An Exact DIARY OF THE Late Expedition OF His Illustrious Highness THE Prince of Orange Now KING of Great Britain From his Palace at the HAGVE To his Landing at TORBAY And from thence To his Arrival at WHITE-HALL Giving a particular ACCOUNT Of all that happened and every Day 's March. By a Minister Chaplain in the ARMY LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin near the Black Bull in the Old-Baily M DC LXXXIX Licens'd April 23. 1689. JA. FRASER AN Exact Diary of the late Expedition OF HIS ILLUSTRIOUS HIGHNESS THE Prince of Orange INTO ENGLAND TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM Earl of Bedford WILLIAM Earl of Portland HENRY Viscount Sidney of Sheppy AND Sir JOHN MAYNARD One of the Lords Commissioners of the GREAT SEAL My LORDS WHen I seriously reflect upon the stupendious Providence of the Almighty in bringing to pass the late and unpresidented Undertaking of his Highness the Prince of Orange now King of Great Britain I cannot do less than Commemorate those Noble Persons that both favour'd and joyn'd in so good a Work among whom your Honours had a considerable share which made me prefume to lay this short Compendium of that Expedition at your Feet humbly craving your candid Acceptation and Patronage of it tho' not varnish'd with quaintness of Phrase or Elegancy of Wit and Rhetorick but in a lame and plain Stile Your Honours are not insensible how near we were to Ruine nor how his Sacred Majesty King WILLIAM hazarded all that was dear for our good which should oblige the most ungrateful to make some answerable returns of Gratitude and Loyalty Your Honours have fully convinced the World of your uprightness and steadiness in this Cause All that I can say cannot add to but will rather detract from your Honours innate Worth and Goodness I heartily wish this good Work so far already advanced may be fully compleated so that we may have no reason to fear a relapse And that the God of Heaven may preserve our gracious King and Queen and prosper their good Intentions with suitable success and convert all their Enemies or make them fall before them is the daily Prayers of May it please your Honours your Honours most Humble and most Obedient Servant JOHN WHITTLE AN Exact Diary of the late Expedition OF HIS ILLUSTRIOUS HIGHNESS THE Prince of Orange Now KING of Great Britain HIS Illustrious Highness the Prince of Orange who is of a truth another Joshua in his undaunted Spirit and Magnanimity for the Lord's Cause and prosperous Conduct of his People Israel Another good Josiah in doing that which is right in the sight of God destroying Idolatry while he was yet young Another David or man after God's own heart and a zealous Defender of that Faith which is truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolical receiving an account of the exceeding great Cruelty and Barbarity of Roman Catholicks in France towards all them that professed the true Reform'd Religion or the Protestant Faith in that Kingdom and that indeed without any regard to the Hoary head thô found in the way of Righteousness which is a Crown of Honour without any respect to Sex or poor innocent Babes which could not discern between their right and left hands and not only hearing of their unheard-of Cruelty but even beholding daily at the Court and about his own Sacred Person not a few who had sometime been the Objects of their Direfulness and undergone to their great sorrow their Barbarity among many others a pious aged Minister of the Gospel whom for adhering to the Truth and holding fast the profession of his Faith without wavering these Sons of Belial took and bound fast unto a large Spit and turn'd him as a Pig at a great Fire after a direful manner until he was near half roasted alive insomuch that his Eyes were almost ready to drop out of his Head his Bloud in the Veins much dried his Sinews not a little scorch'd and the poor man a meer Cripple at this very day as may be seen by the curious Inquisitors althô God who is faithful did not suffer him to be tempted above what he enabled him to bear and in his appointed time made a way for him to escape their cruel Hands so much embrued in the Bloud of the Saints and in the Bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus And besides this Minister many of both Sexes who had been tormented by their cruel Hands Men who had been bound fast with Cords while their own Wives were most immodestly used and entreated and then assassinated before their sorrowful eyes Women who had been violently held while the tender Bowels of their own dear Husbands were ript out even before their faces running down with tears and the sucking Infant cruelly murdered in the arms of its Mother that bear it to the breaking of many womens hearts Nay so exceeding great was the Cruelty and Barbarity of these Bloud-thirsty Papists towards the Protestants there that no Pen is able to delineate it or any Tongue express it and very few English hearts capable of conceiving it our Nation God be praised being unacquainted with such abominable Practices Now as was said the Prince of Orange hearing and beholding their cursed Facts was exceedingly concern'd for Jerusalem because he had a real love for her and therefore this good Josiah's heart did even melt within him and he harbour'd and succour'd very many of these poor and deplorable Protestants who were under so sore a Tryal How did he long to have these Sons of Satan vanquisht and the Walls of Jerusalem rebuilt and therefore did not count his own Life dear to him that he might cause the true Spouse of Christ to rest securely And verily we may hope that Babylon's fall draws near and that the Kings of the Earth who have committed Fornication with her shall partake of her Misery and see her Plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine Without doubt those many thousands of Souls under the Altar which were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held do cry continually with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Nebuchadnezzar the Great may before seven times pass over him be driven to confess saying As I have done to the Saints so God hath requited me and the same measure that my cruel People measured to the Protestants in my Land is now meeted to my Popish Realm But for us of this Kingdom and Nation we may well rejoyce in God that made us in God that redeem'd us in God that sanctified us and all his Elect in God who hath so lately delivered us out of the hands of our implacable Enemies when we were as Sheep appointed to the slaughter We ought to extol him that rideth upon the Heavens by his Name Jah and rejoyce before him And well may our Nation be right joyful in our King and Queen by whom Jerusalem
and Exeter about five miles off the City sundry Companies of young Men met them with each a Club in his Hand and as they approched near they gave sundry Shouts and Huzza's saying God bless the Prince of Orange and grant him victory over all his Enemies We are his true Servants and came to fight for him as long as we are able So we all bid them welcome Here the Army passed by a Popish Lady's House which was cruel to all her Protestant Tenants she forced some to turn Papists or Apostates But had the French King's Army passed thus by a Protestant House it should soon have been fired the People put to the Sword or burnt But we have not so learn'd Christ nor been thus taught by his Ministers in our Land for no Man molested this House nor did any visit it unless a Captain and some Gentlemen which would have bought themselves Horses there having lost their own at Sea and so constrained to walk on foot till they could supply themselves with more It must needs be acknowledged by all People that his Highness took special care in marching of the Army that no Disorders should be committed and never better Order could be kept in any Army than in this as all sorts of Men confess Nay they told us at Exeter that when we were there the City was more quiet in the Night and freer from debauch'd and disorderly Persons than 't was before The poor Souldiers began now to grow lame and so marched slip-shod which was irksome After the Prince of Orange had tarried two or three Nights at Sir Will. Courtney's he with a brave Train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen to attend him rode unto Exeter they long'd much for his coming It was a very wet and rainy Day when he came into Exeter with his Army The manner of his coming into this City being so glorious was long since published so that I shall not speak much about it The Guards rode some before and some behind him with their Swords drawn their Colours flying Kettle-Drums beating and Trumpets sounding joyfully their Officers courteously bowing unto the People all sorts and conditions of Men thronging on each side the Streets making great Acclamations and Huzza's as the Prince passed by The Windows of every House were extreamly crowded and beautified the Bells ringing The Foot Souldiers did not appear well because they were sorely weather-beaten and much dabled in marching in the Dirt and Rain and look'd very pale and thin after such a hard days march which made some People conjecture that they were dull sluggish Men. As the Prince of Orange was riding thus towards the Deanary through the City attended with Mareschal Schomberg Count Solms Count Nassau Heer Zulustein Heer Bentein the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Macclesfield Lord Viscount Mordant Lord Wiltshire Earl of Argile Colonel Sidney Sir Rowland Guyn and divers other Lords Knights and Gentlemen Such was the Resolution and Desire of an old Woman to seé the Prince that she throng'd in amongst the Horse Guards and tho she was divers times in Jeopardy of her Life yet for all says she I will see him tho it cost me my Life so coming at length to him she touched his Hand and said I pray God bless you Sir and so was thrust away by the Guards but as she was going from him she put her Hand to her Heart and spake out aloud Now my very Soul within me is the better for seeing him at which Speech and Humour of this Woman his Highness himself seem'd to smile After the Prince was come unto the Deanary and had refresh'd himself with all his Lords and Gentlemen then was he pleased to go and render his hearty Thanks to Almighty God in the Cathedral Church for his safe Arrival and the whole Fleet. The People thronged the Streets to see him as he went and crouded the Quire where he was to come very much Now there were sundry Men with Holbards who cleared the way besides Sentinels So being conducted to the Bishop's Seat he sat down with about six of his Life-Guar-dMen on his Right-hand and many more before him and about him in the Quire. As he came all along the Body of the Church the Organs played very sweetly tho 't was not the right Organist himself he being gone aside on purpose as I was inform'd there And being sat the Quire began and sung Te Deum for the safe Arrival of the Prince of Orange and his Army in England as also for his whole Fleet After the Collects were ended the Reverend Dr. Burnet began to read the Declaration of his Highness William Henry by the Grace of God Prince of Orange c. Of the Reasons inducing him to appear in Arms in the Kingdom of England for preserving of the Protestant Religion and for the restoring the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland c. At the very beginning of which Declaration the Ministers of the Church there present rushed immediately out of their Seats and busled through all the Croud going out of the Church the People remained and were very attentive to the Doctor 's reading and the Declaration being ended he said God save the Prince of Orange unto which the major part of the Multitude answered Amen So his Highness return'd to the Deanary the People ecchoing forth Huzza's as he went along Another Evening at Service one of the Ministers reading that Prayer for the pretended Prince of Wales a certain Noble-Man or two being present stood up at the same and put on their Hats Kneeling down to all the other Collects and this they did to demonstrate their Abhorrence of it The Right Reverend Bishop of this place and Diocess as soon as he had learn'd for certain that the Prince of Orange was-landed with an Army at Tor-Bay in Devonshire took his Coach and came up to give the late King James Information thereof for which he gave him the Bishoprick of York The Reverend Dean likewise took his Coach and went about six or seven Miles in the Country where he remain'd some days but returned unto his own House or Deanary before the Prince came away for we tarried at Exeter many days to refresh the Army after it had been so long on Ship-board and to recover the Horses to their former Strength as also for the Gentlemen of the Country thereabout to come and joyn his Highness there The Train of Artillery Magazine and the whole Baggage of the Army was brought hither by Water there were one and twenty good Brass Pieces for the Field divers of which were too heavy for those Roads and more than sixteen Horses could draw Arms for sundry thousand Men were now given out here which we brought with us out of Holland The first Sunday after the Prince was come unto Exeter being Novemb. 11. the Reverend Dr. Burnet preached before him at the Cathedral Church in the Morning the Quire and Body thereof being extreamly throng'd with
House they concluded 't was their best course to call and drink there because it shew'd well to the Eye and People all along were very kind to the Souldiers and would make them drink and in many Places eat Hereupon these Straglers went to the House and asked for some Beer and the People there made them eat and drink freely saying Their Master had provided for them After they had eat and drank they hastned towards their Regiments lest the Enemies Party should happen to meet them Being come a little more than a quarter of a mile from the House they grew suddenly so weak and faint that they were not able to go any farther so they lay down under a Tree not suspecting what was the matter As they were in this desperate condition by meer Providence there came a Surgeon-Major that way who espying some Souldiers supposed they were some of the Prince of Orange's Men he went to speak with them and seeing them look so fearfully their Eyes being prodigiously swell'd he ask'd presently What was the matter with them or what did ail them they told him they knew not only they had eat and drank at the Gentleman's House behind pointing to the House The Surgeon having heard of their evil Preparations prepared immediately an Antidote and gave directions what they must do whereupon they presently began to vomit and after some time they waxed a little better and made shift to get to the Waggons which carried sick Souldiers and were under the Surgeon-Major's Hands for some time At the very next Town called Yetminster one Souldier died in the Night and none could tell what was the matter with him being very well when he went to bed which Souldier I buried there according to our Liturgy The others that were poisoned were strangely altered their Eyes being swell'd after an odd manner Now the Army being advanced near Sarum and the first Line being in the City the second at Wiltion and the Towns adjacent and the Rear Line at Tevent and Dinton one Line about two or three miles off the City and the other about seven or eight The Prince of Orange with his Highness the Prince of Denmark his Grace the Duke of Ormond Mareschal Schomberg Count Solms Count Nassau Heer Zulustein Heer Benting Heer Overkirk the Earl of Shrewsbury Lord Viscount Mordant the Earl of Macclesfield Lord Wiltshire Lord Cornbury Lord Colchester and sundry other Lords Sir Will. Portman Sir Rowland Gwynn Col. Sidney and many other Knights and Gentlemen rode into the famous City of Salisbury The manner of their Entrance into this City was far more glorious than that of Exeter For here the Mayor and Aldermen met his Highness the Prince of Orange in all their Formalities First of all marched the Regiment of Foot Guards belonging to Count Solms with their Colours flying Drums beating Hoitboys playing the People thronging in the Street and making great Acclamations Next some Troops of Horse with their Kettle-Drums beating Colours flourishing Trumpets sounding the Officers shewing their Courtesy to the People Then came his Highness the Prince of Orange with the Prince of Denmark on his right Hand and the Duke of Ormond on his Left. Never were Windows more crowded with Faces of both Sexes than here never were Bells ringing more melodiously than now at Sarum never were People shouting and ecchoing forth Huzza's in the Air more than now The Bishop's Palace there being the best and most meet place both the Princes rode thither altho afterwards his Highness Prince George went to the Quarters assign'd him The Princess Ann of Denmark was gone into the North with the Ladys Churchil and Berkley and the R. R. Bishop of London to those Forces there in Arms for the Prince of Orange And hearing that the Army was advanced to Sarum she came unto the City of Oxford where Prince George met her Royal Highness and conducted her safe to London having a Dutch Guard appointed them by the Prince of Orange The late King James's Army was now much broken most of the Protestant Officers and Souldiers come away and join'd his Highness's Forces So 't was apparent to all Men there would be no Field Battel Whilst the Prince of Orange remained in this City there was great resort from all the Country round about to see him who was the Nation 's Joy and the Peoples Delight because he had done so great Things for our Land And such was his exceeding wise Conduct that the the effusion of much Blood was prevented After some stay here the Prince of Orange went to Amsbury attended with the Duke of Ormond and many of the English Nobility and Gentry besides Dutch Scotch and French The first Line was advanced towards the most renowned City of London a considerable way the Roads here being good for marching And as the Regiments marched over the Plains they made pleasant Figures sometimes marching in Battalia and sometimes in a Line The Weather now was very favourable and the way very good And being to march near one of the Wonders of the World called Stonehenge most Regiments made an halt to view this strange Sight none that saw it could render any satisfactory Account concerning it Certain Officers ask'd the Minister of Amsbury what was his Opinion because they presumed 't was within the Bounds of his Parish who told them that he supposed it to be a Trophy or Monument erected in token of some notable Victory which was obtain'd there I must confess this is the general Opinion of the greatest Antiquaries of our Nation The Custom of erecting a Trophy or Monument in token of Victory is of great Antiquity and first began among the Greeks who used in that place where the Enemies were vanquish'd to cut down the Boughs of great Trees and in the Stocks or Bodies of them to hang up Armour or other Spoils taken from the Enemy Others argued strongly that these prodigious Stones were brought out of Ireland by Merlin's Magical Art and so curiously fram'd and put together To corroborate this Opinion they assured us that a piece broken off from these Stones and put into the Wall of any Well or cast into the Water shall for certain kill and destroy all the venemous Creatures therein To proceed the Army moved daily according to the Motion of his Highness who rode from Amsbury unto a certain Gentleman's House near Collingburn The late King James being almost past all hopes sent the Marquess of Hallifax Earl of Nottingham and the Lord Godolphin as Commissioners to treat with the Prince of Orange immediately and a Trumpeter was sent down to know his Highness's pleasure Whether he would admit of them as such And his Highness was pleased to grant them leave The place appointed them was Hungerford His Highness with all his Nobles c. went to Littlecott December 8 and remain'd there the Morrow being the Lord's Day for the Army never march'd on that Day but once in case of Necessity that the Souldiers should
lay the Peace and Security of the Cities of London and Westminster by taking care to disarm all Papists and secure all Jesuits and Romish Priests and in all things endeavour to promote his Highness's generous Intentions This Declaration they ordered to be presented to his Highness by the Earl of Pembrook the Lord Viscount Weymouth the Lord Bishop of Ely the Lord Culpeper The same Day the Lieutenancy of the City of London met there also and agreed upon and signed an humble Address to be presented to his Highness by a Committee appointed viz. Sir Robert Clayton Sir William Russel Sir Basil Firebrass Kts. and Charles Duncome Esq The substance of which Address was to acknowledg the great Danger his Illustrious Highness had expos'd himself to both by Sea and land for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom and the happy Relief he had brought to us and therefore they humbly desired that his Highness would be pleased to repair unto the City of London with all the convenient speed he could for perfecting the great Work He had so happily begun to the general Joy and Satisfaction of all The same day the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled agreed on and signed an Address to be presented to his Highness the Prince of Orange the Contents whereof was To acknowledg the peril his Highness had exposed himself to both by Sea and Land and the happy Deliverance he had brought to our Nation and therefore they in the name of their Capital City did implore his Highness's Protection and did humbly beseech his Highness to vouchsafe to repair to the City where his Highness should be received with universal Joy and Satisfaction All which Addresses were presented to his Highness the Prince of Orange by the Persons appointed the 14th of December at Henly being accompanied with a great number of Citizens c. But whilst all this was transacting the late King was surprised at Feversham in Kent in a small Vessel his Guards and Coach was sent for him and he returned to Whitehal Sunday Dec. 16. about six of the Clock in the Afternoon which was some surprise to the Prince of Orange however he pursued his Journey to London and from Henley went to Windsor and set up his Standard where we shall humbly crave the liberty to leave his Highness at this famous Castle with all the Nobility and Gentry attending him and proceed with his Highness's Puissant Army for a while The Rear Regiments coming up some were quartered in one Village and some in another at Tylehurston the Regiment of the Right Honourable Colonel Sidney commanded by the Honourable Colonel Cutts was now alarm'd that the Irish were coming and had burnt Kingston upon Thames putting Man Woman and Child to the Sword and that part of these Tories were gone unto Basing-stoke to do the fame there insomuch that a certain Person who was an Inhabitant of that Town was constrained to keep away from the Place and come to the Regiments There was now riding and posting from one Town to another all the Night long and People every where in a kind of confusion As part of our Regiments of Horse were coming to Reading the Irish Souldiers gave out great swelling Words and lofty Speeehes how they would hack them to pieces there and how they would defend the seven Bridges This was on the Lord's Day and as we were informed there by divers Persons of Credit they designed to massacre the People at their Worship had they not been prevented which obliged the Inhabitants to send to the advanc'd part of the Prince's Army then a few miles distant who readily came to their Assistance being conducted a by-way into the Town and fought so courathat in a few minutes they put the Irish to flight took some and kill'd about 20 upon the place with the loss only of the Officer that led them and the Guide that conducted them into the Town At Maidenhead there was such another Action performed by the Irish as we heard there from a Worthy Divine The Irish perceiving the Army of the Prince of Orange advanced so fast and with such speed towards London perswaded the late King James to fortify Maidenhead-Bridg it being the ready Road and a difficult Post to be taken Therefore in a new Brick House which is built between the Bridg and Town they made sundry Port-holes for their great Guns and put new Pales to blind them and sundry places above to shoot with Musquets And on the middle of the Bridg they planted a great Gun or two and here they were resolved to maul the Prince's Army as they said Indeed those that understand Fortification well have presumed that the Passage there might be so fortified that thousands of Men should not win it because the Water ran in the Road-way a considerable length or some hundred Yards and the Bridg is so narrow that a Man can hardly go along without falling except he hold by the Rails the Water too being up to a Man's middle here in the Road at the lowest Ebb So the Irish bravadoing here at this Post what they would do certain worthy Persons there consulted together how to disperse the Irish or cause them to go away for they perceived well the Hearts of all Protestants were set upon his Highness their Deliverer under God and by his Blessing and the End of their Consultation was this Sundry Persons of Courage and Resolution should go in the Dark about Midnight having each of them an old Barrel or an old Kettle standing at a certain equal distance from each other they should beat the Dutch March Which Stratagem took goodeffect for these Men being got within a small distance of the Irish began to beat a Dutch March they no sooner heard it but were prodigiously surprized crying Hark Hark and another presently made answer God damn my Blood if it be not the Dutch come upon us and forthwith they began to run and hasten away without minding their great Guns or taking away any thing nay happy was that Man that could get before his Comrade and whither they went no Man could tell So the Souldiers belonging to his Highness coming to Maiden-head hearing of this Exploit highly commended both the Contrivers and Actors in it brought away the Guns and all that was left to Windsor-Castle And so I have done with both the Armies in relation to Skirmishes or Actions His Highness being now at Windsor with all his Nobility and Gentry about him the Citizens of London flock'd mightily to visit Him and congratulate his safe Arrival so far The Army being now all about Windsor and the adjacent Towns and Villages the Souldiers through the perswasions of the Country People kill'd and destroy'd hundreds of Deer in the Forest and hundreds more had been destroy'd if so be his Highness had not given out his Royal Order to the contrary The Irish Tories
his Highness the Prince of Orange was inform'd thereof who suddenly gave order for all the smaller Vessels to come into Habour The Men of War weighed their Anchors and sail'd to a far more safe and commodious place for anchorage in case of a Storm for every man saw the Weather was unsetled and the Air very troublesom The second place where they rode at Anchor was between Holland and Zeeland about two or three leagues from the shore or coast In this place they did ride at Anchor certain days but while they were here the Weather grew stormy and one night the Winds were so very high and the Air so tempestuous and stormy shaking the very Houses and People in their Beds insomuch that many judged it to be a Earthquake the whole Fleet was in great peril and after this various false Reports were spread all over the Netherlands without all doubt broach'd by the Enemies to this Expedition who trumpetted it about for to amuse the vulgar People That the Anchors and Cables of the Men of War were broken in the Storm as if they had been a needleful of Thread so that all the Ships were driven here and there some to one shore and some on another Coast and as yet they were not heard of Which Fables did startle the poor ignorant sort and they knew not what to judge or say others who were more discreet and understood better the Holland manner of Ships and the Art of Navigation soon made answer to this Sham of the Papists That there was no question by the blessing of God but that the Men of War were all well and safe because they were able to ride the Storm out having good new Anchors and Cables and if any Anchor or Cable should happen to break these Ships could live well enough in the greatest Tempest provided they have but sufficient Sea-room And such was God's good providence that all the Ships receiv'd very little or no dammage only a certain old Fire-Ship which was soon chang'd for another that being sent to be mended The common thing every morning which was most us'd was first to go and see how the Wind sate and if there were any probability of a change When any person came unto a house in the heart of their City concerning any manner of business the very first Question by all was Sir I pray how is the Wind to day Are we likely to get an Easterly Wind ere long Pray God send it and such like The Ministers themselves pray'd That God would be pleas'd for to grant an East wind Others a favourable Wind that might bring his Illustrious Highness the Prince of Orange with his whole Fleet which now attended him unto the desired Haven for nothing could possibly be more desired than a fair Wind for the Navy by all sorts and conditions of men except Papists There was a Report here that the Jesuits had promised the late K. James that the Westerly Wind should continue until Christmas but this was false every man knows After some time that the Weather had been so tempestuous it began for to settle and God sent us an East Wind to the exceeding great joy of all our hearts in Holland and the Vnited Provinces nay it blew a fresh Gale day by day and continued favourable that quarter of the Moon which caused our people to work day and night that we might be under sail The Prince of Orange order'd every Officer now for to go on board the Ships with their Men and expedited every thing to the Fleet with as much speed as men could make but so many things were to be done it was not possible we could be making sail such great Bodies always moving very slowly according to the Saying Some Regiments were expected down the River and those being come every thing was sent to the Fleet as Provision for one month the Artillery Magazine Powder Ball Match Tents Tent-polls Stocking-axes Spades and all sorts of Utensils convenient in War and then Hay and Provender for the Horses Fresh Water and a hundred things more which do not now occur to my memory The Wind continuing East the Horses began to be shipp'd at Rotterdam which was a sign they were almost ready So his Highness the Prince of Orange was pleased to take his leave of the High and Mighty Lords the States of Holland and West Friezland who most heartily desired that God would preserve him and bless him with Victory over his Enemies and give him joyful Success in his great Undertaking for the good of the Protestant Church in general but more especially those in England Scotland and Ireland The people every-where began to be exceeding sorrowful for the loss of so Vertuous and so Religious a Prince from among them and very many would weep bitterly at the thoughts of his departure because all honest good men loved him extraordinarily and now his Health is drank by every Gentleman and Schipper Mate and Boy and his prosperous Voyage The Horses being most of shipped the Guards began to come So upon Friday-night all things were ready on board and the Fleet prepared to sail only it waited for the coming of his Highness The number of our Capital Ships or Men of War was about Fifty which were very well rig'd mann'd and provided with all things requisite the number of our Fire-Ships was about Five and twenty lesser Men of War or Frigats about Six and twenty the number of Merchant Ships Pinks Flyboats and others was about Three hundred and odd so the total number of the Fleet as they sailed from the Brill was about Four hundred and odd Ships But at our setting out the second time at Hellevoot-Sluys there were near an hundred Vessels more which were Schievelingers or Boats which the Fisher-men of Schieveling went to Sea in as we shall shew by and by But to proceed The Prince of Orange having taken his Farewel of the States assembled at the Hague went unto Houslaerdyke where he dined with many of his Lords and after Dinner on Saturday Oct. 19. old stile Oct 29. new stile being unwilling for to lose this fair Easterly Wind which did blow all the week so freshly attended with Mareschal Schomberg Count Nassau Count Solms the Heer Van Zulustein the Heer Bentink the Heer Overkirk the Earl of Shrewsbury Viscount Mordant the Lord Wiltshire Earl of Macclessield Earl of Argyle with many other English and Scotch Dutch and French Lords Knights and Gentlemen he went in a very rich Yacht unto Moseland Sluys Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange came in another attended with her Ladies of Honour Here his Illustrious Highness took his Farewel of his most entirely beloved Consort the Princess who was not a little troubled and grieved for to part with her dearest Lord and Prince which caused the Tears to distil from her precious Eyes like so many Pearls so she return'd with her Maids of Honour unto Houslaerdyke again but the Prince sail'd unto the
Ground upon the top of the Hill and found the most commodious place for all his Army to encamp he then gave Orders for every thing and so returned down the Hill unto the Fishermens little Houses One of which he made his Palace at that time instead of those at Loo Honslerdyke and the Hague The Horse Guards and some Foot were round about him at other Houses and a strong Guard but a little below the House wherein his Highness was All the Lords were quartered up and down at these Fishermens Houses whereof these poor Men were glad Now the Camp began to be fill'd with Officers and Souldiers for no Officer must move from his Company or Post The Foot Guards belonging to the Prince of Orange did encamp within an Inclosure of plowed Land about which there was a natural Fence good Hedges and little Stone Walls so that no Horse could touch them Count Solms being their Colonel or Commander Count Nassaw's Regiment encamp'd in another Craft or Inclosure joyning to that of the Guards having the like Fence about it as before The Regiment belonging unto Colonel Fagell encamp'd in a Craft or Inclosure next to that of Count Nassau and so all the English Dutch French and Scots encamp'd according to the aforesaid manner The Souldiers were marching into the Camp all hours in the Night and if any straggled from their Companies it was no easy matter to find them in the dark amongst so many thousands so that continually some or other were lost and enquiring after their Regiments It was a cold frosty Night and the Stars twinkl'd exceedingly besides the Ground was very wet after so much Rain and ill Weather the Souldiers were to stand to their Arms the whole Night at least to be all in a readiness if any thing should happen or the Enemy make an Assault and therefore sundry Souldiers went to fetch some old Hedges and cut down green Wood to burn therewith to make some Fire Now one Regiment beginning all the rest soon followed their Example Those that had Provision in their Snap-facks as most of the Souldiers had did broil it at the Fire and others went into the Villages thereabouts to buy some fresh Provisions for their Officers being we were newly come from Sea but alas here was little Provision to be gotten There was a little Ale-house amongst the Fishermens Houses which was so extreamly throng'd and crowded that a Man could not thrust in his Head nor get Bread or Ale for Mony. It was a happy time for the Landlord who strutted about as if indeed he had been a Lord himself because he was honoured with Lords Company On the Morrow after we landed when all the Souldiers were encamp'd the Prince with sundry Noblemen rode and viewed each Regiment and then return'd to Dinner at this little House The Number of his Highness's Regiments landed here at this Bay was about six and twenty the number of Officers about one thousand the number of Field-Officers about seventy eight The number of all his Forces and Souldiers about fifteen thousand four hundred and odd Men. You might have seen several hundred Fires all at once in this Encampment which must needs signify to the Country round about that we were landed The Prince here was pleased to accept of Peoples Good-Will for the Deed because things were not here to be bought for Mony no Market-Town being near Many People from all the adjacent places came flocking to see Prince of Orange The Horses were landed with all the speed that might be and truly were much out of order and sorely bruised not able to find their Legs for some days Every thing that was of present use was posted to shoar but the Artillery Magazine and all sorts of Baggage and cumbersom things were left on Shipboard and order'd to meet us at Exeter Upon Wednesday about Noon Order was given to march towards Exeter and so every Souldier was commanded by their Officers to carry something or other besides his own Arms and Snap-sack and this made many murmur exceedingly Sundry scores of Horses were thrown over-board which died at Sea so that by just Computation the Prince lost about six hundred Horse at the least by the Storm As we marched here upon good Ground the Souldiers would stumble and sometimes fall because of a dissiness in their Heads after they had been so long toss'd at Sea the very Ground seem'd to rowl up and down for some days according to the manner of the Waves Therefore it was the Lord's Goodness that our Foes did not come upon us in this Juncture and unfit Condition The whole Army marched all the same way in a manner which made very ill for the Rear Regiments and cast them much behind Many Country People which met us did not know what to say or think being afraid that we should be served as the D. of Monmouth's handful of Men were Notwithstanding some were so couragious as to speak out and say truly their Hearts were for us and went along with us and pray'd for the Prince of Orange but they said the Irish would come and cut them in pieces if it should be known Some Souldiers asked them if they would go with them against the Papists and many answered they were enough themselves and wanted no more His Highness with Mareschal Scomberg Count Solms Count Nassau Heer Benting Heer Zulustein Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Macclesfield Viscount Mordant Lord Wiltshire and divers others Knights and Gentlemen came in the Rear of the middle Line for as soon as we could conveniently we were to march in three Lines and the Prince was commonly or always in the middlemost Line which was the meetest place So he went unto a certain Gentleman's House about two little Miles off where the last Line encamp'd the second Night and lodged there his own Guards being with him This first day we marched some hours after Night in the Dark and Rain the Lanes hereabout were very narrow and not used to Wagons Carts or Coaches and therefore extream rough and stony which hindred us very much from making any speed Divers of the Dutch-men being unaccustomed to such bad ways and hard marching in the Dirt wish'd themselves back again in their own Country and murmured because of the Dark and Rain At length we came to the Corn-stubble Inclosures on the side of a Hill where we encamp'd that Night It was a red Clay and it rain'd very hard the greatest part of the Night the Winds being high and stormy Nevertheless the poor Souldiers being much wearied with the Tent-Polls spare Arms and other Utensils for War which they had carried all Day and some hours after Night as well as with the badness of the March lay down to take their Repose and verily the Water run over and under some of their Legs the major part of the Night and their Heads Backs and Arms sunck deep into the Clay being so very wet and soft notwithstanding they slept all Night