Alliance with France and Sweden.

The close of the session was enlivened, as the beginning had been, by the news of a great victory over the Spaniards. It ranks among Blake's most wonderful achievements that on April 20, 1657, he attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet from the West Indies, as it lay in the harbour of Santa Cruz at Teneriffe, protected by the castle and a chain of forts: sixteen galleons and other vessels, with a large portion of the American goods which they had on board, were lost. Only the silver and jewels were safely carried on shore. The news reached London at the end of May. It could not fail to strengthen the public confidence in the Protector and in his lucky star.

The same fleet had already on a previous occasion performed a service of great political importance. It had put an end to the delays of the Portuguese in ratifying the commercial treaty which was now ready prepared. There too the clergy and the court were indignant because the treaty secured religious liberty to English sailors and merchants contrary to the usages of the country. When Blake and Montague appeared off the coast, they offered the Portuguese the choice of either using their fleet, the best manned and the best equipped then afloat, against the Spaniards their common enemies, or on the other hand of being themselves attacked by it.