Conspiracies and in fine open seditions The Emperour being busie about the Coronation of his Cousin caused his Embassadours to rebuke the priucipall of them as namely the President Slauata Iarislae Bazite and Philip Platore who without the knowledge or consent of his Imperial Majesty had convocated such an Assembly But they having having by-like forgotten the rank and quality they held or else desiring warre fell upon these persons who were sacred by their Commissions tumbled them down from the top of a Tower through the windowes expelled the Iesuits dismissed the Kings Officers from their charges which was to attack both Church and State and took up arms against all such as should endeavour to impugne this insolent kind of proceeding The Emperour labouring both by Letters and fair Propositions to remedy these disorders was already gone very farre in it and it is likely would have accomplished it had not the despaire of some withdrawne the most moderate persons amongst them from continuing the Work But in the interim Deâ—th of the Emperour Mathias the Emperour died leaving it to Ferdinand to untangle this inrricate and troublesome bottome This Prince had worne the Imperiall Crown about six hundred yeares he had sometime governed the Low-countries though with small authority but as it were only by form and more in title then in effect He was religious and gentle and beloved by all such as loved the peace and quiet of the Empyre Ferdinand elected limperom Now the Electours met at Frankefurt and chose Ferdinand to bear the most illustrious but most painfull burthen of the whole Universe And therefore let us see him go weakly enough accompanied to finish the War of Bohemia the cause and pretexts whereof we have already demonstrated The Bohemians under the Counts de la Tour and Mansfield Natural sonne to Count Ernest so well know in the Low-countries raised very puissant Armies contemn Ferdinands Remonstrances deprive him of the Crown as a Tyrant For such are all they whom powerful factions have a mind to suppresse give out that he was not lawfully Elected and fortify themselves with Alliances and succours On the other side the Pope Italy Spain and Poland will not suffer Ferdinand to perish The beginning of the warre whereof he seemed to be in imminent danger by this tempest without speedy relief for his ship leakes on every side and the wind of this Conjuration will infallibly sink both him and the Catholick Religion with him if he be abandoned by his Allyes The Arch-Duke Albert sends him the Count de Bucquoy attended by the flower of the Walloon and Luxemburgh Gentry Of Bohemia The Bohemians though amazed to see so many potent States interest themselves in the preservation of Ferdinand lose not their courage and resolve to adde politick craft The Wectour Palâ—time chosen by the States of Bohemia to open force They draw to their party the Silesians and Moravians keep their Intelligences in Austria and all Germany present the Crown to the Duke of Saxony and then to the Duke of Bavaria though with visible dissimulation and refusable conditions and last of all to Frederick Prince Palatine who by the advice of some Lords who yet basely deserted him afterwards accepted it Since he had married the Daughter of a King he might very take a Crown which was so freely offered him and so he was Crowned with his Sonne at Prague CHAP. III. The prosecution of the War of Bohemia The battail of Prague Frederick flyes and forsakes the Towne together with his People THus we see the Match made and the Game a playing between Ferdinand and Frederick the House of Austria and the Palatin and the Christians divided For almost all the Roman Catholicks either in inclination or effect espowsed the Party of Ferdinand and all the Reformates and the most zealous Lutherans that of Frederick These after their prayers to God for the defence of the Gospel and those to the same Authour of all good and to all the Saints for that of the Church The King of France was sollicited by both parties but he contented himself with sending thither the Duke of Angoulesme to mediate a reconciliation Let us note here such as declared themselves for King Frederick The united Provinces of the Low-countries by the sollicitation of Prince Maurice who disposed the States to this Alliance contrary to the opinion of Barnavelds who wished them was not to meddle at all with it And it is held that this opposition of Barnaveldts so greatly offended the Prince that he ever afterwards looked upon him as his enemy and so at length it grew to be partly the cause of his fall It is alwayes dangerous to cheok the Grandees and to crack nuts with them Christian Duke of Anholt John Frederick Duke of Winâ—â—â—bergh Maurice Landgrave of Hassia John Ernest Marquis of Ansbach and some Imperial Towns also together with the people of England for the King could never be induced to help his Son in Law alleadging that he had no right to the Crown For Ferdinand besides the aforementioned Allyes were leagued the Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria together with the Ecclesiastical Electours Souldiers were listed every where and the Rendezvous Bohemia the Theater of this fatall warre The principall Heads were the Duke of Bavaria with Monsieur de Tilly his Lieutenant Generall the Count de Bucquoy and Generall Dampiere On the other side the Duke of Anhok the Counts de la Tour and Mansfieldt Now these latter being sooner prepared then the other and having subjugated almost all Bohemia marched into Austria and besieged the Emperour in Vienna Bucquoy hastens thither routs Mansfeldt Vienna besieged Mansfeldt beaten and forces La Tour to raise the siege Dampiere enters the City with the Horse intending to chastise the insolence of the Citizens towards the Emperour their Master who yet vouchsafed to pardon them The Count de la Tour faced about and marched towards the Capitall City of the kingdom to divert the storm which threatened it But in fine after some encounters favourable to the Emperour and the Duke of Bavaria being entered with his Army into Bohemia and having reduced such as were gone astray into the right path of obedience the two Armies met and resolved to finish the disterence by a generall Battail the price and reward whereof was the kingdom of Bohemia Anholt pitched his Camp upon the White Alountain near Prague intrenched himself and performed the charge of a great Captain The Imperialists inflamed by the Remonstrances and Exhortations of Father Dominick a Carmelit Fryer slighted the dangers and difficulties which there were to come to an Onset in regard of the situation The Poles and Wallons began the skirmish which was followed by the whole Army and the Hungarians not able to sustain Prague receives the Conquerours as also all the Kingdom or withstand their attack basely gave ground and disturbed the Orders of the Generals in such sort as that the
before the Elective of Poland three moneths after his arrivall he secretly departed leaving the Polanders the repentance of having chosen him and the trouble to choose another Stephen Batorins succeeds who sell out to be Stephanus Batorins Prince of Transylvania He reigned ten yeares reduced Dantsick to her obedience kept the bordering places within their duty and rejoyned Livonia to the Crown He governed the Kingdome both happily and wisely died in the resolution he had taken to subdue Muscavy to Poland left great grief for his so sudden death amongst tho Poles and a good odour of his vertues to posterity The Polanders after the decease of King Stephen found themselves in a dangerous sicknesse by a division which threatned utter ruine to the Crown The great Chancellour Samotskie the Bishops and many other of the great Lords elected Sigismund of Sweden sonne of King John and Queen Katherine of Poland daughter to Sigismund of Jaguellonne The other party had chosen Maximilian of Anstria who entring 〈◊〉 Poland with an Army made up in haste besieged Warsaw from whence being repulsed Maximilian forces and recruting his forces in Silesia he was the second time defeated and taken prisoner by the Great Chancellour aforesaid After these two victories was crowned Sigismund in the year 1587 and called by the name of Sigismund the third He married Anne of Austria who brought him a sonne named Vladislans who afterwards was King of Poland And this is that which we thought very sit to recount and which must serve us for the present History of this Age. Let us now passe into Sweden and hear what the Swedes alledge against the Polanders with the reasons and arguments both of the one and the other CAROLVS GVS'TMVS ' King of S'wethens Goths Vandalls greate mince of Finland Duke of Esthonia Carelia Lot of Jâ—â—ria Ciou'ned An Dom 1654. CHAP. V of Sweden The discords happening between King Sigismund and his Uncle Charles and why The successe of their Arms. SIgismund King of Sweden endeavouring to put two Crowns upon his head lost the Hereditary one See how all passed This young Prince had been brought up in the Roman Catholick Religion though yet he were the sonne of King Erick who embraced the Confession of Ausbourgh and introduced it into his Kingdome This Erick was sonne to King John and Nephew to Charles Duke of Sudermanic whom he left in Sweden to govern that Kingdome in his absence in the quality of Vice-Roy Now it often chances that Princes who have more then one kingdom grow by little and little to loose the affections of their remote subjects and their authority comes also by degrees to be eclipsed in regard that their said subjects are not warmed by the heat of their favour and prudence and so others grow insensibly to take place as well because their presence winnes the affections of the said subjects as also for that reasons are never wanting to such as have no will to obey And besides every one stands in fear of forraine Rule But the most powerfull argument of the coldness of subjects towards their Soveraigne is diversity of Religions which causes a change in State and alters and shakes it so as that many Princes for the strengthening and fixing of theirs have believed that they neither could nor ought to permit any more then one Sigismund goes into Sweden King Sigismund hearing many complaints from Sweden and conceaving some jealousies of his Uncle Charles resolved with leave of the States of Poland to transport himself thither with some Polish and German forces He departed from Dantsick with a fleet of sixty Sayle and was well received by the Governour of Colmar from whom he went to see his sister at Stebourgh Duke Charles hastened towards him from Finland with an Army to defend the kingdome against the King himself Sigismund beaten who as it was published came to take the Vice-King prisoner and change the State by subverting Religion So there occurred a fierce skirmish wherein the Vice-King had the better and Sigismund the King was forced to retite himself towards the Confines of Denmark In fine he was beaten again near Lincopin and his Fleet taken Upon which seeing his Uncle thus courted by Fortuâ—e through the mediation of some Lords he was fain to make peace with him under certain conditions by vertue whereof his Fleet was restored to him to go by Sea to Stockholm Makes Peace and Duke Charles in whose hands were put the prime Lords of Sweden who had been to fetch the King in Poland went thither by land Sigismund instead of going to the Assembly of States at Stockholm went secretly out of the kingdom which he thereby lost He retires our of the kingdom and regained Dantsick Some Authors have written that he had been advertised of some ill design of his Uncle Charles against him and a certain person who was then at Stockholm affirms that he sighed for his having let slip the bird which he had in his hand However those Lords were beheaded and their heads set upon stakes which were since taken away upon the request of a great Wanyer Duke Charles quickly recovered those places of strength which were in the Kings possession chastised the Citizens of Lubeck who had favoured him caused the States to approve of all his actions and ranged the Finlanders who held the Kings party under obedience to himself Some months after the States deposed the King by a publick Decree declaring him fallen from the Rights he had in the kingdom and renouncing all fidelity to him though yet still they were ready to receive his sonne Vladislans for King of Sweden in case he would forthwith send him thither to be bred in the Religion and customes of the Country But these conditions not seeming receivable were not accepted by the King and the proceedings of the States of Sweden cryed down by the Poles who resolved to take an account of them with the sword This is the summe of what is known of that difference which is yet remaining between the Heires of these two Princes and which is debated by very contrary reasons according to the predominancy either of Passion or Religion and according to the knowledge also of the Right of the Parties concerned The Polanders reproach the Swedes for that without any available reason and upon some ill grounded suspicions only yea even against all Right both Divine and Humane they took the kingdom from Sigismund to give it to Charles To which the Swede answer that the King against his promise had endeavoured under hand to bring in the Jesuits so to replant the Roman Catholick Religion and strangers to check and curb them and many other arguments there are both upon the one side and the other which I let passe in silence and which are found at large elsewhere Now you have had the words take also some effects of their arms Duke Charles after the reduction of Finlande went into
The Father stripped himself of his States two years before his death to attend to pious exercises And the Sonne two years before his was afflicted with grievous pains and torments which he suffered with superlative patience Some Writers who take pleasure in looking back into the Causes of such accidents within the secrets of the Almighty have presumed to publish that it was a punishment from heaven for the cruelties which his Governours had practised as well in the Low-countries as in the Indies Others of more moderation have believed that God had a mind to shew in the person of this porent Prince that all the Greatness of this world is nothing but dust and vermin There is nothing constant in this world but the constant order of Change and Vicissitude The I'underbolt strikes none but the highest Towers and loftiest Mountaines By his endeavouring to succour the League in Francâ— he lost the confederated Provinces And in the design of invading England he lost a most powerfull Navy and armed enemies against his States who gave him much displeasure and trouble CHAP. XIII The differences which happened between the Earls of Frâ—ezland and the Town of Embden The States put a Garrison there THe knowledge of the difference of the Town of Embden with the Earls thereof is to be joyned to that of the Low-countries and so by consequence it is convenient to mention it here When Townes grow strong they ordinarily loose their will to obey for which they never want either examples or pretexts whether it be of Religion or Priviledge yea and to accuse the weaker party of injustice too if they get a good issue in it Now this Town whereof we are speaking being very much encreased and enriched by the great number of people which repaired thither there to seek as it were a sanctuary from the rigorous execution of the Placarts of the Duke of Alva against all such as had licentiously and perhaps by old priviledges broaken Images and thrown down Altars as also for the conveniencie of the Haven which was held then and still is one of the best of the Low-countries and of the North Seas In the first place the Citizens began to murmur against their Count saying that he would clip their priviledges and Religion That he bad already introduced a new one into his own House That he raised souldiers underhand That he forbad the Consistorial Assemblies and the like A bold and licentious pretext Tâ—â—â—ults in the Town Now their humours being thus prepared there wanted nothing but a hot â—iry and zealous Preacher to set them a work who also was quickly found in the person of one Mentzo Alting a man odious to the Count for some important reasons who got up into the Pulpit desplayed his Rhetorick cryed down his Masters actions foretold the ruine of the Town endeavored to excuse himself of what was imposed upon him protested to be gone with the consent of the Townsmen however he were content to stay with his Flock and live and die with his sheep and the like Words no lesse audacious then those of the Priests whom a certain learned person called Baals elsewhere for the League in France It concerns not Church-men to blow the Trumper nor such as thrust their noses into State-matters through passion of Religion to excuse in some what they accuse in others Iliacos intra muros peccatur extra These reasons were as welcome to the people which loves Novelty in State provided it be preached as a draught of water uses to be to a thirsty person In short they arm they choose six Collonels amongst the Citizens they invoke that Great God who hears and sees all and at length they turn their Ordnance upon the Counts Pallace O brave proceeding O true forms of Justice The Count asks the reason of this novelty and whether they disowned their obedience to the Emperour the Empyre and himself They answered that they had taken arms for Religion and their own defence against many falfe accusations That they made no difficulty to acknowledge the Emperour and him as their Lords and whatever else should be reasonable In these Contests they rush upon his House making themselves Masters thereof by force and dispatch their Embassadours to the Haghe as the Count also did his he to complain of the insolency of his subjects and they to justify their actions The effect of these Embasies was that they put themselves under the protection of the States A Garrison of the States in the Town and took a Garrison of a thousand men into the Town to the disadvantage of the said Count who at last was fain to suffer his House to be shut up and some other extremities which have much weakned and skattered his authority-The Townesmen embraced the Reformed Religion yea and they threw the Bowle yet farther For by a more ancient priviledge they had a grant of a Religion conform with that of Ausbourgh See Emmanuel de Merten From this disorder sprang much good to the united Provinces by securing to themselves this so advantageous Port which otherwise by these divisions might have fallen into the hands of their enemies But this agreement being made in hast could not last long and so there happened some disturbance which is an ordinary thing when any one party gets too much interest The Count complained to the Emperour of the said Town by which he was accused to have had some intelligences there so to make himself absolute Lord of it But these complaints as well as that which followed afterwards for the Traffick in Spain were quickly patched together with a weak thred In the mean time Count Edzard died and left five sonnes Enne Gustave John Christopher and Charles the Eldest whereof reconciled himself to the Town Christopher went to serve the Arch-Duke and was afterwards Governour of Luxenbourgh The Count will repaire his authority In the year 1602. Count Enne propped by some Gentry as Cuiphanse and others endeavoured to repayre his authority by imposing Taxes forcing the small Townes and nourishing a faction in Embden And so he raised souldiers under pretext of going against the Turk gave his Daughter to his Brother John who married her by a dispensation from the Pope and embraced the Roman Catholick Religion and fortified some villages to block up the River The States of Holland moved more by their own interest then by the complaints of the Town sent to oppose him drove him out of the Villages who retyred into Germany and justified their proceedings by suspicions and informations which they said they had received from Brussels that the said Count acted for the Spaniards and would bring them into the Town Now he had remonstrated before both to the Emperour and Empyre that it would be expedient to exercise an Admiralty upon the River of Enis so to prejudice the nearest Inhabitants with reasons strong enough to move that great and dull Body if it could be moved which so many Dyets have
with him against his Nephew the Spaniards and the Jesuits for it was upon them that he chiefly aymed and whom he so much mistrusted who yet peradventure dreamt not at all of him and demanded a speedy succour before the Poles had quite subdued Muscovie He also mentioned the quarrell between him and the King of Denmark offering to referre it to them or any other Neutrall Princes and to acquiesce in their Decision The States also sent theirs to him but he was able to effect nothing with him The King declares a warre upon him In the moneth of April 1611. King Christian declares a Warre founded upon four points The first upon the Fishing of Lapponia or Lapland the third part whereof he pretended to appertain to himself The second a complaint formed upon Charles his having fortified Guttemburgh to the disadvantage of the Sound the third was the redemanding of the Isle of Oesel held by the Swedes And the last that Christian would not suffer him to put in his Arms the three Crownes nor the Title of Lapland and North-land Kings have never any better reason to make Warre then that which is offered them by occasion It is a Royal thing sayes a Disciple of that so much disclaimed Italian to attempt the Possessions of others Colmar taken The Danes seazed Colmar the prime key of the kingdom of Sweden and besieged the Castle both by Sea and land which unlesse it were famished was held impregnable by reason of the situation Neither was it taken now by that way but yeelded up by the levity of the Governour who went to fix his habitation in Denmark That which cannot be digged by Iron is often done by Gold The King of Sweden found work enough to do with two so potent enemies upon his skirts but that which most troubled him was that he could not bring the Danes to any Composition Fonce so that in sine having lost Colmar with above a hundred pieces of Canon six ships of Warre the Isle of Bornholm and some other The death of Charles also forced to bow to old age and afflictions caused by these losses he fell sick and coming to die made way for that great Captaine Gustavus Adolphus the very relation of whose victories makes the world tremble Charles was a Prince of great courage and lover of his Law for the only defence whereof the Swedes affirm that he accepted the Crown and not through any ambition he had to be a King He inclined a little towards the Reformates and could not endure to have prayers made in Latin He was speechlesse some time before his death and was much more prone to rigour then moderation yea even to Tyranny it self which is a vice much observed in the successours of Erick after they are past forry years old The Danes sayling with the winde in poupe took many ships near Elsburgh together with the Castle it self But the Swedes were fully revenged upon them by taking their measures well as it will appear in the continuation of this History With patience all things are effected In fine Peace made a Peace was made and Colmar upon agreement of some barrels of Gold restored to the Swedes The Kings were friends and afterwards an Enterview and an Allyance both Offensive and Defensive concluded against the King of Poland But let us go back to the South Italy produced no seed of sedition at all every one keeping himself within his own jurisdiction but the Duke of Mantua being taken out of his by death without sons his Brother succeeded him who assisted by the Spaniards waged a long warre against the Duke of Savoy who was supported by France Since the Truce in the Low-countries and the expulsion of the Mores there passed nothing in Spain worthy of memory but some Fights at Sea against Pirats who were defeated by the Spaniards and the Hollanders The match sought in Spain Queen Mary of Medicis willing to keep her subjects in Peace during her Regencie and prevent all occasions of disorder mediated a double match with Spain that is of her Son and Daughter with Prince Philip and the Infanta his Sister but the marriages were differred in regard of their too tender age though yet this good newes caused great rejoycing throughout all the Territories of the two Crowns with Tilts and Turnaments worth anmiration wherein the French Lords expressed as well the agility and fine disposition of their bodies as the gentilnesse of their mindes Let us now draw back to the Low-countries again which observe the Truce but let not their souldiers rest in favour of their Neighbours For the Dukes of Brandenburgh and Newburgh this being grown a Roman and that a Reformat renewed their old unhappy quarrel either for want of a right and mutual understanding or else for being the object of the ambitious passion of some other Princes The Arch-Duke had sent Spinola into the Field to execute the sentence given upon them of Aquisgrane Aix or Aquisgrane yeelds The Spaniards succour the Duke of Newburgh and the Hollanders the Duke of Brandenburgh who had incurred the disfavour of the Emperour by expelling the Roman Catholick Magistrates out of the Town and their sudden submission gave the Spaniards conveniency to hasten to the relief of the Duke of Newburgh by whom they were expected They took Wesel and some other small places and Prince Maurice on the other side who was sent by the States to succour the Electour took and fortified Emmerick and Rees It is most dangerous to have a Neighbour stronger then ones self for his succour is alwayes dammageable to him who accepts it These two Princes know it as well as any others But what Passion very often prevailes over Reason and the errour of the Hunters gives the Hare opportunity to escape But let us reprize this Webbe contrived of many threds of different colours and woven by divers Weavers The Emperors Authority proving inefficacious and his threats as it wore our of breath and saint as coming from so great a distance with these two Princes who proud of the assistance of two Kings and shouldered by a strong Common-Wealth equally shared the Government of the Dutchy for some time making their Residence together at Dusseldorp But by means of some small jealousies were quickly disunited and the Marriage of the Duke of Newburgh with the Duke of Bavaria's Sisters awakened as great suspicions in the Duke of Brandenburghs breast being a Reformate as the Allyance of the united Provinces in that of the Duke of Newburgh who was become Cathohok The Design upon Dusseldorp had no successe and that which was so prosperously executed upon Gulick by the Governours meanes manifested to the Arch-Duke a peacefull Prince that the Reformates in a fair occasion want no boldnesse no courage The Spaniards took the Allarme so much the more powerfully as the Treaties went on slowly and as the French seemed to favour the Duke of Brandenburgh more to put
usually happen about that season of the year withdrew themselves likewise into Harwich and Yarmouth Roades Let us leave them both labouring to repayre their ships without examining the number of the dead and wounded or lending eare to the cries and groanes of Widows and Orphanes which ring even to heaven it selfe in all parts of Europe to see what passed at that time in Guyenne and we shall meet by the way some Vessels richly loaden The French â—â—bes some ships of the Spaniands which Mons. de la Mâ—ilheraye carried in triumph from Spain to Nantes We have told you already that Bourdeaux had recourse to the Kings clemencie The reasons why Bourdeaux yealds the cause of which change was this The length of the siege the Plague Famin and more then all secret Intelligence and the Act of Oblivion prevayled for the King The â—pâ—nish Fleet â—â—rives too late In such sort as the Spanish Fleet which arrived two dayes after the accommodation returned into Spain to see the Admiral thereof beheaded and the Princesse of Condè retyred into the Low-Countries to her husband who after this reduction had no body lest in those parts who sides with him Indeed the tardity of the Spaniards and the proceeding of the Prince of Conty gave France glory and such as knew the affayres of the world matter to examine the reasons thereof All these successes were attributed to the Cardinals prudence who by destroying the Princes Party fortifyed his own and prepared himself to have the King annointed The tumult in Languedock passes like a flash for that tumult of Languedock between the Count of Rieux and them of the Religion which looked as if it would have caused an embarassement proved but a flash and forthwith disappeared so that the troubles were allayed in those two great Provinces and they in condition to see thenceforth no other forces there then they that are usually raysed for Catalunia The heat of the English recalls us speedily towards the North besides there passed nothing worthy of memory in the County of Rossillion After that bloody Navall Battail which makes the haire stand on the heads of such as hear it related and which looked as if it must needs have cooled the courage of these Champions for entring the lists any more which all Christendome beheld with terrour the English were the first who endeavoured to resume the Dance A tempest indâ—â—â—ages the English Fleet. but a horrible tempest arising made them repent their temerity and sent them back to their ports many of their ships being much incommodated In fine these most valorous Sea-souldiers gave the Belgick Lyon so many jerks and â—hogs that almost all the States of Europe foreseeing and apprehending this terrible Power desired to gain their amity amongst which the Swedes were not the last The Swedes make Amity with England to evidence that interest of State was not less near their hearts now then the pretext of Religion was formerly from which they drew so great advantage The Hollanders fearing lest the prosperity of their enemies should make them enterprize somewhat upon them by land as well as by water made the Country people take Arms and keep good Guard every where without neglecting what belonged to the Sea and the furnishing of Ships The Country people take Arms in Holland about which they laboured incessantly But this was not sufficient for they must chuse an Admirall who fell out to be Opdam of the most ancient House of Wassenaer who forthwith transported himself to Amsterdam Opdim Admirall and thence to Texel at the mouth of the North Sea to put all things in good order Eukhayse drawn out of the hands of the Rabble At the same time the Town of Enkâ—sen seated upon the South-Sea seven Leagues from Amsterdam was drawn out of the hands of the Rabble by means of some souldiers who entred very craftily whilest they were all running to the Town-house to heat a Proclamation This tumult was of so dangerous a consequence that it had dismounted the Magistrates but that of the Haghe about the young Prince A tumult at the Haghe and was begun by Children and augmented by some malicious persons who brake the glass-windowes of many houses made the Burghers or Townsmen run to their Arms and the Nobility get on horse-back to stop these petulances which deserved somewhat more then the rod. at Alckmaer That of Alckmaer had the same issue and was refrenated by the prudence of the Magistrates All which seditions had but one and the same Cause and their Pretexts were also very little different Indeed the Red-Lyon had very much to do both at home and abroad by the strength of his enemies Murmur against the States and by disunion of wills amongst his friends and such as were bound to the Helme were not a little exposed to the venimous traducements of evill tongues A tumult in England England felt also some Commotion for want of pay but that was smothered and no body stirred but some certain Seamen some whereof payd the score for all In the moueth of November the Holland Fleet having conducted another towards the Sownd and being fallen too near the Coasts was surprised by a suddain storme which cast many of the Ships so a ground A tempest afflicts the Holland Fleet. that they could not ger off into the Main and many poor Seamen miserably perished about a Musket-shot from the Mountains of Sand so that Fortune treated both parties alike in sight of the Coast laughed at their Enterprises but the more judicious sort of men foreseeing that at long running the Traffick would be utterly annihilated and the ruine of Holland advanced which was so much envied for her riches considered that a Peace though little glorious was better then a thousand triumphs The Embassadours of Holand return into England to begin the treaty of peace again Wherefore the States sent their Embassadours again to London to begin the Treaty for the last time and in case of refusal to tell the English that they would enter into a Confederation against them with some other Princes thereby to bring them to reason The confusion which was made by the plurality of voyces and the roaring of the Red Lyon rung so loud that the most considerate Lord Protector and his Parliament who regorged with booty taken from the Hollanders opened their ears to the Propositions of Peace But whilest these things were in agitation who would have believed but that many should needs be well disposed for the Kings eldest Son For the High-landers in Scotland had taken Arms and had received some from Holland the French spighted at the taking of their Fleet without a denunciation of war arrested all the English Merchants goods in Normandy the Hollanders made a shew of preparing themselves in good earnest for the war which yet notwithstanding they endeavored to shun as most pernicious to them Some beleeved