longer able to make resistance yet was so obstinately bent to fight that he would take no quarter and would have killed with his own hand 3 or 4 of his Enemies that had boarded his Ship but at last being shot into the throat with a Musket Bullet he retired into the Captains Cabbin where laying himself down at his length on a Table he was found in that posture dead by the Victors all over besmear'd with the blood flowing out of his wounds Rear Admiral Sweers having boarded Admiral Ayschew's Ship this Latter delivered to him the Keys of his and yielded himself up to the discretion of the Victour The Hollanders took out of his Ship 500 men and a little while after the flames getting to the Powder Room it blew up about 11 a Clock at night That Ship carried 92 Guns of which those of the lowest Tire were of thirty six Pounds Bore and there were 8 of 48. Her whole Compliment of Men was 620 and she was the same Ship that the King of England embark'd in when he returned to be Re-establish'd in his Throne in 1660. Vice Admiral Mings having received a Musket shot in his throat stood about half an hour holding his Finger upon the wound to keep it closed and to stop the blood but a second Musket shot taking him in the neck he died after having given most signal proofs of his Courage to the very last gasp Admiral Ayschew was carried to the Chatellany at the Hague on the 16th of June from whence he was Conducted to the Audience of their High and Mightinesses and afterwards carried to Louvestein under a good Guard of Horse from whence he writ the following Letter to His British Majesty SIR Admiral Ayschew's Letter to the King of England YOur Majesty without doubt has heard of the Battle fought on the 11th of this month between the two Fleets off of Duinkerden and the North Foreland The Enemies riding at Anchor cut their Cables at our approach We charged them fortunately two or three times but our Forces being much Inferiour to theirs and our Fleet falling into a Consternation at the very beginning of the fight we could not have all the success that was to be wisht for And therefore the Squadron of Ships under the Command of his Hâ—ghness your Majesties Nephew would have been a great help to us if they had not unhappily been sent to the Westward That day many of our Ships were extremely endamaged in the Number of which was that of the Duke of Albemarl Some Dutch Ships were reduced to Ashes as well by our Fire-ships as by their Powder taking Fire The next day we renewed the fight with much Resolution and Courage But on the 3d. day I was enclosed by the Enemies together with some other Ships of my Squadron and being vigorously attackt was forced to my great regret to yield through want of power to resist any longer I having 150 men killed on board me I am as yet in perfect health and was removed hither after I was made Prisoner When I came on board a Dutch Rear Admiral I heard that the Ship committed by your Majesty to my trust was burnt My Vice Admiral was also taken and Sir William Barkley kill'd As to what remains the Silence and Secrecy that prevails here keeps me in Ignorance at present of the other particulars of the fight The Reports that go abroad here make our losses to amount to 36 men of War taken burnt or sunk and 4000 Prisoners God grant they may prove false In the mean while I beseech your Majesty to take our misfortune with patience and to have compassion of our Family Postscript I Have received all imaginable civilities as well from the Officers of the Dutch Fleet as from the States General I was much suprized when I arrived at Rottendam to see the Streets so full of Seamen for I could not Comprehend how so powerfull a Fleet and that was so well mann'd should leave so many Seamen still in the Country The States considering the great worth and noble extraction of Sir William Barkley who was one of the Kings chief Favourites and Brother-in-Law to the Duke of York having married a Daughter of the Lord Chancellour Hide about two months before ordered his Body to be Embalm'd and deposited at the Hague And sent the following Letter to his British Majesty to inform him of it SIR WE always thought The States Letter to the King of England the honours due to the great men were not incompatible with the duties of War and that Virtue and Valour ought to be respected even in the persons of our Enemies Which induced us to give some singular marks of it in relation to the Body of S r Willaim Barkley Vice Admiral of the White Squadron in your Majesties Fleet. He gave such great proofs of his bravery and undaunted Courage in the last fight that we were willing to pay those best duties to his Illustrious memory For that effect we have Order'd his Body to be embalm'd till such time as his near Relations and those to whom his memory is dear can otherwise dispose of it as they shall think best In the mean while we have caused it to be placed in the great Church in a State suitable to his Birth Valour and the great Services he has render'd your Majesty who may please to send such order concerning it as you shall think fit And if it be your good pleasure to have it transported into England we desire you would be pleased to grant the necessary Passports for the security of the Yacht we intend to give for his Transportation But if on the contrary your Majesty shall chuse rather to have him Inter'd in the place where he now is you will be pleased to let us know your will to which we shall always endeavour to conform our selves as far as the present State of affairs will permit We recommend your Majesties Sacred person to the protection of God c. In the mean while the States to thank God for the gaining of so great an advantage and to pray him to bless their Arms in the rest of the Course of the War as he had done in those happy beginnings ordered a Thanksgiving-day which was solemnly observed the last day of June and followed by publick Rejoicings and Bonfires in which not only the people of the United Provinces had part but likewise all the Countries in which their High and Mightinesses had any Ministers residing All the Captains of the Danish Fleet fired all their Guns three times to the honour of the Hollanders their Allies And the Queen of Denmark gave a splendid Feast to all the Lords and Ladies of the Court at which the King was present And the same Rejoicings were celebrated at Stockholm at Ratisbonn at Paris at Madrid at Genua and at all the Courts of Europe where the States had any Ambassadors which were continued three days together with Feastings Fire-works and
the King of Portugal to make Reparation for all the Hostilities Committed by the Portugueses upon their Subjects in Brasile and other places For which effect they gave notice to de Ruiter that whilst he was waiting for Lieutenant Admiral Opdam's Fleet he should cruize against the Portuguese Fleet that was to come from Brasile and against all other Ships belonging to that Nation and should endeavour to take them in order to facilitate thereby an Accommodation with that Crown and force it to give an account for all its usurpations which obliged them likewise to send some Deputies along with Lieutentant Admiral Opdam into Portugal adding That if the Portuguese Ships offered to make any resistance de Ruiter should fight them and do his best to take or sink them The Fleet designed for the Ocean under the Command of Lieutenant Admiral Opdam sail'd then out of the Meuse the 5th of September Consisting of 12 Men of War 1 Advice Yacht and 1 Flute laden with Provisions They came to an Anchor on the 25th in the mouth of the Tagus near Lisbon The same day the Sieurs Ten Hove and de Wit Envoys from the States going into a Yacht went up the River and two days after were admitted to an Audience of the Queen Mother who then held the Reins of the Government assisted by some Grandees of the Kingdom during the minority of the King her Son The Envoys then Represented their Grievances and demanded restitution of all that had been taken from the States in Brasile and elsewhere and an indemnification for all their losses But the Portugueses after some Conferences answered that they were resolved to Restore nothing No not so much as one foot of Land So positive an Answer as that put an end in an instant to their Negotiation Some days before that Court had put out an Order to forbid all the Dutch Ships at Lisbon and St. Hubes to stir out of those Ports till further Order In the mean while the States Envoys set on work the Dutch Consul named Vander Hoeve who used all imaginable ipmortunities at the Court of Portugal to obtain a Liberty of Commerce since as he alledged the States Fleet had not yet Committed any Act of Hostility against the Portugueses Representing to them at the same time that the seizure and stoppage they had newly made of the Dutch Ships was like to be the Plreudium of a world of Mischiefs But with all he could say he could obtain nothing of them but a few fair promises without any effect The Envoys therefore seeing they did but lose their time there to no purpose Demanded their Audience of leave But Answer was made them that the Queen was so indisposed that she was not in a Condition to give them Audience at that time Upon which they delivered to Pedro Vierra de Silva the Secretary of State a Letter sealed up telling him withal that they were very sensibly troubled they could not take leave of the Queen in the usual Form by reason of her Majesties indisposition and that therefore they prayed him to deliver her Majesty that Letter which in substance imported that since they had used all the means they could to terminate the differences between the two Nations in an amicable manner without any success they had Order from the States their Masters to declare War against the Crown of Portugal as accordingly they did after which going again on board their Yacht they joyned the Dutch Fleet the 23d of October where they informed Lieutenant Admiral Opdam of all that had passed On the 26th of the same Month de Ruiter's Squadron joyned the Admirals Flag and the Fleet by that Junction was reinforced to the Number of 27 or 28 men of War During the time that Lieutenant Admiral Opdam continued on the Coasts of Lisbon some Portuguese Ships or other vessels laden with their Merchandizes were taken but the Booty taken off of Roxont was much more considerable For in the night time a Part of the Portuguese Fleet of about 40 sail coming from Brasile Laden with Sugar fell into the Dutch Fleet and tho the darkness of the night favoured their fight by stealing them from their Enemies fight yet 20 of them were taken There were still 44 more with their Convoy that remained behind being kept back by a Tempest against whom the Hollanders for some days cruiz'd watching for their coming but seeing they appeared not and being uncertain whether they were not already gotten into some safe Port they took a Resolution to prevent Winter by retiring home to their own Country before the Stormy Weather came in And accordingly they arrived in Holland with all their Prizes at the beginning of December The year following de Ruiter was sent again to the Coast of Portugal with a Fleet of 22 Ships of War But the Portuguese considering of what great Consequence it was for them to preserve their Sea Forces and how dangerous to hazard them in a Battle kept their Fleet within their Ports being perswaded that Winter would as it did last year force the Hollanders to quit their Coasts so that de Ruiter was able to do them no other harm that Expedition than only to interrupt their Commerce and alarm their whole Country We have above related what means the United Provinces used to break the designs of Swedeland in the year 1656 and to free Dantzick and the Baltick Sea from the oppression of that Power That War which had made the States so uneasie and put them to so much expence was followed by another much more bloody and dangerous For Frederick the III. King of Denmark seeing the Swedish Monarch Employed with his whole Forces in prosecuting the War he had with Poland and considering that was a fair occasion for him to strike in and Revenge his Father Christiern the Vth's Quarrel who about 15 years before was oppressed by his Arms and had part of his Dominions taken from him he without any hesitation declared himself being inflamed on one side with the desire of Revenge and on the other put forward by the secret allurements of a certain Foreign Power And accordingly marching his Army into the Country of Bremen under the Command of General Bilde he attackt and took several places belonging to the Swedes But Fortune that had gone along with his Arms in their happy beginning proving afterwards Jadish to him deserted him to that degree that he soon saw himself at the point of losing all his Dominions For Charles Gustavus King of Swedeland Quitting Poland immediately upon that News came hastning to the Assistance of what more nearly concerned him and fell with all his forces into Hostein belonging to Denmark so that by that Diversion he forced General Bilde to Quit the Dutchy of Bremen and to retire to Fredericksode But that place being situated upon the little Belt that separates the Isle of Funen from the Firm land of Jutland was soon reduced under the obedience of Swedeland King Gustavus stopt
was not in a condition to be made fit for Service again The Marmaduke the Merlin the Pheasant the King David the Greyhound and the Seven Brothers were so miserably battered that they never appeared at Sea since The Admiral the two Vice-Admirals and the Rear-Admiral had likewise no reason to boast of any better Treatment De Ruiter took from them the Ship called the Prosperity The number of men killed and wounded of the English according to the accounts given in Holland amounted to about 2000 Seamen and Soldiers among which were reckoned the Captains Mildmay Barker Bale Hall Kirby Dakirs Broadbridge Jeffew and Button killed and Back Day Taduel Lawson and some others wounded to which they add that the number of the maimed was very considerable But letting alone those relations as less authentick it will be much more pertinent to our purpose to insert here the Letters of the two Admirals by which the truth of things will best appear and which party had the advantage and besides the Curious will be glad to read such Original Narrations as those because in them are many Circumstances reported that are not to be found in the Body of any History of those times Accordingly we shall present you with a true Copy of the Letter sent by Admiral Blake upon this Subject to the Speaker of the Parliament at Westminster The Almighty power of God in which we put all our trust Admiral Blakes Letter upon the Subject of the Sea Battle that lasted three days hath newly given his Servants real marks of his Blessing by the Defeat of the formidable Fleet of Holland we having beaten them in three successive Battles given three several days one after another so that a great number of Prisoners are fallen into our hands the others are dispersed and part of them chased into places out of the reach of the pursuits of the Victors God be praised that he has been pleased to honour his children with his Protection by disarming their Enemies Ever since the 10th of this month he hath given us assured presages of his assistance by sending us favourable winds Our Fleet was right against Portland and much perplext for fear the Enemy upon sight of us should have made away farther from us Two days before we were at Prayers and on the 18th we perceived that God was going to inform us where they were The Text that day was taken out of the 2 Chron. 20.16 in these words To morrow go ye down against them c. And the Chapter was scarcely expounded but even before break of day we discovered the Enemies Fleet upon which we immediately set Sail to make to them and the Enemy did the same by us and scarcely were the two adverse Fleets met but they engaged in a Battle We had at fiâ—st the disadvantage because the Enemies had the weather-gage and that the major part of our best Ships could not come up to us Which was the cause that our Admiral-Ship the Triumph was â—orced all that day to endure the greatest fire of the Enemies whilst the others at the same time were in no less peril But God was our Soveraign Protector for tho our Ship had already lost half her men yet the courage of the rest gave us still great hopes and much allay'd our grieâ— for the loss of the others But more could not be expected from them than it pleased God they should do 〈…〉 and which our Enemies doubtless have sufficiently experienced The first day we took from them three Rear-Admirals and one Vice-Admiral and a little after we sunk them 3 Ships the others are now at Portsmouth The 2d day we burnt or sunk 8 or 10 more of them The 3d day they began to give way and betake themselves to flight Their losses are so much the greater and more sensible in that we took from them above 40 men of War and Merchant Ships We Boarded them in the sight of Tromp he not being able to oppose us Captain Lawson Grappled a great Ship and took her but he was very much battred Marten and Gaver took also two Ships so that we have taken several and our Enemies will be forced to own their loss to be great We have lost several Officers recommendable for their Merit and Valour as likewise 5 or 6 Masters of the first ranks much lamented for their good conduct and great fidelity besides a great many other brave men that were in the Fleet. But we have lost never a Ship except one which we sunk our selves Our Admirals behaved themselves with an unexampled bravery Admiral Blake was wounded in the Thigh but we hope he will not be much incommoded by it He would hardly be perswaded to go down into the Ship to be drest and never quitted his Post during the whole fight In fine we observed that every day as long as the Battle lasted the Arm of the Almighty God favoured our Arms being bound to acknowledge That 't is he that gives the Victory and not the great number of Ships or the strength of Armies This Letter seemed very edifying by the great shew of Piety that appeared throughout it but it must be observed that this was the stile of the English in Cromwel's time that able Politician covering himself usually with the Cloak of Religion to make his Ambitious Projects take effect and the way to make a mans Court with him was to affect a great shew of Devotion The same Character now reigns in France where people are obliged to appear Bigots to make their Fortune the Princes humour of late being turned wholly that way Here follows now the Letter Written to the States upon the same occasion by Tromp High and Mighty Lords THis Battle that has lasted 3 days together begun the last of February at 9 a Clock in the morning Tromp's Letter to the States about the same fight and ended not till the 2d of March when the Night parted the Combatants It was given in that extent of Sea that is between Portland and Swartness or Bullen The English had about 69 or 70 sail of Frigats and Men of War and we 70 Men of War and 150 Merchant Ships I cannot yet give your High and Mightinesses all the particulars because most of the Captains hardly had time the 1st of March to come on board the Admiral They have informed me that de Ruiter's Squadron which fell upon the Enemies Rear took some Ships from them whilst several others on both sides were sunk As for our Van guard of which I had the joynt Conduct with Rear Admiral Florisz we attackt that of the Enemies under the Command of Blake The fight was fierce and obstinate and the Victory very wavering so that neither of the Parties had any cause to brag of any advantage they had This was the success of the first days fight About 4 a Clock in the afternoon observing that the English had detacht a Squadron of their nimblest Sailors to go and
of so great a man Upon which his Figure is placed lying on his back with his Arms and Armour having his head piece at his Feet Below the Tomb upon a Table of White Marble His Tomb and Epitaphs there is represented a description of the Battle which we have just now related And underneath are written in Golden Letters upon black Marble the following verses composed by that famous Dutch Poet J. V. Vondel Hier Legt in 't graf van eer de Dappre van Galen Die eerst ging buit op buit Castilien ashaalen En met en leeuwenhert naby't Toskaner strand De Britten heeft verjaagd veroverd en verbrand Which may be thus Englished The Stout de Galen here in honours bed is laid Fam'd for the Rich Booties he on the Spaniards made Who with heart undaunted attackt the English Fleet And near the Tuscan shore gave them a sore defeat And took and burnt their Ships to serve him for a light Down to the Gloomy shades and so bid us good night Above the Tomb there is an Oval Table of Black Marble flourisht all round with Flaggs Standards Streamers Pikes and all the Arms used in Sea-Fights And thereupon is Engraven the following Latin Epitaph in Letters of Gold Generosissimo Heroi Johanni a Galen Essensi Qui ob res saepe fortiter feliciter gestas Sexies uno anno Duinkerkanorum Praedatoriam Navem captam a Barbaris opima spolia Reportata Ordinum Classi in Mari Mediterraneo praefectus memorabili praelio ad Livornam Deo Auxiliante Anglorum navibus captis fugatis incendio submersione deletis Commercium cum dicti Maris Accolis restituit Idibus Martii An. 1653 altero pede truncatus nono die post victoriam Annos natus 48 obit ut in secula per Gloriam viveret Illustris praepot Foederat Belgii Ordinum Decreto Nob. Pot. Senatus Archithalas qui est Amstelodami M. H. P. Which we have rendred in English thus To the most Generous Hero John de Galen of Essen WHO for his many couragious and successful Exploits for having in one year taken six Dunkirk Privatiers and brought away many rich spoils from the Barbarians being afterwards made Admiral of the States Fleet in the Mediterranean having in a memorable Battle near Legorn by the help of God taken put to flight burnt and sunk the Ships of the English restored Commerce again with the inhabitants of those Coasts on the 15th of March 1653. And having lost one of his Legs he expir'd on the 9th day after the victory aged 48 years And that he might live by his Glorious Fame to all succeeding Ages By order of the Most Illustrious and Mighty States of the Vnited Netherlands the Senate of the Admiralty of Amsterdam have erected to him this Monument When Bodley was got back to London Appleton charged him with the loss of the Battel with so much the more grounds of probability because the Captains of the States Fleet that were returned to Amsterdam gave a noble Testimony of the Bravery of this latter The Subject of Appleton's Complaint was That Bodley had not performed his promise but had basely left him to be a Victim to his Enemies but that difference was not decided The Council of England being grown somewhat more sensible of the complaints made by the people of Great Britain The English Council incline to Peace but hindred by Cromwel Cromwel's Letter to dissolve the Rump Parliament upon the Subject of the differences that had caused the War with the Hollanders began to be a little more inclined to Peace But Cromwel's intrigues defeated their purposes he out of a pretended zeal to the Common Good taking upon him to assemble a new Parliament holding frequent Conferences for that purpose with the Chief Members of the Council of War assembled at St. James's And in effect pursuant to the Resolutions taken there he was so daring as to write a Letter soon after to Dissolve the Parliament which was publisht throughout all the three Kingdoms The substance of it imported That the great prosperities that England had enjoyed for some years past by its Conquests and the Battles which its Armies had won for the security of the people of the three Kingdoms being a very sensible token of the Blessing of God they had been guilty of so hainous an ingratitude as not to behave themselves thankfully to him for the same For that wickedness and all manner of Vices were so increased that they were seen to domineer with so much insolence that a general Subversion was to be feared of all the affairs of the Government and that therefore the necessity of the time was so pressing that it required speedy Remedies That it was not to be doubted but that the over long sitting of Parliaments was an inexhaustible Fountain of Troubles and Disorders in the State That the Peace and Quiet of the Commonwealth was best secured by making a fit Choice and Election of Members to serve in Parliament that were good men fearing God to succeed in the places of others at certain limited times that so a free power might not degenerate into a Tyranny That all things ought to be regulated as might best conduce to the common good and preservation of the people by discharging them of Taxes and burthensome Impositions and by making Religion flourish and propagating the Gospel every where That provision ought to be made for the Pastors and that Liberty of Conscience ought to be granted to all except to the Popish Religion and Idolatrous Superstitions The Queen of Sweden writ almost at the same time Queen Christina of Swdens Letter to the States to Mediate a Peace a Letter to the States General to offer them her Mediation in the Differences between the two Republicks It contained in substance That she had heard with a very sensible displeasure by the reports that were spread abroad about them in her Capital City of the Disputes that had newly kindled a War between Holland and England That she thought her self obliged in consideration of the common friendship she had with them both to propose some means to reconcile if possible the two Nations That the Sieur Appleboon that was her Envoy at the Hague would wait the States Answer concerning the mediation she offered them adding that she had also made the same offers to the Republick of England The laudable Cantons of Swisserland were likewise no less concern'd at all these disorders than Queen Christina And therefore writ also to the States to offer their Mediation The States of Holland on their side who desired nothing more then Peace writ a Letter to the Parliament of England which was made publick which imported That God the Just Revenger of Crimes seeing they were come to their full ripeness The States Letter to the Parliliament of England had doubtless stirr'd up England and Holland to employ all their forces to their own mutual ruine and common destruction whilst
their Confinity in Religion and Government and their neighbourâ—ood to the Sea secured motives rather to engage those two Republicks in an inseparable Vnion and to link them so straâ—tly together as to oblige them to assist one another That the sworn Enemies of the Reformation were ravisht with joy to see two Allies of the same Faith thus Remorselesâ—y to shed Christian Blood and that they who never could resist one of the Republicks now flattered themselves with the hopes of destroying them both That it would be impossible to resist them if the Party of the two that should prove Victorious after they had so vainly exhausted all their strength should be afterwards suddenly assailed by a new Enemy being reduced into an impotent condition and deprived of the succour of its former Ally That was no Victory more unhappy than such a one as was gained over an Ally without whose assistance one could not be without a notable weakning of ones self That if the English would seriously reflect on considerations oâ— such high Importance there was no doubt but things might be soon brought to an accommodation but since they found that such equitable sentiments as those made no impression on their minds they were resolved to wait from the hand of God the event of all things The Parliament assembled at Westminster having Read their High and Mightinesses Letter sent an Answer to the States General and another to the States of Holland The first of which intimated That the Sincere Amity of which the English had given sufficient proofs to the Hollanders at all times was well known to all the world That besides that they might rely upon the Passion they had to re-establish the ancient Peace and Amity between the two Nations That the Parliament were not inclined to continue the War with an Ally which the ties of Religion ought to render inseparable from them but that rather they were ready to do any reasonable thing in order to stifle these troubles in their beginning that so they might amicably come to an accommodation The Letter which the Parliament of England writ to the States of Holland was to this effect viz. THat since the happy Revolution that had changed England into a Commonwealth The Parliament of England's Letter to the States of Holland they had extreamly well considered how important it was straitly to unite themselves with a Nation the least difference with whom might draw after it very mischievous Consequences because in regard of Religion the two Republicks were so dependant one of another that they ought to be inseparable That if they came to a Rupture with them it was much against their wills that the Parliament consented to the effusion of Blood that was so dear to them being fully perswaded that the Enemies of the Reformation had conspired their common ruine by making use ef their own Arms to destroy them That if Mr. De Heemsted's proposals to which they had yet made no answer because of his hasty departure had been debated in their Assembly the Peace would be at present concluded That the sincerity and ardent passion the Parliament testified for the renewing of a Peace fully justified to the world that it was never their intention to have any hand in so ruinous a War And that their present Conduct and the Protestation they now made that they were ready to renew the Negotiation for a Treaty upon the same Foot as before sufficiently manifested what their Sentiments were in that matter At the same time Mr. Appleboon presented a writing at the Hague to the States General in the Queen of Swedland's name which was to this effect That her Majesty did not so much as pretend to penetrate into the bottom of their Affairs having no other end in so pressing an occasion but to manifest the sincere desire she had to mediate a Peace between the two Republicks so much the rather because her Majesty and particularly the late King her Father had always lived in perfect good intelligence with the Vnited Provinces That ' twâ—s to be feared if they too obstinately persisted in a War with England it would prove a fountain of irreparable mischiefs That her Majesty offered her Mediation and that if the States thought fit to accept it he would wait for the necessary instructions to enable him to make a more particular Overture of it to the Plenipotentiaries The States General made answer to the Parliaments Letter That the inclination they always had had for Peace and for maintaining a strait and inviolable Vnion with England was well known to the Council of State nay and to all the woâ—ld And that they were ready on their side to use all sorts of reasonable means to put a stop to the dismal consequences of so fatal a War and disposed to send Plenipotentiaries with full power for that purpose to any Neuter place that should be agreed upon The Parliament having discontinued their sitting there was nothing left at the Helm but the Council of State and Cromwell remained the sole Arbiter of all the Affairs of the Government who replied to the Letter of the States General That the change that had newly happned in England had not at all changed the just inclinations the Nation had for Peace That the offers the last Parliament had made by their Letter to the States General and to the States of Holland to renew Mr. de Heemsted's Negotiation and pacifie the Troubles between the two Nations were approved by the Council of State That if they would prevent the Obstacles that might happen in the way there was grounds to hope for a perfect union and perpetual good correspondence between England and Holland and that the project of it would without contradiction be the sooner advanced if the Disputes about chosing a neuter place for the Ambassadors of both Parties to treat in did not drill on the Negotiation to too great a length especially considering that affairs were then in such a posture as would admit of no delays And that as soon as their Plenipotentiaries should be arrived thither from the Hague the Council of State would be ready to enter into Conference with them with a promise to neglect nothing that might conduce to the facilitating of an accomodation Upon all these fair appearances the United Provinces dispatcht away Mr. de Bevering and Mr. de Nieuport Ambassadors from the States of Holland Mr. Vander Perre from those of Zealand and Mr. Jongstal from the States of Friseland Whilst they were thus flattering themselves with Peace the States were minded to reward the merit of those that had signalized themselves in the last Battle Lieutenant Admiral Tromp had a chain of Gold valued at 2000 Livers The Vice-Admirals de Wit Evertsz and de Ruiter had each of them one of 1500 Livers and the other Officers were gratified by the Council of the Admiralty every one according to their deserts But the Captains Lueas Albertsz Reinier Sikkema Look Hansbek Ewood
fear much greater injustices from her afterwards whenever she should become Absolute Mistress of her then discontented people what instances soever the States General could make to obtain satisfaction for so many damages the Kings Council and the Commissioners of the Admiralty took a Resolution to Restore nothing so that what great justice soever the Ambassador Boreel had on his side to solicit the release of them in the name of the States and in spite of all the diligence he could use for that end he never was able to obtain any thing the indulgence shewn by the Court to those Privateers its Subjects was so great that it encouraged them so extremely that there was no possibility of obtaining the release of any one Prize Whereupon the States General being at length wearied out with making so many fruitless Complaints and apprehending lest their over great Patience might ruin their Commerce and their Subjects they resolv'd at last to free themselves from all those Robberies by force of Arms and to make use of reprisals And accordingly they Ordered de Ruâ—ter to attack the French Men of War that came out of the Ports of Provence to make excursions in the Mediterranean and to do all he could to take or sink them De Ruiter then had been informed as we have said by a Hamburger that 2 French Privateers that had Plundred him were still roving about those Seas And on the 28th of February at break of day he discovered 2 ships near the Isle of Corsica at about 3 miles distance from him which seemed to look sharp after him but when they came nearer within about a Mile of him they begun to find they had to deal with men of War and not with Merchant ships which made them betake themselves to flight However about noon the ships of both Parties met between Gorgona and the Island of Corsica without firing so much as a Gun on either side Then de Ruiter Commanded the Captain of the biggest Caper to enter into his Boat and come on board him but the Captain contented himself to send his Lieutenant whom de Ruitâ—â— detained sending word to the Captain again that if he refused to obey his summons he would immediately board him and would make him suffer the punishment due to his obstinacy At this second Command he entred into the Boat and came on board the Admiral Whilst de Ruiter and de Wilde kept close to the great Caper the Captain Ooms and Vander Zaan gave chace to the other and likewise Commanded the Captain to come on board the Admiral which he having done Vander Zaan detained him likewise So that the 2 Privateers seeing there was no hopes to escape drew in their Guns out of their port-holes and throwing down their Arms submitted themselves to the Clemency of the Victor They were 2 Swedish Ships which some time before had been presented to the French King but were afterwards Armed out by some Private Persons and employed in the Pyrating Trade The biggest of them called the Queen had on board her 230 men and 32 guns whereof 30 were brass the lesser which was called the Hunter carried 182 men and 28 guns whereof 18 were brass The French Seamen that were on board them were Conducted in 3 Barks to Marseilles but the Captains and Lieutenants were kept by the Hollanders and their ships carried to Cadiz The news of the taking of these 2 Privateers made a great noise in France the Court there looking upon it as the most hanious attempt that de Ruiter could have committed in time of profound Peace And Cardinal Mazarine who then had the chief management of all the Affairs of the Kingdom pretended to make it pass for an outrage that deeply wounded the Glory of his Master and was a cruel stroke at his Grandure and at that deference the United Provinces ought to have for it They gave out that those ships were the Kings and that it was an intollerable piece of Boldness to offer to attackt and seize them And therefore in revenge Express orders were sent to all the Harbours in the Kingdom immediately to seize all Ships Merchandizes and effects belonging to the Hollanders which was executed accordingly The Haughty and Imperious manner with which the Court of France treated the United Provinces on such an occasion as that surprised them so much the more because the King having at first imputed that pretended Hostile attempt wholly to De Ruiter believed he had done it without the knowledge or consent of his Masters who expected nothing less than to see their Subjects to be ill treated by the confiscation of the ships and goods they had in that Kingdom And that way of proceeding seemed so much the harder upon them in that the French Court had passâ—d to the Execution of it without any warning given to the States or desiring to know of them whether they approved or disapproved of that Action of de Ruiter and without so much as suffering their High and Mightinesses after having so often reiterated by their Ambassadors so many great and just Complaints of the damages they suffered by the French Privateers to do themselves Justice The States of Holland though they had the greatest interest of any of the Provinces in a Commerce with France were for intirely forbidding all Trade with that Kingdom after they had seized and stopt all French ships and effects in Holland and all the other Provinces But the States General not being so much concerned at what past in France as the Province of Holland That Resolution was let fall and came to nothing All that they could do was only to prevail with the States General to Summon Deputies to the Hague from all the Colleges of the Admiralty to Consult about Arming out a Fleet of 48 men of War which they resolved to put out to Sea with Orders to give private notice to all Pilots and Masters of Merchant ships to avoid the Ports of France The States writ also to Mr. Boreel their Ambassador in France to represent to His Majesty the injustice that was done them in order to obtain a discharge of the ships and Merchandizes that were seized as likewise all the Insupportable Robberies Committed upon their Subjects for several years together by the French Privateers without forgetting the 2 Capers taken by de Ruiter But Mr. Boreel had prevented these Orders of the States before he received them For immediately after the abovemention'd Resolution of the Court he demanded Audience of the King in Order to Represent to him his Reasons Which being granted him He Remonstrated very fully and at large That it had been but fit before his Majesty had proceeded any further to notifie to the States General of the Vnited Provinces his Mrs. the reasons that induced the Court to take Resolutions so prejudicial to them that the said States on their side might enter into Consideration how to give his Majesty all agreeable satisfaction on that Subject After which he
excused de Ruiter as far as the Information he had been able to get of the matter would permit and according to the reports that were spread abroad of his late Enterprize and of that attempt which was the Subject of the Courts Complaint He passed on next to the damages the Subjects of their High and Mightinesses had suffered for so many years by the continual depredations which the French Privateers had Committed and continued still to Commit upon their Merchant Ships notwithstanding the so often repeated instances to the Contrary in the Court of France and always in vain He added that in the space of 9 years as we have said there had been about 328 Merchant Ships belonging to the States Subjects Taken or Plundered He made mention likewise of 58 sentences given against French Privateers which he had still in his hands without ever having been able to get any of them put in Excution through the fault of the Courts of justice that were too indulgent to those Privateers which made them so insolent and seditious that they had ventured even to attempt upon the Authority of his Majesties Commissaries at Thoulon by driving them away like miserable wretches that the Dutch Consul named de la Fleur who resided at Thoulon was attackt in the streets by those villains who charged him with unmercifull blows and would doubtless have Assassinated him if he had not found means to escape out of the reach of their fury with great hazard of his life and all that without any other Reason than because he had delivered into the hands of his Majesties Commissioners the sentences rendred against them in Order to get them put effectually in Execution In fine he intreated the King that sufficient time might be granted him to inform the States his Masters of the Subject of his Majesties Complaint and that in the mean while he would be pleased to suspend the Execution of the Orders that were given to seize the Ships and effects of his Nation as not at all doubting but that the States would give his Majesty all reasonable satisfaction The King having heard him very quietly made him this Answer I have sent Orders to â—r de Thou who is on his Journey to Holland to demand Reparation from the States for the Hostile attempt committed by de Ruiter and when I shall have received satisfaction thereupon I know what I have to do concerning your demand But at present I have nothing to Answer to it Mr. de Thou arrived at the Hague the 25th of April and in the first Audience he had of the States General he loudly Resounded the Complaints of his Master concerning the taking of the 2 Privateers demanding without offering to speak of other things they should be forthwith restored without any further delay and that de Ruiter should be severely punish'd To which they answered him that as to what concerned the taking of the said two ships and the Conduct of the States in that matter they pretended to give him such a reasonable explication thereupon as should make it so clear to him that he himself would attribute all the Justice to the States In the mean while the States of Holland among other propositions made there had Voted in the Assembly of the States General that to oblige the French King to submit to reason it was necessary to forbid all Commerce in any of the Merchandizes of France to stop and seize all Ships and effects belonging to the French and to take all their Ships they could meet with at Sea That further it would be requisite to Augment the Fleet they had resolved to Arm out with 12 Ships of War more to render it the more Potent In Consequence of all which Resolutions an Ordinance was publish d sign'd the 26th of April by virtue of which all the Ships Merchandizes Moneys Effects Letters of Exchange and Debts which should be found to belong to the French in the Province of Holland were to be seized and Confiscated After which the States General at the sollicitation of the States of Holland publish'd another Ordinance dated the 11th of May by which they forbad the importation of Salt Wines and Fruits and all other Commodities of the growth of France and all Merchandizes of their Manufactures In fine there was a great deal of reason to fear that these growing troubles would quickly degenerate into a cruel War between the Crown of France and the United Provinces But those two powers reflecting seriously upon the mischiefs and Calamities such a War would assuredly bring upon the people on both sides France became more tractable and peaceable And Holland having no other end than to preserve Peace with that Crown it was at last agreed on both sides that the Ships and Effects of both Nations should be mutually released that the two Ships the Queen and the Hunter taken by de Ruiter should be restored and that for the future such proper measures should be taken as might be effectual to prevent the hapning of any more like disorders During these intervening transactions de Ruiter lying at an Anchor in Cadiz Road Received on the 7th of April a Re-inforcement of 6 Men of War Commanded by the Captains Verveen Vander Hulst Sweers Kampen Schatter and Adelaar So that having then under his Conduct a Squadron of 12 men of War he resolved to go again before Sally In Order to which he had beforehand written in the Month of January preceeding to de Vries Consul of the Dutch Nation for the Coast of Barbary residing at Sally that he intended in pursuance of the Orders of his Masters to come to Sally again at the spring of the year to put a finishing hand to the Treaty of Peace already begun the year before and that therefore for that effect he charged him in the name of the States to give notice of it to Prince Sid Abdala and to dispose all things in such a manner that at his arrival they might proceed on both sides to the speedy Execution and Compleating of it without any delay He accordingly arrived before Sally on the 18th of April two days after 4 Ships he had detacht out of his Squadron to give chace to the Corsairs had rejoyned him And hearing at his arrival that the Treaty was already concluded he went back and Anchored again at Cadiz In September Vice-Admiral de Ruiter received Letters from the States General and from the Admiralty with orders to cruize upon the Coasts of Portugal to joyn the Fleet of 13 men of War which the States were sending that way under the Command of Lieutenant Admiral Opdam For the differences the United Provinces had had with France having engaged them for their security to Arm out that Force they were willing to make use of it after they were appeased to bring Portugal to reason that it might not be said they had been at all that great expence for nothing The States pretended by the way of Arms to force
yet too late to obtain a Ratification of the last Treaty of Peace But the States being but too well acquainted with the Perfidiousness and Inconstancy of those Barbarians were so far from hearkning to them that they sollicited the Kings of France Spain and England to joyn their Forces with those of the United Provinces to Destroy them since they exercised their Piracies no less upon the Subjects of those Crowns than upon those of the United Provinces And the States would fain have perswaded those Powers to have set out three several Fleets under the Flagg of each Nation to go and Besiege their Harbours Chace them from the Sea and utterly ruine their abominable and insupportable Domination without having any regard to any former Treaty of Peace or Alliance Which Project seemed very important and well contrived But yet not one of those three Princes could be perswaded to hearken to it The French King indeed highly praised it and gave leave to the Dutch to erect Magazines for that effect both of Provisions and Ammunition at Thoulon or Marseilles The King of Spain gave Order that the Dutch Men of War might have free Ingress and Egress in and out of his Ports And the King of Great Britain resolved to send a Fleet into the Mediterranean but it was more to give new Umbrages than to correspond with the design of the States and many already could see in the shuffling conduct of that Prince certain presages of an approaching Rupture of the Peace between him and the United Provinces For at the same time that he proposed to send a Fleet into the Mediterranean to act in concert with that of the States he had on the other side given private order to Captain Holms to sail to the Court of Africa to ruin there the Commerce of the Dutch West-Indian Company and to seze their ships and Forts The States therefore seeing there was little Reliance to be made upon the assistance of any of all those Foregin Powers in order to free the Sea from the intolerable Robberies of the Algerines Resolved to concern themselves no further than for the preservation of their own Subjects by sending another Fleet into the Mediterranean under the Conduct of de Ruiter because Rear-Admiral Tromp had not sufficient Forces to accomplish so great an Enterprise That Fleet was composed of 12 Ships of War and one Flute laden with Provisions They put to Sea about the beginning of May and on the 19th of June arrived in the Road of Algiers De Ruiter presently sent notice of his arrival to the Divan to remind them to pay him the usual Honours and to Congratulate his arrival But they were so far from acquitting themselves of the Duty he pretended from them that they refused to let the Dutch Consul come on board to speak with the Vice-Admiral and to send Hostages for the security of the Credential Letters which were to be presented to the Divan from the States for all they would do was only to Grant a Passport by vertue of which the Commissioners Mortaigne and Reynâ—ld de Koeverden went into the Town who in the first Audience they had demand the exchange of Prisoners and the release of the Christian Slaves at the rate they were first sold for according to the Conditions of the last Treaty of Peace adding that as for other differences they should be adjusted by the Commissioners to be appointed for that purpose on each side All which was refused by the Divan who pretended before they entered into any Conference about the Release of Prisoners to know upon what grounds they might be assured of a Peace De Ruiter upon that sent them a Memorial that made a great noise amongst those Barbarians because they would by no means consent to any indemnification nor to the Condition insisted upon by the Dutch that no free Ship should be liable to be visited which was the Grievance of the Hollanders So that that point was hotly disputed on both sides in the Divan But after all the Algerines were obstinate and would absolutely reserve themselves a power to visit all Dutch Ships and to declare for Lawful Prize all the effects they found in them to belong to other Nations In fine the Conclusion of the Negotiation was this That those Barbarians declared to de Ruiter that if he would not accept their propositions he would not permit the Dutch Consul to retire on board him till he had before hand sent on shore 37 Turks or Moors that were Prisoners in his Fleet. Which demand of theirs he thought fit to grant to prevent the mischiefs that might otherwise happen to the Dutch Consul and his Retinue of which he had a fresh Example in the Person of the English Consul whom those Pyrates had cruelly handled after they had broken the Peace with England De Ruiter therefore plainly finding that it was to no purpose to use any gentle methods with them Juâ—gâ—d there was no other way to be taken but to reduce the Algerines to reason by force of Arms and accordingly he declared War against them the 4th of June The next day the Fleet unmoored and went and Anchored on the 7th of the same Month at Alicant where de Ruiter Received a Letter with advice of the new Troubles that Threatned the United Provinces from the English and with orders to him to uâ—e great Prudence and such Complaisant measures with the Ships of War that Crown had in the Mediterranean as to give them no new causes of Umbrage or dissatisfaction And accordingly there were no Acts of Hostility Committed between them at that time but when the Captains of both Nations met they Reciprocally saluted one another with some Guns in a very amicable manner whilst the main Body of the English Fleet consisting of 13 sail of Men of War under the Command of Admiral Lawson kept at the Mouth of the Straits Scarcely had England and Holland begun to tast of the fruits of Peace which had cost so much Blood to the two Nations but it was disturbed again by new Hostilities as the Dutch pretend begun by the English out of Jealousie at the flourishing Commerce and great prosperity of the United Provinces which prepared for de Ruiter who was then busie in scouring the Mediterranean of the Corsairs new work in the Ocean whither Rear-Admiral Tromp was already returned In the Months of May and June news came to Holland that the English under the Command of Robert Holms Committed strange depredations towards the Isles of Cape Verd and that in January before they had taken a Ship called the Spectacles and a Yacht called the Neptune which belonged to the Dutch West-India Company The English Ship that took the Neptune the better to deceive those she had a mind to attack put up Dutch Colours The same advices likewise reported that Holms had on the 31st of the same Month summoned the Fort of Cape Verd situated in the Isle of Goe-rede and that upon
appearance towards the Coasts of Guiney tho' he had given out that he was going to Sally And indeed the suspicions of the English in that point were not without some foundation for de Ruiter had received Express Orders from the States to sail towards Cape Verd and the Coast of Guiney to reduce the English to reason and make them restore by force what they had unjustly usurpt Upon that news all the Dutch Ships were stopt in England and Letters of reprisal were granted but all those Commissions granted in haste were recalled as well to shew all Europe that they would not be Aggressors as to gain time to Compleat the manning of their Navy It was thought more proper to let loose the men of War and Capers upon the Hollanders as well to encourage their press'd Seamen and to get men enough to furnish their Grand Fleet as the more effectually to interrupt the Commerce of the United Provinces by taking their Merchant Ships that went to and fro in the Channel And because they knew they in Holland expected about that time the return of their Ships from France and the Streights they thought it their best way to go and meet them and to endeavour to take them before they let the Privateers go out who in all likelihood would but have awakened the Hollanders and made them think the more of securing themselves And this project succeeded well with them For the Merchant Fleet consisting of 113 sail having quitted the Coast of France to pursue their way home along the Channel was taken and carried into the Ports of England But amongst so great a Number of Merchant Ships there being some Ships belonging to other Nations they were redemanded yet all the rest remained in their hands At the same time the King of England in Justification of that proceeding publish'd the following Declaration The King of Egland's Declaration about the taking of the Dutch Ships HIs Majesty having considered the Injuries Affronts and Damages suffered in the Persons of his Subjects by the loss of their Goods and Ships by the West-India Company and other Subjects of the United Provinces and those losses amounting to very considerable Sums for which no Reparation could yet be obtained notwithstanding the Complaints so often reiterated by his Majesty to the States General for that purpose which have had no effect His Majesty has thought fit by the Advice of his Privy Council to grant Letters of Reprisal against the Ships or Merchandizes belonging to the States of the United Provinces or their Subjects so that not only his Majesties Fleet and Ships of War but all sorts of Privateers shall have right by Letters of Reprisal or permission to be given him from his Royal Highness the Duke of York Lord High Admiral of England to arrest and seize all Ships and Effects belonging to the States of the United Provinces in Order to put them under the Jurisdiction of the Court of Admiralty which shall be Authorized to Act thereupon according to the Customs and Laws of Nations And whereas several Ships and Effects belonging to the United Provinces or their Subjects have been already taken according to his Majesties Orders and are kept in his Harbours His Majesty with the Advice of his Privy Council declares that the abovesaid Ships and Effects are Comprized in the aforesaid Letters of Reprisal and that they shall be proceeded against before the Admiralty according to the Customs and Laws of Nations till a final Judgment And the Present Declaration shall serve for warrant for all that the said Court of Admiralty shall do in that matter Dated at Whitehall December the 16th 1664. The United Provinces seeing themselves thus engaged in a War with England and the Proper season for putting out their Fleet to Sea being past they thought however that at least they ought to put a stop as much as 't was possible to all those Hostilities and to provide for the security of their Subjects Accordingly the States prohibited all their Merchant Ships to go out of their Ports and their Seamen to take service under any Foreign Prince They likewise rigorously prohibited the going out of any vessels and exportation of any Ammunitions and generally of all materials serving to the building of Men of War or furnishing their Equipages Then Mr. Van Beuningen was sent to the Court of France Mr. de Amerongen into Denmark and Mr. Ysbrands into Swedeland in Quality of Ambassadors Extraordinary to inform the Princes that were Allies of the State of all that had lately passed because the English by a fetch of their dissembling Policy endeavoured in all those Courts to make the Dutch pass for the Aggressors and to attribute all the wrong to them They resolved likewise to raise a fund of 14 Millions of Livers as well for the building of 48 men of War as for Levying of some Troops to Re-inforce their Companies and their Garrisons for the raising of a Marine Regiment and a new Regiment in reserve and lastly for defraying the expences of the fortifications of the Brill of Helvoet of Maesland of the Texel and of the other necessities of the State The East-India Company engaged to Equip 20 Men of War for the service of the United Provinces The Zealand Privateers received Letters of Reprisal so that the Capers in little time after took 30 prizes from the English They also appointed a day of Prayer which was celebrated the 21st of January 1665 to implore the Protection of Heaven against the Contagion then Reigning and to beg a Continuaâ—ion of Peace and of the Prosperity of the Prov ncâ— In the mean while the Sâ—â—ur de Goch used all imaginable instances with 〈◊〉 â—â—ng of England to endeavour to obtain the râ—â—ng of the Ships which had been taken But all in vain For the King made him Answer That he had caused to be arrested in his Ports or to be taken at Sea the Dutch Ships upon the certain Advice he had that de Ruiter was sent to Guiney to interrupt the Commerce of his Subjects and to seize on their Ships and Merchandizes so that he intended to indemnifie him for all those losses by the Confiscation of the goods that had been taken that for the same end he would stop all Dutch Ships that should come in his way till he heard further news of de Ruiter c. The Duke of York also declared in Quality of Lord High Admiral of the Kingdom that he would go next spring to Sea to maintain the Honour and Glory of the Crown And the Court of England was just ready to put out a Declaration of War against the Hollanders But that Turner and Walker two Famous Advocates of the Court of Admiralty Represented to the King that if he declared War at that time the Ships taken before the Declaration could not according to the Law of Nations be confiscated upon which 't was thought fit to defer it for some time However the Dutch Ships were declared Good
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
De Gent being informed of the Honours the States were doing him would fain have excused accepting them and among other Reasons he represented That having frequented the Sea but a little while he thought himself not capable to Command a Squadron but the States pressing him again to accept the place that was presented him and Tromp with whom we had contracted an intimate Friendship joyning his perswasions with the instances of the States he was at last prevailed with to consent to it and accordingly took the Oath in Quality of Lieutenant Admiral of Amsterdam about the end of the month Thus Tromp after he had given so many signal proofs of his Courage was at length constrained to quit the Sea service Hectora qui solus qui ferrum ignemque Jovemque Sustinuit toties unam non sustinet iram Invictumque virum vincit dolor Tromp solicited by the Count d' Estrades to take service under the French King but in vain The Count d' Estrades Ambassador from the Court of France to the States observing what had hapned to Tromp thought it would be for the interest of the King his Master to wheedle him to pass into his Service being perswaded that Admiral whilst his resentments were yet boiling hot would easily be induced to accept the great advantages that he should offer him from the King his Master and accordingly he made him an overture to that effect offering him an annual Pension of 50000 Livers but Tromp to his great surprize bluntly answered him That he had rather live all the rest of his days as a simple Burgher and continue faithful to his Country than to betray it at the expence of his own honour by taking service under a Foreign Prince what mighty offers soever were made him on that account In the mean while they were busy at work in Zealand in Arming out the Fleet with an indefatigable care and diligence whilst the English lured on by the hopes of Booty appeared before the Vlie with a Fleet of 60 sail of men of War And that they might with the less incumbrance carry on so desir'd an enterprize they had sent all their sick and wounded men back into England And 9 or 10 Dutch Merchant ships outwards bound either to the North or France were newly fallen into their hands The English Fleet then approaching near the Dutch Coast seemed at first to despair of being able to do all the mischief there they had before flattered themselves with the conceit of by reason of the difficulties that presented themselves in their way But being instructed contrary to their expectation how to surmount them by one Heemskerk formerly a Captain in the service of the United Provinces but who was discarded from it for his Cowardice they were encouraged to such an attempt as might make the Zealanders feel the fatal effects of the loss of the Battle by a malicious and mischievous enterprize that Traitour proposed to them The English Fleet being arrived on the 17th The spoils done by the English at the Vlie of August near the Vlie got advice by a fisher-man that fell into their hands that the Isles of Vlie and Schelling were the most exposed of all those Maritimâ— Countries that there were some Magazines belonging to the States or the East-India Chamber unprovided of any Garrison to defend them and that there were in the Port a great Number of Merchant-ships richly laden 'T is true those Merchant-ships as well as those in the Texel had been advertis'd before hand by the Deputies to retire in time into Harbours of security but not being sensible at first of the importance of those Advices they unfortunately had ventured to stay behind The English therefore together with Heemskerk held a Council and after they had projected their enterprize resolved to put it in execution the next day at 8 in the morning By favour of the Tide and of a North-wind 10 men of War 5 fire-ships and 7 Yachts sailed in as far as below the Brandaris of the Isle of Schelling whilst another Yacht slid into the Vlie where she told 160 Merchant-ships and 2 men of War their Convoys Sir Robert Holms of whom we have already spoken several times was the Head of that enterprize He considered that if he attackt the Isles first the Merchant ships would thereby gain time to provide for their security and therefore detacht away 2 Frigats which entred into the Tonnâ—n and followed them with the rest of his ships but being stopt by a contrary wind he was forced to fall back again towards the Brandaris Then after he had held a Council of War he ordered the Pembroke Frigat followed by 5 fire-ships to advance to go and attack the Merchant fleet And accordingly Captain Brown having fastned upon the ship of Captain Adelaar one of the chief of the Convoys reduced her to ashes The Captain after he had made all the resistance possible leaping at last into a Boat with sixteen 16 of his men to save himself both he and they were unhappily swallowed up by the Waves The second Convoy ship was likewise burnt but Tol the Captain of her was more lucky than his Companions for he escaped in his Boat The Merchant ships cut their Anchor Cables at so horrible a spectacle to flie as well as they could from the fury of the flames In the mean while the men in the three English Fire-ships that still remained advanc'd Crying out I am Heemskerk the Author of the enterprize and set fire to some Merchant ships richly laden and bound for Muscovy which after their men had signaliz'd themselves to the utmost in their defence were likewise burnt to ashes After that the English with 22 Boats went out of the Brandaris and by favour of their Oars and the Tide together gave chace to the Merchant ships that were flying and all of them they could reach they set on fire with flaming trusses of straw which they threw into them However because the English Seamen were Commanded under pain of death not to pillage the Pilots and Masters of the Dutch ships found opportunity by that means to save their men and their Money in their Boats Some of those unhappy wretches that dwelt in the Vlie fearing the English would come and plunder the Isle had with-drawn their best effects from thence and transported them on board the Merchant-ships so that they had the cruel displeasure to see them destroyed by the flames Three Privateers and one Merchant ship bound for Guiney well Arm'd and Provided with able Seamen made a very vigorous resistance for they repulsed the English and sunk some of their Boats so that under their shelter several rich Merchants designed for Muscovy were preserved from the Enemies fire who durst follow them no further for fear of running aground Holms being informed by some Prisoners that the Vlie likewise was in no condition to defend it self detacht away two Frigats and some small Vessels with orders to Land their
men in the Fort But a Tempest arising with a most terrible rain that lasted all night it was impossible for them to put their project in execution because their powder and other necessary materials to do execution withal were wetted and their matches Quencht And besides the men that were Commanded out upon that design were so miserably Weather-beaten that they were quite spent so that 't is certain if the Dutch had had so much presence of mind with them as to have sent thither three Companies of Seamen that were hard by the English Incendiaries would have been in great danger of being totally defeated because their Boats being most of them staved to pieces by being tost against the shore were then become most of them but the sport of the Waves But their attempts had more success in the Isle of Schelling for having landed 11 Companies of Regular Troops near the Brandaris without meeting with the least resistance from the Inhabitants the most part of which are Fishermen and Mennonites a sort of Sect that think all War unlawful 5 Companies of Incendiaries advancing to the Windward set on fire 350 houses and amongst them the Church of the reformed was also half burnt down and it was one of the saddest spectacles in the World to see the poor inhabitants of that place in the utmost desolation and the affrighted women running cross the Country with their little Children in their Arms seeking to save them both from the rage of the Incendiaries and the fury of the flames In fine the English pillaged what the fire had spared Holms would have carried on those strange successes further into the Country and two other Villages in the same Isle were just ready to be treated after the same rate but that being obliged to stay till 24 hours were past before he could attempt any thing more and to wait for a favourable wind to execute his enterprize and besides finding that the inhabitants having begun to Retrench themselves at the East-ward of the Village had raised two Batteries and expected every moment some Cannon from Enkuisen he thought it would be two hazardous to push his design any further and that it would be much better to think of retreating and so ordered all his men to return immediately on board and on the 20th of August he rejoined the English Grand Fleet by order of Prince Robert and General Monk who seeing that sickness begun to reign amongst their Men made sail back towards the Coasts of England The States being sensibly concerned at the mischief done by the English Incendiaries to those poor Islanders watcht all opportunities to Return them a Rowland for their Oliver and in little time after met with a very favourable one to wreck part of their Revenge For two Dutch men of War that were convoys seconded by two others that had rid a good while at Anchor under Gluckstadt fell on the 27th of August with a fair Wind upon a Merchant Fleet of 17 English ships that were at an Anchor near the New-Mill and fired so terribly at them with their Guns that not knowing where to shelter themselves they cut their Anchor Cables and fled to save themselves But when they of Hamborough saw them approach towards their Town they sounded an alarm all the streets were in a moment filled with people and it being just at the beginning of night all the Town was on a sudden enlightned with a Million of Candles and Torches and the Burghers were all in Arms. About 9 of the Clock 4 Merchant ships viz. 3 English and one Hamburgher were on fire this last hapning unluckily to ride too near the others and if the wind had not chopt about to the North it is certain that all the rest that escaped would have likewise been reduced to Ashes Two days after that expedition de Ruiter was sent for to come ashore to speak with the Count d' Estrades the French Ambassador the Marquess of Bellefonds and the Deputies of their High and Mightinesses which were met there to treat about the place where the French Fleet was to join that of Holland For the Duke of Beauford Admiral of France had been a long time expected home and they had received advice that he was ready to quit the Coasts of Portugal whither he was gone some months before in order to return to Rochelle In the mean while the most Christian King had Commanded the Count d' Estrades to present the Order of St. Michael to de Ruiter in acknowledgment of the undaunted Courage and Singular Conduct he had shewn in the last Battle But to return to what concerns the pretended Junction of the two Fleets the Court of France after their usual manner contented themselves with bubling off the Hollanders with fair promises and specious hopes that vanisht all but into smoak for the Junction as it was never intended so it was never made The States Fleet being got ready unmoor'd on the 5th of September consisting of 71 men of War or Frigats and 27 fire-ships Besides the New Officers abovementioned Vice Admiral Bankert succeeded as Lieutenant Admiral in the room of John Evertsz and Captain Matthysz was made Rear-Admiral of Zealand The fleet was divided into 3 Squadrons the first was Commanded by de Ruiter himself the second by Lieutenant Admiral de Gent and the third by Lieutenant Admiral Bankert On the 8th of September the Dutch fleet came to an Anchor between Dunkirk and Newport and upon some advice receiv'd from Paris that the Duke of Beauford Admiral of France had unmoor'd from Rochelle Nay and that he was come already as far as the mouth of the Channel in order to join de Ruiter the States fleet weighed Anchor on the 11th in the morning and made sail towards Callis and Bullen Where the Vice Admirals Sweers and Evertsz meeting with a great English ship called the Loyal Charles carrying 56 Guns and 200 men they took her She had underwent a most terrible Tempest in which she had lost her Fore-mast and Bolt-sprit so that de Ruiter ordered her to be burnt About noon he heard that the English fleet consisting of above 100 sail was following after that of Holland whereupon de Ruiter presently put up a Red Flag as a signal to his fleet to fall all together at the same time upon the Enemies But the English Admiral tacking about to the North ward sheered away with all his Navy from the Dutch fleet which chased them and fired at their Rear in the view of an infinite Number of People that were got together on the Coasts of France and were spectators of the daring Courage of the Hollanders and of the Retreat of the English who as was supposed for want of Men who in great Numbers had been swept away by Sickness contented themselves only with making a Shew at Sea but did not think fit to hazard an Engagement and so made towards Portsmouth And as for the Admiral of France he appeared not and so
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
de Ruiter had with him and Tromp's Squadron was able to make no more Resistance against them whereas in spite of their Cannonadings the intended Junction was effected The matter passed almost in the same manner as it did the year before for by the motion we made two English ships were separated from the rest whereof one was sunk to which I my self without bragging contributed the most and the other was so shattered by de Ruiter that the Enemies finding her no longer able to keep the Sea set fire to her In the mean while the two Fleets being got together again the fight was renewed and we engaged together three times more firing perpetually at one another till the dusk of the evening And then the English losing Courage did not think fit to charge us any more but tackt away to the East-ward in the mean while we chaced them as far as the Calm Weather and the approach of the night would permit us On Sunday Morning the Wind was fair and the Wind turned to the East and we pursued the English again till 4 a Clock in the afternoon the most part of which retreated towards the West-South-West in pretty good order And then they were reinforced by Prince Robert s Squadron consisting of 20 Men of War coming from the South-ward In the mean time whilst we were chacing them Sir George Ayschew's Ship Admiral of the White Squadron call'd the Royal Prince carrying 92 Guns was stranded at the mouth of the Thames and yielded to Lieutenant Admiral Tromp without firing so much as a Gun which after we had taken out of her the Admiral and his men we burnt On Monday the 14th in the morning the English having received a Reinforcement of a fresh Squadron took new Courage and came and attackt us again De Ruiter thereupon having summoned all his Captains on board the Admiral Ship Recommended to them their duty and the honour of their Country after which we renewed the fight again and having the Weather-gage we resolved to break through the Enemies Fleet and by that means quickly to put them to the Rout. But the English Received us with much Resolution and Bravery and it may be said that there and then it was that the Valour of all in General and of every one in particular was seen to appear in its full Lustre After the Fight had been vigorously maintained till 4 a Clock our Fleet was divided into two Parts For de Ruiter at the Head of one of them made a Motion above the Enemies Fleet whilst the other had order to keep below them with Design to enclose them We had scarce past by the half of the English Fleet but we fell upon them and broke through them from the one end to the other with so much Fury that they were presently put to the Rout. And then it was there was a sad Spectacle to be seen of dead and wounded men and a terrible harvest of Masts mown down and of Sails and all sorts of tackle tumbled into the Sea as well on the one side as the other About 6 in the Evening the Enemies betook themselves wholly to flight and we gave them chace Being advanced near Prince Robert we boarded one of the Enemies Ships called the Havertuin carrying 56 Guns which yielded in sight of Prince Robert he not daring to come to her Assistance but contented himself with killing me one Seaman and shooting of the Arm of another And besides the ship I took the same evening there were 4 more taken in my sight In the mean while the whole English Fleet was entirely dispersed and every one of them sought to save themselves by a nimble retreat the Sea was covered with wandering Vessels the most of them steering Westward Admiral Monk and an English Rear Admiral lost their main Masts so that I doubt not but they will fall to day into our hands and so much the rather that every one of them minding only their own preservation before that of any one else they were seen to scamper about with precipitation without taking any care what destiny befell the rest In fine we have all the reason in the World to thank God for the signal Victory we have newly obtained and for having so powerfully protected our Arms to the destruction of our Enemies c. These Letters how Authentick soever they were met with no credit in England And on the contrary it was noised throughout all the Kingdom that they had defeated the Enemies Fleet and chaced the Hollanders as far as into the very Havens of Zealand Nay that they had mist but little of taking Admiral de Ruiter's Ship as indeed they had had they minded their business and Tromp too that the Dutch had lost in that fight 40 Ships and at least 6000 men whereas the loss of the English was reduced to but 4 men of War 3 Captains some few Seamen or Soldiers killed and about 300 wounded that their Fleet was but very little endamaged and would be fit to put to Sea again in 15 days at furthest c. The people of Brabant Cologne and Hamborough were credulous enough to believe all those false reports But in a little time after they found by experience the vanity of those English Boasts by the great number of the dead and wounded of which all the Harbours of Great Britain were full Their Great Ships were so miserably shattered that the people were by publick prohibition Restrained from going into the Ports tho' out of meer curiosity The Soveraign the Royal Charles the Catharine and several others were mown close to their very Hulls The Rainbow who saved her self by flying towards the Coasts of Flanders after she had put her dead and wounded men on shore at Ostend retired by stealth tho' with much ado into Dover Admiral Ayschew was made Prisoner Barklay Mings and Herman killed Prince Robert Monk Allen and Smith having had their ships most grievously shattered sought shelter in the Ports of the Gunfleet Norbay c. Thus because each party claimed the Glory of that Action and the Honour of the Victory and that the English proceeded so far as to publish a Relation Printed by Authority of which the whole design was to prepossess peoples minds with an opinion that they had had the advantage The States on their side thought fit to undeceive the Publick by an Authentick Relation Authorized by the pretended faithfull Report of all the General and Inferiour Officers in their Fleet. Which Pensioner de Wit and Vrybergen Vander Houlk Kann and Gerlacius the Deputies and Plenipotentiaries of the States and who were no less fruitfull in invention than any of the English Courtiers were appointed to draw it up And as soon as it was publisht they sent copies into all the Courts of Europe to let all Princes see that the Bonfires and other dissembling Rejoycings of the English tended only to the unjust usurping to themselves a Triumph all the Glory of which if they
might be believed was due to the Arms of the States such as it was we could not dispense with our selves from inserting it here at length A Relation of what passed in the fight between the English Fleet and that of the Vnited Provinces which hapned on the 11 12 13 and 14th of June 1666 drawn up after a serious Examination and according to the faithfull Report both of the General and Inferiour Officers of the whole Holland Fleet on the 24th of the same month according to the order of the States General by the care of their Pensionary De Wit Mr. Urybergen Mr. Vander Houlk Mr. Kann and Mr. Gerlacius Deputies and Plenipotentiaries of their High and Mightinesses at present at Wielingen for the present Naval Expedition of the said States THe Holland Fleet having spent from the 1 of June to the 5th of the same month of the year 1666 in getting out of the Texel by reason of several cross Winds and Calms that hindred them it was impossible for them because of contrary Winds to pursue their designed Course and to go towards the Coasts of England according to the Orders they had received for that purpose before the 8th of the Month. On the 11th in the morning they with much ado got as far as 7 or 8 miles to the East-South-East-ward of the North Foreland which is a part of England that extends between the Channel and the Thames whereby a South West wind that blew very fiercely they were forced to Anchor The English Fleet being come some days before to Anchor in the Downs unmoor'd from thence on the 11th of June probably upon the advice they had heard of the approach of the Dutch Fleet. And about noon the two Fleets met That of Holland was composed of 83 men of War or Frigats besides Advice-Boats Fire-ships and other small Tenders on the Fleet. But it hapned that about an hour before the Battle one of the most considerable Ships of the Dutch Fleet commanded by Colonel de Gent having unfortunately lost her Fore-mast and afterwards her mizzen mast by the violence of the Wind de Ruiter Judging her in that condition uncapable to fight sent her out of the Fleet in sight of the Enemies to retire into Holland The said de Gent removed after that into the Ship of Captain Henry Gotskens As for the English Fleet they were 80 sail strong as they were counted by the Hollanders at the very time of fight About 1 a Clock afternoon they begun to play their Guns Some moments before the Hollanders had cut their Anchor-Cables to make the more haste and to Accommodate themselves to the season and the violence of the Waves which would not permit them to weigh The two Fleets being then met they both of them made a tack to the South ward the Wind being then turned West-South-West That motion was the cause that Lieutenant Admiral Tromp and Van Meppelen who were before placed in the Rear found themselves in the Van and were forced to bear the brunt of the most furious and terrible shock that hapned during the whole fight which they did most valiantly The fight being thus begun the Squadron of Admiral de Ruiter and of Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes followed by their other Officers fell thundering upon the Enemies with an undauntedness without Example A little while after an English Frigat of the Blue Squadron carrying 50 Guns sunk after she had received a Farewell Broadside from de Ruiter The Squadron of Lieutenant Admiral Cornelius Evertsz and Tierk Hiddes de Vries had all the difficulty in the World to get to engage at first because they were to Leeward and at a pretty distance from the Enemies In the mean while the two Fleets charged one another vigorously making always the same motion which lasted till 5 a Clock in the afternoon when the English tacked to the North-westward as well to keep the Weather-gage as to avoid the sand Banks of Flanders That motion engaged the Squadron of Lieutenant Admiral Evertsz and Tierk Hiddes de Vries in a Bloody Fight in which the undaunted Valour and Courage of those two Generals were seen to shine with equal Luster The English being thus tackt about the Dutch Fleet found means thereby to intercept some of their biggest Ships which were presently boarded and taken by 3 Dutch Men of War and afterwards carried into Holland One of them called the Swiftsure carried 70 Guns most of them Brass Commanded by Barkley Vice-Admiral of the White Squadron who lost his life there after he had Signalized himself against Captain Henry Adriaâ—sz's Ship carrying likewise 70 Guns another called the 7 Wonders of 60 Guns was taken by Captain Vander Zaan's Frigat which carried 52 Guns and the Third called the Loyal George of 44 Guns fell into the hands of Captain Andrew Swart whose Ship called the Deventer carried 66 Guns All those Captains belonged to the Admiralty of Amsterdam And on the contrary in the first attack there were two Dutch Ships burnt viz. The Duivenvoorde of 46 Guns and Commanded by Otto Van Treslong the second called The Court of Zealand had on board 58 Guns and was Commanded by Captain Blok We are informed assuredly that these two Ships were unhappily burnt to Ashes by some stopples blown back on board by the force of the Wind just at the time that their own Guns were discharging The Prince of Monaco and the Count de Guiche were Volunteers on board the first of these who happily escaped the danger of the Flames by Retiring nimbly into the Ship called the Little Holland Commanded by Cornelius Evertsz Van Gelder Son-in-Law to Admiral Ruiter who receiv'd them afterwards on board his own Ship In the first attack the Sails Masts and in General all the Tackle of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp's Ship were so endamaged that another Ship falling foul on him in passing by all his Masts were tumbled thereby into the Sea Rear Admiral Van Nes's Ship came off at a not much better rate since almost at the same time his Mizzen-Mast was shot by the board Upon which those two General Officers were forced to remove into other Ships for the security of their Persons In which as soon as they had put up their Flags they were seen again to renew the Fight and to Signalize themselves Their unmasted Ships being carried out of the Fray were towed away into Holland The English Fleet having advanced above the Hollanders their Chief Admiral followed by some Ships of his Squadron cast Anchor but a little while after seeing de Ruiter coming towards him at the head of the Dutch Fleet he cut his Cables at his approach so that they engaged again afresh and the fight was furious and very bloody on that occasion and yet God be thanked without the loss of any of the Dutch Ships whereas about 7 or 8 a Clock in the evening a great English Ship of the Blew Squadron carrying between 60 and 70 Guns sunk within Musket shot of Admiral