to believe that perishing in the Mines of Peru they thereby did raise to themselves Thrones of Glory in Heaven since thereby they furnished Spain wherewithal to adorne and inrich Altars throughout the whole world In these torrid Climates the gallant English went to revenge the death of several Merchants and many brave Sea-men of all Nations which the Spaniards did surprize in those Seas and who they did decoy and attract by specious promises that they would not mischief them Notwithstandstanding the Law of Nations and the Faith which they had plighted they seized their ships and having tyed the men alive to trees placed this Superscription on their Breasts Who sent for you into this Countrey And let them there starve to death whilest the Birds of the Air did feed upon their flesh as they were yet alive And also Flanders the Sea whereof like unto a sharp humour did alwayes nourish the wounds and incurable evils she never was in so fair a way to recover her perfect health by the neighbourly refreshments which England at present doth profer unto her and the fresh Air which France would also have her enjoy Nor was the French letting her blood sufficient to cure her for she needed an English Physician who was accustomed to cure and treat incurable bodies so that in case this unfortunate fair one will in the least conform her self to those Remedies which are profered unto her and the which will be no violenter then she her self pleaseth she may be rendred plump and well liking as the fresh Air and Blossoms of France can make her and as the Sweets and Delicacies of England can procure unto her In like manner it was a high point of Generosity in the English since they caused France to lose Graveling and Dunkirk to help France again to re-take such places in those parts as might repay them with use and elsewhere also such as might stand them in as great stead as Montmedy which was the first considerable reduced place after this happy Alliance and the which crowned the same And truly here we may consider the Generosity of his late Highness in its most perfect dye or luster for without having regard to those Advantages which Spain might render him as to the Commerce the places of Hostage which she profered to put into his hands for secure Retreats as Graveling Dunkirk and others he was swayed by those Resentments which the English Nation ought to have harboured for the several and innumerable injuries and wrongs sustained by that Nation as the Spanish intended Invasion with their great Fleet in 88. Their Tyranny in the Indies and the Cruelties and Barbarismes which they inflict upon all those who will not acquiess unto and follow their Maximes and Opinions His late Highness therefore preferred the Alliance and League with France because it was more Christian-like permitting all men to make use of that Liberty of Conscience and Freedom which Jesus Christ hath acquired unto them by his Blood and gaining them by meekness and courteousness to his Divine example and not by Cruelties and Oppressions His late Highness sided with France the rather because she hath undertaken the Defence of all oppressed people as well Princes as Subjects And to alledge all in one word and so to compleat the height of Generosity it self because France at that time was the weakest as being abandoned by some of her ancient Allies and as it were quite disordered by an intestine War which had most violently shaken her bowels so likewise must France needs confess that without the assistance of England her Navigation was totally ruined the Pyrats of Dunkirk having blocked up all her Sea Ports in so much that Merchandizes were brought in as it were by stealth and France might have been forced to have kept but a lean Lent all their Farms and Farmers being destroyed their Butter Cheese and all kinde of Spices and other Wares of that nature being set at such rates as the Common people were not able to pay for them So that had not the English scoured their Seas and driven away and chased those Pyrats which lay lurking in such neighbouring Ports France had been in a sad condition whereas now by the means of the English all Forreign Nations come freely into the French Ports with their Ships and Goods And for to increase the courtesie of the English yet more to France by saving the French the labour charges and hazzards of going to the Indies they thence bring home unto their doors in Exchange of their Linnen and Wines all the good things and delicacies which not onely the New World but the rest of the World plentifully and abundantly affords I shall enlarge my self no further in these Political Reflections but referre the Reader to the incomparable Work lately Printed intituled History and Policy reviewed FINIS Courteous Reader These Books following with others are printed for Nath. Brook and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angelin Cornhill Excellent Tracts in Divinity Controversies Sermons Devotions THe Catholique History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councils and Ancient Fathers in Answer to Dr. Vane's Lost Sheep returned home by Edward Chesensale Esq Octavo 2. Bishop Morton on the Sacrament in Folio 3. The Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in taking away the sacred Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table by D. Featley D. D. Quarto 4. The Quakers Cause at second hearing being a full answer to their Tenets 5. Re-assertion of Grace Vindiciae Evangelii or the Vindication of the Gospel a Reply to Mr. Anthony Burghess Vindiciae Legis and to Mr. Ruthford by Robert Town 6. Anabaptists anatomized and silenced or a Dispute with Mr. Tombs by Mr. J. Grag where all may receive clear satisfaction in that Controversie The best extant Octave 7. The zealous Magistrate a Sermon by T. Threscot Quarto 8. Britannia Rediviva A Sermon before the Judges August 1648. by J. Shaw Minister of Hull 9. The Princess Royal in a Sermon before the Judges March 24. by J. Shaw 10. Judgement set and Books opened Religion tried whether it be of God or Man in several Sermons by J. Webster Quarto 11. Israels Redemption or the Prophetical History of our Saviours Kingdome on Earth by R. Matton 12. The Cause and Cure of Ignorance Error and Profaneness or a more hopeful way to Grace and Salvation by R. Young Octavo 13. A Bridle for the Times tending to still the murmuring to settle the wavering to stay the wandring and to strengthen the fainting by J. Brinsley of Yarmouth 14. The sum of Practical Divinity or the grounds of Religion in a Chatechistical way by Mr. Christopher Love late Minister of the Gospel a useful piece 15. Heaven and Earth shaken a Treatise shewing how Kings and Princes their Governments are turned and changed by J. Davis Minister in Dover admirably useful and seriously to be considered in these times 16. The Treasure of the Soul wherein we are taught by dying
Concernments the Parliament being desirous together with the Kings person to extirpate his Memory and to remove those Objects which might beget tenderness in the people who do alwaies bemoan the misfortunes of those whom before they hated Commanded that his Statues should be flung down whereupon that which stood on the VVest-end of St. Pauls Church in London was cast down and the other which was placed in the old Exchange placing this following Inscription in the Comportment above the same Exit tyrannus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliae restitutae primo Anno Domini 1648. Januarii 30. In like manner the Aâ—mes of the Crown of England which were placed in the Churches in the Courts of Judiciture and other publick places were taken down And the Common-weath being now as it seemed solidly established some neighbouring States who desired to be in Amity with Her sent their extraordinary Ambassadors over as namely the Hollanders Spain and Portugal and by the following Negociations the issues of the said Embassies will easily appear As to the Spanish Ambassador satisfaction was continually demanded of him for the Murther which was committed on the persons of this Common-wealths Agents at Madrid nor was this State at all satisfied with the Answer thereon returned That the Contestations between the King of Spain and his Clergy on that particular were not as yet reconciled or brought to naissue And as to the Portugal Ambassador great and vast summes being demanded of him for the reimbursement of those Charges which the King his Master had caused the Common-wealth to be at and for the reparation of those damages which the English Merchants had sustained He replyed he had no Orders to make Answer thereunto whereupon he had his Audience of departure and went his way Immediatly after this Common-wealth sent two extraordinary Ambassadors to the States of the united Provinces the Lords Oliver St. Johns and Walter Strickland Personages of a high repute and endowed with exquisite Parts their Train was great ad splendid and their Equipage favoured not a little of the Splendor of their continued Victories They Embarqued in the Downs on the eleventh of March 1651. and the next day toward even they came to an anchor neer Helvoot Slugs but not without some danger on the 13 they made towards Rotterdam in the long-boats and by the way they were met by some of the States Jachts or Barges and being arrived they were by the English Merchants conducted to their publick House where they were most splendidly entertained whither the Spanish Ambassador sent to complement them by one of his Gentlemen to testifie unto them his joy for their happy arrival beseeching them to enter into and joyn with him in a right understanding Two or three dayes after they set forward towards the Hague and by the way were met by the Master of Ceremonies accompanyed with about thirty Coaches and after some reciprocal complements passed and exchanged they were conducted to a stately House which was prepared for them in the Town where having been three dayes treated at the States charges they had audience In which the Lord St. Johns made a most Elegant and learned Speech in English and gave the Copy thereof unto the Lords States both in English and in Dutch the most essential points whereof were as followeth I. That they were sent unto the Lords the High and mighty States of the United Provinces on the behalf of the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England to ciment a firm League and Confederation betwixt the two Common-wealths in case their Lordships thought it fitting notwithstanding the injuries which the English had received from the Holland Nation II. That they desired to renew and confirm the Treaties and Agreements formerly made concerning the Traffique and Commerce betwixt both Nations III. After which they exhibited the advantages which the Hollanders would reap by this said union in regard of the commodious situation of England for the Traffique with the multitude and security of her Havens and of all things which may advance the Commerce and Trade IV. Finally he told them That he wus commanded by the Parliament of England and by the Common-wealth to make known to their Lordships how sencibly they were touched with the Murder which was committed on the person of their Agent Mr. Dorislaus and that they doubted not but their Lordships would use all possible endeavours to discover the Authors of that horrid and unworthy action After which the Lords States being informed that the said Lords Ambassadors followers were daily molested and affronted by the English Royallists and other persons who resided in Holland they caused a Proclamation to be drawn up which they sent unto the Lords Ambassadors to know of them whether it was penned in the due terms according to their good liking whereby on pain of death they prohibited that no man should either by words or deeds offend or molest any of the said Ambassadors followers or retainers Three months time was already elapsed in their Negotiation at a vast expense and with a farre greater patience without that the least satisfaction in the world could be obtained at the hands of Justice for those daily affronts injuries which were put upon the Lords Ambassadors Retinue Servants and the scorns and disgraces offered to their own persons even to such a pitch as that the Common people and Rascality would assemble themselves at the Gates of their house and belch out injurious language and set upon and injure their Servants Now the Parliament being sensible of these wrongs and injuries and seeing the Lords States did not at all answer those kinde proffers and endeavours which were made unto them to beget and fettle a solid and firm alliance and peace betwixt the two Common-wealths save with delayes and shifts purposely to gain time upon the English till they should be able to judge how the face of things would evidence it self in Scotland and which way the Chain would turn there they recalled their Ambassadors Which suddain and unexpected newes extreamly surprised the Hollanders who testified their astonishments thereon to the Lords Ambassadors by more frequent and oftner visitations then formerly and by which they endeavoured to perswade them to beleeve the sincerity of their intentions and how earnestly and ardently they desired the alliance which their Lordships had propounded But all these fair words were not able to stay the Ambassadors who immediately returned into England again to cut out another guesse kinde of work for the Hollanders And that which gave the greater cause of jealousie unto the English and made them believe that the Hollander dealt deceitfully with them was that their Admirall Van Trump lay lurking about the Isle of of Scillie with his Fleet as if he had some design to make himself Master of them But when as the States were demanded the reason of his lying there they replyed that their Admirals being in those parts was only to demand restitution of
Queens Ferry with 1600 Foot and four Troops of Horse having in his said passage lost but six men as soon as they were arrived they fell to intrenching themselves and at the same time the Generall with the body of the Army marched directly towards the Enemy to the end that in case the Scots should make a shew to march towards Fife he might charge their Rear before they should gain Sterling and the Scots being unwilling to let the day passe without driving the English out of Fife sent 4000 Horse and Foot under the command of Sir John Brown to set upon the English which obliged Generall Cromwell to send over a re-inforcement of two Regiments of Horse and two Regiments of Foot under the Command of Major Generall Lambert in lesse then 24 hours they were passed over and joyned to the others and immediately the Regiment of Colonel Okey advanced towards the Enemy which ingaged them to draw up into Battel-array and the English likewise did the same who though they were more in number then the Scots yet they had the advantage of the ground and the Scots being placed on a hill they remained face to face for the space of an hour and a half looking on each other the Scots not being willing to march down nor lose their advantage insomuch that the English at last resolved to march up towards them and set upon them so resolutely as that after a very slender contest they quite routed them and made such a butchery amongst them that they killed 2000 of their 4000 took 1400 Prisoners amongst whom Sir John Brown who commanded the Party Colonel Buchanam and severall other persons of quality on the English side there were but few slain but many hurt and in reference hereunto more Forces were sent over into Fyfe in case the whole Body of both Armies might chance to come to a generall Battell Immediatly after the English became Masters of Inchigarvy a strong Castle scituate upon a Rock in the midst of the Province of Fryth between Queens Ferry and North Ferry in which there were sixteen piece of Ordnance mounted On the twenty seventh of July all the English Army appearing before Brunt Island the Governour there of took such an Alarme thereat as that after a small Contest in a Parley he surrendred the same delivering unto the English together with the said Island all the Men of War which were found in the Haven all the Cannon of the place as also all the Armes Ammunition of War and the provision of Victuals which said Isle was very considerable for the English to make a Magazine and Storehouse for the Provisions and Ammunition for the Army Thence the Army marched to St. John's Town a very strong and considerable place into which the Enemy had but just before put a fresh Regiment who were resolved to have defended themselves very well but as soon as they saw that their Sluces were cut off by the English they lost their Courage and surrendred the place Meanwhile there happened a great change of Affairs for the Scots Army consisting in 16000 men abandoned their own Territories in hopes of establishing themselves in a better Country and by the way of Carlisle enter England General Cromwell being advertised hereof issued out immediatly such Orders as were requisite to pursue the Scots and with all possible speed the Army repassed the River of Fife upon a Bridge of Boats at Leith Major General Lambert the sooner to overtake the Enemies Rear with 3000 Horse and Dragoons followed after them and Major General Harrison with a Body of lighter Horse was commanded to get into the Van of the Enemy for to amuse and detain them whilst the General himself with the Body of the Army consisting in sixteen Regiments of Horse and Foot immediatly pursued the Enemy But not wholly to abandon the Affaires of Scotland Colonel Monk was left there with 7000 men with which alone he perfected the Conquest of that Kingdome taking immediatly after this Change of the Scene the strong Town and Castle of Sterling being a very considerable Place and also Aberdeen Dundee and the strong Castle of Dunnotters and Dunbarton with many others Insomuch as that after the passage into Fyfe was once gained the remaining parts of Scotland were so on entirely subdued and were made tributary unto the Common-wealth of England Mean while the divided Parties of the English Forces which pursued the Scots Army did quite and clean tire them out during their March setting upon them sometimes in the Van sometimes in the Rear sometimes in the Flank and finally on all sides as they saw their oportunity to disturb and annoy them Insomuch that their long and precipitated March did much weaken the Scots But that which troubled and vexed them most of all was the little hopes they saw of those promises of relief which were given them from England The Parliament having settled such good Orders in all parts as that no body durst stir or rise in Armes to their Aide In all places wheresoever the Scots came they proclaimed their King To be King of great Britain France and Ireland according to the accustomed Formes and in his Name they sent unto all those who had any Commands or were in any Authority in those parts through which they passed to rise in Armes joyntly with them but no body budged To the contrary by Order of Parliament the Trained Bands of severall Countries drew forth in Armes to hinder the Risings and to augment the Common-wealths Armies On the one side General Cromwells Army marched on the Heels of the Scots to their Terrour on the other side the Major General Lambert and Harrison waited upon their Designs and Colonel Robert Lilborn was left in Lancashire to hinder the Earl of Darby from levying men in those parts and to the same purpose severall other Bodies were placed in other places as the occasion required both to cut off the Enemies Provisions as well as his passage In case they should resolve to retreat back again or to fly away Finally the Scotch Army having reached the Town of Worcester pitched its Camp there having much debated where and in what manner they should fix upon a resting and breathing place after so long and tedious a march Whereof the Earl of Darby was no sooner assertained but he issued forth of his Island with 300 Gentlemen and Landed in Lancashire where he assembled at least 1200 men during which the Generals Regiment which was left at Manchester was Commanded to joyn with Colonel Lilborne to cut off the Earl of Darbies passage to Manchester whither he was marching to have faln upon the said Regiment but Colonel Lilborne observing his motion marched the very same way joyning Flank and Flank with the Earls Forces who deeming that he ought not to defer the Fight with Lilborne till he should have joyned with the Generals Regiment when as then he might have proved too
after in the Mediterranian Seas as well as in the Ocean and in the English Channel Some Frights were sent towards the Levant to guard the English Merchant Men from the French Shipping of Marselleis and Toulon a Squadron of which Frigats consisting onely in foure Saile of Ships viz. The Paragon the Phenix the Constant Warwick and the Elizabeth convoying three Merchant Men two of which had taken in their Lading at Scandaroon and the other at Smyrna were encountred by eleven Holland Men of War who made up towards them and set upon them All that the English could at first do was to returne their broad Sides on their Poopes to let them see that they were not affraid of their exceeding them in number but ere the fight was well begun the Night separated them and the next Morning the Hollanders began the fight againe and were received as briskly as if they had been equally matched The Masts and Yards of two of their Ships were quickly shot downe and another was set on fire but quickly recovered The Phenix a gallant Frigat of five and forty Guns was boarded by a huge States Ship and after a marvellous defence lost almost all her Men and being over powerd was forced to yield but not without a great loss on the Hollanders side Nor did the English quit the fight till all their Men and Ammunition were killed and spent The Paragon lost seven and twenty Men and had sixty wounded the Elizabeth had but two Barrels of Powder left However they disengaged themselves from so great a number of their Enemies and put their Merchant-men safe in Porto-longone So that the Hollander had not much to brag of in the fight which hapned neer Corsica Much about this time an Ambassador from the Queen of Sweden but before he had made the least overture of Business he dyed Another Ambassador arrived from the King of Denmark but finding that it was impossible to reconcile the differences betwixt the two Common-wealths he withdrew againe and went his wayes by reason of the common Interest of the Danes and the united Provinces And the Parliament having notice that the Hollanders who blocked up the passage of the Sound had constrained two and twenty English Merchants coming from the Eastern Parts towards England to put themselves under the King of Denmarks protection ordered eighteen Saile of Ships to go to fetch them home the rather because they were Laden with such Merchandizes as were at that time very usefull for the State and without which the Warre against the Hollanders could not be prosecuted nor continued On the nineteenth of September the Fleet set saile from Yarmouth and the next Morning they came to Anchor within two Leagues of the Castle of Essenhoeur in Denmark whence the Commander in chief sent away the Greyhound Frigat with a Letter directed to the Governour of the Castle and another to the Admiral of Denmark by which he desired them to informe the King of Denmark of their arrivall and of the Subject thereof whereunto he added a third Letter directed to the Masters of the English Ships ordering them to make their Addresses to the King of Denmark and to procure libertie from him that their Ships might with all speed be suffered to come out of the 〈…〉 of Copenhagen where they as then lay But the Frigat was not suffered to approach neerer then within a League of the Castle whence she returned againe The next Morning the Commander in Chief himselfe went thither in his long Boat and declared the Subject of his Arrivall and delivered his Letters but no Answer was returned unto him which obliged him the second time to send to the King and to the English Merchants but without successe for the King was not to be heard of nor seen nor to be spoken with at length two Lords sent from the King of Denmark came to Elsenore Castle whither also the Captaines of the English Fleet went who vigorously pressed the Restitution of their Merchant-men But in answer to this their Demand they were interrogated Wherefore their Ambassadour had not been admitted to Hearing at his being in England wherefore they came so boldly into his Majesties Seas and so neer to his place of Residence and of his Castles with so strong a Fleet before they had given notice thereof three weeks before But the English not standing to Canvasle these Demands save onely to procure satisfaction on their Pretenses pressed to have a positive Answer returned thereunto Whereupon on the seven and twentieth of the said Moneth they received a Letter from the King of Denmark telling them That he would preserve the said Ships for the Merchants as carefully as he had hitherto done but that he would not deliver them into their hands Whereupon the English Merchants and the Masters and Sea-men seeing there was no hopes to get their Ships released abandoned them and came aboard of the Fleet and straightway quitting the Sound made over againe towards England but in the Night of the following Day which was the last of the Moneth the VVeather proved so dark that the Admiral Ship Commanded by Captaine Ball steering too much towards the shore run on ground upon the Coast of that Sand where she was lost onely all the Ships Company was saved and it was ten to one that the whole Fleet had not followed her she bearing the Lanthorne she was an excellent Frigat called the Antelop carrying fifty brass Gunnes But this Losse was presently after repaired by taking of about twenty Holland Barques and one Convoy Man of Warre as also one other Ship carrying twenty Gunnes and thus without any other Losse or adventure they returned into England and on the fifteenth of October they came to an Anchor in Burlington Bay within a little while after Master Braâ—…haw was deputed in the quality of an Envoy or Deputy towards the King of Denmark to try whether the Restitution of those Merchants Vessels might not be procured in an amicable way but this Attempt proved as bootlesse as the former For the said Ships were not onely detained but their Lading was carried on Shoare and Sold Which Acts of Hostility committed against the Law of Nations and of Hospitality to innocent Persons and against a State which had desired their Amity by all wayes and means possible will sooner orlater meet with their Reward and Punishment either by the hands of those who were endamaged or by some others which by the sequell you will find proved so But to return againe to the Hollander who were almost enraged at their continuall Losses of their Ships with which all the Havens in England were filled and being resolved to be revenged for so many Sea Fights as they had lost busied themselves in setting forth a great Fleet and notwithstanding the rigour of the Season in the very midst of Winter they came to Sea with a Fleet of ninety Saile and ten Fire-ships and on the twentieth of