rs who
fought bravely for their king to the last, and having seen one of his
brothers shot by the Parliamentary forces, he made his escape, till an
amnesty being granted, he was able to return and live in private in
England. His fortune having been expended, he was glad to accept a
small office belonging to the Ordnance, in the Tower. On the breaking
out of the first Dutch war, the king came to examine the magazines.
Charles, whose memory was as quick as his eye, recognised the veteran,
who had for twenty years been distinguished by a fine head of grey hair.
"My old friend, Colonel Benbow," said he, "what do you here?"

"I have," returned the colonel, "a place of 80 pounds a-year, in which I
serve your majesty as cheerfully as if it brought me in 4000 pounds
a-year."

"Alas!" said the king, "is that all that could be found for an old
friend of Worcester? Colonel Legge, bring this gentleman to me
to-morrow, and I will provide for him and his family as it becomes me."

Short as the time was, the colonel did not live to claim the royal
promise; for, overcome by the king's unexpected gratitude, sitting down
on a bench, he there breathed his last before his majesty was well out
of the tower. Whatever might have been the king's intentions, he
thought no more of the old cavalier's family, and the colonel's son,
John, went to sea in a merchant-vessel, and shortly became owner and
commander of a ship, called the _Benbow_ frigate. No man was better
known or more respected by the merchants upon the Exchange. The
following anecdote shows his character, and is in accordance with the
spirit of the times in which he lived. In the year 1688 he was, while
in command of the _Benbow_ frigate, attacked on his passage to Cadiz by
a Sallee rover of far superior force, against which he defended himself
with the utmost bravery. At last the Moors boarded him, but were
quickly beaten out of his ship again with the loss of thirteen men,
whose heads Captain Benbow ordered to be taken off, and thrown into a
tub of pork pickle. On reaching Cadiz he went on shore, ordering a
negro servant to follow him with the Moors' heads in a sack. Scarcely
had he landed when the officers of the revenue inquired of the servant
what he had in his sack. The captain answered, "Salt provisions for his
own use."

"That may be," answered the officers, "but we must insist upon seeing
them." Captain Benbow said that he was no stranger there, that he was
n