the Mount explained; and the practice of it recommended in Diverse Sermons and Discourses, London 1742," four vols. octavo.

BLAKE, (ROBERT) a famous English admiral, was born in August 1589, at Bridgewater, Somersetshire, where he was educated. He went from thence to Oxford, where, in 1617, he took the degree of A. B. He was tinctured with republican principles, and disliking that severity, with which archbishop Laud pressed uniformity in his diocese, he adopted the opinions of the puritans. His natural bluntness causing his principles to be well known, the puritan party returned him member of parliament, from Bridgewater, in 1640; but when the king was brought to trial, he highly disapproved of the measure, as illegal, and said frequently," he would as freely venture his life, to save the king, as ever he did to save his parliament." But this is thought to have been chiefly owing to the humanity of his temper, since, after the death of the king, he fell in wholly with the republican party, and next to Cromwell, was the ablest officer the parliament ever employed.

In 1648 he was appointed, in conjunction with Colonel Deane and Colonel Popham, to command the fleet, and soon after blocked up Prince Maurice and Rupert, in Kinsale harbour. But these getting out, Blake pursued them from one port to another, and at last overtook them in that of Malaga, burnt and destroyed their whole fleet, two ships only excepted, the Reformation, in which Prince Rupert himself was, and the Swallow, commanded by Prince' Maurice.

In 1652, he was constituted sole admiral; w' n he defeated the Dutch fleet, commanded by Van Trump, Ruyter, and De Wit, in three several engagements, in which the Dutch lost eleven men of war, thirty merchant ships and according to their own account, had 1,500 men slain. Soon after Blake and his colleagues, with a grand fleet of 100 sail stood over to the Dutch coast, and forced their fleet to fly into the Texel, where they were kept for some time by Monk and Dean, whilst Blake himself sailed NorthVol. I. No. 5.

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ward. At last, however, Van Trump got out, and drew together a fleet of 120 men of war; and, on the 3d of June, Dean and Monk came to an engage. ment with the enemy off North Foreland, with indif ferent success; but the next day Blake came to their assistance with eighteen ships, and gained a complete victory; so that if the Dutch had not saved themselves on Calais sands, their whole fleet had been sunk or taken.

In April, 1653, Cromwell having turned out the parliament, and assumed the supreme power, the States of Holland expected great advantages, but were disappointed. Blake, on this occasion, said to his officers, "It is not for us to mind state affairs, but to keep foreigners from fooling us." In Nov. 1654, Cromwell sent him with a strong fleet into the Meditterranean, with orders to support the honour of the English flag, and to procure satisfaction for the inju

ries that had been done to our merchants. In the beginning of December, Blake came into the road of Cadiz, where he was treated with all possible respect a Dutch admiral did not dare to hoist his flag whilst he was there; and his name was now grown so formidable, that a French squadron having stopped one of his tenders, the admiral, as soon as he knew to whom it belonged, sent for the captain on board, and drank Blake's health before him with great ceremony, under a discharge of five guns, and then dismissed him. The Algerines were so much afraid of him, that, stopping the Sallee rovers, they obliged them to deliver up what English prisoners they had on board, and sent them freely to Blake to purchase his favour. This, however, did not prevent him from coming, on the 10th of March, before Algiers, and sending an officer on shore to the Dey to demand satisfaction for the piracies committed on the English, and the release of all the English captives. The Dey, in his answer, alledged, that the ships and captives belonged to private men, and,