Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	duke_n	france_n	king_n	13,454	5	4.0142	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84639	An unhappy vievv of the vvhole behaviour of my Lord Duke of Buckingham, at the French island, called the isle of Rhee / discovered by Colonell William Fleetwood, an unfortunate commander in that untoward service.	Fleetwood, William, Colonel.	1648 (1648)	Wing F1259; Thomason E430_14; ESTC R202115	6,192	16

An Unhappy VIEVV OF THE VVhole behaviour of my Lord Duke of BUCKINGHAM AT THE French Island called the Isle of RHEE Discovered By Colonell William Fleetwood an unfortunate Commander in that untoward SERVICE LONDON Printed for R. Smith 1648. AN Unhappy view of the whole behaviour of my Lord Duke of Buckingham at the French Island called the Island of REE AT a private assembly at the Councell Table by the King and the Lords and to extinguish the ignominy of the former service of Cales an attempt into France was concluded on and the Duke designed for Generall who took the honour indifferently gladly presuming to recover his lost honour and credit by his own Prowesse in his Exploit Hereupon began a strong presse of Souldiers so large a provision of Victuals and other maintenance for them as could not but in common reason promise a boon voyage to come if the intent were closely carryed But before any Souldiers were imbarqued the Duke ouc of an evill will to the weal-publique divulged the plot at Court very freely without any feare or wit whereby the worst of our ill-willers wheresoever taking but the pains to addresse themselves thither might know al for an easie attention which must needs be half a prevention of the hopes in question Upon the point of our first setting to Sea the Duke out of a distrust of some miserable death that might befall himself in the voyage as of the consideration of being for a time estranged from his effeminate pleasures here at home from which no warlike service could ever with-draw him would willingly have relinquisht his Charge without any allegation either of the weaknes unexperience or insufficiency of his own person but that he was prickt and spurred on to it afresh by the onely perswasion of his Majesty For that the eyes of all the Troops were fixed on him for their Chieftain Vpon this we put forth to Sea and inclined our selves by the Dukes direction to the Island of Rhee or St. Martins Where as well every Mechanick and common Souldiers as Captains and Collonels in our Company knew where our Journey was to end But Lord the Dukes carriage at Sea was obstinate and ridiculous and altogether backward to his faith and credit laid to pawn here at home in his absence for whatsoever the circumspect Commanders under him had propounded as behoovefull he would be sure to gain-say it under a vile penalty to command that no Invention should be so much as set on foot but what proceeded from his study and approbation so to be wholly inriched dignified with the Attribute of compassing all the good fortune that could any way attend the Enterprize as he now contrariwise surfeits of the disgrace The Islanders through the largenes of the Dukes tongue being too inquisitive after their fortifications of divers plaguie Passengers at Sea were acquainted with our meanings long before they saw us and we arrived not there without an unlucky expectation and entertainment After we had viewed the Fort and Scituation we began to demand of the Duke wherein our Country could be advantaged by suppressing such a vast strong ill-favoured place in that the maintenance thereof after our conquest would yearly expend very neer as much as the profit could amount unto To this he replyed that through his own Entreaty upon His Majesties Signing of his Commission he was only put upon this Island which if he should but recover at his return it would redeem all his lost honour at home and so commanded us to intrench our selves We all being confident that the Expression could not but proceed from an undaunted heart some of us presently in a desperate manner went on shore expecting the Duke and his Retinue at our heeles where we were suddenly unawares encountred very sharpely by some Troops of French Horsemen which by means that the Duke kept at Sea and came not in to our succour so oppressed us with their multitude that many of our company in our return to our ships were hewn to pieces or drowned in the water as Sir William Hayden Mr. Temple of Lincoln Inne and many other of good parentage The third day after the repulse we renewed our strength and went all again on shore and there fortified our selves for our most advantage and in short time after so furiously summoned the Island that the Inhabitants were constrained to retire to their Fort as their last refuge to the gates whereof we pursued them with great terror and took some prisoners Then perceiving the strength and compasse of the Fort and understanding that it was well Victualled for a lingring Siege we recoyled back and intrenched our selves anew from the annoy of their Cannon and by degrees we came at last to inviron it almost round as far as it was any way needfull and yet kept out of the danger of their Ordinance still and for a good while deprived them of all succours both by Sea and land and so planted our Battery Thus farre we sped indifferently well having in recompence of our first overthrow gained the Island and put our selves in possession of it The honour and applause whereof detesteth the Duke and his best merits in the whole action and next under God reflects on the Ever-having fame and memory of that Right Valiant and Heroique Gentleman Sir John Burrows by whose onely reach it was compassed and whole act herein since in a calme season he was afterwards trecherously slain deserves if one may say so without presumption to immortallize his Soule The Fort now remaining unyeelded and standing betwixt us and a reasonable Conquest by the powerfull and searching perswasion of Sir John Burrows as well common Souldiers as Captains protested to have too or else to dye in the field which promise the very Flower of all our Commanders there were inforced in the end to make good to the very effusion of their dearest bloud And thus we continued our Battery for above two moneths space and yet in all that time through the extraordinary strength of the place by reason of the Rampiers and Barracadoes that the defendants had new erected within we could make no breach nor take other opportunity to give an assault Whereupon for that our provision held out well it was determined by Sir John Burrowes whose weakest advise at this time the multitude were readier to follow than the best of the Dukes that we should beleagure the round Fort still as we had begun and without a surrender thereof by a long seige should starve up the defendants and all things considered this was the onely way to surprize so impregnable a place The Duke was infinitly incensed with this sway of Sir John-Burrowes and his owne neglect and therefore by degrees hee indeavoured to allure the hearts of the Souldiers from him which bare words could not doe nor bring to passe till he privatly had distributed to some of them assenting the pay of the rest discenting whereupon such a murmuring discontent

arose betwixt the faction of Sir John Burrowes and the Duke that had not Sir John suddenly quieted all by his wisdome we had certainly mutined amongst our selves to all our confusion and so have given the Enemy an occasion of advantage but they seemed to be reconciled and new celebrated the amity the same night by a private Supper in the Dukes Tent But such is the malice of a vindicative heart that it is never appeased but remaines still inexorable and devilish For the next morning Sir John Burrows according to his daily wont surveying his own Trenches and being cleare out of all danger of the Fort was in an instant stricken dead in the place with a musket shot by an unknown hand and so gives up his spotlesse soul into the joyes of Heaven that had never done but good on earth The newes and manner of this bred a new hurly burley in the Campe and ready we were to dye againe upon each others swords but through fresh rewards from the Duke to some and Lord like meanes to other some that had been formerly rewarded all were once more quieted and our provision was much lessened whereupon my Lord of Holland was sent to for our releife but came not About this time there was news that the French King approached with releife for the Fort and to raise our seig wherupon the Duke for the safeguard of his owne person wheras his retinew were the strongest already withdrew two of the best Regim from the sure places wher Sir John Burrows had formerly allotted them for his own defence in particular and so left al manlesse which the French Convoyes perceiving entred there the same night releived the Fort in abundance both with fresh soldier and provision and so nightly for a week together came under our noses with the like stuffe and yet the Duke would not suffer us to encounter them pretending that hee feared the French King at his backe when alas there was neither King nor French Army there When the Fort was as well manned as victualed the defendants began divers times to confront and brave us before their maine sally out yet this our Generall would neither permit us to incounter them nor at last to continue our battery so that in a very discontented manner we lay idle riotously consuming the remainder of His Majesties allowance without attempting any thing worth the while Insomuch that I my selfe impartially demanded of the Duke what he would doe with us whether he longed to inthrall us to his owne ignoble pleasure or to starve us up instead of the defendants but could draw no other answer from him but that he was our General and so we should know it by the strict hand he would carry over us And for our further proceedings against the Fort wee should goe on in our idlenesse till wee heard further from him Wee that were Colonels and prime Officers under him could hardly brook this his untoward carirage as raw meat on our stomachs yet for quietnesse sake to repell mutenies in the Camp we smothered our grudge without any appearance of heart burning to the multitude and so lay expecting a miserable successe of all our undertakings Afterwards the Duke told us that he had secret intelligence out of the Fort that most of their best Souldiers had conveied themselves away by night for feare of a new supply by my Lord of Holland and that the Remnant if we lay still intrencht would shortly become our Vassals which news being confirmed with as large protestations as could proceed from the heart of any Christian man made us so farre to credit him as to lie secure and to presume that this once done would make us all as happy as our confidence in his word could any wayes make us miserable by the contrary The very next morning after this consultation which fell out to be the day of doom to most of us the Duke being sensible of his perfideous dealings that was the day the Defendants would encounter us to death notwithstanding what his engagement for our safety had formerly bin to the contrary privily in his Tent by the help of his faction attired one of his own followers every way much resembling himself in his warlike habit colours with instructions suitable to the deceipt and then disguised as a faint and impotent souldier got himself a Shipboard and not onely left us ignorant of the bloody intent towards us but also made us uncapable to prevent it when we should Immediatly upon this we suspecting as little this treachery as that which came of it the defendants numberlesse sallied out and with such violence and fury assayled us in our Trenches they taking most of us unarmed and daunted with the sight of the multitude that wee were glad to fly for our lives Which retreat cost most of us our lives as the assault and both fel out in the end to make up a conquest to the French an absolute overthrow to us The wildnesse of my Lord Mountjoyes horse was the cause of his surprizall and as well of the death of some of our own men for that he not onely avoyded the Enemies charge but confusedly ranne upon and beat back divers of our best horses which otherwise to the very death would have stood it out In our flight we aimed at a certain narrow bridge over agreat River which if we could have recovered and passed we had stopt the pursuit of our Enemies but through their pollicy we were prevented by their overturning a loded Cart there beforehand which we must either climbe over or leape into the River or salt-pits which most of our Company being unable to doe were instantly hewen in peeces Sir Charles Rich and others of great esteeme who in the very deadly extremity were offered quarter but would not rather chusing to dye honourably then longer to live with infamy and torment I my selfe perceiving the folly of resisting any longer having one of the best Horses in the Company was forced to take an infirme Salt-pit where both my selfe and my horse stuck fast in the ground and where I had suddenly a gashly wound in the legge with a Bullet and so I lay struggling for life Lord Lord me thought what paine it was to dye so and divers of our Company and Commanders were in the like distresse But in the end the French horsemen wanting shot to reach us in the water by the valiancy of the poore remainder of our souldiers that were gotten over the Cart wee were dragged a shoare and so being at that time unpursued were conveyed out of danger During the time of our conflict our counterfeit Generall fought very resolutely and got a gash or two in his shoulder for his pains and labour which before we knew the deceit made us notwithstanding our losses to commend him for a valourous Commander but through the Dukes back wardnes some of those that were trusted with the knowledge of this Villany we

understood it all in two dayes after in our comfortlesse journey homewards and we had thereupon presently mortalized his carkasse for amends but that upon a more mature deliberation we thought it fitter to let him die at home by the inquestionable hand of the Parliament so he himself could not take this as his preservation but as his reservation to a more infamous end And truely should the revenge of the Parliaments almost extremity seize upon him it would be but correspondent to his merits that would find in his heart to lye secure himself and all the while to see us that were his charge knocked down and slaughtered like dogges O let him go to the grave and let no man stay him for it is a sin to pity him in his worst estate My Lord Mountjoy was the onely man of note of our party that accepted Quarter and was since very honourably ransomed and sent home againe which proceeded more from the Heroique clemency of the French King then for any desert either of his own or ours One of our French prisoners that we have taken at our first encounter confessed to me in our return homewards that had Sir John Burrowes lived one two dayes longer the Defendants were concluded to have given up the Fort and all the treasure in it to our disposure in respect they had so miserable experience of his vigilant intercepting of all their convoyes and stopping of their passages And therefore this reach could not but redownd to their utter confusion in the end unlesse they submitted themselves betimes but the news of his death was joyous unto them as it was grievous unto us and made them resolve to dye in their own defences but the mistake at last cost most of us our lives And this is the whole description of our mis-fortunes which upon a due consideration I think must needs provoke the poorest affected of our nation to indevour a revenge to be done In all our future Voyages he must and will be still our Generall and then to thrive at least after the old fashion we must assure our selves We have not been a little famous in France for Conquest heretofore with a few but God Almighty is omnipotent and just and we now see it is his pleasure to make us all to suffer for the sin and lascivious life of this one man His will be done in all And if we can we must be content besides too notwithstanding he hath been the death of divers of the nobility the unlucky overthrow of all our late voyages The unknown consumer of our Treasury and the utter confusion of the poore Protestants in France now daily massacred without all pity through their needlesse defence of their Religion Yet it is the Kings pleasure still to afford him his wonted grace and connivance for all this And Treason it is apparent to denounce him faulty in any thing But let his Majesty look to it for his longer sheltring of this rich Traytor and false-hearted man both to God and his Country which will be the ruine both of himself and his kingdom at last yet then I have hope out of the integrity of his heart now whilest it is called to day and before the evill day come he will give him over to the Parliament whilst it is of strength to punish him And that they for their parts will send him to H. without any more adoe If any hereafter shall maligne or goe about to disprove me in any one of these points so I may be unquestionable for this presumption I will notwithstanding my lamenesse maintaine all upon notice to his face to the expence of my dearest blood In the interim I expect good news from the Parliament by the next faire wind FINIS