to the Governours and Lieutenant Generals of his Majesty as well those of his Provinces as of his Armies to Camp Marshals Brigadeers Colonels Captains and other Commanders of his Troops as well Infantry as Cavalry French or Strangers and to all other Officers to whom it appertains to lend a hand to the Execution of these presents every one in his place and his Jurisdiction For such is the pleasure of his Majesty Who likewise wills that these presents be published and fixed up in all his Towns upon Sea and elsewhere in all the Ports and other places of his Kingdom where it is necessary that none may plead cause of Ignorance and that to the Copy of them duly compared the same credit be given as to the Original In the month of February following the United Provinces concluded another strict Alliance with Denmark in Consequence of which orders were sent to Funen into Holstein Jutland and Norway to lay an Embargo upon all Danish Ships and to forbid them to stir out of their Ports that so by that means the Danish Fleet might be the more expeditiously equipt and Armed out The Articles of that Treaty were I. THat each party should absolutely desist from all pretensions they might have one upon the other The Articles of the Dutch League with Denmark II. That all manner of mis-understanding in Norway should be laid asleep and forgot III. That the States General should engage to pay to his Danish Majesty 1500000 Livers per annum as long as the War against England should continue of which the French should be obliged to pay 300000 Livers yearly for their part For which sum the King of Denmark should engage on his side to maintain a Fleet at Sea of 30 Ships of War of which some should be furnished with a sufficient number of Regular Troops to be employed in the Service of the States when they should need them That Treaty was a stroke of Thunder to the English who were the more sensibly concerned at it because they had not heard the least inkling of it till they heard of its conclusion For Dreyer the Secretary of the King of Denmark's Embassy in Holland was sent incognito by the Ministers of that Prince that were at the Hague Mr. Catisius and Mr. Klingenberg immediately after the Conclusion of the Treaty to the King their Master to present it to him and get his Ratification after which the Secretary came back again with all expedition to the Hague This politick silence was the cause that the English Resident at the Court of Denmark had not time to advertise the Merchants of his Nation of it so that all their effects were seized and confiscated throughout the whole extent of the Kingdom It 's true the Danes proceedings on that occasion had some appearance of Justice and Equity because the English from the very time they made that Hostile attempt of which we have spoken upon the Port of Bergen in Norway had not only seized on the Danes Ships and Merchandizes but had likewise taken their men Prisoners so that the Crown of Denmark in that Rencounter seemed to do no more than to use Reprisals had it not afterwards appeared that they had dealt perfidiously in that matter with the King of England and secretly invited him to that Enterprize for which they afterwards declared War against him In the mean time the United Provinces in order to facilitate the Arming and manning out the Fleet publish'd on the 1st of February an Ordinance forbidding all Merchant Ships and Fishing vessels to stir out of their Harbours upon pain of Confiscation of their said Ships and Goods They likewise forbad the great and small Fishery under the same penalties and the Ordinance for forbidding the Greenland Fishery was also renewed But the States however declared that their intention in all those prohibitions was to find them subsistance all the year without any alteration even after the Fleet should be gone out c. About that time Tromp signified to the States that he should be glad if they would please to change his Quality of Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and West-Friesland or of the College of the Admiralty of the Meuse into that of Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam which request the States granted upon Condition he got the consent of both those Admiralties thereunto so that having obtained it on the 6th of February he was created Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam and on the 24th of the same month Vice Admiral Aart Van Nes succeeded him in quality of Lieutenant Admiral of the Meuse and Captain John Van Nes was made Rear Admiral In the mean while the English being sensible of the great Force of so powerfull a League made very great preparations for War on their side and exerted as we may say the utmost of their efforts to make a vigorous resistance But because money was wanting they were forced to borrow 1250000 l. Sterling more at great Interest and besides to help towards the defraying of the extraordinary charges of the War the two East India Ships viz. the Phoenix and the Fort of Huningen taken from the Hollanders were sold which yielded the sum of 1600000 l. And because the French King had first declared War against England the King of Great Britain who was no less Jealous of his honour than the Monsieur published likewise a Declaration against that Crown in the following Terms The King of England's Declaration of War against France WHereas the French under pretence of a defensive League concluded with the States General of the United Provinces accuses us of having violated the Peace though all Europe be well enough informed of the contrary And upon that Ground has declared War against us on the 26th of January last making himself thereby the Aggressor and Infractour of the Peace which we have always desired to preserve with the said States on whose behalf the Ambassadors of the most Christian King never offered any indemnification for the losses suffered by our Subjects nor given any Guarrantees for the security of their Commerce for the future We therefore trusting in the Almighty power of God and in the justice of our cause and being likewise assured of the Bravery and Fidelity of our Subjects have thought fit for their Common security to declare that we are resolved to carry on the War vigorously by employing all our Forces as well by Sea as by Land against France which has newly begun it with us against all the Laws of Justice And to that end we Command our Royal Brother Lord High Admiral of England and our Trusty and well beloved Cousin and Councellor George Duke of Albemarle General of our Armies by Land our Lords Lieutenants of Counties Governours of Provinces and all other inferiour Officers and Soldiers under their Commands as well by Sea as by Land to oppose all the Enterprizes of the French King and his Subjects And for
Fifth Rates the Convertine the Pearl the Dortmuyen the Hector and the Dolphin The most of these last have their Sails already spread and their Guns ready whilst they are working with all Diligence in fitting out the rest Affairs being in that State and the Vnited Provinces apprehending that all those Squablings would quickly break out into an open War with England began to put all things in order And it was resolved in the Assembly of the States That Notice should be given to the Ships bound Westward to go round about Scotland The Zealanders likewise sent 2 nimble sailing Ships to Hitland to give warning to the Ships belonging to the State to avoid the Harbours of England to prevent the falling of the Ships coming back from the East-Indies into the Hands of the English and Rear-Admiral Tromp was sent out to Sea with a Fleet of 23 Men of War to cruise for them and to secure their Retreat home In the mean while Mr. de Goch set out the 17th of June in Quality of Ambassadour from the States towards the Court of England to endeavour amicably to appease and compose the Differences that threatned the two Nations with a Rupture He arrived on the 22d at London and was received by the Master of the Ceremonies with great Marks of Friendship and the very same Evening had Audience of his Majesty at Whitehall and after the usual Compliments their Discourse fell upon the Affairs that concerned the East and West-India Companies upon which the King among other Reasons told him That it was not to be suffered That the DutchWest-India Company only by the means of a few Forts and 3 or 4 Ships without possessing elsewhere any Country within Land should pretend to render the Coasts of Africk inaccessible to all others by blocking up the Havens and the Mouths of the Rivers against their Commerce and keeping them off and driving them away from every Place The Ambassadour replied ' That all the Difficulties about that Affair were terminated by the last Treaty and that it ought to be examined whether the Dutch had done any thing in contravention to it After that he made his Complaints of the Hostile Attempts of Captain Holms in Guiney To which the King made him the same Answer he had done before upon the like Subject That he had not the least Knowledge of that but that as soon as he should be informed of it he would act as he found convenient After which he begun to speak of the great Naval Preparations that were making in Holland The States Ambassadour justified himself by answering That those Preparations were chiefly for the great Convoys they were forced to allow their Merchant Ships for the Security of their Commerce praying his Majesty withal That he would please to give order as the States would likewise do on their side that nothing might pass between the two Fleets that might disturb the Peace or alienate the good Correspondence settled between the two Nations The next day Mr. de Goch had Audience of the Duke of York and in the Evening of the Chancellour in which they discoursed of nothing else but of the great Preparations for War and of the Affairs of the East and West-India Companies Some Time after the States Ambassadour presented a Memorial concerning the extraordinary Naval Preparations in England and about the Hostilities committed by Captain Holms and the forbidding of the Importation of Dutch Commodities into the Kingdom under the Pretence of the contagious Disease that then reigned in Holland The King answered very largely to all those Points in Writing of which the Substance was That he had no Design his Fleet should commit any Act of Hostility That he had given no Order to Captain Holms to seise upon Cape-Verde or any other Forts belonging to the Hollanders nor to attempt any thing against the Subjects of the United Provinces That they ought to have more confidence in his Royal word than in the Reports of Pilots and Mariners who were very often ill informed That as what concerned his forbidding the importation of Dutch Commodities upon the account of the Contagion he was obliged so to do for the preservation of his Kingdom and of the health of his Subjects In the mean while the French King by his Ambassadors at London and the Hague presented his Mediation in order to appease the differences that were ready to kindle a War between those two Powers which the United Provinces agreeably received but â—ngland refused Which was the cause that a little time after the Ambassadors of that Crown returned home very ill satisfied The States laying nothing more to Heart than the maintenance of Peace and being very sensible how dear the last War had cost them were glad before they engaged themselves in such another to try all means possible to avert it For that effect they writ a Letter to the King of England to signifie â—o him that they had no other Passion greater than that to preserve Peace hoping his Majesty would be of the same mind The King made answer to the States by another Letter which was delivered them by the English Ambassador at his return to the Hague for he had made a step to London to endeavour to terminate the differences between the two Companies of the East and West Indies That Letter was full of protestations signifying the great desire the King had on his side to maintain the Peace But then returning to the accustomed complaints it was added that he saw with great regret that they went not about to give any satisfaction to the English for their losses and in fine concluded with a protestation before God and Man that they would be guilty of all the Inconveniencies and fatal Consequences that would follow if a speedy Reparation were not made The States after the reading of that Letter found well enough that they were no longer to flatter themselves the Intention of the Court of England being there clearly enough laid open to them and without mincing of the matter the King foretold them a part of those disasters that were ready to happen In the mean while the English Navy was assembling with all diligence in the Downs and about the Isle of Wight And some Dutch Advice-Yachts that were sent out from time to time to view and observe them were seized Which confirmed the States in the Resolution to have Recourse to nothing else but the force of Arms. Rear-Admiral Tromp being at Sea as we have said to Cruise upon the Watch for the Ships that were expected from the East Indies had met them in the month of August at Fairhills near Hitland and had conducted them into their respective Ports without seeing any English by the way And four Merchant Ships belonging to the West-India Company bound for the Coast of Guiney were ready to set sail but it was not thought fit to let them go without a good Convoy because of the advice they had had that Prince Robert
retired up nearer to Elsburg to Repare all their damages The King of Swedeland seeing there was no other means to put a stop to the conquest of the Danes but by venturing a Battle after he had received a Reinforcement of 5000 Finlanders and some of the Country Militia took a Resolution to march in person towards the Enemies with an Army of 18000 men He accordingly marched to Helsingburg which he took without much resistance The Danes were retired into the Fort and the King of Sweden flattered himself with the hopes of forcing them to surrender but they made so vigorous a resistance that he was forced to retire with loss The King of Denmark hearing the King of Swedeland was upon his march went and posted himself between Landskroon and Helsingburg for fear otherwise if he should not cut of his passage he should enter further into the Country The two Armies therefore by that means came and remained in sight of each other each of them having their King at their head and being separated from one another only by a River And a great frost coming on the River that parted them was frozen which gave occasion to a bloody battle that was fought the 14th of December A fight between the two Kings of Sweden and Denmark where the Courage of two great Princes shone forth in all the Acts of Valour and Conduct whilst each of them emulously strove to out-do the other exposing themselves to danger as much as the meanest of their Soldiers The advantages in that fight were so equally poized that both parties pretended to the Victory In fine the Battle was so bloody and obstinate that there were left on both sides above 9000 men dead in the field The King of â—enmark considering the Important Services done him by Admiral Tromp and the Glory he had Acquired in all the expeditions undertaken under his Auspicious Conduct was pleased after he had Knighted him to honour him further with the quality of a Count to express to him the great esteem he had for his Person and thereby to link him the more firmly to his interests The Rigors of Winter which make themselves to be very sensibly felt towards the North yet were not able to hinder the attempts those Kings continued to make to get an advantage one over the other The Swedes who kept the field of Battle in the last action tho' the Victory were contested them by the â—aâ—es were minded to shew their Enemies that it was not without justice they claimed it and for that purpose the King of Swedeland marcht with his â—rmy to Helsingburg to besiege it and in effect forced it to surrender on the 9th of January That unexpected expedition and the fortunate successes that attended it fired the Danes with an Emulous Rage and put them upon taking measures to stop the further progress of their Enemies and their apprehension was so much the greater because the Sea that parts Schonen from Zealand was frozen up by the hard weather that had continued ever since the beginning of February The King of Denmark considering there was nothing could keep up the Reputation of his Arms better than a potent Fleet that might make him Master of the Northern Seas thought fit to renew his instances to the States-General to induce them to send another considerable Reinforcement of men of War again into the Baltick at the opening of the next Campaign and the better to succeed in what he proposed he prayed Tromp to be pleased to go to Holland and to make the demand for him in person to the States as hoping he would more easily obtain it than another Tromp therefore departed from Copenhâ—â—en on the 19th of February but the Tempests he met with by the way were the cause that he arrived not at the Hague till the 20th of March. At that time the Prince of Orange marcht at the head of the Army to the Relief of St. Omers Tromp followed his Highness in that expedetion and news coming that Admiral Michael de Ruiter died on the 29th of April the last year being 1676 of the wound in the Sea-fight he had with the French before Palermo in Sicily and there being no man Judged more capable worthily to supply his place than Tromp it was accordingly conferred upon him about the latter end of March Tromp made Admiral General in place of de Ruiter killed at Palermo and he was created Lieutenant Admiral General of the United Provinces with permission however from the States to continue during that one Campaign more in the King of Denmark's Service In the beginning of May he was received in that quality in all the Colleges of the several Admiralties who all did him great honours The States having deliberated upon what was to be done in marine affairs concluded at length to fit out 15 men of War to be sent to the assistance of the King of Denmark and named the General Officers to Command that Squadron which were William Bastiaansz as Admiral John Van Nes as Vice Admiral and Philip Allemonde as Rear Admiral They set sail on the 29th of June with Lieutenant Admiral General Tromp and made the best of their way for Denmark In the mean while the Swedes seized upon Karelshaven and marcht to Christianstadt The King thereupon without any hesitation resolved to go in person into Schonen His arrival broke the designs of the Swedes who went and posted themselves near Landskroon without daring to hazard a Battle which the King of Denmark presented them At Sea the Danish arms were Triumphant for upon Advice that the Swedish Admiral Erick Zeeklad was sailed out of Gottemburg with a Squadron of 9 men of War 2 Advice-Yachts 3 Fire-Ships and 4 other Vessels in order to pass the Belt and joyn the main Body of the Swedish Fleet that was hourly expected Admiral Niels Juel went out of Copenhagen on the 2d of June to search after them and if possible to hinder their junction the winds that were contrary to the Swedes and hindred them from passing the Belt favoured his attempt so that according to his wish he attackt them at Rostock with a Squadron of 11 men of War After two hours fight the Swedish Admiral who was in a ship carrying 60 Guns and 300 men was forced to strike his Flag and to yield at discretion And the Danish Admirals second took the Ship called the Angel Gabriel carrying 50 Guns and 260 men The Danish Vice Admiral took the ship called Kalmar Kasteel carrying 74 Guns and 400 men Captain Dreyer took the Wrangle Paleis of 44 Guns and 300 men and Captain de Wit took the Meerman of 46 Guns and 300 men One of their Fire Ships was burnt and 2 of their Advice Yachts were taken so that of the whole Swedish Squadron there were but very few ships escaped whereas on the contrary the Danes lost not one Ship and they came off only with the loss of 70 or 80 men killed amongst which
notice it was an Extraordinary Signal and Judging from thence of the importance of the business might return answer thereto each of them likewise with a Gun Extraordinary after which every one of them should be obliged to make to the place whence the first Gun was fired that all the Captains of the Fleet meeting together on board the Admiral might take such Resolutions as should be most convenient for the time and for the good of the State From which Articles and Instructions of Tromp to his Officers tho' the English pretended to draw invincible proofs that the Hollanders were the Aggressors in the late bloody attempt upon their Fleet yet the Dutch on the contrary pretended it was visible from thence that their main Aim was only to secure their Trade and defend the Glory of their Nation in case they were attackt but that they had not the least design to be Aggressors against the English After this Lieutenant Admiral Tromp whilst he was Cruising below Bullen writ a Letter to Admiral Blake dated the 2d of June in which he intreated him to release the two Capt. of his he had made Prisoners and who were already carried to London and to order the Restitution of Captain Tuyneman's Ship But Blake as yet red hot with Resentment for what was so newly past between them and being much surprized that after the Rough Compliments between them in that Rencounter Tromp should presume to Write to him upon such a Subject as that in very great indignation made him the following Answer SIR NOthing ever surpriz'd me more than yours of the 2d of June last in that Blake's answer to Tromp tho you affect with so much vanity to pass for a Man of Honour yet 't is no way visible that you maintain that Character by any of your Actions The Cruel attempt you lately made against the Parliament of England's Fleet whose ruin you had conspired is an evident proof of this That Fleet I say to which you were in duty obliged to pay your Humblest Respects and Submissions since you have not refused to pay them in several other Rencounters That Act of Hostility you have so lately committed is so much the more Criminal because there was no occasion given you from England to engage you to proceed to such an extremity since you were pleased to do it in a time when your Ambassadors were flattering our Commonwealth with new hopes of Peace and Union and pretended to solicit with much earnestness a speedy conclusion of a Treaty of Mutual Alliance and Confederation That is the Brave Exploit upon which at present you found your glory and for which you frame an unjust Apology as pretending you did nothing else but defend your self But God in whom we put our greatest hopes having made your designs serve to your own destruction we have taken some of your Ships which you now are pleased to redemand with as much confidence as if the action lately â—ommitted had been no act of Hostility as it appears in your Writings by your affecting to give it another name In fine I thought not fit to give you any other answer but this That I am perswaded you will find the Parliament of England very ill satisfied with your Conduct because they cannot but regard with horror the Innocent Blood of their Subjects that has been spilt and on the other side that after all you will find your self constrained always to give them the marks of an entire submission In the mean while the States Ambassadors were at London endeavouring to Renew the Negotiation for a Treaty and having for that purpose demanded Audience of the Parliament it was granted them It was their business then to endeavour to appease their exasperated Spirits and thereby to put a timely stop to the dismal consequences of the War that was ready to burst out between these two Formidable Powers which was a Task of no small difficulty However they employed their industry and parts in it to the best advantage they could and accordingly on that Subject made the following Speech to the Parliament Most Honourable Lords WE expected nothing less than the fatal disaster which has lately hapned The Dutch Ambassadors Audience of the Parliament and their Speech to them And if what Publick Fame says of a Sea fight between the two Fleets prove true this disgrace is so much the greater and more afflicting to us because our Men are lookt upon as the Authors of it All those stories that are whisper'd about concerning this matter are already lookt upon by the people as the mournful presages of the ruine of two States that have hitherto been ever linkt together in a strict Alliance and now by this fatal blow see themselves at the eve of a Bloody War We are so sensibly concern'd at all the false Rumours that are spread abroad to the disadvantage of our Nation that we will call God to witness that the States General were so far from contributing to the late unhappy recounter that they had not the least knowledge of it and desire nothing so much as Vnion Peace and an inviolable Friendship with England However 't is not impertinent to the matter in question to let you know that it may be observ'd from the Letter written to us by the Admiral of Holland that the true Cause of that action was very different from what 't is reported to have been And what is more Tromp declares in that Letter in express terms and he repeats it three times that he had not received any other Orders from the States than only to defend the Merchant Ships belonging to the States from the oppression of those who might be capable to disturb the freedom of their Commerce and to Cruise upon the Frontiers of the State without going far from Ostend and Newport from whence 't is as clear as the day That the States General of the Vnited Provinces never had any thoughts to attempt any thing that might be capable to break the strict union that has always been between England and Holland And if any thing has hapned contrary to the sincerity of their intentions they who shall be found to have violated the Rules and passed the Bounds that were prescribed them ought to be Responsible for it According to the Orders given us by their High and Mightinesses to endeavour a Treaty of Alliance we presented some days ago to your Commissioner a Memorial in which we propose means not only for composing the differences about Commerce but likewise for the securing of it and rendering it more flourishing And we desire nothing else at present but to see them brought to a speedy and happy conclusion And indeed who could believe that a Treaty that is at present the firmest support of good and well disposed people and the most solid foundation of the Reformation should be interrupted by the capricious humour of a few ill intentioned persons It is a Natural Law acknowledged by all the World
full Assembly to declare the Subject of my Ambassage and the sincerity of the intentions of the High and Mighty Lords my Mrs. I thought my self indispensably obliged to appear before this August Council as well to present them my Credential Letters as to assure them for my own particular how much I tender the prosperity they enjoy in the management of those great and important affairs intrusted to them by the Commonwealth and which they discharge with so much Wisdom and Prudence And as I have already declared to the Parliament so I Reiterate again here that the States General desire nothing so much as the Continuation of a good and intimate Correspondence and the Renewing of a durable and solid Friendship with England of which they had in several Rencounters given very signal marks It is Certain the States my Mrs. wish nothing more heartily than to see the Treaty of Peace brought to a Conclusion and the Union between the two Republicks thereby Re-establisht and Corroborated and all Subjects of hatred and mis-understanding that might be able to disturb it thereby entirely dispell'd Gentleman it is the Aim of the Enemies of the Reformation by Divisions not only to weaken but totally to ruin the two Republicks but the two Nations having received so many great marks of the blessing of God as well by their partaking in the true Religion of which they are the trusty Guardians as by the prodigies that have appear'd in their foundation and establishment in several parts of the World whither they have so happily advanced Commerce in spite of all the dangers of the Seas the States my Mrs. Judge it absolutely necessary to maintain Religion and strengthen our Republicks which cannot be effected otherwise than by a happy Complication and an agreeable confusion of their Riches and common Interests that will be the true means with the assistance of Heaven to prevent all that may be capable to trouble their happiness and felicity Upon which considerations the States General were so extremely surprized at the news of what past lately between the two Naval Armies and at the mutual jealousie the two Nations have conceived thereupon That they thought it most highly important to depute me extraordinarily towards the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England and towards this Venerable Council to represent to them the true State of things so much the rather because having the honour to assist in two Assemblies namely that of the States General and of the States of Holland and West-Friesland I have a full knowledge of their most secret and most weighty Affairs and that by consequence I am able to assure them that there never was any Project form'd any Resolution taken nor any Commission given directly or indirectly to offend the Republick of England and to give them any just Cause of Jealousie and much less to go and attack their Fleets But rather on the contrary it was ordered That wheresoever our Men should meet with those of that Nation they should treat them as true Friends tho in the fatal rencounter we have newly mentioned things hapned quite otherwise of which I gave yesterday a Relation ample and particular enough to suffice at present because it is not convenient to be so often Renewing the Memory of past things that ought to be buried in eternal oblivion in the mean while finding by the last answer given to our Ambassadors that you pretend satisfaction for what is past and assurances for the future and besides the States my Mrs. Judging it Requisite first to remove all preventions and mistaken prejudices concerning what is past and that the two Republicks should endeavour to find out means to secure them against the like accidents for the time to come that the Treaty of Alliance already in good forwardness be without interruption carried on that besides the surest means imaginable be provided to prevent all suspicion and distrust and that a standing order be establisht according to which the Naval Armies on both sides shall be obliged to Regulate themselves concerning which points I have received the necessary instructions from my Mrs. I intreat you Gentlemen to be pleased to name some of your Illustrious Body to treat with me out of hand concerning the affairs in Question I must add to all I have just now asserted that the States never had any thoughts to dispute with the Republick of England that Grandure and Sovereign power that distinguishes it with so much Glory from all the other Republicks of Europe Heartily wishing besides that by the Union of two such potent States as England Holland the two Republicks may contribute to the mutual preservation of one another be secured against the Conspiracies of their Enemies and assure to themselves a firm and lasting Peace In the mean while I pray you to give order by your Wise Conduct as soon as possible that the mischief caused by that unfortunate Rencounter may not be increased by new Hostilities committed against the Ships of the States but rather that you would straitly forbid the same without staying till the sore be grown incurable and till by that we awake the drooping hopes of our Enemies being perswaded that we shall find out effectual means to reconcile us to the shame and confusion of those that are jealous of our prosperity and common feâ—icity I shall be most sensibly obliged to this August assembly if they will please to give me a speedy answer that so without losing time I may fall to work upon a business of so great advantagâ— and importance recommending my self in the mean time with all possible respect to your Benevolence June 24. Two days aftâ—r the Mr. of the Ceremonies gave notice to 〈…〉 â—â—eemsted that the Parliament had apâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—mmissioners to Treat with him And 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ence being thereupon entred into Mr. â—â—â—â—sâ—ed begun with declaring to the Commissioners That the States had never given any cause of Complaint to the Republick of England but rather all the demonstrations of a true and sincere Amity that their intention could not be doubted of since it was Notorious that it had been always such in time past and should be so for the time to come that if there had hapned any thing that seemed contrary to that intention it ought not to be imputed to the States as an offence proceeding from them nor any occasion taken upon that account to attempt any thing against their Subjects but that generously forgetting on both sides what was past Provision ought to be made for their mutual security by giving the necessary Orders to prevent the like accidents for the future unless the Parliament should think it fitter to name Commissioners on both sides to make a through scrutiny into the Business in dispute and above all to enquire who was the Aggressor That their High and Mightinesses in case Tromp should be found to have begun first would not only disown his Conduct as contrary to their Orders but would cause him
was not in a condition to be made fit for Service again The Marmaduke the Merlin the Pheasant the King David the Greyhound and the Seven Brothers were so miserably battered that they never appeared at Sea since The Admiral the two Vice-Admirals and the Rear-Admiral had likewise no reason to boast of any better Treatment De Ruiter took from them the Ship called the Prosperity The number of men killed and wounded of the English according to the accounts given in Holland amounted to about 2000 Seamen and Soldiers among which were reckoned the Captains Mildmay Barker Bale Hall Kirby Dakirs Broadbridge Jeffew and Button killed and Back Day Taduel Lawson and some others wounded to which they add that the number of the maimed was very considerable But letting alone those relations as less authentick it will be much more pertinent to our purpose to insert here the Letters of the two Admirals by which the truth of things will best appear and which party had the advantage and besides the Curious will be glad to read such Original Narrations as those because in them are many Circumstances reported that are not to be found in the Body of any History of those times Accordingly we shall present you with a true Copy of the Letter sent by Admiral Blake upon this Subject to the Speaker of the Parliament at Westminster The Almighty power of God in which we put all our trust Admiral Blakes Letter upon the Subject of the Sea Battle that lasted three days hath newly given his Servants real marks of his Blessing by the Defeat of the formidable Fleet of Holland we having beaten them in three successive Battles given three several days one after another so that a great number of Prisoners are fallen into our hands the others are dispersed and part of them chased into places out of the reach of the pursuits of the Victors God be praised that he has been pleased to honour his children with his Protection by disarming their Enemies Ever since the 10th of this month he hath given us assured presages of his assistance by sending us favourable winds Our Fleet was right against Portland and much perplext for fear the Enemy upon sight of us should have made away farther from us Two days before we were at Prayers and on the 18th we perceived that God was going to inform us where they were The Text that day was taken out of the 2 Chron. 20.16 in these words To morrow go ye down against them c. And the Chapter was scarcely expounded but even before break of day we discovered the Enemies Fleet upon which we immediately set Sail to make to them and the Enemy did the same by us and scarcely were the two adverse Fleets met but they engaged in a Battle We had at fiâ—st the disadvantage because the Enemies had the weather-gage and that the major part of our best Ships could not come up to us Which was the cause that our Admiral-Ship the Triumph was â—orced all that day to endure the greatest fire of the Enemies whilst the others at the same time were in no less peril But God was our Soveraign Protector for tho our Ship had already lost half her men yet the courage of the rest gave us still great hopes and much allay'd our grieâ— for the loss of the others But more could not be expected from them than it pleased God they should do 〈…〉 and which our Enemies doubtless have sufficiently experienced The first day we took from them three Rear-Admirals and one Vice-Admiral and a little after we sunk them 3 Ships the others are now at Portsmouth The 2d day we burnt or sunk 8 or 10 more of them The 3d day they began to give way and betake themselves to flight Their losses are so much the greater and more sensible in that we took from them above 40 men of War and Merchant Ships We Boarded them in the sight of Tromp he not being able to oppose us Captain Lawson Grappled a great Ship and took her but he was very much battred Marten and Gaver took also two Ships so that we have taken several and our Enemies will be forced to own their loss to be great We have lost several Officers recommendable for their Merit and Valour as likewise 5 or 6 Masters of the first ranks much lamented for their good conduct and great fidelity besides a great many other brave men that were in the Fleet. But we have lost never a Ship except one which we sunk our selves Our Admirals behaved themselves with an unexampled bravery Admiral Blake was wounded in the Thigh but we hope he will not be much incommoded by it He would hardly be perswaded to go down into the Ship to be drest and never quitted his Post during the whole fight In fine we observed that every day as long as the Battle lasted the Arm of the Almighty God favoured our Arms being bound to acknowledge That 't is he that gives the Victory and not the great number of Ships or the strength of Armies This Letter seemed very edifying by the great shew of Piety that appeared throughout it but it must be observed that this was the stile of the English in Cromwel's time that able Politician covering himself usually with the Cloak of Religion to make his Ambitious Projects take effect and the way to make a mans Court with him was to affect a great shew of Devotion The same Character now reigns in France where people are obliged to appear Bigots to make their Fortune the Princes humour of late being turned wholly that way Here follows now the Letter Written to the States upon the same occasion by Tromp High and Mighty Lords THis Battle that has lasted 3 days together begun the last of February at 9 a Clock in the morning Tromp's Letter to the States about the same fight and ended not till the 2d of March when the Night parted the Combatants It was given in that extent of Sea that is between Portland and Swartness or Bullen The English had about 69 or 70 sail of Frigats and Men of War and we 70 Men of War and 150 Merchant Ships I cannot yet give your High and Mightinesses all the particulars because most of the Captains hardly had time the 1st of March to come on board the Admiral They have informed me that de Ruiter's Squadron which fell upon the Enemies Rear took some Ships from them whilst several others on both sides were sunk As for our Van guard of which I had the joynt Conduct with Rear Admiral Florisz we attackt that of the Enemies under the Command of Blake The fight was fierce and obstinate and the Victory very wavering so that neither of the Parties had any cause to brag of any advantage they had This was the success of the first days fight About 4 a Clock in the afternoon observing that the English had detacht a Squadron of their nimblest Sailors to go and
yet too late to obtain a Ratification of the last Treaty of Peace But the States being but too well acquainted with the Perfidiousness and Inconstancy of those Barbarians were so far from hearkning to them that they sollicited the Kings of France Spain and England to joyn their Forces with those of the United Provinces to Destroy them since they exercised their Piracies no less upon the Subjects of those Crowns than upon those of the United Provinces And the States would fain have perswaded those Powers to have set out three several Fleets under the Flagg of each Nation to go and Besiege their Harbours Chace them from the Sea and utterly ruine their abominable and insupportable Domination without having any regard to any former Treaty of Peace or Alliance Which Project seemed very important and well contrived But yet not one of those three Princes could be perswaded to hearken to it The French King indeed highly praised it and gave leave to the Dutch to erect Magazines for that effect both of Provisions and Ammunition at Thoulon or Marseilles The King of Spain gave Order that the Dutch Men of War might have free Ingress and Egress in and out of his Ports And the King of Great Britain resolved to send a Fleet into the Mediterranean but it was more to give new Umbrages than to correspond with the design of the States and many already could see in the shuffling conduct of that Prince certain presages of an approaching Rupture of the Peace between him and the United Provinces For at the same time that he proposed to send a Fleet into the Mediterranean to act in concert with that of the States he had on the other side given private order to Captain Holms to sail to the Court of Africa to ruin there the Commerce of the Dutch West-Indian Company and to seze their ships and Forts The States therefore seeing there was little Reliance to be made upon the assistance of any of all those Foregin Powers in order to free the Sea from the intolerable Robberies of the Algerines Resolved to concern themselves no further than for the preservation of their own Subjects by sending another Fleet into the Mediterranean under the Conduct of de Ruiter because Rear-Admiral Tromp had not sufficient Forces to accomplish so great an Enterprise That Fleet was composed of 12 Ships of War and one Flute laden with Provisions They put to Sea about the beginning of May and on the 19th of June arrived in the Road of Algiers De Ruiter presently sent notice of his arrival to the Divan to remind them to pay him the usual Honours and to Congratulate his arrival But they were so far from acquitting themselves of the Duty he pretended from them that they refused to let the Dutch Consul come on board to speak with the Vice-Admiral and to send Hostages for the security of the Credential Letters which were to be presented to the Divan from the States for all they would do was only to Grant a Passport by vertue of which the Commissioners Mortaigne and Reynâ—ld de Koeverden went into the Town who in the first Audience they had demand the exchange of Prisoners and the release of the Christian Slaves at the rate they were first sold for according to the Conditions of the last Treaty of Peace adding that as for other differences they should be adjusted by the Commissioners to be appointed for that purpose on each side All which was refused by the Divan who pretended before they entered into any Conference about the Release of Prisoners to know upon what grounds they might be assured of a Peace De Ruiter upon that sent them a Memorial that made a great noise amongst those Barbarians because they would by no means consent to any indemnification nor to the Condition insisted upon by the Dutch that no free Ship should be liable to be visited which was the Grievance of the Hollanders So that that point was hotly disputed on both sides in the Divan But after all the Algerines were obstinate and would absolutely reserve themselves a power to visit all Dutch Ships and to declare for Lawful Prize all the effects they found in them to belong to other Nations In fine the Conclusion of the Negotiation was this That those Barbarians declared to de Ruiter that if he would not accept their propositions he would not permit the Dutch Consul to retire on board him till he had before hand sent on shore 37 Turks or Moors that were Prisoners in his Fleet. Which demand of theirs he thought fit to grant to prevent the mischiefs that might otherwise happen to the Dutch Consul and his Retinue of which he had a fresh Example in the Person of the English Consul whom those Pyrates had cruelly handled after they had broken the Peace with England De Ruiter therefore plainly finding that it was to no purpose to use any gentle methods with them Juâ—gâ—d there was no other way to be taken but to reduce the Algerines to reason by force of Arms and accordingly he declared War against them the 4th of June The next day the Fleet unmoored and went and Anchored on the 7th of the same Month at Alicant where de Ruiter Received a Letter with advice of the new Troubles that Threatned the United Provinces from the English and with orders to him to uâ—e great Prudence and such Complaisant measures with the Ships of War that Crown had in the Mediterranean as to give them no new causes of Umbrage or dissatisfaction And accordingly there were no Acts of Hostility Committed between them at that time but when the Captains of both Nations met they Reciprocally saluted one another with some Guns in a very amicable manner whilst the main Body of the English Fleet consisting of 13 sail of Men of War under the Command of Admiral Lawson kept at the Mouth of the Straits Scarcely had England and Holland begun to tast of the fruits of Peace which had cost so much Blood to the two Nations but it was disturbed again by new Hostilities as the Dutch pretend begun by the English out of Jealousie at the flourishing Commerce and great prosperity of the United Provinces which prepared for de Ruiter who was then busie in scouring the Mediterranean of the Corsairs new work in the Ocean whither Rear-Admiral Tromp was already returned In the Months of May and June news came to Holland that the English under the Command of Robert Holms Committed strange depredations towards the Isles of Cape Verd and that in January before they had taken a Ship called the Spectacles and a Yacht called the Neptune which belonged to the Dutch West-India Company The English Ship that took the Neptune the better to deceive those she had a mind to attack put up Dutch Colours The same advices likewise reported that Holms had on the 31st of the same Month summoned the Fort of Cape Verd situated in the Isle of Goe-rede and that upon