which indeed it is not likely that he did, at least so uncivilly.]
But as we were now happily landed, and marching, we saw new and
unthought-of characters of a favorable providence of God watching over us.
We had no sooner got thus disengaged from our fleet than a new and great
storm blew from the west; from which our fleet, being covered by the land,
could receive no prejudice; but the King's fleet had got out as the wind
calmed, and in pursuit of us was come as far as the Isle of Wight, when
this contrary wind turned upon them. They tried what they could to pursue
us; but they were so shattered by some days of this storm that they were
forced to go into Portsmouth, and were no more fit for service that year.
This was a greater happiness than we were then aware of: for Lord Dartmouth
assured me some time after, that, whatever stories we had heard and
believed, either of officers or seamen, he was confident they would all
have fought very heartily. But now, by the immediate hand of Heaven, we
were masters of the sea without a blow. I never found a disposition to
superstition in my temper: I was rather inclined to be philosophical upon
all occasions; yet I must confess that this strange ordering of the winds
and seasons just to change as our affairs required it, could not but make
a deep impression on me as well as on all that observed it. Those famous
verses of Claudian seemed to be more applicable to the Prince than to him
they were made on:
"Heaven's favorite, for whom the skies do fight,
And all the winds conspire to guide thee right!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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