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
not the Career of his Conquests there but passing his Army which was almost all Horse over the Ice he entered the Isle of Funen where he put to the Sword all that opposed his Triumphant Arms In that passage the Ice hapning to break in a certain place 2 Ensigns and the King of Swedens Coach were swallowed up Odonsee the Capital Town of the Island yielded without resistance and the Town of Nyburg was also taken King Charles Gustavus being eager to carry the Terror of Arms his yet further Consulted with his Generals to resolve whether it were practicable for him to pass his Army over the Ice to enter into the Isle of Zealand But they being now to pass the Grand Belt which is an Arm of the Sea about 4 hours march over that Enterprize seemed to them extreamly Rash and Dangerous because if the Ice should happen to break the whole Army would be in hazard of being swaâ—lowed or if any part of it should be so happy as to escape they would be shut up in that Isle till the spring time But Gustavus who was a Couragious and Daring Prince was willing to prove Fortune that had so far accompanied his Arms and resolved to attempt that undertaking which he lookt upon as what would Compleat all his Labours In the mean while Sr. Thomas Meadow Ambassador from the Protector Cromwel at the Court of Denmark desirous to put a stop to the Conquests of that Prince dispatcht a Courier to Funen with Letters in which he made him some overtures for Peace King Gustavus observing that the Courier had past upon the Ice over the Grand Belt on horse back concluded it would be strong enough to bear his Army and therefore finâ—ing that the cold Augmented instead of abating he advanced the very next morning without Remaining any longer in suspence towards the Isle Langeland and from thence into the Country of Laland where the Town of Naskou was reduced to his obedience From thence he carried his Arms into the Isle of Falster where he took the Fort Royal Nikoping after which having crossed the Belt he entered into the Isle of Zealand that is to say into the heart of the King of Denmarks Dominions and immediately got possession of the Town of Wisburg and was just ready to march at the head of his Army before Copenhagen when the Ambassador from the Court of England arrived to present him a Mediation for a Peace At his first interviews with him King Charles Gustavus finding himself in the midst of so many Prosperities refused it but at last growing more tractable he consented to a Project of Peace that was drawn up and Concluded at Toustrup the 28th of February and on the 8th of March following after it had been more amply examined it was ratified at Rotschild That Treaty was altogether disadvantagious to the King of Denmark and to the United Provinces because it was therein agreed between the two Princes of the North to shut up the Sound and suffer no Forreign Man of War to pass into the Baltick Sea Besides the King of Denmark by reason of the Conquests Gustavus had newly made to yield up to him the Propriety of a good part of his Dominions namely Hoâ—land Schoonen Blecking Bornholm Bahus and Drontheim And though these Conditions were very hard to Denmark yet the Swede was not content with them but threatned to enter a second time into the Isle of Zealand to besiege Copenhagen and to reduce the whole Kingdom under his obedience if the King of Denmark did not fully satisfy all points of the Treaty of Rotschild The Article of which that obliged them to shut up the passage of the Sound against all Foreign Ships of War caused new Umbrages because the Danes would by no means consent to it Whereupon at last the K. of Sweden being desirous fully to gratifie his Ambition and push forward his great designs to their utmost extent made a descent in the Month of August with a powerfull Army into the Isle of Zealand and whilst his Troops were landing there he made his Fleet advance before Copenhagen to form the siege of it which was so effectually done that it may be said that if the Hollanders had not timely succor'd it in all appearance the Triumphant Gustavus would have reduced that Capital City to his obedience and put a Period to the Kingdom of Denmark tho' formerly its Mistress so great a Vicissitude there is in the Fortunes of States and Kingdoms The Affairs of the North being in that ticklish Condition the States of the Vnited Provinces made serious Reflexions upon what might happen in the Time to come and thought upon freeing the Baltick Sea from the Oppression of Swedeland by sending speedy aâ—d powerful Succours to the King of Denmark who was on the Point otherwise in all Appearance to lose all his Dominions For the Security of their Commerce in the North that supplied them with a great part of their Riches and with Naval Stores and other Necessaries for Building and Maintaining their Shipping and Supporting their Sea-power by which they were enabled to carry on their Traffick all over the rest of the World and to secure indeed their all both by Sea and Land wholly depending upon their brisk and timely Interposition in that critical Juncture suffered them no longer to hesitate in their Resolutions And therefore the States determined in so pressing an occasion to assemble all the Ships of War that were in a Condition to put to Sea in order to form a considerable Fleet the chief Command of which was conferred upon Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam the other General Officers were the Vice-Admirals de Wit and Florisz They embarked also on Board that Fleet Thirty eight Companies of Regular Infantry in all about Two thousand Men with design to throw some of them into Copenhagen and the rest into the Castle of Kronenburg upon the Sound The Fleet then being equipped with an incredible Diligence Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam set sail the 17th of October it was composed of 38 Ships of War and six Flutes laden with Ammunition and Provisions of four Fire-ships and six Galleots About the end of the same Month the Fleet arrived to the North-east of Jutland But in the mean while the Castle of Kronenburg had surrendred to the Swedes on the 26th of September after a Siege of three Weeks and Copenhagen it self was briskly pressed The King of Denmark being then in Person in that his Capital City animated by his Presence the Soldiers and Burgers to make a vigorous Resistance flattering them with the Hopes of seeing themselves in a short time delivered by the Hollanders But the Swedes as we have said having made themselves Masters of the Castle of Kronenburg had shut up the Sound with their Fleet so that the Dutch Fleet was forced of necessity to open its way through the midst of that of the Enemy's which was near of an equal Force with theirs and to endure all the Fire of
were expected back from Norway in order to convoy them safe home and at the same time to have an Eye upon the English Merchant-Ships coming out of the Sound or from Hamborough towards the Thames or that should come out of the Thames to go towards the North commanding him to give them Chace and to do all he could to burn them sink them c. The same Day viz. the 1st of November afternoon the Fleet set sail and tackt about and stood to the Eastward Lieutenant Admiral Cornelius Evertsz led the Right Wing Lieutenant Admiral de Vries the left and the Squadrons of de Ruiter and Tromp composed the Main Battle The next Day de Ruiter put up a White Flag upon his Mizzen Mast and fired 3 Guns for a Signal to the Squadrons to separate The Lieutenant Admirals Tromp Evertsz and de Vries answered the Admiral according to the Order settled for that effect each of them with 7 Guns Each Vice-Admiral with 5 and each Rear-Admiral with 3. And then Admiral de Ruiter replied to all those Admirals again at once with 9 Guns and so the several Squadrons of the Fleet quitted one another about Mid-way towards home Tromp made towards Goree and the Meuse the Zealand Squadron towards Wâ—elingen and de Ruiter sailed towards the Texel and the Vlie whither also went Lieutenant Admiral Hiddes de Vries with the Friesland Ships The Lords Deputies of the States having quitted de Ruiter landed on the 4th of November in a Galliot at the Helder and thence went to the Hague where they made their Report to the States General of what had passed in that Expedition for which they received the Thanks of their High and Mightinesses as appears by the following Writing Mr. Huigens Mr. Pensionary de Wit and Mr. John Boreel Deputies Plenipotentiaries of their High and Mightinesses in the States Fleet have made a Summary Report of the things that passed in the last Expedition upon which the States having deliberated and taken into Consideration the Care and Pains the said Plenipotentiaries have therein taken as well as the Vigilance and good Conduct they have shewn by the tender Affection they have exprest for their Country by acting Night an Day as far as God and the State of Affairs would permit them with an indefatigable Zeal for the Good of the State their High and Mightinesses have consequently thankt them for it and hereby declare themselves perfectly well satisfied with their Adminâ—stratâ—on The Dutch Fleet then did nothing that Expedition but cause some Alarms upon the Coast of England and all the Honour they gained by it was only that of having offered Battle to the English Fleet whilst they kept themselves within their Harbours as being debarred by a raging and pestilent Distemper from accepting it and having interrupted the Commerce of the English Merchants by keeping the Mouth of the Thames blockt up for about 16 Days together In the mean while the Negotiation for a Peace was broke off for the French King who had offered his Mediation finding that the English had more Inclination to continue the War than to treat with the Dutch and having some By-ends of his own upon the Hollanders taking a Pretence of Dissatisfaction against the English because their Ships daily appeared near S. Malo's and the Coasts of Normandy firing upon his Subjects and committing several Attempts against them contrary to the Treaties of Alliance and Confederacy he had with the King of England recalled the Duke of Vernueil the Count de Conings and Mr. Courtin his Ambassadors from that Court after having commanded them publickly to declare to the King of England which they accordingly did on the 15th of October at Oxford That the King of France their Master seeing all the Propositions that had been made to procure an Accommodation between the 2 contending Nations of England and Holland were rejected by the English his Majesty was resolved to assist the Hollanders according to the Treaty of Alliance he was engaged in with them To which the King of England answered coldly enough That the French King knew his own Interest and so did the King of England know his too So that the French Ambassadours having demanded their Audience of Leave on the 10th of December embarkt on the 23d of the same Month at Dover and arrived the next Day at S. Valery Hollis likewise the English Ambassadour in France was also recalled and having had his Audience of Leave he made shew as if he would depart but yet took the Liberty to stay 6 Months after in the Kingdom out of Paris under Pretence of his Lady's being sick The French King having notified to the States the recalling of his Ambassadours out of England they sent Order to the Sieur de Goch their Ambassadour at the Court of England to retire likewise immediately For tho' Sir George Downing Ambassadour to them from the King of England were gone from Holland ever since the Month of August yet the States of the Vnited Provinces in hopes to be able to pacifie in an amicable manner the Troubles that had newly kindled a War between the 2 Nations had thitherto deferred the Departure of the Sieur de Goch but at last he took his Audience of Leave at Oxford and delivered at the same time to the King the following Declaration of the States by which they represented to his Majesty the ardent Passion they had for Peace and the means that had been proposed to procure it The Sieur de Goch then departed on the 26th of December towards Dover where he embark'd upon one of the King's Ships and on the 29th of the same Month he arrived at Flushing from whence he speeded away to the Hague to make his Report to their High and Mightinesses of all that had past in his Negotiation The Letter or Declaration from the States left by him with the King of England was in these Terms SIR The States Remonstrance to the King of England concerning the rupture of the Peace THat we might give evident Proofs of our Desire and Inclination for Peace we were willing after the Rupture to defer even till this Day to recal our Ambassadour from the Court of England And tho' we had already by just and reasonable Offers satisfied all the Complaints put up to us by Sir George Downing in a Time when we could hardly believe that Matters would ever have come to an Extremity yet we have done still more by leaving our Ambassadour in England after the taking from us not only several Places but some whole Provinces belonging to the States in both Worlds and the stopping the Ships of their Subjects in the Face of all Christendom and that without any previous Declaration of War By an effect also of an over-great Confidence neither did we recal our Ambassadour presently after your Majesty had recalled yours in hopes you would at last be pleased to make some Reflection upon the Mischiefs a War would bring upon the two
Nations Your Majesty alone is Witness of the advantageous Propositions that have been made you in order to attain a Good and Solid Peace We have offered to conclude it as your Majesty should desire either that each Party should restore what they had taken from each other or else that if England should think that best for its Interests each side should keep and remain in possession of their Conquests and that with this Advantage for England that those Propositions might have been accepted by your People at a Time when the United Provinces as yet were ignorant what had been taken from them in remote Countries To which may be added that it cannot be said That we flattered our selves with the Hopes of receiving any other Fruit from thence than a bare indemnification for the Losses the States have suffered incomparably greater than those of England Notwithstanding all this your Majesty has not only refused to accept all these advantageous Conditions which may convince you of the sincere Desire the States have for a Peace But further were not pleased to be satisfied with those other Proposals so disadvantageous to the States offered you by the Mediation of France which they never consented to Besides your Majesty would never make or order any one to make the least Overture on your Side of any Conditions upon which you pretended to enter into Negotiation with the States And tho' you have been pleased to testifie to our Ambassadour That you desired nothing so heartily as Peace yet you would never determine to make choice of any means by which it might be attained or explain your Mind clearly thereupon either to him or to the other Mediators We are persuaded there is no Christian Prince in Europe who would not chuse rather at all times to prefer the Sweetness of a good Peace before the Mischiefs of a Cruel War how just soever it may be and we make thereupon the same Judgment of your Majesty's Sentiments since you exercise the same Religion with us But reflecting upon your Majesty's manner of dealing with our Ambassador in contempt even of those advantageous Propositions made you by the French Ambassadours tho' they were altogether contrary to the true Interests of our State in that you would never vouchsafe to make any advances that might serve for a Ground for us to treat upon together we thought then that our Ambassadour could no longer stay in the Court of England without Injury to the Reputation of the State and therefore have thought fit to recal him and that so much the rather because by recalling yours has been pleased to let us know you would not take it ill at our Hands This shall not hinder but that we shall ever retain a sincere desire to come to a good Accommodation as soon as we shall have Opportunity to do it in conjunction with our Allies In the mean while we shall wait the time till it shall please God to inspire your Majesty with such Sentiments as may dispose you to declare what your will is and what are the Conditions that may reconcile us that we may stop and prevent the Effusion of so much Christian Blood which is now spilt and still ready to be spilt in this unhappy Quarrel We can say That we shall not be responsible for it since both before and since the Rupture we have done all we could imagine to be just and reasonable and that could be expected from us and that we are still actually in the same Mind and yet without ever having been able hitherto to find out what your Majesty's Intention is upon that Subject We will therefore wait till you have more Inclination for Peace but yet it were to be wisht you would be brought to those good Thoughts of your own accord without staying till the Mischiefs and Disasters that are now ready to afflict Christendom inspire them into you We pray God to avert them and to take Sir your Majesty's Sacred Person into his holy Protection The Threats made by the French Ambassadours at Oxford to the King of England were soon followed by a Declaration of War from that Crown For Mr. Van Beuningen Ambassadour from the States at the Court of France had a long time before powerfully sollicited them to declare by vertue of the Treaty of Alliance concluded in the Month of April 1662. with the Vnited Provinces urging them out of Hand to unite their Forces with those of the States against the King of Great Britain the Violater of the Peace Upon which the Most Christian King being easily Persuaded that the best way for him to bend the King of England to a pliable Temper to him and to make his Ends upon both Nations was to declare War against the English in that Juncture published the following Declaration The French King's Declaration of War against England HIS Majesty being informed there was some mis-understanding between England and the United Provinces gave order to his Ambassadors in ordinary to employ all imaginable care in his name to endeavour to stifle all those troubles in their birth and having with displeasure heard that things were carried to that extremity as to come to a Rupture his Majesty sent Extraordinary Ambassadors to the King of Great Britain to endeavour by new Instances to pacifie those two powers and induce them to come to some Accommodations but his mediation had not all the success that was to be wisht for In the mean while the States General of the United Provinces strongly soliciting his Majesty to execute the Treaty of a defensive Alliance concluded the 7th of April 1662 between the States and his said Majesty the King finding himself thereupon obliged to perform his Royal Word and the Engagements into which he entred by an Authentick League in a time when England and Holland were as yet in good understanding together and out of all appearance of a Rupture his Majesty has declared and does declare by these presents signed with his own hand that he is resolved to assist the said States General of the United Provinces in pursuance of the said Treaty of a defensive League and to joyn all his Forces to theirs in Order to Act joyntly with them against the English as well by Sea as by Land And for that effect his Majesty Commands expresly all his Subjects and Ships to attack and fight the English forbidding them on pain of death to have any Communication Commerce or Intelligence with them And for those ends His Majesty has revoked and does revoke all permissions Pass-ports Safe-guards or safe-Conducts which may have been granted by him or by his Lieutenants General and other Officers contrary to these presents declaring them null and of no effect forbidding all to whom they shall come to have any regard to them And his Majesty commands the Duke of Beaufort Peer of France Great Master Chief and Super-intendent General of Marine Affairs and of the Commerce of France and likewise to the Marshals of France
to no purpose because we are resolved to remain inseparably linkt to our Allies and to hearken to no proposition that may tend to break our Union directly or indirectly and that with so much the more confidence because we are fully perswaded our Allies will remain always unshaken in the same mind We therefore make ardent prayers to God to be pleased to incline your Majesty to a thing that is a Preliminary without which 't is impossible to come to a Peace and we hope when affairs shall once be placed upon a good foot we shall have new reasons to redouble our Zeal and to put up prayers for the prosperity of your Majesty's reign However all hopes of being able to effect a Peace that year vanisht to nothing and the United Provinces began to labour vigorously in refiting and remanning out their Fleet. And for that end they resolved to keep their Seamen in pay all winter that they might have their full Complements of men ready early in the Spring For they thought it good Policy to make that last effort to oblige England to accept a Peace which they called just by endeavouring to obtain by the force of Arms or by subtilty of intrigue what they could not effect by fair means The Ministers of the Crown of Sweden coming to the Court of England about the latter end of the Year 1666. used all the Diligence imaginable in quality of Mediatours to compose the Differences among the Princes that were in War The first Step they made in that Affair was to prevail with the King of England to consent to the naming of a Neuter Place where the Plenipotentiaries of each Party might securely meet in order to treat of a Peace After much Pains taken in it they obliged the States to write the following Letter about that Subject to the King of England The Respect due to that Prince obliged the States to make that first Advance whilst the Ministers of Swedeland on the other side endeavoured their utmost to perswade his Majesty to grant their Demand The States Letter to the King of England concerning the Nomination of a Neuter Place SIR WE exprest to your Majesty in ours of the 26th of November the Reasons that hindred us from sending our Ministers to London to treat there of a Peace joyntly with the other Plenipotentiaries And we doubt not but your Majesty upon a serious Reflection thereon will be of the same Mind with us But that your Majesty may not think we neglect any thing on our side that may contribute to any thing that may be capable to advance so important a Work and to give you the clearest Evidences imaginable of the Sincerity of our Intentions upon this Subject we were willing to assure your Majesty by these Presents That the Instances we have made hitherto to perswade you to name a Neuter Place does not at all concern our particular Interests Nay and we protest That if that Affair concerned us in particular we would take Pride in passing by all Formalities by heartily consenting that our Differences might be terminated any where wheresoever it should please your Majesty not excepting England it self But because by virtue of the Alliance in which we are engaged with the Crowns of France and Denmark it is impossible for us to act otherwise we hope your Majesty will think good that the Negotiation of the Treaty may be begun and perfected elsewhere than in the Dominions of your Majesty We have therefore thought fit for the facilitating so Holy a Work to pray your Majesty by this Letter to consider this Affair as it is really at the Bottom and at length to be pleased to let the Treaty be carried on in a Neuter-place where the Plenipotentiaries of each Party may meet And since we have sufficiently explained our selves thereupon if your Majesty will but be perswaded of the sincerity of our Sentiments there is all Appearance we shall soon see the End of a Work that is the Subject of the greatest Hopes of our People and of the Glory of the Princes interested therein To which we pray God be pleased to incline your Majesty In confidence of which we shall make Wishes for the Prosperity of your Majesty's Reign and the Preservation of your Majesty's Sacred Person This Letter being put into the Hands of Mr. Appelboom Resident from the King of Swedeland at the Hague that Minister sent it away presently to London to the Ambassadours of that Crown there who delivered it to the King of England who made the following Answer to the States The King of England's Answer to the States last Letter High and Mighty Lords HAving received yours of the 13th of this Month by the Hands of the Ambassadour Extraordinary of the King of Sweden by which you repeat your pressing Instances to induce us to name a Place where the Plenipotentiaries of the Princes engaged in the present War may meet and since you protest besides that if it were not upon their Consideration you would make no Scruple to consent that the Congress might be in England and on the other Side the said Ambassadours Mediatours having confirmed to us the sincerity of the violent Inclination that moves you to seek for a Peace by praying us most earnestly to be pleased to consent to your Demand as to the only means by which to be able to effect the Conclusion of so Christian a Work therefore to give you real Marks of the Passion we have to enter into new Engagements of Peace and Vnion with you for the Good and Repose of all Christendom and principally of the Reformation we not only consent that the Treaty shall be mannaged in a Place whither the Ministers of your Allies may come with all Security but further to lay the Foundations of a new and solid Confidence and in order to prevent the Delaies and Obstacles which will undoubtedly arise by naming any other Place we have resolved to send our Ambassadours to the Hague where the Plenipotentiaries of your Allies either actually are or may be in a little time to treat there all together about the so much desired Peace And if you be speedy in sending us a Passport for the Security of our Ambassadours they shall go to the Hague before the end of February assuring you That it shall be none of our Fault if Christendom do not soon enjoy a Peace as well as our own Subjects To which we pray God to incline you and to take you High and mighty Lords into his Holy Protection The Hague being thus chosen by the King of England for the Negotiation of a Peace the States for particular Reasons approved not that Choice but writ again about that Subject to pray him to be pleased to name another Place representing to him That since his Majesty upon the Instances made to him to persuade him to consent to a Neuter Place had had the Goodness to do them the Honour to will that the Peace should be treated on
English quitted us The next day we advanced so fast that by the good Conduct of Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes we were out of danger of running a ground However the English left not off following us in Hopes to burn the first of our Ships that should have run aground But we gave them chace again about the dusk of the Evening On the 5th of August in the morning we descried 21 Sail making towards us with a fresh East-North-East Gale which we easily discovered to be the English come out of Harwich They had 5 Frigats 14 Fire-Ships and 2 Galliots Whereupon Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes held a Council and it was resolved we should cast Anchor and manfully to stand the Enemies shock in spite of the danger we exposed our selves to of losing some Ships As soon as they got near enough to us the first motion they made was to come and fall upon Captain Naalhout to endeavour to burn him but he hastily weighing up his Anchor vigorously Repulsed two Fire-Ships that were coming to grapple him and escaped as 't were by Miralce The Rear-Admiral of Zealand was very near being burnt but he escaped the danger by Repulsing the Fire-Ship with his Guns The Number of Fire-Ships that were destroyed as well on the English as the Dutch side was very near equal After that Rencounter Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes returned to his post to keep the River blockt up as he had done before A Peace was at last Concluded the last day of July And Admiral de Ruiter having received advice that the Ratifications were exchanged on both sides the 25th of the same month and thereupon the Peace was accordingly Proclaimed ordered all Acts of Hostility to cease Such was the end of the Second War the United Provinces had with England which was terminated indeed by a Peace but such a one alas that was but of small duration since scarce had those two Powers laid down their Arms but they were forced to take them up again as will appear in the sequel of our History THE LIFE OF Cornelius Tromp Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and of West-Friesland The Fourth BOOK HOlland and its Allies began now to tast the Fruits of Peace and in Order to make it the more firm and durable England Swedeland The Tripple League and the United Provinces entred into a strict Alliance together at the beginning of the Year 1668. The States foreseeing that France would not fail to conceive an Umbrage at it and that Ambitious Crown being Jealous at all the precautions taken by those Powers for their own security might afterwards perhaps endeavour to seek its Revenge upon some of them thought it necessary to secure themselves from that danger by Uniting themselves more strictly with England which they did by a Defensive Alliance with Sir William Temple Ambassador from his Britannick Majesty at the Hague The first good effect that Tripple-Alliance produced was to put a stop to the rapid Course of the usurpations of France in the Low-Countries by setting bounds to its Ambition For the French King knew so well how to make his advantage of the late War between England and Holland which he had fomented for his own ends that he took that opportunity to surprize the weak Spaniards then under an infant King and to wrest several important places from them in the Low-Countries contrary to the Faith of the Treaties on foot between the two Crowns But the Triple-Alliance forced him to lay down his Arms so that on the 2d of May a Peace was Concluded between France and Spain at Aix la Chappelle After that the French King being much disgusted at the Conduct of the States never left off to seek out occasion to shew his fierce Resentment The first step he thought fit to make towards it was to endeavour to break the Famous and by him so much dreaded Tripple-Alliance by dividing the Princes that were engag'd in it The disgracefull Ravages and Spoils the Hollanders had so unfairly committed on the English Coasts but chiefly at Chattam at a time of a Treaty of Peace as likewise some new difficulties about Navigation and Commerce furnisht him with a hopefull pretence enough to work withal upon the King of England there wanted only a dextrous Person to be chosen that might be fit to perswade his Britannick Majesty And as the French have always been successfull in employing the Ministery of Females in their most important Negotiations because they are more insinuating and flatter generally with a more powerfull and irresistible influence than men so accordingly the Dutchess of Orleans Sister to that Prince was pitcht upon to pass to the Court of England to manage that nice affair She set out then in the month of June 1670 1670. accompanied with a great many French Lords under pretence of making a visit to the King her Brother The States were not long before they perceived what blow the French were designing at them For they well enough foresaw that the Voyage of the Dutchess was intended only to break the Tripple-League And they had certain Advice that the French King was preparing to march with a powerfull Army towards Dunkirk early in the Spring besides all that they made no Difficulty to say publickly at Stockholm that if the French King should attack the United Provinces upon any other pretence than that of the Triple League that Swedeland would not be obliged to assist them The French Court without declaring themselves openly had already begun to Commit a sort of Hostility by laying excessive imposts upon all Dutch Merchandizes imported into that Kingdom The States having Complained of it several times with no effect resolved at last to retaliate that usage by forbidding the importing any Brandy or French Manufactures into their Dominions hoping by that means to oblige the most Christian King to alter his proceedings And because the march of the French Army towards Dunkirk put them in some apprehension for the Low-Countries the States resolved also to have a powerfull Fleet at Sea under the Command of Admiral de Ruiter both to secure their Commerce and to observe the motions of the French And besides they Sollicited England likewise to put a Fleet to Sea to joyn with theirs according to the obligations of the Tripple-League But King Charles gave them already to understand that he had quite different aims On the 8th of June 1671. de Ruiter sailed out of the Mense with some men of War towards Ostend near which place his Fleet was to Rendesvouz It consisted of 46 men of War 10 Advice-Yachts and 6 Fire-Ships It carried 2379 Guns 8090 Seamen and 2768 Soldiers and was divided into 3 Squadrons the first under the immediate Command of de Ruiter the second under that of Lieutenant Admiral Bankert and the third under the Conduct of Lieutenant-Admiral de Gent. Whilst the Fleet was cruizing upon the Coasts of the Netherlands it was on the 20th of August overtaken with a violent
and Havens of the Vnited Provinces being freed from the Oppression of two powerful Fleets that kept them as it were besieged the Dutch had thereby time to take Breath and to draw from thence the Troops that were posted there and to employ them elsewhere For the Prince of Orange seeing Fortune begun to declare her self for his Arms marched the States Army that was reinforced by some Spanish Troops towards Naerden in order to besiege it and after the Reduction of that Place he joyned the Emperors Army under the Command of Count Montecuculi and formed the Siege of Bonne that was taken on the 14th of November Which happy Successes and the Arrival of the Imperialist absolutely broke the Measures of France and its Allies and forced them all at a spurt to quit the Conquests they had made with so much Rapidity by disabling them to preserve them without leaving themselves without Troops sufficient to oppose to the Prince of Orange and Imperialists in the Field which it was much more dangerous for them to let their Enemies be Masters of than it was prejudicial to quit their late Conquests and the Pride they took in having gotten them Therefore on the 7th of October they quitted Woorden on the 14th of November Bommel and on the 23d of the same Month Vtrecht and in general all the Conquests they had made in the Provinces of Vtrecht Guelders and Over-Yssel But before their Retreat they extorted immense Sums from the Inhabitants and committed all the Depredations Cruelty and Despair could incite them to So many fortunate Successes happening in so short a time not only freed the Vnited Provinces from the Disasters they were like to sink under but put them into a condition to take some Revenge for them For that effect the States redoubling their Care and Diligence begun to think of Manning and Arming out a powerful Fleet Preparations of War for the Year 1674. and resolved it should consist of 90 Men of War 24 Fireships and 24 Galliots c. amounting in all to 162 Sail. Whilst they were making those vigorous Naval Preparations the Spaniards who had declared War against France by vertue of their Treaty of Alliance with the States General of the Vnited Provinces employed the Marquess de Fresno their Embassadour in the Court of England to endeavour a separate Peace between the King of Great Britain and the States A Peace concluded between Englâ—nd and Hâ—lland by the Spanish Ambassadour The Negotiation that had been set on foot for a General Peace at Cologn was just then like to be broken off by the exorbitant Demands made by France and its Allies so that the States finding there was no trusting to any Hopes on that side of a General Peace used all their Artifices to separate England from the other Allies and for that purpose sent full Power to the Marquess de Fresno to treat on that Subject with that Crown who managed it so dextrously that on the 19th of February 1674. a Peace was effectually concluded at Westminster between the States and the King of England to the Exclusion of France and its Allies That Peace caused an unexpressible Joy to the Vnited Provinces and raised hopeful Expectations in all their People and as the Union of England with France formed together had they acted unanimously so formidable a Sea-power that it seemed at first to the Hollanders to have been invincible tho' the Event and ill cemented Correspondence of those two Nations shewed the contrary so now the Vnited Provinces had reason to flatter themselves with the Hopes that they should be able with much more ease to reduce France to Reason being alone after they had dividâ—d England from it which was the more powerful of the two at Sea than they could expect before Which Atchievement was as terrible a Stroke to France as it was a Glorious and Advantageous Omen to the Vnited Provinces That troublesome Thorn being pluck'd out of their Foot the States reflecting upon the immense Charges they had been forced to be at for equipping out a Fleet numerous enough to encounter two such formidable Sea-powers as they had had before upon them thought they might now well enough retrench some of them now they had none but Franâ—â— to deal with And therefore they ordered that thâ— Fleet for the Year 1674 should be composed only of 66 Men of War 18 Fireships 12 Great Galliots and as many smaller ones and 24 Flutes c. making in all 150 Sail and that 9000 Regular Troops should be embarked thereon and that they should carry with them 6 Months Provision that a part of that Fleet under the Command of de Ruiter should sail towards the Caribbe Islands belonging to the French to destroy them whilst the other part under the Conduct of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp should advance towards the French Coasts in order to make some Descent and Diversion there And the General Rendezvous of that Fleet was appointed to be at Wielingen A Relation of the Principal Adventures that happened at Sea in the Year 1674. taken out of the Original Memoirs of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp THE Fleet of the Vnited Provinces weighed Anchor on the 24th of May and on the 26th arrived before Dunkirk from whence they departed on the 27th towards Dover where the Marquess de Fresno the King of Spain's Embassadour at the Court of England came on Board the Admiral to see it They afterwards kept cruising along the Channel and about Torbay till the 7th of June and during all that time kept the Coasts of France in a continual Alarm Lieutenant Admiral de Ruiter in pursuance of the States Orders separated from Lieutenant Admiral Tromp on the 8th with a Squadron of Men of War and some Troops and sailed away for the West-Indies And then the rest of the Fleet under Tromp unmoored from Torbay and arrived the same Evening near the Goutstart On the 19th and 20th they discovered the Isle of Vshant At the approach of the Fleet the French fired their Beacons all-a-long the Coast and the Arrierbann of Britainy were most of them posted in and about Brest which they had taken great Care to fortifie And they had placed a great many Ships at the Mouth of the Harbour upon which they had placed Cannon and erected Batteries The French being so strong upon their Guard on that side the Generals of the Dutch Fleet found it impossible to execute their Projects there and unanimously resolved to move towards Belle-Isle and there to wait for such of their Ships as were straggled from the Body of their Fleet and then to sail all together towards the Mouth of the Loire According to that Project the Fleet unmoor'd and on the 22d a small English Vessel that was sent out a scouting returned to the Fleet and brought with her a French Sounder of S. Lazar. On the 23d the Fleet went and anchored on the East of Belle-Isle As soon as the Duke de Chaulnes Governour of
them to make any attempt 3. That if any of the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces being on board other Ships shall happen to be taken by any of the Corsairs of Sally it shall not be lawful to sell them but they shall immediately be set at liberty 4. That the above said Governors and Princes of Sally shall not suffer the Pirates or Corsairs coming from Tunis Algiers Tripoly or any other place in Turky to bring in any Prises thither taken from the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces to fell them either directly or indirectly in any wise whatsoever or at least when any of these prises shall fall into their power the prisoners that belong to them shall be set at liberty 5. That the Impost laid upon Merchandises Imported or Exported shall not be augmented but continue at the same rate at which they are paid at present 6. That the abovesaid Governors and Princes of Sally and all their Subjects shall permit all Dutch Merchants there inhabiting as likewise such as from time to time shall come thither from the Vnited Provinces to enjoy a freedom of Trade and good Correspondence and shall demean themselves in all things as good Friends and Neighbours of the States General 7. That it shall not be lawful for the above-said Governors and Princes of Sally either directly or indirectly to grant any Commissions to the Pirates or Corsairs of Barbary or Turky to be made use of against the Ships of War of the Vnited Provinces or under what pretence soever to insult any of their Merchants Ships 8. That the Ships of the States General shall not attempt any thing against the liberty of the Ships of Sally or endeavour to seize them upon any pretence whatsoever but on the contrary shall shew them all sort of Friendship and Good-will 9. That it shall not be lawful for any of the Pirates of the Towns of Sally when they are out in Course and meet any Merchant Ships belonging to the States to take out of them any strangers of what Nation soever but on the contrary they shall be obliged to shew them friendship and shall render them all manner of good Offices 10. That the whole shall tend in all points to preserve the Friendship and Alliance mâ—de between the States General of the Vnited Provinces and the King of Morocco After this Peace Holland had some grounds to hope she should enjoy many long years of Repose and after having by that laid open to her self the Commerce of the Levant she might fill her Coffers with new Riches But Fortune that seems to have made it her business to keep this Republick in a perpetual agitation made her soon perceive that the Peace she had newly concluded with those Barbarians was designed only to prepare her for a much more bloody and dangerous War England at that time had erected her self into a Republick and expulsed from the Government the Heirs of the Crown who thereby were forced to seek an Asylum abroad and implore the Succour and Protection of France and of the Vnited Provinces And the unexperienc'd youth of King Charles the II. having swell'd the daring and ambitious humour of the Protector Cromwel beyond all bounds as seeing himself Arbitrary Master of that potent Nation over which he Lorded it with an Empire more Absolute than that of any Crown'd Heads Holland had reason from thence to dread some very fatal Consequences For that new Republick grown insolent with the many advantages she had newly gain'd against the Family of the Stuarts thought there was left nothing else in the world capable to stop the career of her Ambition and was so wonderfully increas'd in power that she begun to grow insupportable to her Neighbours and particularly to the United Provinces who saw themselves upon the point of coming to a Rupture with her But in regard the late long War they had had with Spain had not yet given them time enough to recover their strength they chose rather to temporize a while with England than to embroil themselves hastily in a new War And therefore employ'd all sort of means imaginable to divert that Storm by hastning to send Ambassadors into England Accordingly the Heer 's Cats Schaap and Vander-perre were dispatcht to London in that quality who were received there with great Honours but yet in such a manner as promis'd nothing less than a happy issue of their Negotiation In the mean while Holland was no longer able to keep silence after the many bloody outrages she had received from the English For her Merchant-Ships had suffered and daily suffered losses that were reckoned to amount to some Millions by the Prizes taken by the English Privateers to the number of near two hundred Ships Yet Holland had thitherto suffered all those cruel Hostilities without complaining and would not perhaps have come to an open Rupture for them So much did she dread the dismal consequences of a War that had no other ground but Ambition if her too great patience had not at length been pusht to the last extremity But that which seemed an unexampled piece of Hardship imposed by the English on the Dutch was that they pretended they ought to be permitted even in the midst of a profound Peace to visit not only the Merchant Ships of the States but their Men of War too under pretence they carried Contraband Goods to their Enemies And besides that they had forbidden them to traffick into that part of the Islands call'd the Antilles under their Dominion Notwithstanding all that the States sent Orders to their Ambassadors to try all amicable ways to come if 't were possible to an accommodation but when they saw there was no hopes of Peace they took at last a resolution to arm for the security of their Commerce Then the English made no difficulty to declare openly to our Ambassadors that the Empire of the Sea belonged to them that they would always oppose the Hollanders keeping a Fleet there because that was a Right belonging to them which their Ancestors had gotten by dint of Sword from other Nations And therefore that they would never suffer any other Flagg to appear upon the Ocean but that of their own Republick However this Declaration hindred not the Naval Army of the United Provinces being then ready from disposing it self to set Sail under the Command of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp who was promoted to that High Office in the year 1637 in the room of the Sieur Dorp who quitted the Service But before they set out Tromp desired the States to give him directions how he should behave himself towards the English concerning the honour of the Flagg of which they have in all times been extremely jealous The States askt him how he had behav'd himself in that point in the time of King Charles Tromp replied that when any English Vessels happned to meet them towards Callice or near the Coasts of England especially if the English were strongest the Hollanders used to salute
of the contest very moderate towards them and wholly inclined to lay by some gentle expedient the Storm that was newly risen but yet at the bottom he was of the same mind with the Parliament or to speak more properly 't was he that underhand spurred them on to Revenge and he that perswaded them to employ all their Forces to destroy the Hollanders The Ambassadors having then discovered the Parliaments design and that they were fitting out a formidable Fleet to Sea on which were to be embarkt 4000 Soldiers resolved to present a second Memorial to the Council of State which was conceived in these Terms The Memorial presented to the Council of State by the Dutch Ambassadors The Ambassadours of the States General of the United Provinces having protested on Monday last before this August Council and called God himself to witness their Innocence and the Justice of their Cause declaring that the Fight between the two Fleets did not happen by any premeditated design of their High and Mightinesses They have judged it expedient for the better clearing of that point to put into your hands a Copy of Tromp's Letter by which this Republick may evidently see that their High and Mightinesses gave him no other Commission than to cruise on the Frontier Seas of their own Dominions without passing any farther for fear of giving jealousie to their Neighbours And therefore the said Ambassadors come again to day to give you new assurances upon their having received by yesterdays Post all the informations given in from the 22d to the 29th of the last month New stile concerning the Battle in Question by which it appears still more clearly That the States had no hand in that action directly or indirectly declaring themselves ready to conclude a strict Alliance that may be capable to unite the two Republicks by eternal and inviolable friendship It is certain That is their last and most sincere intention Moreover the said Ambassadors pray the Council of State to be pleased to give them a speedy Answer such as they in their prudence shall think most proper in the present juncture to prevent the mischievous consequences of some more dismal Accident Neither will it be unseasonable to acquaint the Council that the Sieur Newport sent from their High and Mightinesses to their Ambassadors for business concerning their Negotiation is upon his departure to repass the Sea if the Council of State will please to grant him a Passport as we pray them to do and that he may have leave to chuse one of the States Ships that is now in the Thames or elsewhere The Sieur Newport having expedited his affairs waited only for a Passport to be gone but he found great difficulty to obtain it which retarded his departure for several days He got at last out of London with much ado and came to Gravesend thinking to embark there But at that time the English by shewing fresh marks of their resentment rekindled those flames which were thought to be half extinguisht and made appear by their slighting the instances of the Ambassadors and by new acts of Hostility that all those troubles would soon degenerate into an open War The Channel was full of their Privateers who took without any distinction all manner of Ships that came in their way without excepting even those that belonged to France or Spain All the Dutch Ships that were in the Thames were likewise stopt the 13th of June and their Captains went to Chelsey to make their Complaints of it to the Ambassadors who were extremely surprized at all these new attempts and thought it thereupon necessary to present yet a Third Memorial more which they did the very same day in these following Terms Another Memorial presented by the Dutch Ambassador to the Council of State We having on the 3d and 6th of this Month clearly made appear to the Council of State as well by Writing as word of Mouth taking God that knows the Hearts of Men to witness That the Bloody Battle that was lately fought between the two Fleets of the two Republicks hapned without the knowledge and against the will of the United Provinces so are we more and more confirmed both by Letters and Expresses that our Masters have been sensibly grieved at this Combat and that farther upon the Advices we have given them they have applied themselves with all care imaginable to seek out Remedies that may be able to quash all these growing Troubles in their Birth and timely stop the blood of so dangerous a wound 'T was for that effect they have called a solemn and General Assembly of all the Members of the State in which we not at all doubt but with the assistance of Heaven they will find out the true means to renew again that ancient Friendship and Union that has always reigned between the two Nations and that they will remove all the difficulties that seem at present to render them irreconcileable which will be an assured advance towards the Conclusion of the Treaty already begun Their High and Mightinesses desire it with so much the more Passion and Earnestness because it so highly concerns the Welfare and repose of the two Republicks and will effectually stop the fountains of Christian Blood that has been shed This is what at present flatters the hopes of so many Nations and especially of the Protestants so that we intreat you both by the Sacred Bond of Religion that unites us together and by the Sweet Liberty we equally enjoy That nothing may be done with too much precipitation for fear the Remedies that may be afterward judg'd proper for our reconciliation coming too late may prove ineffectual We also pray you as soon as possible without delay to answer favourably to our last demand which we solicit with so much the more earnestness because we are informed that the Ships and Mariners of our Nation are taken and stopt by your orders on the High Seas or in your Harbours the one by pure force and the other after Fighting The Parliament at last answered them in such a manner as might well be expected after what had lately passed The Parliaments answer to the States Ambassadors And here follows the Tenour of their Answer The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England reflecting upon all the proofs of benevolence and sincere Friendship they have often given to the States General of the United Provinces even from the first beginning of the troubles of this Kingdom having omitted nothing of what might conduce to the maintaining a perfect Correspondence between them and it and render their union much more strict than ever before find themselves at present hainously offended by an unexpected attempt which is an act of Hostility committed upon the Coasts of England against the Fleet of the Republick after a mature deliberation and examination of the Writings which their Excellencies the Ambassadors of the United Provinces have put into our Hands we have thought fit to make them the
present Answer Tho the Parliament were inclined out of a principle of affection and tenderness to receive favourably the expressions contained in the abovesaid writings tending to represent the late Fight between the two Fleets as a thing that hapened without the knowledge and against the will of their High and Mightinesses yet upon due reflection made thereon it appears That the Resolutions of the States and the Conduct of their Admirals do no ways agree with all those protestations especially in a time whilst a Treaty of Alliance was managing which they themselves had sought for and which had been Negotiated by their own Ambassadors Besides what could be the scope of so formidable an Arming of 150 Ships of War made by them without any occasion for it was it not for the design which has now lately broken out Which is nothing else but the effect of a real jealousie even by the confession of the Ambassadors themselves at the same time they pretend to excuse themselves of it and according to the Tenour of the Commissions their High and Mightinesses have given to the Chief Commanders of their Naval Armies there are but too many reasons that perswade us to believe that the States do thereby but aspire to Ravish from England by force of Arms her ancient Prerogatives and the Rights she has over the Seas and that further they aim at nothing else but the destruction of our Fleet which is our Barrier and our securest Rampart and by that means to expose this Commonwealth to an Invasion as they intended to do by the late attempt Upon which the Parliament think themselves indispensably engaged with the assistance of Heaven to exact speedy satisfaction for the outrages done to the Nation and to put themselves in such a condition that the like may happen no more for the future And yet they do all this with design however to appease if possible the Troubles that have lately risen between the two Nations by all ways of Humanity and moderation if God who by his Wisdom and Almighty Power is able to do all things shall please to furnish us with more proper and efficacious means for that end than have been hitherto employed This Answer together with that proud and haughty way the English have with them begun to give new alarms to Holland and make her fear the Consequences would be fatal It was a very sensible Vexation to the States to see themselves upon the point of coming to a Rapture with that New Republick whose happy progresses in her beginnings had made them conceive fair hopes that she would let her Allie Holland share with her in the prosperities she enjoyed by the good Correspondence and strict Friendship which was like to Reign between them The Merchants were almost out of their Wits at it by reason of the great loss they daily suffered both of their Ships and Goods which unhappily became a Prey to the English Privateers Which obliged the States before the Negotiation already begun was quite broken off to dispatch another Extraordinary Ambassage to London being willing to appease all disputes by Amicable ways if it were possible to find out any means to do it and it being necessary for that purpose to make choice of some person of great Merit they cast their Eyes upon Mr. Pauw Lord of Heemsted Pensioner of Holland one of the ablest Ministers even by the Testimony of Foreigners themselves the Republick ever had He set out from the Hague the 25th of June on his way to the Brill and at 6 a Clock at Night the same day he got on Board a Dutch Man of War the 28th he arrived at Gravesend and sent notice of his arrival to the States Ambassadors and to the Parliament who were not a little surprised at it The Ambassadors came presently to him to inform him of all that had pass'd The 30th Mr. Heemsted was Conducted to London with the Ceremonies usual at the Entry of Ambassadors He was received at the Tower by three members of Parliament and Conducted thence by them to the House appointed for his Lodging attended by a very fine Train of Coaches of many great Lords and persons of Quality He presently demanded Audience of the Parliament which being granted him the very next day he there pronounced a discourse in Latin whereof here follows the Translation Most Honoured Lords The Speech of Mr. Heemsted Ambassador Extraordinary to the Parliament THe Publick Testimonies and Authentick proofs of a sincere and cordial Amity which the States of the United Provinces and their Subjects have always shewn to the British Nation and especially towards the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England whose Government is at present so happy and flourishing are so well known to all Christendom that no body doubts of them any more than they do of the ardent passion they have had to render it perpetual firm and unmoveable But because by reason of the inconstancy of worldly things there often happen unlucky accidents and disorders in Humane life that change the State of affairs and seem to cover over its face with a thick and sable Cloud that obscures for a time that agreeable Union and happy mutual Benevolence there is need of a great deal of precaution to stop its mischievous Consequences above all if it be considered that when such kind of troubles are timely stifled in their birth and that unhappy misunderstanding started by them comes once to cease it may be said they serve more to strengthen and confirm that mutual Union than any way to weaken or dissolve its Bonds 'T is for this design that my Mrs. the States General of the United provinces have been pleased to send me in Quality of their Ambassador extraordinary to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England tho' otherwise they had no reason to doubt either of the Prudence or of the Capacity of the Ambassadors they had here already for Affairs of high importance I am therefore sent to assure the Commonwealth of England from them of the sincere and inviolable desire they have to see its Government continue in that Peace Happiness and Prosperity which at present it enjoys and to offer it at the same time all the services they are capable of And I can give you this Testimony of them with the more assured fidelity because having always been present in their assemblies and coming now but newly out of them I have been an Eye witness of the zeal and ardent passion they have to contribute all that lies in their power that may possibly conduce to the maintaining a firm and solid Friendship between the two States and to prevent all that may shake it And therefore 't was with great Astonishment and with a very sensible Regret they heard of what has past between the Admirals of the two Republicks and for fear that fatal Rencounter altogether unexpected should cause some new mis-understandings and raise new Jealousies or that by putting a stop to
the present Treaty it might make it impracticable to come to a conclusion of a Renovation of the Ancient Amity that has always been between the two Nations the States my Mrs. judg'd it necessary I should come hither because having been always present at all their deliberations by reason of my Employment I was best able to Represent to the Commonwealth of England the naked truth and all the Circumstances of that Action as they have been related to them in order to the rasing out all suspicions that might be capable to distemper or destroy the good intelligence and true Amity that is between the two Nations and remove all obstacles that might hinder the conclusion of the Treaty already began Moreover I protest and declare in the presence of the Parliament of the Republick of England by vertue of my Credential Letters and in the Name of the States General my Mrs. that they never had any thoughts to attempt any thing or give order that any thing should be attempted that might give any just cause of Umbrage to the Sovereign power of this Commonwealth to break or weaken the Union and good Correspondence that has been so long cultivated between the two Republicks or under what pretence soever to sow any discord between them But rather on the contrary I can say that the States have been moved by their own inclinations and by the sentiments of a real Friendship carefully to study out all that might conduce to the hastning the conclusion of a strict and inviolable Alliance between the two Nations It 's true a very considerable Fleet was Equip'd in Holland but at the same time there 's no body but knows the States were forced so to do by the continual complaints of their Subjects and that they gave notice of it to the Parliament And they published beforehand that this arming was for no other end than for the liberty and security of Commerce which was much endamag'd and interrupted by many very sensible Losses the Subjects of the United Provinces daily suffered of their Ships and Goods and certainly it is but natural to make use of the means that force and necessity put into our hands to protect oppresed innocence But they thoughr of nothing less than a fight to create new troubles between the two Nations and Revive the disputes that were already terminated But things being so and there hapning by accident a fierce Battle between the Fleets of the two Nations the States General have thought fit to Communicate to the Parliament of England an exact and faithfull Relation of all that passed such as they have received from their Admiral authorized by the Testimony of all the Captains and other persons worthy of Credit namely that Admiral Tromp came towards the Fleet of this Republick more by necessity than out of any premeditated design and that after he had paid his Civilities to Major Bourn as he was pursuing his voyage he fell into the presence of Admiral Blake before he was aware that presently he ordered an advice Boat to be made ready to send some Officers of the Fleet to Compliment him but that Blake answering him with Civilities of a quite contrary nature let flie all his Guns at him and that then Tromp discharg'd his more to defend himself than to offend the Aggressor This was the cause of an Engagement in which the Capricious humour of Fortune had more share than any design of Council premeditated and swell'd up with Ambition so that it being begun about a mistaken point of Honour and not continued by our men out of any principle of animosity the States General pray the Commonwealth of England to be perswaded they had no hand in that Action but to take it for an Event of pure chance and of the inconstancy of Worldly affairs and that accordingly they would be pleased to recall their Orders and Commissions and to let all Acts of Hostility cease that now disturb Commerce and the States on their part are ready to consent to the same and always to employ all possible means to facilitate an Accommodation They are very sensible that all Christendom is deeply concerned in so great an affair as this and especially the reformed Churches of all Europe who all equally wish and desire that our troubles may be stifled in their Birth as being perswaded that discord arising between Neighbouring States of the same Religion may not only draw after it the Ruin of that Commerce that makes them Flourish but likewise awaken the drooping hopes of both their secret and open Enemies who would not fail to take occasion thereupon to foment some new Plots in some Province or other of this Commonwealth which would afterwards break out and so passing from one to another we should see our States become the bloody Theater of a War To prevent therefore and put a stop to the Course of so great mischiefs I have Orders without further delay to Represent to you and employ all my industry that some assur'd means may be agreed upon on both sides to accommodate the differences about what has past and for the taking such just Measures for the future that there may never happen the like accidents again between the two Fleets and that so thereby the Greatness and Glory of the Parliament of England may be secured from the danger of all sorts of attempts against it Since then the States General openly declare to the Parliament the ardent passion they have to see the two Nations perfectly United together and their differences entirely composed and that the propositions on both sides may at last terminate in a strict Alliance all the favour I desire of the Parliament is that they would please to give order to their Commissioners and to the Council of State to give me speeddy Audience and to labour joyntly with me for the Conclusion of the Treaty in order to terminate the principal business that is the foundation of my Negotiation as well as of that of the other Ambassadors In extraordinary of the States In the mean while I acknowledge my self infinitely obliged to the Parliament that they have been pleased to grant a Ship to Mr. Nieuport to repass the Sea and go into Holland I will add here that being a Member of the State he has had order to remain with me to assist me with his Council till my return which I dare be confident the Parliament will not take ill and that they will be pleased favourably to accept my most humble services which I present them Mr. de Heemsted going the next day to the Council of State Mr. de Heemsted's Speech to the Council of State made them the following Speech which he pronounced in French Since it has pleased my Lorâ—s the States General of the United Provinces besides the Ambassadors they have already here to send me extraordinarily in the same Quality to the Parliament of the Republick of England to whom I had the Honour yesterday in a
Nations and dissipating all the Umbrages that seemed then to render them irreconcilable that having at length attained to that happy Union so necessary for their common Security there might be noâ—hing able to disturb them And as that Resolution was full of sincerity and aimed only at the tranquility and happiness of the two Republicks so it was accordingly expedient to prevent by a diligent execution some Evils that otherwise would grow incurable if they were not stopt in their very Source That upon this consideration he requested the Council would be pleased to order he might be speedily dispatcht by granting him his Audience of Leave and the necessary Passports for his Ship that waited for him at Gravesend and that being perswaded That the Council of State would have regard to his Quality and Character he dar'd to flatter himself they would render him the same Honours at his Audience of Leave as were done him at his Entry and for which he was very much obliged to the Council The other Memorial imported The second Memorial that the Ambassador Extraordinary of the States found it necessary to Represent to the Council That if they thought it fit after he should have made his Report to their High and Mightinesses he desired his Secretary or some other trusty Person might come back to London to maintain a Correspondence together whether by delivering or receiving to and from the two States all that might any way conduce to the re-establishing a strict Alliance and perfect Union between them And that in order thereunto it would please the Council to Grant the necessary Passport for the security of that Person That he should also have permission to stay at London so long as the Parliament or the States should think fit or else that the Council would name some person themselves whom they thought fit to receive the Letters that should be written to that purpose and to solicit their Answers But they made no Reply to this last Proposal how equitable soever it appeared as being jealous that under that Covert some Dangerous Intelligence might be carried on against them in favour of the pretensions of the Family of the Stuarts The three other Ambassadors presented likewise to the Council of State the following Memorial on the 8th of July That since the Ambassadours of the States General had Orders by the last Letters they received to Retire without delay to go and give an account of their Negotiation to the States their Masters they therefore prayed the Council they might be permitted to take their Audience of Leave of that August Assembly and that accordingly Ships necessary for their Transportation and that of their respective Equipages together with Passports for their security might be granted them adding that there were some Ships of their Nation ready for that purpose as Captain de Boet and three other Ships of Dort The Republick of England fortifying every day more and more their Authority began to render themselves insupportable by their excessive Pride and Haughtiness For Sweden and Denmark several Princes of Italy the Hanse-Towns of Germany and other Free Cities of Europe were forced to acknowledge their up-start Government And they troubled themselves not much about the States Ambassadors as the scornful disdain they shewed of all their Remonstrances was a visible proof so that no body was surprized at all to see with what facility they granted them their Audience of Leave They consented that two of their Men of War should Convoy them and two other Ships Transport their Equipages And so the next day the fear Ambassadors were conducted to their Audience and Mr. de Heemsted made the following Discourse in the name of them all The States General of the United Provinces have sent their Ambassadors Extraordinary to the Parliament of the Republick of England Mr. de Heemsted's Speech at his Audience of Leave to endeavour by all sorts of ways to induce them to renew the ancient Amity between the two Nations and to confirm more straitly their Alliance They were followed a little while after by Mr. Nieuport a Member of the States of Holland and Westfriesland who was sent to clear some difficulties and to give a more Authentick proof of their Good Intentions concerning the Treaty of Confederacy In fine it pleased their High and Mightinesses some days after to make yet another Extraordinary Deputation and to make choice of me for that with Express Order to come and give the Republick of England new more particular and stronger Assurances of a faithfull and sincere Amity in order to dispel all Umbrages and all Subjects of misunderstanding and to prevent all Obstacles that might hinder the Execution of so laudable a Design For that effect it was proposed That an enquiry should be made by some judicious persons on both sides into the Action that lately passed between the two Fleets and which happened not by any premeditated design but by pure accident that so according to their Verdict satisfaction might be given to the Party offended For we Protest before God and before Men and in presence of the Parliament of the Republick of England That the States our Masters never had it in their thoughts to offend this Republick and much less to commit any act of Hostility against it But that they were more disposed by a sence of a true and sincere affection to contribute to the maintaining a stable and good understanding and inviolable Peace between them But since unfortunately in spite of the steps that have been made and the pains taken to pacifie all these Troubles the two Ambassages have proved ineffectual and frustrated of the hopes they had with so much justice conceived and that by new Disputes that have arisen and caused great losses and that besides the States are threatned with new Hostilities from the Parliaments Fleet without having had the least notice given them of it The Ambassadors thought themselves obliged in prudence to prevent the Storm and to retire into their own Country as well to go and give an account of their Negotiations as to take new Instructions from the States their Masters For this end we present our selves all together before this August Assembly to give them notice That we have received order to retire and are upon the point of our departure We have already represented to the Council of State what things are necessary for our departure with Respect to the Juncture of time and our Character and we wait their Answer In the mean while it is not only our Duty but a point of Justice to intreat you that all our Ships that have been brought into the Ports of England or been stopt there before the publication of any Declaration of War without any offence given by any of the Masters of the said Ships may at last be released with all their Men that they may pursue their intended Voyages without being molested in any manner whatsoever and that all be done according to
our ancient Friendship and the Law of Nations practised among Christians We hope the Justice of the Soveraign Republick of England will not refuse us a demand so equitable as this Moreover we Implore the Protection of Heaven and beseech God the Author of Peace that he will please of his Goodness to inspire the Parliament of this Republick with such Sentiments as may induce them to a Speedy Reconciliation with the States of the United Provinces for the maintenance of the Reformation whose firmest support and most solid foundation has always been Peace in the Bosom of which it Flourishes and quietly enjoys Prosperity and which on the contrary if our Troubles should continue any longer would see it self brought to an inevitable Destruction and plunged into the greatest Miseries We still pray God to be pleased to avert the Course of the Mischiefs and Calamities that accompany War and to pour forth his precious Blessings upon the two Republicks And as we are ordered to retire forthwith into Holland we shall accordingly take leave of this Illustrious Assembly with all imaginable thanks for the kindnesses we have received from them in full confidence that they will not refuse us the things we have already demanded of them and which are every where granted to Ambassadors in regard to their Character for the security of their Persons Lastly we recommend to you the Dutch Merchants residing at London or elsewhere within this Kingdom that their Goods and Persons may be taken into the Protection of the Parliament These were the steps made by the States Geneneral of the United Provinces to prevent a Rupture with England by which all the world may judge how great the Power of that new hatcht State was tho scarcely yet fledg'd to make them so Courted by a Nation that at that juncture more fear'd than lov'd them and how great and presumptuous their pride was too in refusing such fair offers and venturing to engage in a War with so potent an Enemy as the States of Holland when their own settlement at home was so unsecure But the flames were blown up on both sides by the secret friends of the Stuarts and by the Emissaries of those Nations that envied to both people both their Religion and above all their formidable Power at Sea and their flourishing and universally extended Commerce by some of whom out of the same malicious principles the same fire that was but rak't up for a while in Embers was rekindled and set a burning with a more pernicious violence than ever to the manifest increase of a Third Power that tho before it durst scarce peep out at Sea has since appeared a formidable Enemy even upon their own Element to those Redoubted Masters of the Ocean and has had the insolence for a while by its dextrous managing of intestine Factions among us to Brave both our Fleets till like Capaneus defying Jove its Marine Forces were at length by the magnanimous Russel and his Valiant Copartners the Dutch Admirals Thunder-struck and in a manner quite driven off the usurped Main daring never since to appear on it otherwise than only as Rovers and sculking Pirates On the 11th of July that is to say four days after the English Fleet set sail for the North Sea to go and destroy the Dutch Fleet of Herring Busses and to watch for their Ships coming back from the Indies the Ambassadors departed London The Dutch Ambassadors depart and on the 13th near Schouwen met with Lieutenant Admiral Tromp to whom Mr. de Heemsted gave a Memorial containing an account of the Forces of England he likewise informed him that Admiral Ayschew who but a little before had given chase to a Merchant Fleet of about 30 or 40 sail between Callis and Swartenes homeward bound from St. Hubes and Portugal was then in the Downs with a Squadron of 21 Men of War where he might be easily attackt and Beaten Tromp having received Express Orders from the States who found themselves obliged to make use of Reprizals not to spair the English any longer but to do them all the mischief he could resolved to go and attack Ayschew Vice Admiral Evertsz had the Command of the Van with a Squadron of 21 Ships of War Lieutenant Admiral Tromp Commanded the main Body of the Fleet consisting of 30 Ships and Rear Admiral Florisz the Rear composed of 28 Men of War But there happening a Calm and after that a contrary Wind it was impossible for them to execute that project Tromp therefore steer'd his Course towards the North in search of Blake Ayschew kept close in the Downs whilst Blake with a Fleet of between 66 and 68 Sail having discovered before Boeknes the Herring-Fleet under the Convoy of 12 Ships or Frigats carrying from 22 to 30 Guns caused them to be attackt by a Squadron of 20 men of War that composed his Vanguard The Fight was sharp and lasted above three whole hours till at last the weaker was forced to give way to the stronger Captain Venhuysen and all the Herring Busses excepting four fled away Ten of them were taken whereof two sunk after they had made all the resistance imaginable and another was at last quitted by the Enemy Blake joyned five of them to his Fleet and sent three of them to Inverness with his wounded Men but those of the Dutch were conducted to the Texel The States to Varnish over their Arms with all the Colour of Justice they could publisht a Manifesto setting forth the Reasons why they had declared War against the English and they did the same on their side against the Hollanders We shall repeat neither of them here because they are to be found in several places and that 't is easie to guess by what has been said what were the contents of them And because our design is to insist only upon relating the Bloody Battels that were fought between these two potent Republicks and in which the Hero's of this History the two Tromps Father and Son had the most share The English had already seized upon the Isle of Inseith where the Hollanders used to water and these latter advancing towards the Coasts of Scotland arrived near Fulo and Fairhill where they espied Blake who was watching for our Ships coming back from the Indies The two Fleets were disposing themselves for a Fight when in the night between the 5th and 6th of August the Skie grew dark by little and little and soon after there appeared certain presages of a violent Tempest Tromp distressed by a dreadful Tempest For the wind having long been shifting about turned at last to the N. N. West and blew with so much impetuosity that our Sails were all rent and torn in pieces and the Waves rowl'd through them and so went and spent themselves against the Rocks of Hitland throwing their Fome up to the very Heaven Thus the Fleet being as 't were buried by the violence of the Sea in most horrible Abysses rose out of
Persons that past last Sunday near the Enemies Fleet about 20 miles to the Westward of Schuitenes we thought we had some reason to fear they would attempt a second charge upon us which makes us put in practice all things that may tend to secure our preservation having for that effect pray'd the Governour to Order the Barrier to be repaired that shuts up the Port that so being shut up we may be in safe shelter from Fire-ships We also have intreated him to repair the works and Batteries and put them into a better condition as likewise to cause some new works to be raised in convenient places to plant Cannon upon And he has assured us he will take care to have all things done that may contribute to the security of the Havens of the King his Master that we are at present busied in transporting to shore 20 peices of Cannon out of our ships and 10 more out of the Merchants ships which we can very well spare by reason of the smallness of the Port to be employed there in our defence we will likewise endeavour to make a Fire-ship if we can perswade one of our Merchants to give us his ship for that use All things being so Ordered we hope under the Protection of God sufficiently to provide for the security of so rich a Booty as that intrusted with us by vigorously repulsing the attacks of the English in which we implore the assistance and blessing of God and we promise on our part to contribute thereto with all that shall lie in our power c. The English lost in that attack 2 Captains with one of Mountague's Sons and 3 men of War whereof one stuck in the Rocks out of which the Dutch took the Guns to employ them in their own defence And the Wooden Posts that formed the Barrier of the Haven were Reimplaced in Order to secure the Fleet from the English Fire-ships But they durst not venture upon another charge but tackt about towards their main Fleet quitting the Rocks of Norway to make the best of their way towards their own Country And so by that means the Dutch ships that were pregnant with immense Riches the ships alone that came from the East-Indies being valued at above 12 Millions of Livers or one Million Sterling were delivered from the disasters that threatned them When Admiral de Ruiter was arrived in the Fleet as we have said it was thought fit by the Advice of all the rest of the General Officers that the States Deputies and Lieutenant Admiral de Ruiter should remove out of the ship Amity into the Delfland called formerly the Great Spaniard and that each Squadron of the Fleet should make a detachment of 7 Frigats or bigger Men of War with some Fire-ships to form a 4th Squadron for Admiral de Ruiter who had to Command it under him Aart Van Nes Vice-Admiral of the Meuse and Frederick Staghouwer Rear-Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of the North. They likewise regulated the placing of the Flags ordering that Admiral de Ruiter's Squadron should bear it on their main mast that of Lieutenant Admiral Cornelius Evertsz on their mizzen-mast the Squadron of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp on the Poop and that of Lieutenant Admiral Tierk Hiddes on the Fore mast All the World begun already to conceive great Hopes of so formidable a Fleet commanded by 2 of the greatest men of the Age and directed by the Council of the wisest Deputies of the State Things being in that Condition there Remained nothing but to form some Noble Enterprize that might raise the Glory of the Chieftains and the Courage of the Seamen that was pall'd by the ill success of the last fight And accordingly the Deputies and Admiral de Ruiter with the rest of the General Officers of the Fleet Resolved to sail towards the Coasts of England or Scotland as thinking they might meet at some advantage with the English Fleet as they were supposed to be coming back laden with the spoils of the Dutch East-India ships or at least might succour these latter and rescue them out of the Enemies hands That project seemed well contrived but a contrary Wind hindred the execution of it for growing more boisterous and turning quite opposite against them it was impossible for the Fleet to steer to the North-ward which at the same time favoured the retreat of the English On the 25th of the Month of August the Advanc'd guard of the Dutch Fleet having pursued two English Advice Yachts took them and by their means were informed that the English Fleet consisting of about 70 sail of Men of War had been cruizing some days upon the Coast of Norway to hunt after the East-India ships but that afterwards pursuing their course on the 18th towards Hitland they came to an Anchor in the bay of Breezond having left upon the Coasts of Norway a Squadron of 20 ships under the Command of Captain Tyddeman and that on the 23d having unmoored from Hitland they put out to Sea again On the 25th of the same Month the Advanced guard of the Dutch Fleet discovered an English man of War of the white Squadron so that they found by that the two Fleets were pretty near one another yet without being able to see one another or to discover what course each other steer'd During these transactions the Dutch resolved to sail with all possible diligence towards Bergen in hopes to meet and maul the small English Squadron in those parts and accordingly on the 29th the Holland Fleet arrived upon the Coast of Norway and heard there by the report of some Galliots that the English had attack the Dutch homeward bound East-India ships in the Port of Bergen as likewise other Dutch Merchant ships that were retired thither but that after a fight of 3 hours and a half they were forced to cut their Anchor Cables and shamefully to flie away with considerable loss and damage So that the Dutch Fleet had not only mist of the English Fleet but arrived too late before Bergen to attach Tyddeman In the mean time the States Deputies received a Letter from Captain Bitter that Commanded in chief the East India ships who signified to them that since the fight with the English things there went very strangely For that Mr. Alefelt or Aleveld General of the Danish Troops in Norway and Mr. Steignon Governour of the Town and Castles of Bergen who told the Dutch very roundly that if they expected they should continue their care to protect them from the oppression of the English they must pay them down on the nail the sum of 100000 Crowns to satisfie them and the rest of the Officers and Soldiers for the pains and hazard they had been at in their defence and that when they should have received that money they would be ready to sacrifice their Lives and Estates against all that should attempt upon the liberty of their Harbours adding that for the love they had to the United
has lately brought upon the two Nations with this Clause As soon as your Majesty shall be invited to so holy a Work by reasonable Condâ—tâ—ons We therefore doubt not of the sincerity of the so often repeated Protestations newly made signifying your Inclination for a Peace But we are not ignorant likewise that you are perswaded there will be no Advance made towards Peace so long as you shall make no Overture of the particular Conditions upon which you judge it might be concluded However we on our side have given all imaginable clear Explications of our sense thereupon by our Ambassâ—doâ—r whom we ordered to stay in the Court of England expresly upon that account tho' your Majesty had already recalled yours Mr. Van Beuningen our Minister extraordinary at the French Court renewed them in the last Place in presence of the Queen your Majesty's Mother to Mr. Hollis your Embassador without receiving any positive Answer thereto from your Majesty We could not with Justice according to what is practised in such Negotiations have ordered our Minister in the Conference held at Paris with the said Hollis to sollicit him to make the Overture of the Conditions upon which your Majesty pretended to make Peace as we had done or at least to have agreed beforehand that your Majesty should give a final Answer sincere and without Reserve to the Advances we had made and that in a prefixed Time But however to give Proofs at the very first of the ardent Passion that induces us to labour to bring about so Christian a Work we have passed over all those Formalities making it our Glory to make the first Advances and to go as far with them on our side as is possible hoping that your Majesty acting in the same manner the so much desired Peace might be concluded without delay and that by that means the effusion of so much Christian Blood as was shed in the ensuing Battles might have been prevented And since by the Letter of the 11th of December last Year and afterwards in the Conference held at Paris it was proposed to your Majesty's Choice to treat of Peace either under condition That both Parties should mutually restore all that each of them had taken from the other before or after the War and thence to pass to the Examination of the Pretensions that were in question before the War or that each Party should keep the Conquests they had made before or after the Rupture with respect to the Time when the said Offer was signified to the Parties and that in consequence of that all the Pretensions concerning any Losses or Damages suffered should be forgotten and held for Null on both sides It seems to us That the Clause specified in the abovesaid Letter of your Majesty is already fully executed and that thereby your Majesty has been several times invited to the Conclusion of so pious a Work For we cannot persuade our selves that as to what concerns the Offer of the abovesaid Conditions there can be any proposed more advantageous if Regard be had to Reason and to the Justice of the Cause considering that all we possess or that we have taken from your Majesty or your Subjects is adjudged to be good Prize and ought to be preserved according to the Laws of a just War since we took up Arms only for our own Defence whereas on the contrary all that has been taken from the Vnited Provinces or their Subjects which amounts to above 100 Ships with their Merchandises and Effects as likewise the Fort of S. Andrew the Isle of Boavista New Holland and Cabo Corso all that was taken by Surprize unjustly and without any Declaration of War And yet your Majesty slighting so advantageous a Proposition never considered to explain your self openly nor to determine upon the Choice either the one or the other of the proposed Conditions or so much as to relate the Reasons you had to reject them or at least to make us a clear and sincere Overture of what other Conditions might have induced you to a Peace to which we have often solicited you On the contrary your Majesty broke off the foresaid Conference which was the greatest Hopes of those that ardently desire Peace and which was happily begun in the presence of the Queen your Majesty's Mother you broke it off we say by the sudden recalling of your Ambassador without shewing any manner of way your Approbation of it Things being thus we leave your Majesty to judge what all those general Protestations of Affection and Passion of Peace can tend to so long as they shall not be followed by particular Conditions which are to be the Foundation of it And because Experience teaches us That the Mediation of Foreign Power is not unprofitable but may contribute much to the Conclusion of so holy a Work that Consideration induced us to determine to accept of the Mediation of the King of Swedeland in the Confidence we have that that Prince being equitable will have regard to the just and Advantageous Propositions we make tho' that Prince having been put by your Majesty into the Number of your Allies it seems obvious that we might look upon him as suspicious and a Party adverse to us and consequently as one interested in the Treaty Besides that your Majesty has declared You could not enter into Negotiation without his Consent The Kings of France and Denmark who are in War as well as we against your Majesty have in like manner accepted the said Mediation of Swedeland We made no Difficulty at the very first Offer made to us of it to give our Consent to it in Writing that it might be presented to your Majesty but yet hitherto whatever Instances have been made it has been impossible for us to induce the Minister of the Crown of Swedeland residing here to make us the same Declaration from your Majesty namely Whether you would please to accept of the said Mediation of Swedeland or no as well in regard of our selves as of the Kings of France and Denmark our Allies which being once granted we protest again once more not only in general Terms that we continue still in the violent Passion that incites us to the Conclusion of a solid Peace but we make all the particular Advances besides that Right and Justice can exact of us And because a general Declaration that comprehends no real express and reasonable Condition either on the one side or the other is more capable to produce new Umbrages and leave the Mind in suspense than to promote a Treaty of Peace we declare consequently That we stand to the Propositions that were made on our part in the Conference held at the Court of France in the presence of the Queen your Majesty's Mother as has been already related In fine we pray your Majesty to confirm the general Profession and Protestation you have made That you desire nothing more than Peace and to be pleased to joyn to it a particular Declaration