ledge of every minute detail in the sailor's life that stood him in good stead afterwards.

In 1622, when he was twenty-five, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and two years afterwards the Stadtholder Prince Maurice made him captain of a frigate. He was now to some extent his own master. He was on the road to fame and fortune; it was but seldom that anyone had attained so important a position at so early an age, and it lay with him whether he would imitate the example of those around him and be content to remain a captain, or rise to something higher. For most of his friends had displayed, up to this point of their career, a diligence and industry equal to his own; but to them this position was a limit, to him it was only a beginning. When they had gained the command of a vessel their ambition was satisfied, their studies were abandoned, their books and mathematical instruments were put on the shelf, and they read no more than was sufficient to maintain them in their acquired position.

With Tromp it was different. To him work of any kind came natural. Of a somewhat reserved and modest disposition, exacting in the matter of duty, but kindly withal and cordial, Tromp felt that he had a head upon his shoulders. He felt that where his comrades had done much he could do much more, and he did more. He studied every branch of his profession, he paid the most careful attention to matters that were generally regarded as mere

details, and personally convinced himself that his orders were strictly executed. He served at one time under Hein, at another under Willekens, and again under Dorp, and each of these admirals was obliged to confess that young Tromp was a rising man, and that there was something more in him than a mere captain. Indeed, between Hein and Tromp there. seems to have been a warm friendship. Tromp never mentioned the admiral's name without expressing great admiration for his genius, and gratitude for his love; while Hein on his part affirmed, shortly before his death, that, although he had known many brave captains, he had always found their virtues modified by faults, but that he could find no fault in Tromp, who possessed all that was required in a naval commander. Their friendship was not of very long duration. In 1629, when Hein set out on his expedition against the Dunkerque pirates, Tromp's ship belonged to the small fleet. As it was the fastest sailer, Hein selected it for the fatal reconnoitre. They were standing side by side on the deck, giving their directions during the fight which followed, when Hein was mortally wounded in the shoulder, and breathed his last in his friend's arms.

It was not long after this painful event that Tromp began to utter the opinion that the organisation of the navy left a great deal to be desired, that the discipline on board the ships was open to much improvement, and that on the whole a thorough change in the management would be desirable and even

necessary.

He had long been aware of this-he had not studied his profession so thoroughly for nothingand there had probably been many a long talk on this subject between him and Hein. But, although he was at liberty to think what he liked, the old fogies of the Admiralty at Amsterdam or in Rotterdam were highly indignant when he said anything. They blew out their cheeks, and looked at each other over their spectacles, and shook their heads, and the longer they shook, the angrier they got. Could anything be wrong that was administered by them? Was a young man like this Marten Tromp to pick holes in a coat that had been considered very decent for them and their fathers for the last thirty years? They determined to give Captain Tromp a lesson. They pooh-poohed his suggestions, and when the time came that he should be again appointed to his ship, he found that it had been given to somebody else, and that he was put in a subordinate position. As this, of course, was as much as to say, 'We dont want you,' Captain Tromp quietly sent them back his commission with his compliments, and he would prefer to remain on shore for a few years, saying, at the same time, in a very respectful manner, that they had better take care, for that his words would come true sooner or later, and that they would be forced to do in a hurry what he suggested might be done at leisure. At the same time, being already highly thought of by some of his friends, he accepted a post in some marine office in Flushing, and bided his time.

F

He had not been on shore many years, when the wisdom of his words could no longer be denied. The Dutch Republic was still at war with Spain, and although that war was now carried on in a very irregular and fitful fashion, it was always the endeavour of each commander to injure, and if possible to destroy, the Spanish forces at sea. But the good

fortune of Heemskerk and Hein seemed to have passed away. One undertaking after another failed. Chance after chance was allowed to slip away through mere carelessness. The evils which Tromp had predicted increased. The discipline on board the ships was neglected; the untiring zeal of former days no longer inspired each man. In 1637 a squadron was sent out under Van Dorp to capture a large Spanish fleet which was expected in Dunkerque ; but when he was out at sea Van Dorp discovered that he had neither food, nor powder, nor shot. He was forced to return home; but scarcely had he run into the Meuse, when news came overland that the Spanish ships, loaded up to the port-holes with valuable cargo, had just slipped into Dunkerque, and might easily have been captured; that the pirates, seeing him turn tail, had taken and burned half-a-dozen Dutch ships, and were now cruising about for as many more as they could get.

This was more than the people could bear. The admiral and his captains were nearly torn to pieces by the mob. The old fogies of Amsterdam got frightened, and knew not what to do. The States

General held an inquiry, at which everybody abused everybody else; and all of them blamed the admiral. The admiral requested his dismission, and never went again to sea. Then the Stadtholder, Prince Frederick Henry of Orange, looked round for the best man to occupy the vacant post, and his eye fell on Tromp. Tromp accepted, but not before he had frankly announced his intention to carry out every one of the suggestions which had been so unceremoniously poohpoohed, and introduce a good many more, which he had pondered deeply during the years of his retirement. A schoolfellow of his, De With, born in the same town, and who had also left the service in disgust, was at the same time appointed vice-admiral, and the two friends now set about reforming the service.

The expectations throughout the country were great, for Tromp and De With were already looked upon as the coming men, and in some verses written about that time they were ordered immediately to sail to Spain and take Madrid, which, that town being a few hundred miles inland, it would have been somewhat difficult for the best of fleets to do. Nor was the popular expectation realised for the first year. The Duke of Marlborough once said that he could better judge the merits of a general by the style of his soldiers than by his order of battle; for that a good general might make a blunder in his battle, but never in his men. The admirals who preceded Tromp had blundered all over the fleet. They