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
Fifth Rates the Convertine the Pearl the Dortmuyen the Hector and the Dolphin The most of these last have their Sails already spread and their Guns ready whilst they are working with all Diligence in fitting out the rest Affairs being in that State and the Vnited Provinces apprehending that all those Squablings would quickly break out into an open War with England began to put all things in order And it was resolved in the Assembly of the States That Notice should be given to the Ships bound Westward to go round about Scotland The Zealanders likewise sent 2 nimble sailing Ships to Hitland to give warning to the Ships belonging to the State to avoid the Harbours of England to prevent the falling of the Ships coming back from the East-Indies into the Hands of the English and Rear-Admiral Tromp was sent out to Sea with a Fleet of 23 Men of War to cruise for them and to secure their Retreat home In the mean while Mr. de Goch set out the 17th of June in Quality of Ambassadour from the States towards the Court of England to endeavour amicably to appease and compose the Differences that threatned the two Nations with a Rupture He arrived on the 22d at London and was received by the Master of the Ceremonies with great Marks of Friendship and the very same Evening had Audience of his Majesty at Whitehall and after the usual Compliments their Discourse fell upon the Affairs that concerned the East and West-India Companies upon which the King among other Reasons told him That it was not to be suffered That the DutchWest-India Company only by the means of a few Forts and 3 or 4 Ships without possessing elsewhere any Country within Land should pretend to render the Coasts of Africk inaccessible to all others by blocking up the Havens and the Mouths of the Rivers against their Commerce and keeping them off and driving them away from every Place The Ambassadour replied ' That all the Difficulties about that Affair were terminated by the last Treaty and that it ought to be examined whether the Dutch had done any thing in contravention to it After that he made his Complaints of the Hostile Attempts of Captain Holms in Guiney To which the King made him the same Answer he had done before upon the like Subject That he had not the least Knowledge of that but that as soon as he should be informed of it he would act as he found convenient After which he begun to speak of the great Naval Preparations that were making in Holland The States Ambassadour justified himself by answering That those Preparations were chiefly for the great Convoys they were forced to allow their Merchant Ships for the Security of their Commerce praying his Majesty withal That he would please to give order as the States would likewise do on their side that nothing might pass between the two Fleets that might disturb the Peace or alienate the good Correspondence settled between the two Nations The next day Mr. de Goch had Audience of the Duke of York and in the Evening of the Chancellour in which they discoursed of nothing else but of the great Preparations for War and of the Affairs of the East and West-India Companies Some Time after the States Ambassadour presented a Memorial concerning the extraordinary Naval Preparations in England and about the Hostilities committed by Captain Holms and the forbidding of the Importation of Dutch Commodities into the Kingdom under the Pretence of the contagious Disease that then reigned in Holland The King answered very largely to all those Points in Writing of which the Substance was That he had no Design his Fleet should commit any Act of Hostility That he had given no Order to Captain Holms to seise upon Cape-Verde or any other Forts belonging to the Hollanders nor to attempt any thing against the Subjects of the United Provinces That they ought to have more confidence in his Royal word than in the Reports of Pilots and Mariners who were very often ill informed That as what concerned his forbidding the importation of Dutch Commodities upon the account of the Contagion he was obliged so to do for the preservation of his Kingdom and of the health of his Subjects In the mean while the French King by his Ambassadors at London and the Hague presented his Mediation in order to appease the differences that were ready to kindle a War between those two Powers which the United Provinces agreeably received but â—ngland refused Which was the cause that a little time after the Ambassadors of that Crown returned home very ill satisfied The States laying nothing more to Heart than the maintenance of Peace and being very sensible how dear the last War had cost them were glad before they engaged themselves in such another to try all means possible to avert it For that effect they writ a Letter to the King of England to signifie â—o him that they had no other Passion greater than that to preserve Peace hoping his Majesty would be of the same mind The King made answer to the States by another Letter which was delivered them by the English Ambassador at his return to the Hague for he had made a step to London to endeavour to terminate the differences between the two Companies of the East and West Indies That Letter was full of protestations signifying the great desire the King had on his side to maintain the Peace But then returning to the accustomed complaints it was added that he saw with great regret that they went not about to give any satisfaction to the English for their losses and in fine concluded with a protestation before God and Man that they would be guilty of all the Inconveniencies and fatal Consequences that would follow if a speedy Reparation were not made The States after the reading of that Letter found well enough that they were no longer to flatter themselves the Intention of the Court of England being there clearly enough laid open to them and without mincing of the matter the King foretold them a part of those disasters that were ready to happen In the mean while the English Navy was assembling with all diligence in the Downs and about the Isle of Wight And some Dutch Advice-Yachts that were sent out from time to time to view and observe them were seized Which confirmed the States in the Resolution to have Recourse to nothing else but the force of Arms. Rear-Admiral Tromp being at Sea as we have said to Cruise upon the Watch for the Ships that were expected from the East Indies had met them in the month of August at Fairhills near Hitland and had conducted them into their respective Ports without seeing any English by the way And four Merchant Ships belonging to the West-India Company bound for the Coast of Guiney were ready to set sail but it was not thought fit to let them go without a good Convoy because of the advice they had had that Prince Robert
with a Squadron of 18 Men of War was ready to set out for Guiney whither he was going to favour the depredations the English were making in those parts The States in regard of the Good Services they had received from the West-India Company in several occasions were resolved to employ their Forces to protect them And for that end gave order to Captain Kampen with a Squadron of 10 Men of War to Convoy to Guiney the 4 Ships bound thither belonging to that Company But because they doubted not but that the King of Great Britain would construe that Resolution for a new attempt on their side towards the Breach of a Peace they sent orders to their Ambassador at London to present his Majesty the following Memorial thereupon The Memorial presented to King Charles II. by the States Ambassador's Concerning the Squadron of men of War sent to Guiney THE States General of the United Provinces having had advice from their Ambassador at London by their last Letters from him That the King of Great Britain the Duke of York and his Majesties chief Ministers of State had testified some discontent at their arming out some Ships of War designed for the Coast of Guiney have thought fit for the taking away of all sort of Umbrage to declare the Reasons that moved them to that extraordinary Arming Which are That the States of the United Provinces having heard with much regret That some Nation among which were some Subjects of his Majesty contrary to his approbation and his repeated Protestations that he had given no order for it had some time since by some hostilities attempted upon the Liberty of the Good Subjects of the State and especially those in their Countries in Africk belonging to the West India Company and principally upon the Coasts of Guiney in seizing upon their Ships and Effects and attacking in the bosome of Peace this State by taking of the Forts and Places it possesses The United Provinces judging it their Duty to Protect their Good Subjects in those Countries as far as it should be in their Power and to secure them for the future from the like attempts had resolved to send thither a Squadron of 10 Men of War and so much the rather because the West India Company is about sending thither four Merchant Ships richly laden which it was not thought fit to expose without a Convoy to the danger the others have incurred knowing â—hat the Enemies they have in that Country by means of a Re-inforcement they have lately received have sufficient Forces to make themselves Masters of the said four Merchant Ships at their arrival there as they have done of the others And that his Majesty may be fully assured of the sincere intention of their High and Mightinesses principally in what concerns their maintaining of the Peace and preserving of a perfect good understanding between England and the United Provinces the States were willing by this Memorial to let his Majesty know That their Resolution is to give Order to him that shall have the Command of the said 10 Men of War that in case he comes to meet on the Coasts of Guiney or any where else in his way with any of his Majesties Ships or with those of any other Ally of this State he shall not do them any offence against their liberty tending to the interruption of their Commerce provided they have the same regards for the Subjects of the United Provinces upon which his Majesty may entirely rely And forasmuch as their High and Mightinessâ—s expect from the Justice of his Majesty that his Subjects who without his orders and approbation have committed all sorts of Hostility out of his Kingdom shall not be protected or supported in their enterprises and that it will please him to give his orders to that purpose to the Admiral of his Fleet that has been already sent into those Countries or to others that shall hereafter be sent thither In that confidence their High and Mightinesses are assured there will not happen on their part any mischievous Rencounter between his Majesties Ships and the States 10 Men of War that will be capable to disturb the Union and good Correspondence of the two Nations On the other side may it please his Majesty in order to the taking away all cause of complaint and jealousie by a Generous and equitable Resolution to assure their High and Mightinesses of the Restitution of the Ships and Forts that cause so great damage to the Subjects of this State and to their West-India Company which is what their High and Mightinesses expect from the Friendship and Generosity of his Majesty The States being glad to use all imaginable precautions to prevent any attempts of the English against those Ships because they knew well enough from good hands that the English-Fleet was ready to put to Sea gave order to Lieutenant Admiral Opdam who was then at Goree with a part of the States Fleet to Convoy them the length of the Channel That Fleet that had been equipt with all diligence was composed of 39 Men of War But it seems afterwards the Guiney Expedition was countermanded both by the English and the Dutch For Prince Robert received other Orders and the Ships of the Company as well as their intended Convoy were detained by contrary Winds In the mean while news came to the Dutch That the English had appeared with some Men of War before New Amsterdam situated in New Holland in the West Indies and had taken it and forced all the Colony to submit to their Obedience with so much the greater Facility because the Hollanders had no relief to hope for and the English were ten to one The Capitulation was signed the 8th of September under the following Conditions Articles of the Surrender of New Holland to the English 1. WE consent that the States General or their West India Company shall keep and possess peaceably all the Buildings and Houses except those which shall be found within the Fort And that they shall be permitted to transport within the space of 6 months all the Arms and Ammunition belonging to them or else they shall be paid for them 2. All the Publick Houses shall be employ'd to the same use as at present 3 Every Private Man shall remain a free Burgher and shall retain his Lands Houses Goods and Ships in what part of the Country soever they be to dispose of them as he shall think Good 4. That if any of the Inhabitants have a mind to retire elsewhere they shall have a year and six weeks time granted them for transporting their Wives Servants and Effects and disposing of their Lands 5. That if any of the Publick Ministers there shall resolve to retire into England they shall be transported thither in his Majesties Frigats without paying any thing for their Passage 6. It is likewise freely granted to any person to come freely from Holland into this Country to make Plantations here and Dutch Ships may
Anchor here with all liberty and return at pleasure or send back their Ships laden with all sorts of Merchandises into their own Country 7. All Ships coming hither from Holland or elsewhere shall be freely received here with their Merchandises and as freely permitted to go away again elsewhere as was practised before our arrival and that for the space of six months continuance 8. The Hollanders here shall enjoy Liberty of Conscience in Divine Service and Ecclesiastical Discipline 9. No Hollander nor any Ship belonging to him shall be forced in time of War to take Service against any Nation whatsoever 10. No Manathan or Inhabitant of the Country shall be charged with Quartering of Soldiers till the Officers have fully paid and satisfified him for it beforehand and that too only when the Fort shall not be able to lodge all the Soldiers within it and then the Burgomasters shall be oblig'd to chuse out some houses for that purpose 11. The Hollanders shall keep their ancient Customs concerning Inheritances and Successions 12. All Publick Writings and Contracts concerning any ones Inheritance or Ecclesiastical Government and the Diaconie or Orphans Chamber shall be carefully preserved by those who have received them And if there be any Writings that concern the States General they shall be sent to them upon occasion 13. The sentences that have been given here shall be firm and stable without being stopt by any new proceedings But if any one think injustice has been done him and that he shall appeal to the States General the contrary party shall be obliged to answer his Grievances 14. If any Hollanders dwelling here shall desire to go into England or any other part of his Majesties Dominions to Trade there or would traffick with the Indians upon his presenting for that effect a Petition to the Governour a Writing shall be granted him by which he shall be declared a Burgher of that Place and in that Quality he shall be permitted to trade there with all Liberty 15. All Subalternate Burghers Officers and Magistrates shall be continued in their Offices if they desire it till the time prescribed for a new Election and then new ones shall be chosen upon this Condition that the new elected Magistrates shall be obliged to take an Oath of Fidelity to his Britanick Majesty before they enter upon their Office 16. That if it appears expences have been made for the Publick and means found out to erect Funds designed for the paying them those means shall still subsist and be put in execution according to the first project formed of them till all the said Charges be re-imburs'd 17. All Contracts formerly made and all Debts and Obligations that concern the Inhabitants of this Province shall be exacted and prosecuted according to the Customs practised by the Hollanders 18. That if it be certified that the Amsterdam Company of the West Indies owe any sum of Money to any one of this Country it is agreed that the enquiry after the Ships and Goods designed for the United Provinces shall be continued 6 months and more 19. All Military Officers and their Soldiers shall march out with the Equipages Compleat Colours flying and Drums beating and if any one of the Body of those Troops shall be minded to employ himself in planting he shall be allowed 50 Acres of Land and if any one of them will serve in quality of Servant he shall be received as a free person and shall afterwards be made a free Burgher of the Country 20 That in case the King of Great Britain and the States of the United Provinces should agree that this Province should be restored to them with the good pleasure of his Majesty it shall be redelivered to them upon the same foot and under the same Conditions 21. The Town of the Isle of Manathan shall have the Privilege to elect Deputies who shall have their free Votes in all publick Affairs as well as the other Deputies 22. They which shall have any Houses in the Fortress of Orange may if they please demolish the fortification and preserve their Houses as it is practised in all open places in which there is no Fort. 23. If any one amongst the Soldiery shall desire to go away for Holland and that the Amsterdam Company or any other private Person be minded to charge themselves with his transportation they shall be provided with a free Passport which they shall receive from Colonel Richard Nichols Deputy Governour under his Royal Highness and the other Deputies by way of Provision for the security of such Soldiers and of the Ships that shall transport them as well as their effects against all Acts of Hostility from his Majestiâ—s Ships or those of any of his Subjects 24. That the Copy of the Kings Patent to his Royal Highness and the Copy of his Royal Highnesses Commission granted to Colonel Nichols Signed and Authorized by two other Deputies and by Mr. John Winschrop for true Copies shall be deliverd into the hands of Mr. Stuyvesand the present Governour to the end that on next Monday at 8 a clock in the morning near the Old-Mill they may be Sealed as well as the Articles granted by Colonel Nichols Lieutenant Governour for his Royal Highness and that two hours after the Fort and the Town called New Amsterdam in the Isle of Manathan shall be delivered into the Hands of the said Colonel Richard Nichols by the means of them whom he shall Depute thereunto under his Hand and Seal New Holland had been possess'd by the United Provinces above 60 Years but being joined on one side to New England so near a Neighbourhood of the two Nations made them that they could not endure one another together and was a perpetual source of Jealousie and dispute to prevent which in the year 1663 they agreed upon certain limits that were to separate them But the Engliâ—h broke that project under pretence they had received no Orders for so doing and whilst the Deputies from the Hollanders were at Boston busied in Regulating the limits the English fell upon some Villages belonging to the States and took them publishing at the same time that they knew no New Holland but only a New England of which all the Country depended so that they influenced many of the Inhabitants to take Arms against the Government The directors of the West-India Company made their Complaints of it to their High and Mightinesses hoping they might come to an amicable Accommodation about it but the result made it plainly appear that the English intended nothing less than Peace In the mean while the King of great Britain had Advice from Vice Admiral Lawson and Captain Berkley at Cadiz that Vice Admiral de Ruiter having Anchored in the Road of that Town had taken in Provisions for a year and that on the 5th of October at 8 in the morning he weighed Anchor with a Squadron of 12 great Men of War in order to make the best of his way in all
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
Prize on the 6th of January 1665. But when they came to the sale of them the Commissioners of the Admiralty were far from finding their account advanced by it so little money did they receive from it because besides that all the best of what was in those Ships had been imbezell'd the charges of the Admiralty Court amounted to very considerable sums The French begun likewise to resent the unsupportable Dominion of the English at Sea For they pretended to visit their Ships in the Channel to see whether they carried any Dutch Merchandizes and several of them were seized on that pretence and carried into the Ports of England and sold according to their value before any Plea could be put in for their release About the end of the precedent year the English just as if War had been declared had attackt the Convoy of the Dutch Smyrno Fleetnear Cadiz under the Command of Commadore Brakel who was kill'd on that occasion after he had signaliz'd himself as appears by the following Letter written upon that Subject to the Admiralty of the College of Amsterdam by Captain Van Meeuwen THe 26th instant we unmoor'd from Malaga under the Command of Commadore Brakel Captain Roetening and Captain Kuiper of Zealand with a Fleet of about 30 Merchant Ships great and small steering our Course towards Cadiz When we were arrived near Cape Moly 3 Merchant Ships more joyned our Flag viz. one Dutch one and two Foreigners we made all together towards the Mouth of the Streights and having past it on the 28th with some Merchant Ships of our Fleet separated from us the same night being arrived within 3 miles of Cadiz Bay Commadore Brakel gave the signal to cast anchor the next morning at break of day we set sail again and some of our Merchant Ships were scattered from us The 29th in the morning we met 8 or 9 English Ships upon which Brakel advancing towards their Flag saluted it with some Guns but the English Admiral waiting his opportunity till Brakel came up side by side with him powered in upon him a whole Broad side When we saw that we repaid him his change But several Merchant men contrary to the Orders of their High and Mightinesses and in contempt of their honour and the Oath of fidelity sworn to their Country basely deserting us to Retire into the Road. We had not all the advantage we had reason to hope for if we had been seconded for without difficulty with the Divine Protection the English would have been beaten whereas on the contrary to our great regret Commadore Brakel was kill'd as also two others and some wounded in his Ship which has received some shot under Water and we are now busie in repairing her Captain Roetening has likewise had 2 men kill'd and some wounded As for my self God be praised I have received no damage excepting some shot in my sails and some of my Rigging shattered The English have taken 2 small Ships The Pilot John Roelofsz who was in the Ship King Solomon was sunk after he had defended himself like a brave Soldier The Ship St. Mary one of those we lost in the Night was taken by the English before the fight as she was retiring into the Road where we arrived in the dusk of the Evening The English keep the bay besieged I could wish I had received orders from their High and Mightinesses to unlade some Ships and take them into their Service For then I should flatter my self with the hopes by the blessing of God to chase them Quickly out of the Bay This Letter as well as another from Commissioner Giisbert Tâ—mels written from Port St. Mary the same day viz. The 30th of December agreed together in all the Circumstances of that Action They were read in the Assembly of the States General who in Consequence of them publish'd on the 24th of January the following Declaration AFter having maturely examined and considered the offences and frequent Acts of Hostility committed since some time on the part of the King of Great Britain A Declaration of the States General or his Subjects by usurping Countries Towns Fortresses and Vilages first on the Coast of Guiney afterwards in New Holland and lastly by the taking of several Ships in Europe It hath been resolved that all sorts of English Ships whether Men of War or Merchants shall be taken and seized by the States Men of War and brought into the Ports of the United Provinces till his Britannick Majesty shall have made Reparation for the Hostilities committed or that some Accommodation be made and in Consequence hereof the Colleges of the several Admiralties shall be Ordered to send out immediately to Sea some light Frigats and to put in Execution the above said intention of their High and Mightinesses by the General Officers and Captains of the Men of War under their Respective Jurisdiction or which depend of them c. In pursuance of that Declaration Express Orders were sent to the Colleges of the Admiralty to cause all diligence to be used in endeavouring to forward the Equipages of the Men of War that they might be Compleated by the next spring The States on the other side thought fit for very important reasons to Create three new Lieutenant Generals or Admirals over and above those that were already honour'd with those High Offices and according to that project Vice-Admiral Meâ—wisz Rortenaar was elected Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of the Meuse Vice-Admiral Michael Adriansz de Ruiter was made Lieutenant Admiral of the College of Amsterdam and Vice-Admiral John Cornelâ—us Meppel was Created Lieutâ—nant Admiral of the College of West-Friesâ—and for the North. Some change was also made amongst the other Officers of the Fleet. For Rear-Admiral Aart Van Nes was made Vice Admiral of the Admiralty of the Meuse and Captain John de Liefde was made Rear Admiral in his place Rear Admiral Cornelâ—us Tromp was Created Vice Admiral of the College of Amsterdam and Captain de Wilde substituted in his place of Rear Admiral Keort Siewersz Adelaar Famous for his Exploits against the Turks and who afterwards went into the Service of the King of Denmark was elected Vice-Admiral of the College of West-Friesland for the North but he thanked the States for the Honour they intended him and so Rear-Admiral Volkert Schram was made Vice-Admiral in his place and Captain Frederick Staghouwer had the Office of Rear-Admiral of the same College The Quality of Lieutenant Admiral of Zealand was likewise given to Vice Admiral John Evertsz But Mr. Opdam Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and West-Friesland was named by the States to Command in chief in all the Sea Forces of the States in Quality of Lieutentant Admiral General and Lieutenant Admiral Kortenaar had order to take the place of Opdam in case of his death or sickness A little time before some Deputies of the States had been sent to Muster the inhabitants of the Villages near the Coast of Holland beginning
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
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
given that the said Treaty shall be inviolably observed in all things as the Mediators shall find agreeable to Reason and Justice In fine we expect that in order to the promoting so pious and important a work as is that of the Peace to be made between us and which is to confirm and preserve that of all Christendom you shall depute some person to come to us to Regulate the Preliminaries that may contribute to bring the Treaty to perfection This being done we doubt not but God will protect us and that he will turn all things to good which will appear principally by reciprocal Testimonies of tenderness and on our part by the continuation of the good will we always have had for your State but if for particular reasons you reject this expedient and that you obstinately persist against your true interests to refuse to accept the Peace that is put into your hands I leave it to the publick to Judge whether of us ought to be charged if the War continue with the fatal Calamities and terrible misfortunes that will accompany it and whether we have not done on our side all that our honour would permit us to prevent them I pray God so to dispose your Hearts as to make serious Reflections upon the true interest of Protestants and to consider how much it will be exposed to the rage of its Enemies if the War continue We Recommend you High and Mighty Lords to his holy and happy protection c. This Letter extremely surprized the States they thinking it a very hard and sensible thing to the United Provinces that the English should pretend to have all restored that had been taken from them without being willing to restore any thing they had been taken from the Dutch The States therefore in order once more to shew all the fair appearances of Justice on their side and of the pretended sincere desire they had for Peace caused remarks to be made upon the King of Great Britain's Letter tending to justify their Conduct and to answer separately to the Five points that were there advanced and sent them to the King joined with the following Letter The States Answer to the King of England's Letter of the 14th of October 1666. SIR WE have received your Majesty's Answer dated from Whitehall the 4th of October Old Stile or on the 14th of October last to the Letter we writ you dated on the 16th of September and tho' at the very beginning of your Letter your Majesty endeavours to justify your Arms against this State we believe it to no purpose to enter actually into any dispute about that Subject because we are perswaded that if your Majesty would take the pains to peruse the writings that have formerly been delivered into the hands of your Ministers and that have been likewise made publick that you would be undoubtedly convinced as well as all the World of the Justice of our cause and of the Motives that engaged us to our own defence As to the five points in the Conclusion of your Majesty's said answer we are in a State to protest by the faith of men of Honour that we have not violated the last Treaty in any of its parts and that we will engage for the future inviolably to observe the Peace in case it be made praying your Majesty moreover to set your self at rest in that respect and to be pleased to give order that it be punctually observed on your part As to the second point tho' your Majesty's Ministers and particularly Agent Selwyn published upon the Coasts of Africk a Declaration without Contradiction more imperious and injurious than that which ours could have invented and much less have put in execution as has been made amply to appear elsewhere yet we have silence thereupon and we have not been observed to make any noise about it in the World However to shew that we are ready to remove that obstacle we consent that the two abovesaid Declarations shall be both disannull'd and disavow'd as well on your Majesty's part as on ours To the third that we are no less inclin'd than your Majesty to consent to a Regulation of Commerce provided it be General and Reciprocal being hardly able to conceive that your Majesty would refuse in Europe and elsewhere what you pretend to be Equitably your due in the East Indies To the fourth that tho' we are so far from being in a Condition to consent to a Re-imbursment for the charges of the War or the damages suffered by your Majesty or your Subjects that on the contrary we have right to pretend the restitutien of the Ships and effects of our good Subjects stopt in the Harbors or upon the Rivers of your Majesties Kingdom or that were taken at Sea by surprize upon the Coasts of England as likewise of New-Holland Cabo Corso and other places taken in Africk without publishing before hand any Declaration of War and in the time when our said Ships entred into your Majesty's Ports trusting in the publick faith of a Treaty of Peace in confidence in the sincere Declaration which you had caused to be several times reiterated to us by your Ministers that resided then at the Hague namely that we ought not to take any umbrage at your Majesty's Arming nor in any manner to apprehend the meeting of any of your Majesty's Ships of War adding that your Majesty should always abhor the Conduct of the usurper Cromwel towards us and would never enterprize any thing against the Liberty of the State and of its Subjects but that if it should happen that your Majesty could receive no satisfaction upon the Complaints that should be made to us on your part that as a Generous Prince you would Declare War against the State before any Act of Hostility were Committed However it be we shall be always ready to stand to the Terms of the said Declaration if any thing must be expected of us As to the fifth which is that your Majesty would make a Difficulty to trust to our Word or Seal tho' on our side we were ready to trust to your Majesty's we shall readily agree to any other proposition to render it the more firm and inviolable by the Guarantie of other Princes or States that are Friends or Allies But since your Majesty testifies by your Answer above annexed that you have some grounds to hope to induce us to a particular Treaty to the exclusion of our Allies we find our selves obliged to advertise you that that cannot be and consequently it is absolutely necessary in Order to come to a good Peace that your Majesty determine to treat joyntly with us and our Confederates and that you must needs dispose your self to consent that choice be made of a Neuter place where the Plenipotentiaries as well of the Crowns of France and Denmark as those of your Majesty may jointly with ours meet with all Liberty without which all the pains that can be taken about it will be
Tempest by which several Ships were endamaged and that of Admiral de Ruiter was one of the worst treated Two days after he went and Anchored near Westkappel to Repair and Refit his shattered Ships from whence he discovered a Yacht called the Merlin which carried the King of England's Flag on her Main-Mast-Top She was come out of the Meuse and going back for England and as she passed throw the Dutch Fleet she saluted de Ruiter with some Guns but he being busy in Refiting his Ship could not make use of his Guns to answer his salute Lieutenant-Admiral de Gent perceiving it rendred the King 's Yacht the Honours due to her with a salute of 7 Guns And in the mean while Admiral de Ruiter having made hast to get his ready saluted likewise with 9 Guns but the English made him no return At the same time setting Sailâ— he summoned on board him all the General Officers and Captains of the fleet to inform him what damage they had suffered by the late ill Weather And then it was that Lieutenant Admiral de Gent told him that after he had returned his salute to the Kings Yacht the English Captain fired twice at him with Bullets because he refused to strike his Flag that thereupon he sent his Captain on Board the Yacht to know of the Commander the reasons that oliged him to act in that manner and that hearing that Madam Temple was on board her because he had had the honour to visit her at her lodging at the Hague where she had treated him with great civilities he was minded to go on board the Yacht himself to pay her his Respects and that as he went in he told the Captain very civilly That as for an affair of so great an importance as that was to strike his Flag to one of the King's Yachts upon their own Coasts truely without an Express Order he durst not do it but that if his Britannick Majesty had reason to pretend any such thing the difference ought to be decided between his Majesty and the States and that after that discourse they parted good friends Notwithstanding which that Rencounter by the French was made the Subject of so much noise and blustring in England that the States found they had reason to apprehend very mischievous Consesequences from it The Campaign the most Christian King was to make near Dunkirk having ended in a bare review of his Army The States thought the Spanish low-Countries had nothing to fear that year and therefore they resolved to call home their Fleet to prevent the Tempests that begun already to reign And accordingly Admiral de Ruiter had orders to retire on the 21st of September and the 23d of the same month the Fleet went into Port to be Disarmed and laid up In the mean while the designs France had formed against the Netherlands begun to break out as likewise the intelligence the King of England had with that Crown And the States were informed from good hands what Springs the French King had set on work to break the Triple League and that to induce King Charles to break out or it he promised to put into the field an Army of 100000 men and to set out to Sea a Fleet of 40 Sail of men of War But however the English on their side to lull asleep the States gave them good words At the beginning of the Year 1672 the business about the Merlin Yacht was revived again And Sir George Downing was sent to the Hague from his British Majesty to make Complaint of it and to demand Reparation adding that Lieutenant Admiral de Gent ought to be punisht And tho' the 19th Article of the Treaty at Breda That men of War or Merchants Ships belonging to the Vnited Provinces when they shall meet any of the King of England's Ships of War in the British Seas shall be obliged to strike their Flag and lower their main Topsails as was formerly practised Yer Sir George Downing would needs maintain against the Commissioners appointed to treat with him that the business of the Flag was not to be taken from the Treaty of Breda but from an Ancient right and that the civilities they rendred one another were all times to be Reciprocal c. Some days after he delivered in a writing wherein it was asserted That the Empire of the Sea belonged to the English That not only every single Ship was obliged to strike their Flag but even whole Fleets That Lieutenant Admiral de Gent had failed in his Duty and ought to be punished c. All the Reasons the States could alledge would not satisfie Sir George Downing nor stop his hasty departure The States likewise employed all imaginable means to satisfy the French King but that Prince had taken so strong a Resolution to make War that nothing was able to divert him from it Whereupon the States seeing plainly that all those Preparations were making against the United Provinces and that the Netherlands were going to be made the Theater of a terrible War they begun to provide for themselves by raising a Fund to defray the vast expences they were like to be engaged in And after deliberations the Prince of Orange was Created Captain General of the Armies of the State the 24th of February upon certain conditions not necessary to be inserted here The States having enjoyed Peace by Land near 24 years their Land-Forces were so accustomed to Idleness that they were not like the same men and too long a rest had effeminated the Spirits of the Soldiers that there was no Reliance to be made upon their Service Therefore Orders were given for new Levies and endeavours were used to make Alliances with the Neighbouring Princes for Auxiliary Troops They used all diligence to fit out a Fleet of 48 Capital men of War and 24 Fire-Ships besides Galliots and other small Tenders which Number was afterwards considerably Augmented In the mean while the English put out a Fleet of 38 men of War divided into three Squadrons and the States Agent named de Clarges having discovered that their design was to go and meet and attack the Dutch Smirna Fleet one of the richest they ever had yet used his best Policy to disappoint the English and for that effect dispatch'd away several Galliots from Callis to go and give the Smirna men notice of it in the Spanish Seas so that upon that Advice they took their Precautions for their own defence They were to the Number of 72 sail including among them 6 men of War that were their Convoy When they were come as far as the middle of the Channel a Squadron of 9 English Frigats The Dutch Smirna Fleet attackt by the English and 3 Yachts under the Command of Sir Robert Holms came attackt them On the 24th of March At the sight of the English the Merchant Fleet threw themselves into the form of a Crescent and maintained the fight so vigorously for some hours that Sir Robert Holms
was forced to retire from them toward night but the next day having received a Reinforcement of 4 or 5 men of War more he came up with them again and charged them a fresh but with no better luck then at the first time and the whole Smirna Fleet had escaped had not the English upon the renewing the fight a third time hapned to take one of the Convoy Ships whose Captain was killed which was the cause of the loss 4 Merchant Ships which were cut off from a Squadron that were put into some Disorder such was the end of that fight And that was all the advantage the English gained over them But the main body of that Merchant Fleet got in at length safe into the Ports of Holland The Captains de Nes and de Haas who commanded there in chief lost their lives there and Captain du Bois had his Left hand shot off The French King Declared War against the United Provinces the same day The pretence of which Declaration was That the displeasure his Majesty had received from the Conduct of the States General of the Vnited Provinces for some time past towards him was come to such a height that his Majesty could no longer dissemble his Resentment without prejudice to his Glory and that a proceeding so very unsuitable to the great obligations the States had to his Majesty and to other Kings his predecessors had at last provoked him to take a Resolution to make War against them by Sea and Land c. The motives that induced the Bishop of Munster and Elector of Cologne to joyn with France likewise in a War against the States were not much better founded then those of the French King The King of Swedeland being then but very young had not experience enough to avoid suffering himself to be imposed upon by the promises of France quitted likewise the Engagements he had with his Allies in prejudice to the Tripple-League The United Provinces then seeing themselves thus without any second and all alone engaged in a danger of a very foâ—midable aspect fell into Great extreamities For the French King entring their Country with a very Numerous and well disciplined Army took Town after Town without Resistance whilst the Bishop of Munster and Elector of Cologne attackt the States on another side and finding the places open were no less Victorious than their Great Allie In fine such was the rapidity of their progresses that of seven Provinces three were already fallen into the hands of the Enemies And if the affairs of the United Provinces had succeeded so desperately ill at Sea as they had done at Land it may be said that in all humane appearance they had been irretrievably lost For after such great losses what could they expect but a Total Ruine but because those Events do but indirectly concern our Subject and that they have been already very largely and fully related by several Historians we shall leave them to return to speak only of the Actions that hapned at Sea They had wrought with so much diligence in arming out the Fleet in Holland that it was ready on the 9th of May to set sail And the vigilence and care of Admiral de Ruiter and Pensionary de Wit contributed very much to that successfull advance It set sail then under the Conduct of Admiral de Ruiter and Cornelius de Wit Deputy of the States consisting of 67 sail which Number was soon was soon after Augmented by a Reinforcement of several Ships more On the 14th day of the same month the two Fleets of England and France joined likewise near the Isle of Wight And the same day the Dutch Fleet sailed towards the Coasts of Great Britain where they Anchored till the 7th of June being Composed then of 91 men of War 44 Fire-Ships and 23 Advice-Yachts making in all 158 sail Then weighing Anchor they arrived at break of day at Solbay The Confederate Fleets that were above 100 sail strong of men of War had as the Dutch Relations Represent things several times already avoided Battle But the Hollanders having discovered themselves presented them so unexpectedly and suddenly before the bay that several of the Enemies Ships were forced to cut their Anchor-Cables to get out to range themselves timely in a Line of Battle A fight between de Ruiter and the English and French Flâ—ets The two Royal Fleets were likewise divided into three Squadrons The Duke of York as Lord High Admiral of the Kingdom had the Command of the main Battle or of the Red Squadron The Count d' Etrees Vice-Admiral of France Commanded the Right Wing or the White Squadron and Admiral Mountague Earl of Sandwich had the Conduct of the Left Wing or Blue Squadron Admiral de Ruiter disposed himself to attack the Red Squadron Lieutenant Admiral Bankert the White and Lieutenant Admiral de Gent the Blue one De Ruiter advanced his Squadron and came up and posted himself within Pistol shot Right against the Duke of York and fired a broadside at him which he returned again with the like The two Admirals continued thundring at one another with continual discharges for about 2 hours till they were both much shattered But at last the Duke of York's Flag with the main Top-Mast to which it was fastned being shot down he was forced to remove and put up his Flag in another Ship called the London Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes seconded by some other Ships made right up to the Vice-Admiral of the Red both of them kept with their head to the North in charging But a Calm coming on they could make no more motion with any advantage to themselves However they continued firing at one another all the while without intermission The Royal Catharine an 80 Gun Ship Commanded by Captain Chichly falling near Van Nes's Ship he gave order to his men to seize and take her â—ut a little time after Van Nes had quitted her to return to the fight the Dutch that were put on board to keep her begun to pillage so that the English that were left in her knew so well to make their advantage of that opportunity that they retook her again and carried her back into England Captain Brakel did that day without having receiv'd any order for it one of the Boldest and most Heroick Actions in the World For at the very beginning of the battle whilst the Wind continued to blow still a soft Gale coming out of de Ruiter's Squadron followed by a Fire ship he tackt to the Northward and fell upon the Earl of Sandwich Admiral of the Blue Squadron He made up to him without firing so much as one Gun enduring all the furious discharges of his Enemy and of several other English Ships that were about him And when he was got very near the Royal James he fired a whole broadside at her so effectually that a moment after there was nothing to be heard from her but the lamentable cries of a great Number of poor
THE LIFE OF Cornelius Van Tromp Lieutenant-Admiral of Holland and Westfriesland CONTAINING Many Remarkable Passages relating to the WAR between ENGLAND and HOLLAND As also the SEA-FIGHTS AND Other Memorable Actions of this Great Man from the Year 1650. to the Time of his Death LONDON Printed by J. Orme for R. Clavel J. Sturton and A. Bosvile in Fleetstreet and J. Cater in Holbourn MDCXCVII THE Author's Preface THE World is so earnest after the Evenâ—s of the Present War that it has hardly Leisure enough to read the several Accounts which are continually printed on that Subject And this takes up all our Thoughts so much that we have scarce Time to reflect on past Transactions I must confess we have Reason enough for this for what is past cannot effect us much because it can neither add to our Misery nor better our Condition But the War wherein Europe is now engag'd is of so great a Consequence that according to the Turn of Affairs every one must have their Hopes or Fears either to expect a Happy Change in their Fortunes or to dread the contrary Yet tho' we now seem wholly taken up with the present there are however some Histories of former Times capable to excite the Curiosity of the Publick because what is past may enable us to argue on what 's to come and to draw Consequences accordingly The following History of Van Tromp is of this kind and what the States have perform'd under the Conduct of that Great Man and sometimes by themselves and against Two formidable Powers we may reasonably conclude that now since the said States and England are united nothing can be able to oppose them at Sea provided they will be but unanimous and act in Consort The manner of the Deliverance of the United Provinces in 1672. from the Slavery wherewith they were threatned next to the Favour and Assistance of Heaven through the wise Conduct and Valour of the Prince of Orange now King of England and by the Victories which the Admirals of this State have obtain'd over both the Fleets of France and England then joyn'd together gives us very good Reason likewise to conclude that there is nothing we may not at this Day expect from these two Potent States since they have both put themselves under the Conduct of that Prince who commands their Armies conjunctly and since their Naval Forces are united against the Common Enemy We are therefore persuaded that this Work will not now be unseasonable but will have the good Fortune to be well received by the variety of Events of which we have hitherto had but a very imperfect Account because that few Historians have made it their Business to treat at large of Matters relating to the Sea Herein you will find exact Relations of many bloody Engagements perform'd in most Seas and which have been often follow'd by Descents on the Territories of those that have had the worsâ— of it Herein you will see how Victory has been disputed between the most powerful as well as most numerous Fleets and the greatest Admirals that ever fought on the Ocean In a Word you will have a full Account of what England and the Provinces have hitherto been capable of executing at Sea and when they have been the single Combatants But we will leave the Reader his full Liberty to make what Reflections he shall think fit and content our selves with the Performance of a Faithful Historian by giving you a plain Relation of Matters of most Importance in the Times we shall mention and particularly of what concerns the Great Cornelius Van Tromp whose Life we here present you We have also been oblig'd by the bye to touch a little upon the most remarkable Actions of the Famous Martin Van Tromp and several other Admirals whose Memories will always be dear to Holland on the Account of the great Reputation they acquir'd as well as for their Zeal shewn for the Service of their Country It will also be necessary to acquaint you That we have not been able to preserve both the History contain'd and the Succession of Years entire to avoid relating several Events which seem to have but an indirect Tendency to Cornelius Van Tromp's Life because we would fill up the Chasms wherein he was not employ'd nor commanded the Naval Forces of this State in chief or else was in the Service of the King of Denmark And to make the History the more acceptable by Variety we have inserted the Epitaphs of most of the Hero's of this Republic whose Names we had occasion to Mention as so many Monuments which contain the most important Actions of their Lives and which are not to be found elsewhere whereby the Care which the United Provinces have taken to reward their Merit and make their Glorious Memory Immortal will be sufficiently evident We have also added the most considerable Letters which the several Admirals have written as so many eminent Proofs to authenticate the Actions we relate and which will shew that we have made this our inviolable Rule and Standard Not to write any thing with Flattery or Falshood but to give a Body of Truth to this Work THE LIFE OF Cornelius Tromp Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and of West-Friseland The First BOOK THERE is no Flourishing State in the World but must acknowledge it self to be supported chiefly by two main firm and solid Pillars I mean 1650. Wise Ministers of State and Great and Experienc'd Commanders who Constitute the Primary Cause of it's Grandure and Exaltation The former of these by their admirable Skill form out into Regular designs in the Councel Chamber those Secret Maxims that Policy Dictates to every Nation as the most adapted to their peculiar Genius and condition whereby they may best Govern themselves grow powerfull and become formidable to their Neighbours and the others are those Hero's that in order to put in Execution what was Resolved in the Cabal of State couragiously lead on the Armies fight the Enemies and gloriously obtain Victories all which duly considered what honours ought not to be rendred to the Memory of those great men after their Deaths Certainly it is not only just to give them in some sort a new life by the Recital of their noble Exploits but it is likewise of great use to others to render them Recommendable to Prosterity by a History of their worthy Actions since 't is the surest and most Expeditious means to move those who read it to a like Course of Vertue and to excite them to follow the Steps of those Illustrious Hero's that have generously Sacrificed their own private repose and spilt their best Blood for the Glory of their Country 'T was upon this consideration that the Greeks and Romans not to speak of the Nations that preceeded them took such great care to commit to writing the lives of their Brave men and were so accurate to Paint them out to us in such lively and natural Colours that even to this
the King of Morocco It was likewise thought fit by the Council on our side that Captain de Uries should take Boat and go into Sally to push on with so much the more Vigour the Negotiation of the Peace In the mean while in spite of all the vigilance of our men in guarding the Avenues of the Port one of their Corsairs slily gliding in along by the Ramparts stole into the Town On the other side Captain de Wilde was ordered to go with his Ship to Mamore a little sorry Town about 500 paces from the main Sea situated at the mouth of the River Subus and twelve Miles distant from the Town of Sally with design to stop up that passage from the Enemies and to hinder them from watering there He was received there by the Governour with great demonstrations of friendship and after he had performed the Orders he had Received he returned again to his Station before Sally where he was extreamly surprised to see the Treaty of Peace broken off For the Moors were so far from consenting to Release the Prisoners without Ransome that they would not endure to hear it mov'd and those of Aribal were so refractary as to make a difficulty likewise of accepting the other Articles of the Treaty Which obstinacy in those Barbarians had like to have provoked the Hollanders to shew their Resentment by the last extremities however they could not forbear replying to them in such high Terms as sufficiently testified how deeply they were incens'd at their proceedings But with all this Huffing they were not able to gain upon the Moors to make them alter a whit of their Resolutions nor yet by several other Negotiations by Letters which produced no effect In the interim our Admiral had advice that there had appeared about Cape St. Vincent seven French Privateers looking sharp after Merchant Ships Upon which de Wilde Tromp and Sâ—â—ert were ordered to sail away towards Cadiz to Convoy the Ships that were in that Rode till they were out of danger and then to make back again to observe those Privateers all which did not interrupt the Negotiations of Peace before Sally But still the Moors would not abate an ace of their pretensions concerning the Ransoming the slaves that were to be set at liberty nay on the contrary they were so insolent as to threaten our Fleet that if they would not agree with them upon their own Terms that they would send away all the Dutch slaves they had in their power either to Algier or elsewhere This Menace made the Officers of the Holland Fleet who were then all present to yield to those Barbarians that the slaves should be ransom'd at the Price they were first bought for And as to the rest of the Artiâ—â—es there was all likelihood they would have been agreed to if the Moors had not changed their minds on a sudden and started abundance of New difficulties against the advancement of the Treaty upon occasion of some advice that was come to them from Tetuan which gave them hopes to compass the destruction of the Holland Fleet which was this Nine Algerine Corsairs that put in for Refreshment there had signified to them that they had a design to surprize and seize one of the Dutch Ships that were riding before Sally Admiral de Galen's Ship was in most danger and most exposed because he was often all alone The noise of this enterprize being confirmed by de Vries put the Dutch Commanders upon more Circumspection in observing the Enemies The other Ships of the Fleet tackt and stood back towards the Admiral and used all the precautions vigilance could inspire them to avoid a surprize In the mean while they beginning to want fresh Water Tromp was detacht away to fetch them some from La â—ache and returned not till Nine days after During these transactions de Vries came back on board the Admiral with Letters and brought with him a Spanish Merchant But de Galen thought not fit to make any answer to these Letters because he knew well enough that the Prince of South Sally was set out some â—ays before towards Fez and that the Prince of North Sally was likewise to follow him in two or three days in order to make their Treaty with the K. of Morocco to whom the most part of Barbary had newly submitted and who most favourably received those that were most forward to range themselves under his obedience However de Galen desired the Spanish Merchant at his return to Sally to let those people know from him that if they offered to send away any of the Dutch slaves to other places as they had threatn d that he would immediately break off the Treaty and never enter into any Negotiation with them any more Assoon as the Princes of Sally were returned from Fez they presently sent to give the Fleet notice of their arrival signifying withall that there was nothing they more heartily desired than a Peace and that they passionately long'd to see the Treaty already begun brought to a happy Conclusion At the same time Captain Blok who was dispacht out of the Texel to go to Sally arrived there with orders to De Galen from the States to go away for the Coasts of Bourdeaux or Rochel to Convoy the Merchant Ships that were to go back from thence towards Holland De Galen in pursuit of those Orders went on board the Ship called the Rose leaving at his departure the care of the Conclusion of the Treaty at Sally to Captain de Wilde and other Captains of the Fleet who after many contestations on both sides concluded it at length on the 9th of February 1651 upon the following conditions 1. That the Governours and Princes of the two Towns of Sally 1651. A Peace concluded between the States of Holland and those of Sally engage for themselves and their Descendants to cause to be set at liberty all the Slaves taken on Board any Vessels belonging to the Vnited Provinces that are at present under their power according to the List already drawn or that shall be afterwards drawn up of them provided they on their part pay their respective Ransoms at the price they were first sold for each one by name and in the order they shall be set down in the List sign'd on both sides and that it shall not be lawful in any wise to raise their price for the profit of those concerned with them and much less to hide and conceal them or send them away elsewhere during the time their Friends are to be allowed to get up the Money necessary for their Ransom which shall extend to the space of three Months after the Date of the present Treaty 2. That no Corsair Ship shall be permitted to go out of Sally till he have given good and sufficient security not to molest any of the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces nor to meddle with any of their Ships or Effects against whose liberty it shall not be lawful for
them to make any attempt 3. That if any of the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces being on board other Ships shall happen to be taken by any of the Corsairs of Sally it shall not be lawful to sell them but they shall immediately be set at liberty 4. That the above said Governors and Princes of Sally shall not suffer the Pirates or Corsairs coming from Tunis Algiers Tripoly or any other place in Turky to bring in any Prises thither taken from the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces to fell them either directly or indirectly in any wise whatsoever or at least when any of these prises shall fall into their power the prisoners that belong to them shall be set at liberty 5. That the Impost laid upon Merchandises Imported or Exported shall not be augmented but continue at the same rate at which they are paid at present 6. That the abovesaid Governors and Princes of Sally and all their Subjects shall permit all Dutch Merchants there inhabiting as likewise such as from time to time shall come thither from the Vnited Provinces to enjoy a freedom of Trade and good Correspondence and shall demean themselves in all things as good Friends and Neighbours of the States General 7. That it shall not be lawful for the above-said Governors and Princes of Sally either directly or indirectly to grant any Commissions to the Pirates or Corsairs of Barbary or Turky to be made use of against the Ships of War of the Vnited Provinces or under what pretence soever to insult any of their Merchants Ships 8. That the Ships of the States General shall not attempt any thing against the liberty of the Ships of Sally or endeavour to seize them upon any pretence whatsoever but on the contrary shall shew them all sort of Friendship and Good-will 9. That it shall not be lawful for any of the Pirates of the Towns of Sally when they are out in Course and meet any Merchant Ships belonging to the States to take out of them any strangers of what Nation soever but on the contrary they shall be obliged to shew them friendship and shall render them all manner of good Offices 10. That the whole shall tend in all points to preserve the Friendship and Alliance mâ—de between the States General of the Vnited Provinces and the King of Morocco After this Peace Holland had some grounds to hope she should enjoy many long years of Repose and after having by that laid open to her self the Commerce of the Levant she might fill her Coffers with new Riches But Fortune that seems to have made it her business to keep this Republick in a perpetual agitation made her soon perceive that the Peace she had newly concluded with those Barbarians was designed only to prepare her for a much more bloody and dangerous War England at that time had erected her self into a Republick and expulsed from the Government the Heirs of the Crown who thereby were forced to seek an Asylum abroad and implore the Succour and Protection of France and of the Vnited Provinces And the unexperienc'd youth of King Charles the II. having swell'd the daring and ambitious humour of the Protector Cromwel beyond all bounds as seeing himself Arbitrary Master of that potent Nation over which he Lorded it with an Empire more Absolute than that of any Crown'd Heads Holland had reason from thence to dread some very fatal Consequences For that new Republick grown insolent with the many advantages she had newly gain'd against the Family of the Stuarts thought there was left nothing else in the world capable to stop the career of her Ambition and was so wonderfully increas'd in power that she begun to grow insupportable to her Neighbours and particularly to the United Provinces who saw themselves upon the point of coming to a Rupture with her But in regard the late long War they had had with Spain had not yet given them time enough to recover their strength they chose rather to temporize a while with England than to embroil themselves hastily in a new War And therefore employ'd all sort of means imaginable to divert that Storm by hastning to send Ambassadors into England Accordingly the Heer 's Cats Schaap and Vander-perre were dispatcht to London in that quality who were received there with great Honours but yet in such a manner as promis'd nothing less than a happy issue of their Negotiation In the mean while Holland was no longer able to keep silence after the many bloody outrages she had received from the English For her Merchant-Ships had suffered and daily suffered losses that were reckoned to amount to some Millions by the Prizes taken by the English Privateers to the number of near two hundred Ships Yet Holland had thitherto suffered all those cruel Hostilities without complaining and would not perhaps have come to an open Rupture for them So much did she dread the dismal consequences of a War that had no other ground but Ambition if her too great patience had not at length been pusht to the last extremity But that which seemed an unexampled piece of Hardship imposed by the English on the Dutch was that they pretended they ought to be permitted even in the midst of a profound Peace to visit not only the Merchant Ships of the States but their Men of War too under pretence they carried Contraband Goods to their Enemies And besides that they had forbidden them to traffick into that part of the Islands call'd the Antilles under their Dominion Notwithstanding all that the States sent Orders to their Ambassadors to try all amicable ways to come if 't were possible to an accommodation but when they saw there was no hopes of Peace they took at last a resolution to arm for the security of their Commerce Then the English made no difficulty to declare openly to our Ambassadors that the Empire of the Sea belonged to them that they would always oppose the Hollanders keeping a Fleet there because that was a Right belonging to them which their Ancestors had gotten by dint of Sword from other Nations And therefore that they would never suffer any other Flagg to appear upon the Ocean but that of their own Republick However this Declaration hindred not the Naval Army of the United Provinces being then ready from disposing it self to set Sail under the Command of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp who was promoted to that High Office in the year 1637 in the room of the Sieur Dorp who quitted the Service But before they set out Tromp desired the States to give him directions how he should behave himself towards the English concerning the honour of the Flagg of which they have in all times been extremely jealous The States askt him how he had behav'd himself in that point in the time of King Charles Tromp replied that when any English Vessels happned to meet them towards Callice or near the Coasts of England especially if the English were strongest the Hollanders used to salute
notice it was an Extraordinary Signal and Judging from thence of the importance of the business might return answer thereto each of them likewise with a Gun Extraordinary after which every one of them should be obliged to make to the place whence the first Gun was fired that all the Captains of the Fleet meeting together on board the Admiral might take such Resolutions as should be most convenient for the time and for the good of the State From which Articles and Instructions of Tromp to his Officers tho' the English pretended to draw invincible proofs that the Hollanders were the Aggressors in the late bloody attempt upon their Fleet yet the Dutch on the contrary pretended it was visible from thence that their main Aim was only to secure their Trade and defend the Glory of their Nation in case they were attackt but that they had not the least design to be Aggressors against the English After this Lieutenant Admiral Tromp whilst he was Cruising below Bullen writ a Letter to Admiral Blake dated the 2d of June in which he intreated him to release the two Capt. of his he had made Prisoners and who were already carried to London and to order the Restitution of Captain Tuyneman's Ship But Blake as yet red hot with Resentment for what was so newly past between them and being much surprized that after the Rough Compliments between them in that Rencounter Tromp should presume to Write to him upon such a Subject as that in very great indignation made him the following Answer SIR NOthing ever surpriz'd me more than yours of the 2d of June last in that Blake's answer to Tromp tho you affect with so much vanity to pass for a Man of Honour yet 't is no way visible that you maintain that Character by any of your Actions The Cruel attempt you lately made against the Parliament of England's Fleet whose ruin you had conspired is an evident proof of this That Fleet I say to which you were in duty obliged to pay your Humblest Respects and Submissions since you have not refused to pay them in several other Rencounters That Act of Hostility you have so lately committed is so much the more Criminal because there was no occasion given you from England to engage you to proceed to such an extremity since you were pleased to do it in a time when your Ambassadors were flattering our Commonwealth with new hopes of Peace and Union and pretended to solicit with much earnestness a speedy conclusion of a Treaty of Mutual Alliance and Confederation That is the Brave Exploit upon which at present you found your glory and for which you frame an unjust Apology as pretending you did nothing else but defend your self But God in whom we put our greatest hopes having made your designs serve to your own destruction we have taken some of your Ships which you now are pleased to redemand with as much confidence as if the action lately â—ommitted had been no act of Hostility as it appears in your Writings by your affecting to give it another name In fine I thought not fit to give you any other answer but this That I am perswaded you will find the Parliament of England very ill satisfied with your Conduct because they cannot but regard with horror the Innocent Blood of their Subjects that has been spilt and on the other side that after all you will find your self constrained always to give them the marks of an entire submission In the mean while the States Ambassadors were at London endeavouring to Renew the Negotiation for a Treaty and having for that purpose demanded Audience of the Parliament it was granted them It was their business then to endeavour to appease their exasperated Spirits and thereby to put a timely stop to the dismal consequences of the War that was ready to burst out between these two Formidable Powers which was a Task of no small difficulty However they employed their industry and parts in it to the best advantage they could and accordingly on that Subject made the following Speech to the Parliament Most Honourable Lords WE expected nothing less than the fatal disaster which has lately hapned The Dutch Ambassadors Audience of the Parliament and their Speech to them And if what Publick Fame says of a Sea fight between the two Fleets prove true this disgrace is so much the greater and more afflicting to us because our Men are lookt upon as the Authors of it All those stories that are whisper'd about concerning this matter are already lookt upon by the people as the mournful presages of the ruine of two States that have hitherto been ever linkt together in a strict Alliance and now by this fatal blow see themselves at the eve of a Bloody War We are so sensibly concern'd at all the false Rumours that are spread abroad to the disadvantage of our Nation that we will call God to witness that the States General were so far from contributing to the late unhappy recounter that they had not the least knowledge of it and desire nothing so much as Vnion Peace and an inviolable Friendship with England However 't is not impertinent to the matter in question to let you know that it may be observ'd from the Letter written to us by the Admiral of Holland that the true Cause of that action was very different from what 't is reported to have been And what is more Tromp declares in that Letter in express terms and he repeats it three times that he had not received any other Orders from the States than only to defend the Merchant Ships belonging to the States from the oppression of those who might be capable to disturb the freedom of their Commerce and to Cruise upon the Frontiers of the State without going far from Ostend and Newport from whence 't is as clear as the day That the States General of the Vnited Provinces never had any thoughts to attempt any thing that might be capable to break the strict union that has always been between England and Holland And if any thing has hapned contrary to the sincerity of their intentions they who shall be found to have violated the Rules and passed the Bounds that were prescribed them ought to be Responsible for it According to the Orders given us by their High and Mightinesses to endeavour a Treaty of Alliance we presented some days ago to your Commissioner a Memorial in which we propose means not only for composing the differences about Commerce but likewise for the securing of it and rendering it more flourishing And we desire nothing else at present but to see them brought to a speedy and happy conclusion And indeed who could believe that a Treaty that is at present the firmest support of good and well disposed people and the most solid foundation of the Reformation should be interrupted by the capricious humour of a few ill intentioned persons It is a Natural Law acknowledged by all the World
That in Private Affairs if an Attorney or Proctor or in Publick Affairs if a Minister of State offers to pass the Duties of his Office or if a General of an Army without any Order from his Soveraign Ravages and lays Wast the Countries of his Allies or like a wild unruly Beast that has broken his Chains runs about the Fields and does all the mischief he can then in such a case it is but Justice to hold the Soveraigns blameless and to charge the â—rime upon those who are the true Authors of it and especially if the Soveraigns disavow the Fact as there is reason to expect the States will do in the case now in debate However there is no doubt but that it would be a thing altogether unheard of and condemned both by Divine and Humane Laws to go about to commit any acts of Hostility without hearing first what reasons the Adversary had to alledge for himself 'T is a Maxime universally received by all Nations conducted by the light of Reason That when any mischievous fact is committed the examination of the crime should precede before Sentence be given But likewise if the Party offended receive ample satisfaction ought he not to lay by his Resentment And it is not to be wondred at if all Nations naturally avoid War and are inclined to Peace since War is a horrible Monster that causes a thousand unhappinesses and feeds upon nothing but innocent Blood Some holy Fathers of the Church have very truly and pertinently said That men ought to have War in abomination even when Justice or Necessity it self obliges them by force to take Arms but especially Christians who ought to have learnt to be sparing of the Blood of other people as well as of that of their own Subjects Experience shews us in natural things that when the most excellent Wines come to corrupt they change into Vinegar most extremly sharp So likewise if these two Nations that have for so many years been united together in Religion Commerce and Liberty and whom the Neighbourhood of the Sea the Glory of Arms and their known valour have rendred yet more inseparable should come once to break that Vnion what else must be expected thence but their common Ruine Would not they be then like thâ—sâ— Sons of the Earth that destroyed one another as we are told in the story of Cadmus And will not even our Religion be thereby exposed to contempt and will not our common Enemies draw from our troubles new matter of triumph Truly our sense in this case differs nothing from that of some of your Writers who have very judiciously compared our two Republicks to two Earthen Vessels floating on the Sea with this Motto Si collidimur fragimur i. e. If we fall foul on one another we shall certainly break That is an Emblem that admirably well shews that a perpetual Peace ought to render them inseparable For if a well cemented Vnion might once be settled between these two Nations what felicities are there they might not enjoy By that we shall see Religion firmly established the Sea open to us Navigation free and the Enemies of the two Nations put out of all power to hurt them Peace and Tranquility secured and what is still more to be desired the Blessing of Heaven entailed upon us In fine to conclude we therefore most earnestly beseech you that you would order a Copy of a Relation of the late fight as it really passed to be delivered to us and to permit us to send it to the States General of the Vnited Provinces that by examining carefully the relations of both Parties the truth may the more easily be detected That in the mean while all Hostilities may cease on both sides That the Negotiation for a Treaty of Peace may not be broken off on this occasion That so by remedying the misfortunes lately hapned we may at last effect the conclusion of a solid and durable Peace which we passionately wish for and which we pray God the Soveraign Arbiter and Lord of Peace to be pleased to grant us After this discourse the Ambassadours retired and were guarded home to their Lodgings by a Party of the English Guards The Parliament seemed to them to be extremely divided and to waver much in their Resolutions about so weighty and Nice a Point but yet without positively declaring which of the Admirals they judged to have begun the Fight The major part of the Members maintained that the English Admiral had right on his side but Tromp was not of that opinion The rest of the Parliament being stirred up by the secret practices of the Spanish Faction said that the Hollanders had by the late action given an evident proof of their Treachery That the Republick of England had reason to be much alarmed at it and to look upon it as an assured presage of their future Ruine Yet there were several Members of that Illustrious Body whether moved by some private interest or by a principle of friendship that were more inclined to an accommodation with the Hollanders than to a Rupture in the number of which were these Gentlemen viz. Mildmay Vane Pembrook and several others But Cromwel who was in the highest degree of his fortune of which he made his Idol was the only man that had the secret of working upon the spirits of that Nation His Party was backt by Harrison Whitlock Bradshaw St. Johns Harrington Fleetwood and Mr. Scot who fomented the Jealousies and lying stories that the hatred the people had conceived against the Hollanders had lately produced nay and they had blown up the flame to so great a height that they reported that Tromp was come to London with a design to make a general Massacre of the people but his enterprise not taking effect he had commanded those of his Fleet to put all the English they met with to the Sword and that besides he had given orders to all his Captains upon pain of Death that at the approach of any English Man of War if they found themselves in danger of being taken having got all their Seamen upon the Deck they should clap a lighted Match into their Powder-room as well to destroy their Enemies by blowing them up into the Air as to take from them all hopes of any Booty The Sieur Nieuport who was sent some weeks before as well to carry some Papers to the Ambassadors concerning their Negotiation as to tell them several things by word of mouth that were intrusted with him by the States run great danger of his life because he was taken for a Spie In a word the mutual hatred between both Nations was risen to that high degree of bitterness that there was reason to fear they would never be reconciled more The Ambassadors well observed that Cromwel acting like an able Politition used great dissimulation with them and that besides other motives that actuated him he was further influenced by his own private Ambition He appeared the first days
of the contest very moderate towards them and wholly inclined to lay by some gentle expedient the Storm that was newly risen but yet at the bottom he was of the same mind with the Parliament or to speak more properly 't was he that underhand spurred them on to Revenge and he that perswaded them to employ all their Forces to destroy the Hollanders The Ambassadors having then discovered the Parliaments design and that they were fitting out a formidable Fleet to Sea on which were to be embarkt 4000 Soldiers resolved to present a second Memorial to the Council of State which was conceived in these Terms The Memorial presented to the Council of State by the Dutch Ambassadors The Ambassadours of the States General of the United Provinces having protested on Monday last before this August Council and called God himself to witness their Innocence and the Justice of their Cause declaring that the Fight between the two Fleets did not happen by any premeditated design of their High and Mightinesses They have judged it expedient for the better clearing of that point to put into your hands a Copy of Tromp's Letter by which this Republick may evidently see that their High and Mightinesses gave him no other Commission than to cruise on the Frontier Seas of their own Dominions without passing any farther for fear of giving jealousie to their Neighbours And therefore the said Ambassadors come again to day to give you new assurances upon their having received by yesterdays Post all the informations given in from the 22d to the 29th of the last month New stile concerning the Battle in Question by which it appears still more clearly That the States had no hand in that action directly or indirectly declaring themselves ready to conclude a strict Alliance that may be capable to unite the two Republicks by eternal and inviolable friendship It is certain That is their last and most sincere intention Moreover the said Ambassadors pray the Council of State to be pleased to give them a speedy Answer such as they in their prudence shall think most proper in the present juncture to prevent the mischievous consequences of some more dismal Accident Neither will it be unseasonable to acquaint the Council that the Sieur Newport sent from their High and Mightinesses to their Ambassadors for business concerning their Negotiation is upon his departure to repass the Sea if the Council of State will please to grant him a Passport as we pray them to do and that he may have leave to chuse one of the States Ships that is now in the Thames or elsewhere The Sieur Newport having expedited his affairs waited only for a Passport to be gone but he found great difficulty to obtain it which retarded his departure for several days He got at last out of London with much ado and came to Gravesend thinking to embark there But at that time the English by shewing fresh marks of their resentment rekindled those flames which were thought to be half extinguisht and made appear by their slighting the instances of the Ambassadors and by new acts of Hostility that all those troubles would soon degenerate into an open War The Channel was full of their Privateers who took without any distinction all manner of Ships that came in their way without excepting even those that belonged to France or Spain All the Dutch Ships that were in the Thames were likewise stopt the 13th of June and their Captains went to Chelsey to make their Complaints of it to the Ambassadors who were extremely surprized at all these new attempts and thought it thereupon necessary to present yet a Third Memorial more which they did the very same day in these following Terms Another Memorial presented by the Dutch Ambassador to the Council of State We having on the 3d and 6th of this Month clearly made appear to the Council of State as well by Writing as word of Mouth taking God that knows the Hearts of Men to witness That the Bloody Battle that was lately fought between the two Fleets of the two Republicks hapned without the knowledge and against the will of the United Provinces so are we more and more confirmed both by Letters and Expresses that our Masters have been sensibly grieved at this Combat and that farther upon the Advices we have given them they have applied themselves with all care imaginable to seek out Remedies that may be able to quash all these growing Troubles in their Birth and timely stop the blood of so dangerous a wound 'T was for that effect they have called a solemn and General Assembly of all the Members of the State in which we not at all doubt but with the assistance of Heaven they will find out the true means to renew again that ancient Friendship and Union that has always reigned between the two Nations and that they will remove all the difficulties that seem at present to render them irreconcileable which will be an assured advance towards the Conclusion of the Treaty already begun Their High and Mightinesses desire it with so much the more Passion and Earnestness because it so highly concerns the Welfare and repose of the two Republicks and will effectually stop the fountains of Christian Blood that has been shed This is what at present flatters the hopes of so many Nations and especially of the Protestants so that we intreat you both by the Sacred Bond of Religion that unites us together and by the Sweet Liberty we equally enjoy That nothing may be done with too much precipitation for fear the Remedies that may be afterward judg'd proper for our reconciliation coming too late may prove ineffectual We also pray you as soon as possible without delay to answer favourably to our last demand which we solicit with so much the more earnestness because we are informed that the Ships and Mariners of our Nation are taken and stopt by your orders on the High Seas or in your Harbours the one by pure force and the other after Fighting The Parliament at last answered them in such a manner as might well be expected after what had lately passed The Parliaments answer to the States Ambassadors And here follows the Tenour of their Answer The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England reflecting upon all the proofs of benevolence and sincere Friendship they have often given to the States General of the United Provinces even from the first beginning of the troubles of this Kingdom having omitted nothing of what might conduce to the maintaining a perfect Correspondence between them and it and render their union much more strict than ever before find themselves at present hainously offended by an unexpected attempt which is an act of Hostility committed upon the Coasts of England against the Fleet of the Republick after a mature deliberation and examination of the Writings which their Excellencies the Ambassadors of the United Provinces have put into our Hands we have thought fit to make them the
present Answer Tho the Parliament were inclined out of a principle of affection and tenderness to receive favourably the expressions contained in the abovesaid writings tending to represent the late Fight between the two Fleets as a thing that hapened without the knowledge and against the will of their High and Mightinesses yet upon due reflection made thereon it appears That the Resolutions of the States and the Conduct of their Admirals do no ways agree with all those protestations especially in a time whilst a Treaty of Alliance was managing which they themselves had sought for and which had been Negotiated by their own Ambassadors Besides what could be the scope of so formidable an Arming of 150 Ships of War made by them without any occasion for it was it not for the design which has now lately broken out Which is nothing else but the effect of a real jealousie even by the confession of the Ambassadors themselves at the same time they pretend to excuse themselves of it and according to the Tenour of the Commissions their High and Mightinesses have given to the Chief Commanders of their Naval Armies there are but too many reasons that perswade us to believe that the States do thereby but aspire to Ravish from England by force of Arms her ancient Prerogatives and the Rights she has over the Seas and that further they aim at nothing else but the destruction of our Fleet which is our Barrier and our securest Rampart and by that means to expose this Commonwealth to an Invasion as they intended to do by the late attempt Upon which the Parliament think themselves indispensably engaged with the assistance of Heaven to exact speedy satisfaction for the outrages done to the Nation and to put themselves in such a condition that the like may happen no more for the future And yet they do all this with design however to appease if possible the Troubles that have lately risen between the two Nations by all ways of Humanity and moderation if God who by his Wisdom and Almighty Power is able to do all things shall please to furnish us with more proper and efficacious means for that end than have been hitherto employed This Answer together with that proud and haughty way the English have with them begun to give new alarms to Holland and make her fear the Consequences would be fatal It was a very sensible Vexation to the States to see themselves upon the point of coming to a Rapture with that New Republick whose happy progresses in her beginnings had made them conceive fair hopes that she would let her Allie Holland share with her in the prosperities she enjoyed by the good Correspondence and strict Friendship which was like to Reign between them The Merchants were almost out of their Wits at it by reason of the great loss they daily suffered both of their Ships and Goods which unhappily became a Prey to the English Privateers Which obliged the States before the Negotiation already begun was quite broken off to dispatch another Extraordinary Ambassage to London being willing to appease all disputes by Amicable ways if it were possible to find out any means to do it and it being necessary for that purpose to make choice of some person of great Merit they cast their Eyes upon Mr. Pauw Lord of Heemsted Pensioner of Holland one of the ablest Ministers even by the Testimony of Foreigners themselves the Republick ever had He set out from the Hague the 25th of June on his way to the Brill and at 6 a Clock at Night the same day he got on Board a Dutch Man of War the 28th he arrived at Gravesend and sent notice of his arrival to the States Ambassadors and to the Parliament who were not a little surprised at it The Ambassadors came presently to him to inform him of all that had pass'd The 30th Mr. Heemsted was Conducted to London with the Ceremonies usual at the Entry of Ambassadors He was received at the Tower by three members of Parliament and Conducted thence by them to the House appointed for his Lodging attended by a very fine Train of Coaches of many great Lords and persons of Quality He presently demanded Audience of the Parliament which being granted him the very next day he there pronounced a discourse in Latin whereof here follows the Translation Most Honoured Lords The Speech of Mr. Heemsted Ambassador Extraordinary to the Parliament THe Publick Testimonies and Authentick proofs of a sincere and cordial Amity which the States of the United Provinces and their Subjects have always shewn to the British Nation and especially towards the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England whose Government is at present so happy and flourishing are so well known to all Christendom that no body doubts of them any more than they do of the ardent passion they have had to render it perpetual firm and unmoveable But because by reason of the inconstancy of worldly things there often happen unlucky accidents and disorders in Humane life that change the State of affairs and seem to cover over its face with a thick and sable Cloud that obscures for a time that agreeable Union and happy mutual Benevolence there is need of a great deal of precaution to stop its mischievous Consequences above all if it be considered that when such kind of troubles are timely stifled in their birth and that unhappy misunderstanding started by them comes once to cease it may be said they serve more to strengthen and confirm that mutual Union than any way to weaken or dissolve its Bonds 'T is for this design that my Mrs. the States General of the United provinces have been pleased to send me in Quality of their Ambassador extraordinary to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England tho' otherwise they had no reason to doubt either of the Prudence or of the Capacity of the Ambassadors they had here already for Affairs of high importance I am therefore sent to assure the Commonwealth of England from them of the sincere and inviolable desire they have to see its Government continue in that Peace Happiness and Prosperity which at present it enjoys and to offer it at the same time all the services they are capable of And I can give you this Testimony of them with the more assured fidelity because having always been present in their assemblies and coming now but newly out of them I have been an Eye witness of the zeal and ardent passion they have to contribute all that lies in their power that may possibly conduce to the maintaining a firm and solid Friendship between the two States and to prevent all that may shake it And therefore 't was with great Astonishment and with a very sensible Regret they heard of what has past between the Admirals of the two Republicks and for fear that fatal Rencounter altogether unexpected should cause some new mis-understandings and raise new Jealousies or that by putting a stop to
the present Treaty it might make it impracticable to come to a conclusion of a Renovation of the Ancient Amity that has always been between the two Nations the States my Mrs. judg'd it necessary I should come hither because having been always present at all their deliberations by reason of my Employment I was best able to Represent to the Commonwealth of England the naked truth and all the Circumstances of that Action as they have been related to them in order to the rasing out all suspicions that might be capable to distemper or destroy the good intelligence and true Amity that is between the two Nations and remove all obstacles that might hinder the conclusion of the Treaty already began Moreover I protest and declare in the presence of the Parliament of the Republick of England by vertue of my Credential Letters and in the Name of the States General my Mrs. that they never had any thoughts to attempt any thing or give order that any thing should be attempted that might give any just cause of Umbrage to the Sovereign power of this Commonwealth to break or weaken the Union and good Correspondence that has been so long cultivated between the two Republicks or under what pretence soever to sow any discord between them But rather on the contrary I can say that the States have been moved by their own inclinations and by the sentiments of a real Friendship carefully to study out all that might conduce to the hastning the conclusion of a strict and inviolable Alliance between the two Nations It 's true a very considerable Fleet was Equip'd in Holland but at the same time there 's no body but knows the States were forced so to do by the continual complaints of their Subjects and that they gave notice of it to the Parliament And they published beforehand that this arming was for no other end than for the liberty and security of Commerce which was much endamag'd and interrupted by many very sensible Losses the Subjects of the United Provinces daily suffered of their Ships and Goods and certainly it is but natural to make use of the means that force and necessity put into our hands to protect oppresed innocence But they thoughr of nothing less than a fight to create new troubles between the two Nations and Revive the disputes that were already terminated But things being so and there hapning by accident a fierce Battle between the Fleets of the two Nations the States General have thought fit to Communicate to the Parliament of England an exact and faithfull Relation of all that passed such as they have received from their Admiral authorized by the Testimony of all the Captains and other persons worthy of Credit namely that Admiral Tromp came towards the Fleet of this Republick more by necessity than out of any premeditated design and that after he had paid his Civilities to Major Bourn as he was pursuing his voyage he fell into the presence of Admiral Blake before he was aware that presently he ordered an advice Boat to be made ready to send some Officers of the Fleet to Compliment him but that Blake answering him with Civilities of a quite contrary nature let flie all his Guns at him and that then Tromp discharg'd his more to defend himself than to offend the Aggressor This was the cause of an Engagement in which the Capricious humour of Fortune had more share than any design of Council premeditated and swell'd up with Ambition so that it being begun about a mistaken point of Honour and not continued by our men out of any principle of animosity the States General pray the Commonwealth of England to be perswaded they had no hand in that Action but to take it for an Event of pure chance and of the inconstancy of Worldly affairs and that accordingly they would be pleased to recall their Orders and Commissions and to let all Acts of Hostility cease that now disturb Commerce and the States on their part are ready to consent to the same and always to employ all possible means to facilitate an Accommodation They are very sensible that all Christendom is deeply concerned in so great an affair as this and especially the reformed Churches of all Europe who all equally wish and desire that our troubles may be stifled in their Birth as being perswaded that discord arising between Neighbouring States of the same Religion may not only draw after it the Ruin of that Commerce that makes them Flourish but likewise awaken the drooping hopes of both their secret and open Enemies who would not fail to take occasion thereupon to foment some new Plots in some Province or other of this Commonwealth which would afterwards break out and so passing from one to another we should see our States become the bloody Theater of a War To prevent therefore and put a stop to the Course of so great mischiefs I have Orders without further delay to Represent to you and employ all my industry that some assur'd means may be agreed upon on both sides to accommodate the differences about what has past and for the taking such just Measures for the future that there may never happen the like accidents again between the two Fleets and that so thereby the Greatness and Glory of the Parliament of England may be secured from the danger of all sorts of attempts against it Since then the States General openly declare to the Parliament the ardent passion they have to see the two Nations perfectly United together and their differences entirely composed and that the propositions on both sides may at last terminate in a strict Alliance all the favour I desire of the Parliament is that they would please to give order to their Commissioners and to the Council of State to give me speeddy Audience and to labour joyntly with me for the Conclusion of the Treaty in order to terminate the principal business that is the foundation of my Negotiation as well as of that of the other Ambassadors In extraordinary of the States In the mean while I acknowledge my self infinitely obliged to the Parliament that they have been pleased to grant a Ship to Mr. Nieuport to repass the Sea and go into Holland I will add here that being a Member of the State he has had order to remain with me to assist me with his Council till my return which I dare be confident the Parliament will not take ill and that they will be pleased favourably to accept my most humble services which I present them Mr. de Heemsted going the next day to the Council of State Mr. de Heemsted's Speech to the Council of State made them the following Speech which he pronounced in French Since it has pleased my Lorâ—s the States General of the United Provinces besides the Ambassadors they have already here to send me extraordinarily in the same Quality to the Parliament of the Republick of England to whom I had the Honour yesterday in a
to be severely punish'd but that if on the contrary Blake should be convinced of having been the Aggressor the Parliament was likewise obliged to Chastise him so that by that proceeding it would be known not only what was the real intention of their High and Mightinesses but an assured way would thereby be laid open to pacifie all troubles after the Example of several other States and Republicks who have successfully practised the like Expedients That their High and Mightinesses never had the least thoughts of making any encroachment upon the Grandure of the British Nation in any way to Diminish it but that after the late unhappy Rencounter they had given new Orders that for the future at the approach of any of their Fleets or Ships of War the same honours should be rendred to the Parliament in the point of the Flag that had been usually paid to that Nation during the preceeding Reigns hoping by that means both Parties would have reason to rest satisfied that the Treaty of Alliance about which the States Ambassadors had declared the intention of their Mrs. in several Conferences might be at length continued and that it would please the Council likewise to declare their intention that the differences being once known the obstacles that hindred an accommodation might be removed and a happy conclusion of an Eternal Alliance and inviolable Friendship might be obtained that an end might be put to all Acts of Hostility and a Restitution be made of all the Ships and effects belonging to persons that were Innocent in the matter That for that end he prayed the Council to be pleased to declare their Resolution concerning the points abovementioned and principally concerning the continuation of the Treaty that was begun the Cessation of Hostilities and the Releasing of the Ships and Persons seized and so much the rather because they had not delayed a moment to inform the Council of State of the good intentions of their High and Mightinesses This Conference passing the 24th they had a second the next day which was followed by a third the 27th of the same Month in which Mr. Heemsted pressingly demanded a positive answer adding to what he had already advanced the following propositions viz. That the States were still in the same mind to live in perfect Union with the Republick of England that upon that consideration they had promised their protection to the English Company in Holland in case the troubles should happen to increase that he on either side that had transgressed his Commission in the late fight near Dover should be obliged personally to answer for it that it might be no cause of a Rupture between the two Nations that in order to pacifie all things Commissioners should be appointed on both sides to make a strict enquiry into all that had past and that they who should thereupon be found guilty should according to the Maxim of all other States be punish'd as Authors of the Misfortunes and Calamities of the people that the Ships of War on both sides being ordered when they meet one another at Sea to behave themselves as formerly they used to do there would happen no more disputes for the future about that Subject that when a perfect Union should be once established between the two Republicks very great advantages would undoubtedly result from thence for their mutual defence and preservation On the 29th the Council of State having examined all these Reasons The Council of States Answer gave the following answer to Mr. Heemsted viz. That he might well enough see what was the intention of the Parliament by the answer given to the three Memorials of the other Ambassadors before his arrival since nothing had been proposed since neither by him nor any other that was capable to make the Parliament change their Resolution that if the attempt made by the Holland Fleet as much by surprize as it was had succeeded according to their hopes it might have been said that the Common-wealth of England would have seen it self plunged into the greatest disasters imaginable and that therefore it was not reasonable after they had been so miraculously preserved they should expose themselves again to the like disgraces for the future That they could not suffer themselves to be any longer amused under the specious pretence of an Examen or by Examples not pertinent to their Case of what other States may have done but that rather they were resolved to employ those means which necessity and the Nature of the Fact Require to be used that besides they could not consent to the Conclusion of a Treaty of Alliance till they had received satisfaction about the point in Question and that as to the demonstrations of a sincere and real Friendship from their High and Mightinesses which their Ambassadors so much boasted of The English on their side likewise had no less reason to value themselves upon the Authentick proofs they have given of the like to the Hollanders either in general or particular and that in a word they could not change any thing in the Answer they had already given them Mr. de Heemsted having received this Answer demanded on the 1st of July a new Conference in which he Renewed his instances by declaring That there never had past any thing on the States side that was capable to give any just cause of jealousie to the English That they had proposed an assured way to prevent all sorts of Contestation and to discover the truth but that they would not follow it and that a Manifest injustice was done to his Mrs. That it was very easie to Judge of that by the refusal the States had made to their Subjects notwithstanding the pressing solicitations used by them for that purpose to grant them any Letters of Reprisal that lastly to shew they were wholly inclined to Peace they had promised their Protection to the English Company at Rotterdam that if the English persisted to Reject all the favourable means to procure an Accommodation it would cause a great Consternation amongst the people of Holland That in fine he therefore prayed the Council of State to be pleased to propose some other means themselues and in the mean while to forbid all Acts of Hostâ—lâ—ty and to Release the Ships that had been taken After this last Conference Mr. de Heemsted seeing they neglected to give him an answer delivered another writing to the Councel of State by which he Represented the Eminent danger that threatned the two Republicks by the mischiefs that would undoubtedly follow upon their Refusal to accept the means he had proposed adding that he desired them to propose some other of their own if it were possible that might be more effectual The Parliament could no longer Recoil Articles proposed to the Dutch by the Parliament but at last proposed the following Articles as a ground for the Re-establishment of a Peace viz. 1. That the States General of the Vnited Provinces should be oblâ—ged to pay
to the Republick of England a compensation towards the indemnifying them for the losses they had sustained by the Arming of the Holland Fleet and by the attempt they had lately made upon them of which the particularities should be reported at large in time and place 2. That presently after the payment of the said sum the Parliament should surcease all Acts of Hostility against the Hollanders and all Ships seized since the last troubles should be released 3. That these two Conditions being first agreed to and put in Execution they would proceed to a Treaty of Alliance which should straightly Vnite the two Republicks together render their interests common and their Friendship perpetual and inviolable and that for this effect the Parliament would be always Ready to accept all just and resonable ways proposed to them The Ambassador of the States being astonish'd at such an answer demanded on the 6th of July a new Conference wherein he Represented That their High and Mightinesses had been obliged to make an Extroardinary armament and to be at Excessive Expences for the Reasons he had already mentioned that their Subjects had suffered considerable damages by the taking of a great many Holland and French Ships that the States and their Merchant Subjects still felt the losses that had been caused to them that if they would needs stand upon the point of indemnifying they needed only to compare the losses of the one Nation with those of the other to be convinced that the States General had been the greatest sufferers which would be easy to demonstrate provided the business were not spun out to too great a length by an over Captious discussion That if the said Commissioners would on their side make a just and Reasonable estimation It would then plainly appear that the true intention of their High and Mightinesses is to terminate things by an amicable way As concerning the Treaty of Confederacy between the two Republicks and the mutual assistance they might afford one another upon occasion in case their common Enemies should go about to attempt upon their liberty the States other Ambassadors had sufficiently before explain'd the intentions of their Mrs. upon that Subject being always ready to pursue the said Treaty if it would be consented to That if the said Commissioners should think fit to render that Treaty more ample and Authentick it would be a very agreeable thing to him and that he passionately desired they would please to give him all possible instruction imaginable thereupon That moreover he thought it would be highly important if not very necessary that orders should be given to the two Fleets not to come near one another and that they might not come to any new Engagements as 't was to be feared they otherwise would And that besides that he insisted that they would without delay release the Ships that were seized that so their Spirits being once calmed the two Nations might be â—indly disposed of themselves and without any Constraint to the concluding of a firm solid and unmoveable Alliance that in fine He waited with the greatest impatience for a favourable answer to all he had jâ—st then proposed that so being animated with the hopes of a happy success he might employ his industry with the States to endeavour to find out proper means to effect an Accommodation that he desired it the more earnestly because he was obliged to obey the Orders of his Mrs. The Council of State made answer The Answer of the Council of State that having maturely Examined the writing delivered by Mr. de Heemsted Ambassador Extroardinary from the States General of the Vnited Provinces into the hands of the Commissioners and having found nothing in it that answered clearly or directly to the last proposition made to his Excellency by the Parliament the Council demanded of him a speedy and positive answer at least to the first Article which being granted they would apply themselves to the fixing a moderate and Reasonable sum that so after that they might proceed to the Execution of the second Article by the restitution of the Ships seized and the suspension of all acts of Hostility And that as for the third Article it should be taken care of afterward more at Leisure The 7th of July the Sieur de Heemsted demanded another Conference in pursuance of the orders he had received from his Masters adding that if the Republick of England would not openly declare themselves he would demand his Audience of Leave and that with so much the more Justice because instead of an Accommodation with which they had flatter'd themselves the Parliament had given orders to their Fleet to destroy the Dutch Herring Fishery and to sink all Holland Ships whilst to the Northward they were watching for our Ships that were returning from the Indies He represented therefore in that Conference That whilst he was busied in answering the Writing that was delivered him by Mr. Oliver Fleming from the Council of State he had with much displeasure been informed that the English Fleet was put to Sea in order to some enterprize That he had likewise received Letters by which the States his Masters had ordered him that since he had used all his endeavours to no purpose to obtain a Cessation of acts of Hostility he should demand his Audience of Leave in order to return with all diligence into Holland to give the States an account of his Negotiation And therefore in Obedience to the Orders of his Mrs. he damanded he might be permitted to take his leave of the Council of State the next day and might for his Transportation make use of the man of War commanded by Captain John Verbaaf in which he came into England That the said Captain might be provided with a Passport that he might not be molested in his way by the Parliaments Ships Adding that because the other Ambassadours had signified to him that they had likewise order to retire he desired they might be permitted to take their Audience of Leave at the same time and to provide themselves with Ships necessary to transport their persons and Equipages The Council of State answered That they were obliged first to make their Report to the Parliament who were to sit the next day or the Tuseday following after the Memorial was delivered from the States Ambassador Extraordinary to the Commissioners And that till then they could give no other Answer to the said Ambassador But that on the 8th of July Mr de Heemsted presented to the Council of State two Memorials The first of which was conceived in these Terms The Ambassadour Extraordinary of the States Mr. Heemsted's first Memorial having seen the Answer given by the Council to his last Proposition has thought fit to declare a new that he intended as soon as he came back into Holland in consequence of the Overture made to him for that purpose to apply his whole endeavours to find out some proper means for the Reuniting the two
Nations and dissipating all the Umbrages that seemed then to render them irreconcilable that having at length attained to that happy Union so necessary for their common Security there might be noâ—hing able to disturb them And as that Resolution was full of sincerity and aimed only at the tranquility and happiness of the two Republicks so it was accordingly expedient to prevent by a diligent execution some Evils that otherwise would grow incurable if they were not stopt in their very Source That upon this consideration he requested the Council would be pleased to order he might be speedily dispatcht by granting him his Audience of Leave and the necessary Passports for his Ship that waited for him at Gravesend and that being perswaded That the Council of State would have regard to his Quality and Character he dar'd to flatter himself they would render him the same Honours at his Audience of Leave as were done him at his Entry and for which he was very much obliged to the Council The other Memorial imported The second Memorial that the Ambassador Extraordinary of the States found it necessary to Represent to the Council That if they thought it fit after he should have made his Report to their High and Mightinesses he desired his Secretary or some other trusty Person might come back to London to maintain a Correspondence together whether by delivering or receiving to and from the two States all that might any way conduce to the re-establishing a strict Alliance and perfect Union between them And that in order thereunto it would please the Council to Grant the necessary Passport for the security of that Person That he should also have permission to stay at London so long as the Parliament or the States should think fit or else that the Council would name some person themselves whom they thought fit to receive the Letters that should be written to that purpose and to solicit their Answers But they made no Reply to this last Proposal how equitable soever it appeared as being jealous that under that Covert some Dangerous Intelligence might be carried on against them in favour of the pretensions of the Family of the Stuarts The three other Ambassadors presented likewise to the Council of State the following Memorial on the 8th of July That since the Ambassadours of the States General had Orders by the last Letters they received to Retire without delay to go and give an account of their Negotiation to the States their Masters they therefore prayed the Council they might be permitted to take their Audience of Leave of that August Assembly and that accordingly Ships necessary for their Transportation and that of their respective Equipages together with Passports for their security might be granted them adding that there were some Ships of their Nation ready for that purpose as Captain de Boet and three other Ships of Dort The Republick of England fortifying every day more and more their Authority began to render themselves insupportable by their excessive Pride and Haughtiness For Sweden and Denmark several Princes of Italy the Hanse-Towns of Germany and other Free Cities of Europe were forced to acknowledge their up-start Government And they troubled themselves not much about the States Ambassadors as the scornful disdain they shewed of all their Remonstrances was a visible proof so that no body was surprized at all to see with what facility they granted them their Audience of Leave They consented that two of their Men of War should Convoy them and two other Ships Transport their Equipages And so the next day the fear Ambassadors were conducted to their Audience and Mr. de Heemsted made the following Discourse in the name of them all The States General of the United Provinces have sent their Ambassadors Extraordinary to the Parliament of the Republick of England Mr. de Heemsted's Speech at his Audience of Leave to endeavour by all sorts of ways to induce them to renew the ancient Amity between the two Nations and to confirm more straitly their Alliance They were followed a little while after by Mr. Nieuport a Member of the States of Holland and Westfriesland who was sent to clear some difficulties and to give a more Authentick proof of their Good Intentions concerning the Treaty of Confederacy In fine it pleased their High and Mightinesses some days after to make yet another Extraordinary Deputation and to make choice of me for that with Express Order to come and give the Republick of England new more particular and stronger Assurances of a faithfull and sincere Amity in order to dispel all Umbrages and all Subjects of misunderstanding and to prevent all Obstacles that might hinder the Execution of so laudable a Design For that effect it was proposed That an enquiry should be made by some judicious persons on both sides into the Action that lately passed between the two Fleets and which happened not by any premeditated design but by pure accident that so according to their Verdict satisfaction might be given to the Party offended For we Protest before God and before Men and in presence of the Parliament of the Republick of England That the States our Masters never had it in their thoughts to offend this Republick and much less to commit any act of Hostility against it But that they were more disposed by a sence of a true and sincere affection to contribute to the maintaining a stable and good understanding and inviolable Peace between them But since unfortunately in spite of the steps that have been made and the pains taken to pacifie all these Troubles the two Ambassages have proved ineffectual and frustrated of the hopes they had with so much justice conceived and that by new Disputes that have arisen and caused great losses and that besides the States are threatned with new Hostilities from the Parliaments Fleet without having had the least notice given them of it The Ambassadors thought themselves obliged in prudence to prevent the Storm and to retire into their own Country as well to go and give an account of their Negotiations as to take new Instructions from the States their Masters For this end we present our selves all together before this August Assembly to give them notice That we have received order to retire and are upon the point of our departure We have already represented to the Council of State what things are necessary for our departure with Respect to the Juncture of time and our Character and we wait their Answer In the mean while it is not only our Duty but a point of Justice to intreat you that all our Ships that have been brought into the Ports of England or been stopt there before the publication of any Declaration of War without any offence given by any of the Masters of the said Ships may at last be released with all their Men that they may pursue their intended Voyages without being molested in any manner whatsoever and that all be done according to
our ancient Friendship and the Law of Nations practised among Christians We hope the Justice of the Soveraign Republick of England will not refuse us a demand so equitable as this Moreover we Implore the Protection of Heaven and beseech God the Author of Peace that he will please of his Goodness to inspire the Parliament of this Republick with such Sentiments as may induce them to a Speedy Reconciliation with the States of the United Provinces for the maintenance of the Reformation whose firmest support and most solid foundation has always been Peace in the Bosom of which it Flourishes and quietly enjoys Prosperity and which on the contrary if our Troubles should continue any longer would see it self brought to an inevitable Destruction and plunged into the greatest Miseries We still pray God to be pleased to avert the Course of the Mischiefs and Calamities that accompany War and to pour forth his precious Blessings upon the two Republicks And as we are ordered to retire forthwith into Holland we shall accordingly take leave of this Illustrious Assembly with all imaginable thanks for the kindnesses we have received from them in full confidence that they will not refuse us the things we have already demanded of them and which are every where granted to Ambassadors in regard to their Character for the security of their Persons Lastly we recommend to you the Dutch Merchants residing at London or elsewhere within this Kingdom that their Goods and Persons may be taken into the Protection of the Parliament These were the steps made by the States Geneneral of the United Provinces to prevent a Rupture with England by which all the world may judge how great the Power of that new hatcht State was tho scarcely yet fledg'd to make them so Courted by a Nation that at that juncture more fear'd than lov'd them and how great and presumptuous their pride was too in refusing such fair offers and venturing to engage in a War with so potent an Enemy as the States of Holland when their own settlement at home was so unsecure But the flames were blown up on both sides by the secret friends of the Stuarts and by the Emissaries of those Nations that envied to both people both their Religion and above all their formidable Power at Sea and their flourishing and universally extended Commerce by some of whom out of the same malicious principles the same fire that was but rak't up for a while in Embers was rekindled and set a burning with a more pernicious violence than ever to the manifest increase of a Third Power that tho before it durst scarce peep out at Sea has since appeared a formidable Enemy even upon their own Element to those Redoubted Masters of the Ocean and has had the insolence for a while by its dextrous managing of intestine Factions among us to Brave both our Fleets till like Capaneus defying Jove its Marine Forces were at length by the magnanimous Russel and his Valiant Copartners the Dutch Admirals Thunder-struck and in a manner quite driven off the usurped Main daring never since to appear on it otherwise than only as Rovers and sculking Pirates On the 11th of July that is to say four days after the English Fleet set sail for the North Sea to go and destroy the Dutch Fleet of Herring Busses and to watch for their Ships coming back from the Indies the Ambassadors departed London The Dutch Ambassadors depart and on the 13th near Schouwen met with Lieutenant Admiral Tromp to whom Mr. de Heemsted gave a Memorial containing an account of the Forces of England he likewise informed him that Admiral Ayschew who but a little before had given chase to a Merchant Fleet of about 30 or 40 sail between Callis and Swartenes homeward bound from St. Hubes and Portugal was then in the Downs with a Squadron of 21 Men of War where he might be easily attackt and Beaten Tromp having received Express Orders from the States who found themselves obliged to make use of Reprizals not to spair the English any longer but to do them all the mischief he could resolved to go and attack Ayschew Vice Admiral Evertsz had the Command of the Van with a Squadron of 21 Ships of War Lieutenant Admiral Tromp Commanded the main Body of the Fleet consisting of 30 Ships and Rear Admiral Florisz the Rear composed of 28 Men of War But there happening a Calm and after that a contrary Wind it was impossible for them to execute that project Tromp therefore steer'd his Course towards the North in search of Blake Ayschew kept close in the Downs whilst Blake with a Fleet of between 66 and 68 Sail having discovered before Boeknes the Herring-Fleet under the Convoy of 12 Ships or Frigats carrying from 22 to 30 Guns caused them to be attackt by a Squadron of 20 men of War that composed his Vanguard The Fight was sharp and lasted above three whole hours till at last the weaker was forced to give way to the stronger Captain Venhuysen and all the Herring Busses excepting four fled away Ten of them were taken whereof two sunk after they had made all the resistance imaginable and another was at last quitted by the Enemy Blake joyned five of them to his Fleet and sent three of them to Inverness with his wounded Men but those of the Dutch were conducted to the Texel The States to Varnish over their Arms with all the Colour of Justice they could publisht a Manifesto setting forth the Reasons why they had declared War against the English and they did the same on their side against the Hollanders We shall repeat neither of them here because they are to be found in several places and that 't is easie to guess by what has been said what were the contents of them And because our design is to insist only upon relating the Bloody Battels that were fought between these two potent Republicks and in which the Hero's of this History the two Tromps Father and Son had the most share The English had already seized upon the Isle of Inseith where the Hollanders used to water and these latter advancing towards the Coasts of Scotland arrived near Fulo and Fairhill where they espied Blake who was watching for our Ships coming back from the Indies The two Fleets were disposing themselves for a Fight when in the night between the 5th and 6th of August the Skie grew dark by little and little and soon after there appeared certain presages of a violent Tempest Tromp distressed by a dreadful Tempest For the wind having long been shifting about turned at last to the N. N. West and blew with so much impetuosity that our Sails were all rent and torn in pieces and the Waves rowl'd through them and so went and spent themselves against the Rocks of Hitland throwing their Fome up to the very Heaven Thus the Fleet being as 't were buried by the violence of the Sea in most horrible Abysses rose out of
were constrained to stay without the Town-Gate And if the Gentleness and Moderation which they used had not at last prevailed over the Fury and Insolence of those rash and headstrong Mutiniers they would have been in great danger of being overturned with their Coaches off from the Cawsey into the Sea So Bold an example open'd a door to the licenciousness of other Factious Spirits which was so much the more dangerous because the Affairs they meddled with were both Nice and Important The War against the English was not heartily undertaken said they The Subject heads of the peoples complaints and yet the Subjects of the United Provinces were daily more and more impoverished thereby They further alledged that the interruption of Commerce both within and without the Country presaged already great misfortunes to them their Numerous Inhabitants being able to subsist no longer being deprived as they were of traffiking with the neighbouring States That if they had Forces they ought to be employed to free the Sea from the Yoak of a Power that claim'd to it self the sole Dominion of it That they had reason to fear the worst that could be imagined from the cruel Injustice of their Neighbours if after having lost so much Blood they should fall to so low an ebb of strength as to be unable to resist the Enemy That their Merchant Ships were taken in view of the Texel and the Seamen made the Innocent victims of Cruelty That their Ships were so ill Equipt that they were not able to resist the full manned and well appointed Ships of the English that they were no longer able to support the Violences and Hostilities used by them to the States Ships the major part of them having been shattered to pieces by their Guns their Masts and all their Rigging being shot away close by the Board that to Compleat their Misfortune if there were left any that made resistance they were basely deserted in their danger by their cowardly companions that if there were any shadow of Justice yet left the crimes of those cowardly deserters ought not to be suffered to go so long unpunisht and that they ought to have been brought sooner to condign Punishment that they might serve for such effectual examples to others as might make them more heartily and faithfully stick for the future to the interest of their Reputation and of their Country After all which they represented the Tranquility the Government had enjoyed under the happy and auspicious influence of the State-Holders who had the only secret harmoniously to accord and reconcile so many jarring Tempers and different Spirits That a Power composed of so many Heads was but a monstrous Hydra from whence sprung all the disorders that troubled the Repose of the State That the sensible decay that had lately happened in all their Affairs was a manifest consequence of the plurality of their Governours That the inequality or subordinate dependence of the one upon the other kept the Power of the State in a due Aequilibrium That none of them could pretend to be ignorant that they were all beholding for the sweet Liberty they then enjoyed to the House of Nassau That that Illustrious House had been always the most firm and solid pillar and support of their Peace and Happiness That they had reason to thank God for that they had still left so worthy and hopeful a Sprout of so Noble and Precious a Blood That the United Provinces never had any reason to Complain of the moderation of their Government And that therefore they could not comprehend for what reason the lawful heir of that August Family was not put into possession of the Offices and Dignities which his Predecessors had justly merited for him and his Descendants by so many Brave and Glorious Actions This was the substance of the peoples discourse who were animated by the name of Orange which they repeated every moment without paying any deference to the Orders of the States And the Drummers that beat up for raising of Seamen without making use of the old accustomed Terms In the name of the Prince of Orange were ill handled by the people so that at last the Government was obliged to publish an Ordinance to put a stop to those Commotion and at the same time another was likewise set out to forbid the carrying of any Provisions to the English Fleet that lay before the Texel and the Vlie In the mean while the English did a wonderful deal of mischief upon the Coasts of Holland but were partly punished for it by the loss of 3 of their Ships that run a Ground upon the Sands of the Coast they had also some Boats overset Amidst all these Transactions the Hollanders wrought with all the diligence imaginable upon the Fleet in order to Repair and Re-inforce and Man and Provide it sufficiently to be in a capacity to put again to Sea But because most part of the Ships were equipt in Zealand they were in extreme pain to study out a means how those that came from Zealand should joyn with those that were in the Texel since the English were Masters of its enterance and kept the Coasts of Holland besieged However Tromp after six weeks stay in Zealand put at length to Sea the 6th of August with a Fleet of between 80 and 90 Sail with a resolution assoon as he had joyned Vice-Admiral De Wit 's Squadron to make up drectly to the English to give them Battle and chase them if possible from the Coasts of Holland About that time the States General of the United Provinces to encourage their Officers and Sea men of the Fleet the more heartily and warmly to bestir themselves in the Service of their Country by the hopes of Reward publisht a Declaration which was Read on Board every Man of War and was as follows The States Declaration for the encouragement of their Officers and Seamen The States General of the United Provinces have thought fit for the greater encouragement of their Officers and Seamen vigorously to perform their respective Duties in the Service of their Dear Country to Declare That whosoever shall Board any of the Enemies Ships and shall take it shall have the Ship with the Men and all that belongs to her for his free Booty That he who shall Board the Chief Admiral shall have not only the Ship and all her Equipage to himself but a Recompense besides of 10000 Livers and for the Ships of the other Admirals 6000 Livers and for those of the Subalternate General Officers 4000 Livers a piece Those who should have the Courage with their Arms in their hands to venture to go and pull down the Flag off from the Main-mast of the Enemies Admiral Ship shall receive a 1000 Livers recompence and for those of the other Admirals 500 Livers each For the Flag of a Fore-mast 150 Livers for that upon the Poop 150 and for those of less consideration 50 Livers a piece And moreover we give
Naval conduct of Loyalty to the Republick and of Prudence Fortitude Magnanimity and Constancy in acknowledgement of which vast Merits the States of the Vnited Netherlands have erected to him this Monument And indeed that valiant Man may be said to have maâ—e his Fortune in Arms without any other Support or Backers than his own personal Merit and Bravery He was born at the Brill in the year 1597 and was but 9 years old when he began to go to Sea with his Father Captain Harpert Martin Tromp with whom he was present at the famous Battle fought near Gibraltar under the Conduct of Admiral Hemskirk Some time after following his Father again in a Cruise he made towards Cape Verd or the Coast of Guiney where being attackt by an English Privateer his Father lost his Life in the Skirmish and after so sensible a loss the Ship being taken by the said Privateer young Tromp was constrain'd to serve the Captain as his Cabbin Boy for about two years and a half but afterwards he found means to disengage himself From that time forward he got some Employments In the year 1617 he was made Quartermaster under Captain Mooy Lambert and afterwards Pilot or Master of the same Ship After having made a Voyage towards the Straits in a Merchant Ship called the Tuchthuys he was taken by the Turks but by the particular favour of the Bassa of Algier he was released In the year 1622 he was made a Lieutenant under Captain Bagyn and after a little while removed into Captain Jonge Boes's Ship in the same Quality Two years after Prince Maurice made him Captain of a little Frigat which carried but 40 men so that having run through all manner of Sea Employments there was nothing done remarkable at Sea during the ensuing years but he was present at it giving every where signal proofs of his Great Vertue and Conduct In the year 1629 De Hein who had made himself famous by taking some Spanish Galleons laden with Silver being made Lieutenant Admiral of Holland put again to Sea in the Ship called the Green Dragon which was a very fleet Sailer but was soon after unfortunately killed by Tromp's side The Testimony he gave of Tromp is altogether remarkable He had said he known many brave Captains in whom he had however still found some failing or other but in Tromp he professed he never had observed any thing but what was great and vertuous and therefore judg'd him to possess all the happy Qualities necessary in an Admiral The Ship that Heins was in was as we have said a very good Sailer but after he was dead it was by favour given to another and not to Tromp at which he was so sensibly displeased that out of meer indignation he quitted the Sea and retired into the Country where he exercised an employment that only at a distance related to Marine Affairs In the year 1637 Lieutenant Admiral Dorp having quitted the service Prince Frederick Henry upon the recommendation of the States of Holland gave the Command of the Fleet to Tromp in quality of Lieutenant Admiral with a provisional Commission only for one year which time being expired the Prince granted him a Continuation of it with a more ample Commission In the sequel he got a great deal of Honour and signalized himself in divers Battles which he fought against the Dunkirkers the Spaniards the Portuguese and the English so that he was lookt upon by all the Nations of Europe to be the ablest and most valiant Sea Commander of the Age in which he lived He was so tenderly beloved by the Seamen that both the Captains and Mariners used to call him their Father and Tromp out of a Reciprocal love to them used to call them likewise his Children But there was nothing so admirable in him as the Moderation and cool and sedate Temper of blood which he shewed in the greatest heat of a fight in which he Commanded For he appeared as quiet and composed when he gave his Orders as if he had been at home in his own house under safe shelter from all dangers But to recontinue the thred of our Discourse de Ruiter's Ship which was quite disabled to keep the Sea any longer was carried out of the fight by Captain Aldertsz and arrived about the Dusk of Night before the Meuse The next day two Gentlemen came on board the Admiral and delivered him a Letter from the States of Holland in which their High and Mightinesses demanded of him an account of the success of the Battle and of the destiny of their Fleet. De Ruiter answered the States and in few words related to them all the Circumstances of the Battle according to the best knowledge he had of them The day following he entered into the Meuse where Vice-Admiral Evertsz came to him from Goree and brought him a Letter from the States General by which he was Ordered to remove into Evertsz's Galleot and to go along joyntly with him in search of the Fleet. Pursuant to which they sailed along by the Coast and found Captain Taneman to the Northward of the Meuse whose Ship being already sunk 14 Fathom deep under Water shewed nothing but the very Tops of her Mâ—sts At about 2 miles from Scheveling they found Captain Swart at Anchor who Commanded a Ship fraighted by the â—ast-India Company De Ruiter and Evertsz then Rowed off further into the Sea to learn what news they could of the Enemies Fleet. The 13th of the same Month they came towards the Texel where they found the Holland Fleet to be 84 sail strong of Men of War besides 12 more that were in the Meuse at Goree or in Zealand so that if they gave a true account the Dutch lost in all but 9 Ships in the whole Fight as has been already said The States General of the United Provinces being willing to perswade all Europe that it was not without some grounds they gloried to have gained considerable advantages in that Battle since they had thereby freed their Coasts and Harbors from the oppression of the English who had a long time held them straightly block'd up and besieged used all possible care to make their interrupted Commerce flourish again For that design they assembled a great Fleet of Merchant Ships bound part of them to the North and part to the Westward besides which there were several others bound homewards from the Indies and from divers parts of Europe which waited in the Sound or in the Ports of Norway for a Convoy Vice-Admiral de Wit to whom the chief Command of the Fleet was then given set sail the 10th of September with a Fleet of 40 sail Composed of the Ships that had suffered the least damage in the last fight 70 Merchant Ships from the Texel and 100 more from the Vlie came out and joyned him On the 30th of September he arrived with this Potent Fleet near little Holms where he met 5 East-India Ships and a great many other
of Heusden whose Father likewise formerly exercised the same Employment Besides Mr. Opdam they proposed likewise Lewis of Nassau natural Son to Prince Maurice but both their inclinations having been preconsulted in the case they both declined it with an obliging excuse However Pensionary de Wit and some other Members of the State to whom their High and Mightinesses had left the care of that affair managed it so well that on the 22d of September Mr. Opdam was elected Lieutenant Admiral under certain conditions The States of Holland being likewise convinced that the providing of a sufficient Number of able General Sea Commanders was a thing that contributed very much to the gaining of a Naval Victory Mr. Opdam Chosen Lieutenant Admiral The States resolve upon a new promotion of General Sea-Officers De Ruiter made Vice-Admiral of Holland and that the United Provinces might reap very great advantages thereby decreed about the Month of November that in every College of Admiralty of their province there should be establisht a Vice Admiral and a Rear-Admiral according to the Laudable Custom practised in the College of the Meuse De Ruiter was not forgot in this Rencounter for the very same day when that great man expected to have perish't by the terrible Tempest he suffered near the Texel he was constituted Vice-Admiral of Holland in the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam Rear Admiral Florisz was advanced to the Dignity of Lieutenant Admiral of the North Captain Verbaaf was elected Rear Admiral of the Admiralty of Rotterdam Cornelius Tromp made Rear Admiral of Holland Cornelius Tromp Eldest Son of the late Lieutenant Admiral of that name was also created Rear Admiral of the Admiralty of Amsterdam and Cornelius de Boet was made Rear Admiral of the Admiralty of the North. The States were willing by this promotion not only to shew young Tromp some token of their acknowledgement for the great services done by his renowned Father to his Country but likewise in part to recompence his own Personal deserts he having upon several occasions given them very signal marks of his Extraordinary Courage and especially in the fight at Legorn under the Command of Admiral de Galen As for Vice-Admiral de Wit he was placed in the Admiralty of Rotterdam that he might hold the principal Rank between the two other Vice-Admirals About the end of this year there happened a Great Revolution in England For Cromwel by his subtile contrivances Cromwel makes himself protector in England c. and secret practices made himself the sovereign Arbiter of all the Affairs of the Government under the title of Protector of the three Kingdoms so that seeing himself thereby possess'd of more force and power than any one of the Kings that had Reigned before him his next thoughts were wholly taken up with seeking out and employing the most proper means to secure his new dignity and to maintain himself in that supreme and boundless Authority he so boldly had assumed to which Judging the Friendship and Good Correspondence of the United Provinces to be absolutely necessary he began underhand to Court them to a Peace To which the States of Holland were so much the more inclined because they were in some consternation at their late losses and knew well enough that England at that time was in a condition to come again upon them with greater force than ever and perhaps totally to crush their Sea power and give a mortal stroke to their already agonizing Commerce before they could furnish themselves with a sufficient recruit of strong and defensive Ships which must be a work of time and of peace to oppose such a rough Enemy with whom nothing was to be got but a fruitless and heavy loss both of Blood and Treasure the Prodigious expences of that War together with the daily and vast losses sustained by their Rich Merchants being a burden too insupportable for them to bear much longer And besides the Domestick troubles in their Provinces increased day by day so much upon them upon that occasion that they thought nothing but a good Peace with England would be able to appease them by restoring Tranquility and their usual Freedom of trade to their people Besides that another powerfull reason prevailed much with them at that time to influence them to a Peace which was to prevent those growing Factions that aimed at the Election of a Captain General or a stadtholder which they were afraid would have forced them against their wills to be Honest Just and Gratefull to the Illustrious and August House of Orange which they had no Mind to be at that time nor perhaps never would if the Terror of the French Arms afterwards and the imminent destruction of the State had not unanimously inspirited the people to put more Generous and publick minded patriots at the Helm who restored this almost overturned State to its pristine stability and prosperity by restoring to them the necessary assistances and services of that most Noble and Ancient house which were always the very vitals of this Republick and by rendering to the princely Heir of it those Honours Dignities and Emoluments which merits never to be cancelled or superannuated had made as inseparably necessary for the Common good as indispnesibly due to him Having then as we have already said renewed the Negotiation for that purpose the year before upon these weighty considerations they now pressed it on with so much earnestness that after many obstracles A Peace concluded with England the Treaty was concluded and signed at Westminster â—â—th of April The Articles of which we shall not here repeat because they are to be fâ—and in several other Books THE LIFE OF Cornelius Tromp Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and of West-Friesland The Second BOOK WHILST the two formidable powers of England and Holland were thus in vain consuming all their Forces by such a cruel War as that of which we have above related the principal Events the Corsairs of Barbary being secured by these troubles from any power able to Curb their Excursions ranged about without controul and made all Europe feel the smart of their outragious Pyracies so that the Commerce of the Christians to the Levant was so miserably interrupted that there was nothing to be heard of in those parts but the continual losses of the Merchants trafficking that way Nay and the Insolence of those Barbarians was advanced to that height that not contenting themselves to Pyrate upon the Mediterranean they impudently ventured to appear upon the Ocean and make Excursions as far as the Coasts of Portugal And shew'd themselves near the Cape St. Vincent with Fleets some times of above 20 sail of Men of War well mounted and appointed for service and keeping the Mouth of the Streights shut up they snapt up all the Merchant Ships that came thither from the four corners of the World who by that means fell as 't were into those Rovers Mouths For the redressing of all these
Mr. of the Ship that was seized to come to him to inform him more amply of all things that so he might be able to write of them more at large to his Highness The Reading of this Letter that was translated into Spanish so extraordinarily satisfied the Prince of Sally that he immediately consented that the Consul should go on board the Admiral He likewise at the same time ordered 30 Sheep 14 Bullocks and some other Refreshments to be got ready to be presented to Vice Admiral de Ruiter by two Deputies and some days after sent him a Letter expressing The Sid's Answer to de Ruiter That he had secured himself by way of Provision of the Ship Tyger till the Vessel taken by Rear Admiral Tromp should be restored But that however he gave full liberty to all other Dutch Ships to go out of and come into his Ports for that he was resolved to continue to entertain a perfect good Correspondence with the Vnited Provinces c. Affairs were there upon that foot when De Ruiter was forced by a sudden Tempest to weigh Anchor and sail away from Cadiz from whence he returned back into Holland with a Merchant Fleet that had put themselves under his Convoy and arrived at the Texel about the end of the Month. The States General of the United Provinces being desirous to free the Sea for the Yoke of the Corsairs of Barbary and at the same time to prevent the troubles that were like to arise at Sally gave order to de Ruiter to pass again into the Mediterranean with a Squadron of 8 men of War and 2 Advice Yachts His Commission which was signed the 29th of June Imported that he and the other Captains of his Squadron where or whensoever they should happen to meet any of the Corsairs of Barbary and especially them of Tetuan Algiers Tunis or Tripoli on this side the Kingdom of Candy giving chace to any Ships belonging to the States Subjects they should attack them and sink or burn them if possible That all Voluntary Renegado's found on board any of the Corsairs should be punish'd with death But the others that turned so from their youth or were forced to become so by necessity especially if they had rendered any services or good Offices to the Christian slaves and seemed to Compassionate their misfortune should be spared and distributed into the States Ships that the Turks and Moors should be publickly sold and the Money arising by their sale should be laid up That the Christian slaves should be set at liberty and put ashore if they desired it or else entertained in the Ships and entered into pay according to their respective Capacities That he should likewise go again and Anchor before Sally in order to enter into a Negotiation for renewing the Treaty of Alliance and Amity concluded in 1651 between the States General of the United Provinces and those of Sally Accordingly on the 18th of July Vice-Admiral de Ruiter sailed out of the Texel with 8 Men of War and 55 Merchant Ships bound for France Portugal Spain and other places in the Mediterranean and on the 3d. of August he arrived in the bay of Cadiz with a Fleet of 44 sail on the 7th he past the Streights steering his Course towards Malaga Cartagena and Alicant into which places some of the Merchant Ships entered The rest of them quitted de Ruiter near the Isle of Formentera which they had chosen for their place of Rendezvous in case they should come to be separated by any accident De Ruiter departed thence with design to go before Algiers sending the Captains de Wilde Sweers and Zaalingen before him to see what Ships they could discover riding before that Town so famous for its Pyracies On the 30th he began to come in sight of it and coming up with the Captains he had sent before they reported to him that they had been so near the Town that they had seen people walking on the Cawsey and discerned 5 Ships in the road and 6 or 7 within the Mole The same night de Ruiter advanced with his Squadron within Cannon shot of the Town and Anchored in 42 Fathoms depth of Water The 2 Yachts the Pearl and Fortune were already prepared for an Enterprize and the better to deceive the Corsairs de Ruiter Commanded all his Captains to put up English Colours Upon which those Barbarians shew'd themselves upon some small vessels near the shore but durst not come very near the Hollanders Then the Dutch Captains being all summoned on board the Admiral a Council of War was held wherein it was resolved that in the night by favour of the Land Breezes they should make sail to Conduct if it were possible their Fire-Ships back by 3 men of War up to the Brigantines to burn them but so great a Calm lasted all the night that it was hard to know on which side the Wind was The next Morning it continued still Calm and the Dutch perceived that the 5 Brigantines that were in the Road the day before were then retired within the Mole so that it was not difficult to Judge by the Countenance of the Turks that they were upon their guard Whereupon another Council of War being called it was resolved that since by reason of the Calm it was impossible to undertake any thing upon the Enemy they should weigh Anchor and make the best of their way towards Malaga which accordingly was put in Execution about noon As the Dutch drew near that place they discovered some Corsair Ships to which they gave chace and on the 17th of September they took a Tetuan Brigantine manned with 20 Moors whose Captain was a Spanish Renegado named Arnando Dias who had done a great deal of mischief to the Christians and had caused very great losses to them having in about 12 years time made near 2000 slaves whom he had all cruelly sold and amongst them as 't was credibly related some of his own near kindred and bragged several times that he would treat his own Father after the same manner if he fell into his hands And therefore according to his Execrable merits he was immediately hanged up upon a Top-mast On the 9th of the same Month de Ruiter continued on his Course and arrived two days after in the bay of Gibraltar the day following weighing Anchor he repast the Streights and steered his Course towards Cadiz with design to make for the Coast of Barbary On the 27th he discovered 2 Corsair Ships at the mouth of the Streights to the Eastward and another to the South-West-ward De Ruiter gave chace to this last as appearing to be the biggest of them The Corsair made away as fast as she could directly towards Arzila a little Town in the Kingdom of Fez about 12 Leagues from Tangier And it proved to be the Admiral 's Ship of Algier that was taken from the Hollanders but the year before and by the Dutch was called the Wheel of Fortune but by
the Turks named the Golden Palm-tree That Ship was full as big as de Ruiter's own Admiral Ship and carried 38 Guns and 250 men amongst whom were 50 Christian slaves that were forced to serve on board her De Ruiter chased her as far as into the very Haven of Arzila where with much ado she made a shift to save her self after having lost many of her men in the fight and principally her Captain who lost his life in the Skirmish The Dutch Fleet continuing on their Course came and Anchored in the road of Sally on the 1st of October after they had taken one Turkish Ship and a Tartan and stranded a Renegado Corsair De Ruiter at his arrival saluted the Town with 9 Guns the great Castle answering him with 5 and the little one with 4 after which according to his Commission he endeavoured to enter into a Negotiation with the Deputies of Sall in order to appease the differences they had with the United Provinces but he being delayed several days without being able to do any thing and in the mean while receiving advice that the most part of the Turkish Pyrates kept the passage of the Streights shut up and returned daily from thence to Algiers with Prizes he thought it was not necessary for him to stay in Sally road with all his whole Squadron but calling thereupon a Consultation of his Captains on board him it was resolved that de Wilde and Rear Admiral Verveen and Captain Zaalingen should sail away towards the Streights to give chase to the Corsairs And accordingly they unmoor'd with the New Moon steering towards Cadiz whilst on the other side Captain Vander Zaan kept out a cruizing with two Men of War more De Ruiter in the mean while staid with two of the ships of his Squadron before Sally to pursue the Negotiation of the Treaty In the midst of which Transactions on the 16 of October he discovered between Sally and Mamora 3 Sail making towards Sally but were kept back by the Calm Weather Upon which de Ruiter weighing Anchor accompanied by Captain Adelaer advanced with design to cut off their passage the Corsairs having perceived them made back as fast as they could to the main Sea again the Wind being then North-North-East de Ruiter used all possible endeavours to get up with them but night coming on he lost sight of them However some hours after having discovered them again he boarded one of them about 3 in the Morning by the assistance of Oars notwithstanding the Calmness of the Weather At his very first firing the Turks got into their Boat and fled away leaving no body on Board but two Portugueses that were in the Ship She was a very good Sailer of about 90 Tuns that was taken by the Turks near the Isle of Madera The 2 others were Corsairs of Algiers whereof one carried 26 and the other 16 Guns who made their escape by favour of a fresh gale of Wind that soon carried them out of Reach The next day towards Evening de Ruiter returned into Sally road again In the mean while the Negotiation for a Treaty having been brought upon a good foot by the Deputies on each side the Turks stood firm to their Pretentions which were that they should receive an indemnification for their Ship that was taken till at last after several Conferences the Treaty of Peace was concluded and renewed on the 22d of October upon the following Articles A Peace renewed â—ith Sally viz. 1. That His Highness Sid Abdala Ben Sid Mahumad Ben Bukar Prince of Fez Lord of South and North Sally should without delay restore to his former Liberty Consul David de Uries who was arrested for some mis-understanding that hapned to fall out 2. That his said Highness should immediately give orders for the Releasing of the Ship called the Tyger and the Galliot de Ruiter seized at Sally and likewise their Cargoe as much as was yet remaining of them or the Equivalent of the profit arising from them as likewise for the setting at liberty all the Pilots and Mariners belonging to them 3. That two men taken in a small Dutch Ship called the Arms of Hinlopen and sold at Sally should be presently freed out of slavery and set at liberty 4. That the States General of the Vnited Provinces on their part should cause to be restored to his Highness that which had been seized which should be still in nature or the profits which arose from the Ship called the Hound taken near Mamora by Rear Admiral Tromp the year before upon the refusal the said Ship had made to render the usual salute and shew her Passports 5. That their High and Mightinesses to Indemnify his Highness for the loss of the abovesaid Ship should remit to him the full enjoyment of the Flute called the White Falcon taken at Sea by those of Sally and seized and detained to that present day 6. That the losses and damages caused to the Subjects of both parties by the differences lately arisen between them shall be rendred Common and forgotten on both sides 7. That under this Common annulling of the losses and damages on both sides should not be comprehended the lawfull right of Pilot Warebout concerning the Confiscation of his Ship and her lading which the Administrators of Sally had engaged to pay according to the account that had been delivered in of them which should subsist till it were fully paid This Treaty was signed for the States General by Consul de Vries and Gilbert de Vyant Fiscal or Treasurer of the Fleet and lower by Vice-Admiral de Ruiter and sealed with his seal On the Prince of Sally's side it was signed by Ibrahim Duque and Aly Cordevees After this business thus dispatcht they proceeded to treat about the choice of a signal by which the two parties might know one another Reciprocally when they met at Sea After which several Articles were drawn up in writing in order to render the Ancient Treaty of Peace the more firm and inviolable but because 't was impossible for de Ruiter to make any longer stay before Sally as being obliged to return back again to the Streights that project could not then be finish'd only he promised next year to come again to Sally to pursue the Execution of it and to put it to a finishing stroke De Ruiter then having appeased all things and secured the Peace on that side unmoored from Sally the 2d of November and sailed towards the Streights and on the 10th of the same Month came to an Anchor in the road of Cadiz Two days before the Captains Vander Zaan Bosch and de Wilde had given chace to 3 Turkish Corsairs one of which being pursued by Bosch was stranded on the Coast to the Southward of Larache a small Town in the Kingdom of Fez about 6 miles from Arzila from whence being got off she was taken She proved a Flute of Lubeck call'd the Fortune taken before by the Algerines De Wilde
chased another which was a Frigat of Aâ—gâ—ers carrying 30 Guns and 250 men which likewise run a ground to the Southward of Larache the Moors having quitted her and fled away there were found on board her 25 Chrisâ—ian slaves who were freed thereby from the yâ—ke of those Barbarians and 7 Renegado's whose lives were spared because tho' it was in their power to have saved themselves with the Moors they refused to do it But it being impossible to get the Frigat off from the Coast which she was run upon she was burnt The third of these Corsairs being more fortunate than the rest saved her self by her swift sailing About the 15th of November de Wilde and Zaalingen attackt an Algerine Frigat called the Shepherdess Commanded by a Christian Renegado of Amsterdam named Leendertsz who defended himself vigorously had above 120 Moors killed on board him which so discouraged the others that they begun to think of yielding but about 30 Christian Renegado's would not hear of laying down their Arms till the Hollanders had promised them by Oath to grant them their lives Nay some of those wretches were so desperately bent that they were already gone down to clap fire into the Powder room to blow up themselves together with the Hollanders that were entred upon the Deck had they not been perswaded from that dismal enterprize by fair words There were found likewise in this Corsair 32 Christian slaves whereof 17 were Dutch Men 124 Moors or Turks were sold to the Spaniards 28 Christian Renegado's were condemned to the King of Spain's Gallies for Term of life but the Captain Leendertsz was saved by the favour and at the request of the Christian slaves because of the Gentleness and humanity he had used towards them as likewise were two other Renegado's one whereof was Mounikendam and the other a Polander On the 20th of November the Captains Vander Zaan Bosch and Adelaer gave chace again to a Brigantine and a great Turkish Corsair called the Golden Eagle the last of which was chased upon the Coast near Arzila where she was believed to have been stranded but having had nothing but the handle of her Rudder broken she slink'd away from the danger and got out into the main Sea again Vice-Admiral de Ruiter having divided his Squadron into 3 parts set sail towards the Streights Mouth followed by de Wilde de Zaalingen and Adelaer with design to cruize there against the Corsairs he gave Orders at the same time to Rear-Admiral Verveen and Cuptain Vander Zaan to convoy to the Northward of Cape Verd 3 Merchants richly laden and bound for Amsterdam because he had heard that Commander Colart was cruizing off of that Cape with 4 or 5 French Privateers and took indifferently all Ships he met with without having any respect to their Banner The Captains Sweers and Bosch had orders to return to Sally as well to reconduct thither one of the Prince of Sally's Deputies and de Vries the Dutch Consul who had been forced by the ill Weather to stay on board of Sweers as also to take in some Letters from the Consul for the States De Ruiter having chosen the Mouth of the Streights to be the Rendezvous of all the Ships of his Squadron sailed on the 29th of the same Month towards Arzila and having a far off descried two Ships at Anchor resolved to make up to them upon the report made to him by Captain Leendertsz late of the Corsair called the Shepherdess That they were the Golden Eagle carrying 26 Guns and 250 Men to which before he had given chace and the St. Catharine carrying 20 Guns and 200 Men all Turks Those Pyrates had Anchored very near the Town De Ruiter charged them vigorously with his Artillery and the Infidels defended themselves with much obstinacy till at last the St. Catharine being shot through and through and leaking on all sides sunk to the bottom of the Sea Then having grapled the Golden Eagle he made himself Master of her and after the fight carried her to Malaga Out of those 2 Corsairs there were 20 Christians delivered out of slavery 50 Turks or Moors made Prisoners and all the rest of their Men either escaped to shore or were killed Vice Admiral de Ruiter after he had brought the Corsairs of Barbary to their duty and freed the Sea from their Robberries came on the 15th of March to Anchor in the Road of Malaga where he received a Letter from the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam dated the 29th of December of the preceeding Year by which they testified themselves to be very well satisfied at his happy Expedition into the Mediterranean and Commanded him by vertue of an Order from the States General immediately upon the reading of that Letter to get all the Ships of his Squadron together and to return with all diligence into the Ports of the United Provinces without having regard to any other Consideration how pressing soever it were permiting him however to stop 8 or 10 days at most in Cadiz road to wait for the Spanish Gallions that were to come thither and to take under his Convoy a great Number of Merchant Ships richly laden and homewards bound for Holland Having then set sail in Obedience to those Orders he arrived to an Anchor in Cadiz Road the 20th of that Month and sailed away again from thence on the 15th of April The Spanish Gallions arriving at Cadiz 2 days after him about 22 sail of Merchant Ships joyned themselves to the Admiral 's Flag with whom happily continuing his voyage homeward he arrived in the Texel the 2d of May after having met in his way Withorn Comadore of a Squadron of 7 English Men of War who were looking sharp after the Merchant Fleet laden with Silver which he had the charge of Convoying But Withorn fâ—nding himself too weak to attack him stood away of to Sea being desperately vext that he had mist so fair a hit De Ruiter gained in this Expedition so much the more honour in that he took 6 great Turkish Corsairs and 2 Brigantines sunk or burnt 3 more of their vessels and got off and saved one of them that was run ashore delivered at the same time a considerable Number of Christian slaves from the servitude of those Barbarians pacified the troubles that were arising with those of Sally and at length terminated so many happy successes by Convoying home prosperously into his Country a vast Treasure in spite of the vigilance and avidity of the English About that time a War arose in the North between Charles Gustavus King of Swedeland and John Casimir King of Poland which prepared new affairs for the Hollanders and gave great Umbrage to the States General of the United Provinces who looking upon those Troubles as likely to cause a great interruption if not a ruin to their Commerce on that side thought fit to contribute to the preservation of Dantzick and of Prussia on which Swedeland might easily at that time
not the Career of his Conquests there but passing his Army which was almost all Horse over the Ice he entered the Isle of Funen where he put to the Sword all that opposed his Triumphant Arms In that passage the Ice hapning to break in a certain place 2 Ensigns and the King of Swedens Coach were swallowed up Odonsee the Capital Town of the Island yielded without resistance and the Town of Nyburg was also taken King Charles Gustavus being eager to carry the Terror of Arms his yet further Consulted with his Generals to resolve whether it were practicable for him to pass his Army over the Ice to enter into the Isle of Zealand But they being now to pass the Grand Belt which is an Arm of the Sea about 4 hours march over that Enterprize seemed to them extreamly Rash and Dangerous because if the Ice should happen to break the whole Army would be in hazard of being swaâ—lowed or if any part of it should be so happy as to escape they would be shut up in that Isle till the spring time But Gustavus who was a Couragious and Daring Prince was willing to prove Fortune that had so far accompanied his Arms and resolved to attempt that undertaking which he lookt upon as what would Compleat all his Labours In the mean while Sr. Thomas Meadow Ambassador from the Protector Cromwel at the Court of Denmark desirous to put a stop to the Conquests of that Prince dispatcht a Courier to Funen with Letters in which he made him some overtures for Peace King Gustavus observing that the Courier had past upon the Ice over the Grand Belt on horse back concluded it would be strong enough to bear his Army and therefore finâ—ing that the cold Augmented instead of abating he advanced the very next morning without Remaining any longer in suspence towards the Isle Langeland and from thence into the Country of Laland where the Town of Naskou was reduced to his obedience From thence he carried his Arms into the Isle of Falster where he took the Fort Royal Nikoping after which having crossed the Belt he entered into the Isle of Zealand that is to say into the heart of the King of Denmarks Dominions and immediately got possession of the Town of Wisburg and was just ready to march at the head of his Army before Copenhagen when the Ambassador from the Court of England arrived to present him a Mediation for a Peace At his first interviews with him King Charles Gustavus finding himself in the midst of so many Prosperities refused it but at last growing more tractable he consented to a Project of Peace that was drawn up and Concluded at Toustrup the 28th of February and on the 8th of March following after it had been more amply examined it was ratified at Rotschild That Treaty was altogether disadvantagious to the King of Denmark and to the United Provinces because it was therein agreed between the two Princes of the North to shut up the Sound and suffer no Forreign Man of War to pass into the Baltick Sea Besides the King of Denmark by reason of the Conquests Gustavus had newly made to yield up to him the Propriety of a good part of his Dominions namely Hoâ—land Schoonen Blecking Bornholm Bahus and Drontheim And though these Conditions were very hard to Denmark yet the Swede was not content with them but threatned to enter a second time into the Isle of Zealand to besiege Copenhagen and to reduce the whole Kingdom under his obedience if the King of Denmark did not fully satisfy all points of the Treaty of Rotschild The Article of which that obliged them to shut up the passage of the Sound against all Foreign Ships of War caused new Umbrages because the Danes would by no means consent to it Whereupon at last the K. of Sweden being desirous fully to gratifie his Ambition and push forward his great designs to their utmost extent made a descent in the Month of August with a powerfull Army into the Isle of Zealand and whilst his Troops were landing there he made his Fleet advance before Copenhagen to form the siege of it which was so effectually done that it may be said that if the Hollanders had not timely succor'd it in all appearance the Triumphant Gustavus would have reduced that Capital City to his obedience and put a Period to the Kingdom of Denmark tho' formerly its Mistress so great a Vicissitude there is in the Fortunes of States and Kingdoms The Affairs of the North being in that ticklish Condition the States of the Vnited Provinces made serious Reflexions upon what might happen in the Time to come and thought upon freeing the Baltick Sea from the Oppression of Swedeland by sending speedy aâ—d powerful Succours to the King of Denmark who was on the Point otherwise in all Appearance to lose all his Dominions For the Security of their Commerce in the North that supplied them with a great part of their Riches and with Naval Stores and other Necessaries for Building and Maintaining their Shipping and Supporting their Sea-power by which they were enabled to carry on their Traffick all over the rest of the World and to secure indeed their all both by Sea and Land wholly depending upon their brisk and timely Interposition in that critical Juncture suffered them no longer to hesitate in their Resolutions And therefore the States determined in so pressing an occasion to assemble all the Ships of War that were in a Condition to put to Sea in order to form a considerable Fleet the chief Command of which was conferred upon Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam the other General Officers were the Vice-Admirals de Wit and Florisz They embarked also on Board that Fleet Thirty eight Companies of Regular Infantry in all about Two thousand Men with design to throw some of them into Copenhagen and the rest into the Castle of Kronenburg upon the Sound The Fleet then being equipped with an incredible Diligence Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam set sail the 17th of October it was composed of 38 Ships of War and six Flutes laden with Ammunition and Provisions of four Fire-ships and six Galleots About the end of the same Month the Fleet arrived to the North-east of Jutland But in the mean while the Castle of Kronenburg had surrendred to the Swedes on the 26th of September after a Siege of three Weeks and Copenhagen it self was briskly pressed The King of Denmark being then in Person in that his Capital City animated by his Presence the Soldiers and Burgers to make a vigorous Resistance flattering them with the Hopes of seeing themselves in a short time delivered by the Hollanders But the Swedes as we have said having made themselves Masters of the Castle of Kronenburg had shut up the Sound with their Fleet so that the Dutch Fleet was forced of necessity to open its way through the midst of that of the Enemy's which was near of an equal Force with theirs and to endure all the Fire of
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
at the Village Ter Heide near the Hague and so on to the Texel and found their Number to amount to 36000. In the mean while an Ordinance was publish'd prohibiting all Subjects of the United Provinces to stir out of their Ports upon pain of Confiscation of their ships and Merchandizes in case they were taken And they likewise prohibited in particular the exportation of all sorts of Ammunition and the going out of the ships designed for the Whale-Fishing and all sorts of Fishing about Greenland and small Fishing and the importation of Herrings and other salt Fish which was done with intent thereby to get up the more men to Compleat the manning out of the Fleet and to prevent the Dutch ships from being taken by the English And for the Encouragement of the Seamen greater Recompences were setled than ever before upon all such who should make themselves Masters of any English man of War or of any of their Flags For to that effect there was an Ordinance publish'd dated the 10th of March by which it was promised That whatsoever ship of the States should in a General Sea-fight between the two Fleets or in any Rencounter take any English ship should have not only the ship so taken with all that belonged to it as a reward but that over and above that he that should take the chief Admiral ship of the English should have 50000 Livers Gratification for every other Admiral ship 30000 Livers for every ship of other General Officers 20000 Livers for every other ship of War carrying 40 Guns 10000 and for every other ship less considerable excepting Yachts 6000 Livers That he that should bring away the Flag of the chief Admiral should have 5000 Livers Reward and for the Flags of the other Admirals 2500 Livers for the Flag of a fore mast 1250 Livers for that of the mizzen mast 750 Livers and for the Flag on the Poop 250 Livers The Captains of the Fire-Ships that should burn any of the Enemies Ships were to have for each of them so burnt the 3d. part of the Sum promised to those who take an English man of War The same reward was Assigned for those who in quality of Volunteers should set out Fire-Ships for the Service of the State He that could sink or otherwise destroy any of the Enemies Fire ships that were ready to endamage any of the States men of War was to have 6000 Livers Gratification Those who out of an Extraordinary affection to their Country should furnish out any man of War to join the Flag of the States Fleet to endeavour the ruine of the Common Enemy were to receive double the reward granted to the other ships of the State both for the English ships they should take and for their Flags and that in acknowledgement of their Zeal their Fidelity and their Bravery There were also particular Recompences allotted to those that should rescue out of danger any of the States Men of War that happened to be surrounded by the Enemies and ready to be burnt or sunk and to those who out of a General fight should take any English man of War Besides all which there was granted to the Widows and Children of those that should happen to be killed in the fight double the sum of their Husbands or Parents Wages It was likewise Ordered that the said Recompences should be granted tho' the ships that had merited them shou'd happen to be sunk or that they could not be brought back into their Ports And to second and raise the Courage of the Great Men and inspire honour into the Cowards and run-aways it was decreed that those who should deliver up any of the States men of War into the hands of the English should be Condemned in a Council of War and punish'd with death without distinction and without remission and that all Sea-Officers whether General or Subaltern who should quit the Flag without express order from the Admiral should also be punished with death c. A little while after another Ordinance came out from the States bearing date the 17th of March allotting recompences for those who should be disabled or maimed in the Service of the States after the following rates viz. Â Livers For the loss of both Eyes 1500 For one Eye 0350 For the loss of both Arms 1500 For the Right Arm 0450 For the Left 0350 For the loss of both Hands 1200 For the Right Hand 0350 For the Left 0300 For the loss of both Legs 0700 For one Leg 0350 For the loss of both Feet 0450 For one Foot 0200 As for other lamed Persons the College of the Admiralty reserved to themselves the care to allow them recompences according to their discretion It was likewise ordered that all those that were disabled from getting any thing towards their subsistence should receive each a pension of a Ducatoon per week during the remainder of their lives and the rest of the disabled men proportionably The States General thought fit also to advertise all the Neighbouring powers that in case any of their Subjects should be met at Sea armed out to prey upon the ships of the United Provinces under colour of any Commissions borrowed from the English that if taken they shall be punish'd as Pyrates And that if any Hollanders Subjects of the States should be found and taken on board any English Privateers they should be punish'd with death without remission and their Goods confiscated The English and Scotch Captains that had been several years in the States service in their Land Forces having refused to take a new Oath of Fidelity to them for fear of losing their Estates in their own Country were thankt for their former services and transported home in one of the States men of War In the mean while the King of England having been a long time impatient to declare War against the Vnited Provinces at last published his so long intended Declaration for that effect on the 14 4th of March 1665. by his Heralds who proclaimed it by sound of Trumpet in the great Streets of West-minster and London It was conceived in these Terms WHereas The King of England s Declaration of War against the States upon the Complaints of divers Offences Injuries and Usurpâ—tions committed by the East and West-India Companies and other the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces upon the Persons Goods and Ships of our Subjects to their great Damage which amount to very considerable Sums instead of receiving the Satisfaction so often demanded we have found that they have given Order to de Ruiter not only to quit the Project formed against the Corsairs of the Mediterranean in Consequence of the Union that had been proposed to us by the States General but also to attempt upon the Liberty of our Subjects in Africk by using against them all sorts of Hostility After which we gave Orders to stop all the Ships belonging to the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces tho' we never granted any Commissions to use
Reprisals or suffered any Proceedings against the Ships so stopt till we had a full Assurance that de Ruiter had put in execution the said Orders by the taking or several of our Subjects and of their Ships and Merchandizes Finding at present bv these new Offences and Attempts and by the Advices we have received of their Preparations for War and of their granting out Letters of Reprisal against our Subjects that our over-great Indulgence and all the other Remedies employed by us to induce them to entertain a true Amity with us have been ineffectual seeing they are resolved by Force of Arms to maintain their unjust Attempts we therefore have thought fit with the Advice of our Privy Council to testifie and declare to the Face of the whole Earth That the said States are the Aggressors and ought justly to be acknowledged such by all the World so that our Fleets and Ships as well as all other Ships that shall receive Commissions from our well-beloved Brother the Duke of York Lord High Admiral of England shall have Right and may by vertue of them Fight Take and make themselves Masters of all the Ships Vessels and Effects belonging to the Subjects or the Vnited Provinces or to them that shall be bound for their Country We also expresly forbid all our Subjects as we likewise advertise all other Persons of what Nation soever they be to carry or Transport any Soldiers Arms Powder Ammunition or other contraband Merchandizes into the Lands Countries Plantations or Provinces belonging to the said States for that such things when taken shall be adjudged good Prize And further we declare That every Ship of what Nation soever it be that shall be found to have on Board her any Effects Merchandises or any number of Persons belonging to the United Provinces or their Subjects shall be declared good Prize with her Lading Also That all the Effects and Merchandises of what Nation soever they be whether they belong to us or Foreigners it matters not which shall be found in any Ships belonging to the States or to any of their Subjects they all shall be declared good Prize unless the said Ships be provided with good Pass-ports granted to them by us or our Dear Brother And that this our Declaration may be publick and all the World may have perfect Knowledge of it our Will and Pleasure is That this present Declaration be publisht with all the usual formalities as it ought to be c. As soon as this Declaration appeared the States sent Copies of it into all the Courts of Europe which they directed to their Ministers there to present them to all the several Princes and Powers and to make them take notice at the same time what Losses and Damages they must expect from such a Declaration by the Interruption of their Commerce since by that not only the Merchandizes which should be found on Board the Dutch Ships were to be declared good Prize but also all the Vessels belonging to them if they were laden with Dutch Commodities or if they had on board them any of the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces The French and those of Hamburg and Ostend sufficiently felt the Effects of it since many of them tho' they were going toward Neuter-Places were seized and carried into the Ports of England from whence they were not released till a long time after and with much Difficulty and after great Expences The War then being declared the English Navy Royal under the command of the Duke of York consisting of above 100 Sail of Men of War great and small set sail the first Day of May and two Days after arrived before the Texel a little too soon and before it was well compleat The cause of that great Precipitation was a false piece of News sent to White-hall by the Earl of Ossory Son to the Duke of Ormond Vice-Roy of Ireland That a certain Bark had discovered behind Hitland a Fleet of 60 Sail which they thought at first to be de Ruiter's Fleet with some Prizes but on the 8th of the same Month the English Fleet was saluted with a violent Tempest in wnich some of their Ships were scattered and others very much damnified So that seeing de Ruiter appeared not they were forced to return back into their own Ports without having made any other Progress than the taking of 7 Ships laden with Wine with another Ship that served them for Convoy an English Prize taken by the Hollanders near the Caâ—ibee Islands and a Ship of Lisbon But the Men of War that were their Convoy being nimble Sailers escaped by the Favour of the Night Whilst the English were busie in repairing the Damages done to their Fleet by the ill Weather the Zealand Fleet consisting of 31 Men of War having set sail the 22d of May at break of Day joyned that of Holland under the Command of Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam After which junction the whole Fleet kept on their Course being composed of 103 Men of War 7 Yachts 11 Fire-ships and 12 Galliots carrying 4869 Guns and 21631 Men and was divided into 7 Squadrons The first was under the Conduct of Admiral Opdam Vice-Admiral Vander Hulst and Rear-Admiral de Graaf The second was commanded by Admiral John Evertsz Vice-Admiral de Liesde and Rear-Admiral Cornelius Evertsz The third was under the Command of Admiral Kortenaar Vice-Admiral Schey and Rear-Admiral Marceveld The fourth was under the Conduct of Admiral Stellingwerf Vice-Admiral Koenders and Rear-Admiral Bruensveld The fifth was under the Command of Admiral Cornelius Tromp of Vice-Admiral Koeverden and of Rear-Admiral P. Salomonsz The sixth was commanded by Admiral C. Evertsz Vice-Admiral Bankert and Rear-Admiral Bronsaart And lastly the seventh was under the Conduct of Admiral Schram Vice-Admiral Staghouwer and Rear-Admiral Hourtuin That Fleet one of the finest and most formidable that ever appeared on the Northern Seas seized and took soon after about 20 English Ships the News of which coming to London put the Merchants almost out of their Wits for Vexation Which made double Care and Diligence be used in Pressing of Men and arming out the English Fleet so that at length it put to Sea again consisting of 107 Men of War and of 14 Fire-ships or Advice-Yachts and was divided into 3 Squadrons Whereof the first under a Red Flag was commanded by the Duke of York Pen and Lawson The second being the White Squadron was under the Conduct of Prince Robert Mings and Samson And the third being the Blue Squadron was commanded by the Earl of Sandwich Cuttins and Sir George Ayschew The Two Fleets were not long before they engaged in a Battle that was cruel and bloody of which these were the principal Circumstances On the 8th of June the English Fleet A Fight between the Duke of York and Admiral Opdam being refitted put to Sea a second time unmoored from Gunfleet Bay near Harwich and came to an Anchor in Southwold Bay as well to take in a new Supply of Provisions as
way prepared for him to the Coelestial Heroes in the 55th Year of his Age. The most Illustrious and Potent Lords the States of the United Provinces have erected this Monument as to a most valiant Man that has highly well deserved of the Commonwealth in the Year of our Lord 1667. In the Year of our Lord 1657. the Fleet of the United Provinces under the Conduct of the Baron of Wassenaer defeated the Portuguese Fleet near the Mouth of the Tagus that was coming home from Brasil In the Year of our Lord 1658. the Fleet of the United Provinces under the auspicious Conduct of the Baron of Wassenaer entred into the Sound and carried salutary Assistance to the desperate condition of expiring Denmark after having in a most furious Fight repulsed and put to Flight the Enemies Fleet. Great Honours were likewise paid to the Memory of Admiral Kortenaar whose Tomb is to be seen at Rotterdam with the following Epitaph in Dutch Ter erre van den onvergeliikeliiken Held Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaar Admiral Hebben d'Ed Mognede Heeren des Admiralteit de Maas dit Gedenkreken van ziin dapperheld en roemruchtige dooddoen stellen Admiral Kortenaars Epitaph De Held der Maas verminkt aan Oog en rechter hand En echter't Oog van't Roer de Vuist Van't Vaderland De Groote Kortenaar de Schrik van's Vyandre Vlooten D'ontsluiter van de Sond leyt in dit graf besloâ—ten Of which the Sense in English is thus Egbert Bartholomew Kortenaar Admiral Their High and Mightinesses of the Admiralty of the Meuse have caused this Monument to be erected to the eternal Memory of his Great Courage and Glorious Death The Hero of the Meuse after he had lost one Eye and his Right Hand yet however continues to Govern the Fleet by his good Conduct and to support his Country with his valiant Arm The Great Kortenaar the Terror of the Enemies Fleet he that opened the Sound Rests inclosed in this Tomb. A little while after the Criminals had been so punisht and the merit and valour of those that had signalized themselves been rewarded viz. on the 23d of July Vice Admiral Tromp was elected Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of the Meuse in the place of the Deceased Kortenaar in acknowledgment of the eminent Bravery he had shewn in the last Battel His advancement to that Office rekindled a fresh the before damped zeal of the Seamen who testified an extraordinary joy at it by reason of the extreme affection they bore him which equall'd that they always had for his Father In the mean while the States being intent upon consulting the means how to repair the ill success of their Arms by new Forces gave orders for working with all possible diligence in all the Provinces near the Sea to fit up the Fleet again and put it in a good Condition and that so much the more prestingly because they knew the English Fleet was crusing in the Channel to watch for de Ruiter's return which was daily expected After the Death of Mr. Opdam they were much puzled about the choice of a person fit to be intrusted with the chief Command of their Fleet. Many of them cast their Eyes upon Lieutenant Admiral Tromp but the obstinacy he had shewn against the Orders of the Deputies when instead of keeping the Fleet out at Sea after the defeat as they had Commanded he made it go into the Texel gave grounds for some misunderstanding and caused a great many murmurings to arise to the disadvantage of his reputation Yet on the other side they put great confidence in his undaunted Courage and in the singular affection the Seamen had for him but those good thoughts were again over balanced by the suspicions some predominant Members of the States of Holland then haâ— conceived of his Conduct because that being passionately devoted to the interest of the then ungratefully contemned Prince of Orange then excluded from all great Employments those Insolent and Ambitious States-men were afraid the inclination he had for that Prince might over-sway him against that Obedience he owed to those Masters who he knew had usurped from him his Rights But however the most judicious among them contested against all those seeming specious reasons with more solid proofs drawn from his incomparable great Worth and Merit not sticking to say without bogling that they could not well chuse another to that high Preferment without doing him injustice At length after many debates and contrary Opinions thereupon they resolved by common consent to confer upon him that great Employment Tromp chosen Admiral in chief upon certain conditions but yet with these Conditions that there should be three Deputies of the States appointed to go along with him with full Power over the Fleet viz. Mr. Huiens Deputy of the Assembly of the States General for the Province of Guelders Mr. De Wit Pensionary of Holland and West-Friesland that noted enemy to the Orangian Family and Mr. Borreel Burger Master of Middleburg Lieutenant Admiral Tromp being thus promoted to the chief Command of the Fleet applied himself with all imaginable care to fill up with all speed the Compliment of Sea-men needful for the effectual manning out the Fleet that it might be ready to put to Sea again assoon as possible But when all things were just ready and Tromp was already on Board his Ship called the Amity with the Deputies of the States appointed to attend him De Ruiter returns from Guiney news came that de Ruiter was arrived at Eems which occasioned a change in all the Resolutions that had been taken De Ruiter gave notice of his arrival to the States by the following Letter High and Mighty Lords His Letter to the States AFter having made my salutes in general this shall be to inform your High and Mightinesses of the safe arrival of the Fleet that under my Conduct has made so long a Voyage which came in the 6th Instant in the afternoon to the West-ward of Eems with 5 English Prizes whereof 3 are laden most with Sugar and the other 2 are empty one of which served us for a Fire-Ship in our way A Merchant Ship likewise came from the Caribee Islands which retired under our Convoy c. July the 19th we approached towards the Isles of Fero to get intelligence of the English but no body could tell us any News of them the 21 we past to the East-ward of Hitland on the 22d in the afternoon a Galliot of Huisdâ—n came and joyned us who reported to us the unfortunate success of the late Battle fought between the two Fleets c. On the 23d we came near Bergen where we received a Confirmation of what had been related to us We pursued our way all along by the Coast of Norway making all the sail we could and on the 6th of August we came into the West-ward of Eems upon Advice that the English Fleet kept near the Coasts of Holland being by our inequality in
Enemies Ships two of the Dutch should be detached after it if two three and if three four should be sent after them and so proportionably for more always taking care to detach those Ships against them that should be nearest to the Ships they should desire to give Chace to Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp was considered in that Regulation as the chief Commander of the Fleet and all was done in his Name because Lieutenant-Admiral de Ruiter was not yet come thither Tromp also established an Order concerning the general Rendezvous of the Fleet in Case of Separation by Tempest or by the Darkness of the Night that should make them lose Sight of their Flag And that Order was regulated according to Times Opportunities and the Winds that should happen to prevail Lieutenant-Admiral de Ruiter arrived in the Texel the 16th of August where there were left three Frigats to conduct him to the Fleet but by a contrary Wind he was detained till next day Morning when he set sail accompanied with Van Nes who had taken the Oath in Quality of Vice-Admiral of the Meuse at the same time that de Ruiter was sworn in the Texel before the Deputies of the States General in quality of Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and West-friesland to command in Chief He therefore went to the Mouth of the Spanish Hole where he went on Board the Frigat Schiedam carrying 25 Guns and 81 Men and the next Morning he arrived on Board the Ship called the Amity then commanded by Lieutenant Admiral Tromp where he was received by the Deputies of the States with great Demonstrations of Kindness Tromp likewise shewed a great deal of good Temper and Moderation towards him by smothering in Silence a part of his Resentments which already gave the Nation great Hopes they would shortly be perfectly reconciled Whilst things were thus passing on the Side of the Vnited Provinces the English Fleet under the Command of the Admirals Mountague Pen and Allen had made an Excursion towards the North to cruise there against the Ships belonging to the Dutch East-India Company that were expected coming homewards but they having had timely notice of it by some Dutch Galliots happily retired into the Harbour of Bergen in Norway to the Number of 10 Ships and two more belonging to the same Company went into Drontheim and besides them there were 60 Merchant-ships more richly laden bound homewards to Holland The Admirals of the English Fleet upon that News were desperately enraged they had let slip so rich a Booty out of their Chops so that calling a Council of War they resolved to attack the Dutch in the Bay whether they could get the Governour of Bergen's consent or no with Design and Hopes to take or at least burn and destroy their Fleet there They sent therefore to the said Governour named Aleveld to desire his Consent to their Enterprize who being unprovided then with Guns and Ammunition sufficient to resist them held them off 3 Days with fair Words telling them He durst not let them attempt upon any Ships in that his Master's Port without express Orders from his Majesty to whom he would send to know his Pleasure about it conjuring them in the mean time not to offer by any Hostility to violate the Liberty of his Master's Harbours But after 3 Days during which he had supplied himself with Guns Powder and all other Necessaries from the Dutch Ships and elsewhere having sent the English a flat Refusal they detached away Captain Tyddeman with a Squadron of 14 Men of War with 3 Fireships and 2 Advice Boats who entered boldly into the bay without sparing the Danes their Allies any more than the Hollanders their Enemies The Circumstances of what passed in that occasion are related in the following Letter written by the General Officers that Commanded the Dutch East-India Fleet. SIR THE English having had advice that we were arrived here with a Fleet of 10 ships from the East-Indies were in an unconceivable vexation at it so that the day before yesterday they came and posted themselves between the two Castles that defend the entrance of the Port with a Squadron of 14 Men of War 3 Fire-ships and 4 Advice Yachts making in all 21 sail and fell upon our Fleet with so much fury that we were forced to stand up in our own defence and by the help of the Castles and of some batteries we had raised on shore against them with Guns drawn out of our ships we repulsed them with so much success that after a fight of about 3 hours and a half they were forced to cut their Cables and shamefully betake themselves to flight We are told for certain that whilst they were retreating 3 of their Ships sunk whereof one carried an Admirals Flag It appears by the marks of their defeat that they were very severely handled since 30 of their dead men were cast ashore by the Waves who were strip'd by the Inhabitants and 6 of their ships were so battered that they were forced to Anchor at about 3 miles from hence to patch themselves up again as well as they could being able no longer to keep the Sea We had in this fight 25 men killed and 70 wounded and we lost the Merchant Mr. Peter de Sandvlied after he had shewn a great deal of Bravery The Masts Sails and Rigging of our ships are extreamely endamaged so that they will take us up several days time to repair them We have reason to thank God for having so powerfully protected us A Merchant ship of Lisbon Commanded by the Master Ruth Maximilian fought valiantly after the Example of our men and so did General Alefelt and the Governour Van Steignon who after he had done all he could to divert the English from their design by fair words without any effect have at last by the force of their Arms and the powerfull Rhetorick of the Cannon of their Castles maintained their rights and the Protection they had granted to strangers so that all things succeeded to the honour of the Victors Three Months pay Extraordinary was granted on this occasion both to the Seamen of our ships as of those of the Merchants by way of reward for their good Service who were employed either on board our ships or else on shore in managing the Batteries there erected for our defence which is to be paid by all the ships which are here and we hope you will not take that proceeding ill from us since it was put in practice only to raise the Courage of the men in that pressing occasion and to incite them the more vigorously to repulse a bold and potent Enemy who came with a greedy and eager Appetite to seize upon so much riches the loss of which would have been very heavily sensible to you The bearer of these dispatches can inform you more fully of the other Circumstances of this Fight because he was an Eye-Witness of all that passed in it Upon the Advice we have had from several
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
to the Governours and Lieutenant Generals of his Majesty as well those of his Provinces as of his Armies to Camp Marshals Brigadeers Colonels Captains and other Commanders of his Troops as well Infantry as Cavalry French or Strangers and to all other Officers to whom it appertains to lend a hand to the Execution of these presents every one in his place and his Jurisdiction For such is the pleasure of his Majesty Who likewise wills that these presents be published and fixed up in all his Towns upon Sea and elsewhere in all the Ports and other places of his Kingdom where it is necessary that none may plead cause of Ignorance and that to the Copy of them duly compared the same credit be given as to the Original In the month of February following the United Provinces concluded another strict Alliance with Denmark in Consequence of which orders were sent to Funen into Holstein Jutland and Norway to lay an Embargo upon all Danish Ships and to forbid them to stir out of their Ports that so by that means the Danish Fleet might be the more expeditiously equipt and Armed out The Articles of that Treaty were I. THat each party should absolutely desist from all pretensions they might have one upon the other The Articles of the Dutch League with Denmark II. That all manner of mis-understanding in Norway should be laid asleep and forgot III. That the States General should engage to pay to his Danish Majesty 1500000 Livers per annum as long as the War against England should continue of which the French should be obliged to pay 300000 Livers yearly for their part For which sum the King of Denmark should engage on his side to maintain a Fleet at Sea of 30 Ships of War of which some should be furnished with a sufficient number of Regular Troops to be employed in the Service of the States when they should need them That Treaty was a stroke of Thunder to the English who were the more sensibly concerned at it because they had not heard the least inkling of it till they heard of its conclusion For Dreyer the Secretary of the King of Denmark's Embassy in Holland was sent incognito by the Ministers of that Prince that were at the Hague Mr. Catisius and Mr. Klingenberg immediately after the Conclusion of the Treaty to the King their Master to present it to him and get his Ratification after which the Secretary came back again with all expedition to the Hague This politick silence was the cause that the English Resident at the Court of Denmark had not time to advertise the Merchants of his Nation of it so that all their effects were seized and confiscated throughout the whole extent of the Kingdom It 's true the Danes proceedings on that occasion had some appearance of Justice and Equity because the English from the very time they made that Hostile attempt of which we have spoken upon the Port of Bergen in Norway had not only seized on the Danes Ships and Merchandizes but had likewise taken their men Prisoners so that the Crown of Denmark in that Rencounter seemed to do no more than to use Reprisals had it not afterwards appeared that they had dealt perfidiously in that matter with the King of England and secretly invited him to that Enterprize for which they afterwards declared War against him In the mean time the United Provinces in order to facilitate the Arming and manning out the Fleet publish'd on the 1st of February an Ordinance forbidding all Merchant Ships and Fishing vessels to stir out of their Harbours upon pain of Confiscation of their said Ships and Goods They likewise forbad the great and small Fishery under the same penalties and the Ordinance for forbidding the Greenland Fishery was also renewed But the States however declared that their intention in all those prohibitions was to find them subsistance all the year without any alteration even after the Fleet should be gone out c. About that time Tromp signified to the States that he should be glad if they would please to change his Quality of Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and West-Friesland or of the College of the Admiralty of the Meuse into that of Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam which request the States granted upon Condition he got the consent of both those Admiralties thereunto so that having obtained it on the 6th of February he was created Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam and on the 24th of the same month Vice Admiral Aart Van Nes succeeded him in quality of Lieutenant Admiral of the Meuse and Captain John Van Nes was made Rear Admiral In the mean while the English being sensible of the great Force of so powerfull a League made very great preparations for War on their side and exerted as we may say the utmost of their efforts to make a vigorous resistance But because money was wanting they were forced to borrow 1250000 l. Sterling more at great Interest and besides to help towards the defraying of the extraordinary charges of the War the two East India Ships viz. the Phoenix and the Fort of Huningen taken from the Hollanders were sold which yielded the sum of 1600000 l. And because the French King had first declared War against England the King of Great Britain who was no less Jealous of his honour than the Monsieur published likewise a Declaration against that Crown in the following Terms The King of England's Declaration of War against France WHereas the French under pretence of a defensive League concluded with the States General of the United Provinces accuses us of having violated the Peace though all Europe be well enough informed of the contrary And upon that Ground has declared War against us on the 26th of January last making himself thereby the Aggressor and Infractour of the Peace which we have always desired to preserve with the said States on whose behalf the Ambassadors of the most Christian King never offered any indemnification for the losses suffered by our Subjects nor given any Guarrantees for the security of their Commerce for the future We therefore trusting in the Almighty power of God and in the justice of our cause and being likewise assured of the Bravery and Fidelity of our Subjects have thought fit for their Common security to declare that we are resolved to carry on the War vigorously by employing all our Forces as well by Sea as by Land against France which has newly begun it with us against all the Laws of Justice And to that end we Command our Royal Brother Lord High Admiral of England and our Trusty and well beloved Cousin and Councellor George Duke of Albemarle General of our Armies by Land our Lords Lieutenants of Counties Governours of Provinces and all other inferiour Officers and Soldiers under their Commands as well by Sea as by Land to oppose all the Enterprizes of the French King and his Subjects And for
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
wounded wretches not to speak of those that were killed with shot or splinters But that which sets of the Glory of that Action with so much the more Lustre is that Brakel's Ship called the Grand Holland carried not above 300 men and 62 Guns whereas the Royal James carried above 104 and 1000 men so that this compared to the other appeared but like a small Boat Yet Brakel attackt her so vigorously and fired so furiously for half an hour into the very heart of the Enemies Ship that according to wheat Admiral Mountague himself said he would have yielded to Brakel if he had born a Flag Lieutenant Admiral de Gent's Squadron had begun likewise to engage and some of his Ships advanced likewise and fell upon Admiral Mountague he having already repulsed and sunk 3 Fire-Ships found himself so overwhelmed by the Hollanders that he could not hold out any longer To Disengage himself he caused Brakel's Ship that hâ—ld him so fast Grapled to be chopt off with Axes and which had been before so ill treated that she was n longer able to keep the Sea Most of his Officers were killed and he had scarce 100 sound men left able to do Service But to return to Mountague's Ship a fourth Fire-ship falling upon him Grapled him so fast that his Ship was soon burnt to Ashes The Seamen jumpt Pell-Mell into the Sea And Mountague himself with two of his Sons being entred into a Boat in hopes to save themselves she was in a trice filled so full of men and overcharged that she sunk so that Admiral Mountague or the Earl of Sandwich that had been so Famous unfortunately perisht there with two of his Sons His body was taken up among other Dead men and carried to London where it was interred with great Honour and Magnificence On the Hollanders side Lieutenant Admiral de Gent was not much more Fortunate than Admiral Mountague For being extreamly Irritated against the English ever since the business of the Merlin Yacht because they would needs have had him punisht by the States he advanced and fell into the Blue Squadron with so much Fury and Undaunted Resolution that he caused much Terrour and Disorder among them but he had hardly fought half an hour when he was taken off by a Cannon-Bullet His Death was resented as a great loss to the United Provinces as well for the great Services he had rendred as for those he might still have rendred them Captain Panhuisen that Commanded under him on board his Ship took his time to inform de Ruiter and de Wit without any noise of his Death He was ordered to make no words of it and in the mean while to act with his Ship what was most requisite for the Service of the State But as he was worthily acquitting himself of his Employ he had the misfortune to have one of his Legs shot off Lieutenant Admiral Bankert of Zealand attackt so vigorously the White Squadron Composed most of the French Nation that the Count de Estrees who Commanded it having as 't is thought secret orders not to fight tackt away to the South-ward which motion separated the French from the English whom they had a mind to leave in the Lurch which separation Bankert taking advantage of pursued them close firing continually at them but the French would not be perswaded to make any stand to face them but continued to retreat till the night came on and then they begun downright to flie and to make all the sail they could towards the Channel There were performed many brave actions on that memorable day as well by the English as the Dutch A great English Ship of 70 Guns was burnt by a Fire-Ship two more of the first Rates were sunk and there were two more destroyed The English on their side so cruely battered the Ship called the Jesus Commanded by Captain Dyke that they sunk her The Ship Staveren Commanded by Captain Elsevier was after a vigorous resistance taken and 9 or 10 Fire-Ships were spent to no effect The night separated the Combatants and the English besides Admiral Mountague are said to have lost 18 Captains all men of Note and above two thousand Seamen and Soldiers Mr Cornelius de Wit who represented upon the Fleet the Soveraignty of the States gave in this occasion likewise Signal proofs of his Zeal by the undaunted Resolution with which he exposed himself to all sorts of dangers as appears by the following Extract of the Letter he writ on that Subject The Extract of a Letter of Mr. Cornelius de Wit THe fight continued all day with a great deal of obstinacy and heat insomuch that Mr. de Ruiter said he never was in so hot an Action in his Life I cannot specify what Number of men we had killed on board our Ships because they were instantly thrown over board as fast as they fell but this I can tell that of 12 Soldiers and a Sergeant drawn out of Mr. Ritenburg's Company to be my Halbardiers and which were some of them about me and the rest over the Masters Cabbin there remain 9 Alive whereof one has both his Legs shot off and two more are mortally wounded I kept my self all the time before the Masters Cabbin and when I was weary with standing I sat down in a Chair that I might be able attentively to observe all that passed c. The next day the Hollanders would have renewed the fight but the two Royal Fleets being again rejoined kept to the Wind-ward of them without seeming to dare to approach them which the Hollanders pretended to be an undoubted mark that they had had the disadvantage the day before since 't is to be presumed said they if it had been otherwise they would have endeavoured to have made use of the advantage of the wind which was on their side to have charged them again But the English allâ—dged that there arose so great a Fog that they could not do it The body of Lieutenant Admiral de Gent who was killed in that Battle was transported in a Galliot into Holland and embalmed at the Hague and thence was carried to Vtrecht where it was enterr'd in the Dom Church and a Stately monument was afterwards erected to his Memory at the States charge The Dutch out of a very necessary policy in the then distressed condition of their affairs at Land publisht that they had obtained a signal Victory in that Battle over the Royal Fleets which News being spread abroad on the 7th of June at the Hague contributed not a little to raise and revive the drooping hopes and dying Courage of the People who were extreamly dismayed at the rapid Progresses and terrible depredations of the Enemies Land-Armies on their Frontiers For at the very beginning of June no less than 3 Armies viz. that of France of the Elector of Cologne and of the Bishop of Munster entred their Country and attackt them on every side at the same time And Orsoy Bunick Wesel
and Rynburg were all taken in four days without any Resistance The French King adding Conquest to Conquest entred every day further and further into the Country and pusht on his ambitious designs with so much the greater Rapidity because all gave way before him by an unparallelled fatality And it may be said that if the Confederate Fleets had been as successfull as their Land-Armies the States had been lost without retrieve and the United Provinces would have been forced to submit to the Yoke of those Foreign Powers that then attackt them with so much fury but by reason that the French Fleet fought not at all and that the English trusting on their assistance did not employ their full Naval strength and that Admiral de Ruiter by his vigilance had surprized them at a disadvantage when they little dreamt of him in that he hindred them thereby from gaining a Victory over him that success was to him and the Dutch at that ticklish Juncture of Time as advantageous as an Actual and Compleat Victory at any other season by keeping up the hearts of the dispirited people securing their Navigation and preserving their Coasts from the like Invasions and direfull desolation with which their Land-Frontiers were afflicted However the United Provinces were reduced into so lamentable a condition that the States at length took a Resolution to send two Deputies at the same time viz. one to the French King and another to the King of great Britain to endeavour to move those two Princes to come to some Accomodation with them On the 19th of June two Deputies past through the Fleet and made all the speed they could toward the Court of England whilst others were dispatched away to go and address themselves to the French King at the head of his Army but alas all those steps were made but in vain For the two Kings puffed up with so many past successes and with the hopes of a Total Conquest made such exorbitant demands that there was no complying with them so that the Deputies were fain to come back without doing any thing In the mean while the Mob beginning to rise accused those who had the management of the Government and principally the two de Wits of being the Authors of all those disasters and charged them with Treason and holding dangerous Correspondence with the Enemies of the State The Confederate Fleâ—tâ— appear â—n the Holland Coasts Nay they further openly affirmed that there was no possibility of Governing the State any longer unless the party of the Louvesteins were pull'd down and the perpetual Edict made in 1667 to the prejudice of the Illustrious house of Orange were annull'd and the dignity of the Statholder restored to the present Prince c. So that in fine they prevailed so that on the 3d. of July that Prince was created Statholder The Prince of Orange made Statholder and Captain and Admiral General of the Armies both by Sea and Land of the United Provinces which news caused an unspeakable joy among all the Officers Seamen and Soldiers of the Fleet. A few days after the Royal Confederate Fleets appeared before the Dutch Coast with design to make a descent near the Hague Harlem or the Texel But that enterprize was diverted by a kind of Miracle For on the very day singled out for that design as the Enemy was expecting the coming in of the tide to send in their Boats and small Vessels Laden with Soldiers in order to Land them it hapned to delay its advance 12 full hours later than Ordinary contrary to its natural Order to the great surprize and astonishment of all that were versed in Sea affairs and that ever frequented that Element That prodigy was lookt upon as one of the most sensible marks of the Protection of God that begun to declare it self for the States That Retardation of the Tide was likewise followed by a horrible Tempest that forced the Enemies Fleets with terror to quit the Holland Coasts and to retire homewards with great loss For three of their men of War and some other Victualling Ships were cast away or swallowed up by the Waves During these Transactions de Ruiter kept with the Dutch fleet near the Holland Coasts to have an eye upon the Motions of the Enemies On the 5th of August news came that 14 East India Ships valued at near 14 Millions of Livers were happily arrived at the mouth of the Eems before Delfzil The Enemies had flattered themselves with the hopes of taking them and thought it was impossible for them to miss of so rich a prize which obliged them to post themselves near the Dogger-Sand to be the readier at hand to seize upon them For they could not imagine the Government could have time to advise them of the Rupture because they were put to Sea at the time of the beginning of the War and that if they had received any information of it that could not have been till it was too late for them to take any precautionary measures to secure themselves But yet by an instinct as 't were of Providence they stole from the vigilance of the Royal Fleets and the Holland Fleet sailed towards the Eems to Conduct them into the Respective Harbours of their own Country where they arrived on the 22d of the same month The States Fleet would have kept at Sea something longer but because the summer season was almost past and that Tempests would soon begin to raign and that besides there was no more danger for that year of any descent by the Royal Fleets or of any other important attempt they retired home and entred into Port on the 22d of September to be disarmed and laid up From that time forward things begun a little to change face and Holland was secured by cutting the ditches and sluces and overflowing all the Avenues to their Towns and Provision was made likewise for the preservation of the passages of Gorkum Schonhoven and Minden For Naerden was then in the Power of the French The march of the Auxiliary Troops sent by the Emperour and the Elector of Brandenburg to the assistance of the United Provinces contributed also very much to stop the Conquests of France by the diversion they gave For the most Christian King was forced to make great detachments to form an Army under the Command of the famous Marshal Turenne to send to oppose them The Prince of Orange on another side advanced towards Charleroy with design to besiege it but the great Frosts and Ill Weather that hapned all on a sudden broke his measures so that after he had taken and plundered Binch that Prince retired However the Frosts that thus had crossed the designs of the Prince of Orange favoured those of the French For the Duke of Luxemburg having formed an Army out of detachments drawn out of Vtrecht and other Conquered places prepared to make an invasion into the heart of Holland by passing his Troops over the Ice The Count of
Koningsmark who had the guard of the passes not finding himself strong enough to Resist him deserted Bodgrave and retired to Leyden Luxemburg seeing the Weather was like to change to a Thaw made his Troops advance with Extraordinary dispatch and past the Rhine with very little resistance by reason of the consternation and disorder among them that guarded the â—assages and marcht to Swammerdam with a Resolution to go further if the Frost continued to favour his designs The Retrenchments made near Nieuwerburg were unfortunately deserted in a most unseasonable nick of time which extreamly favoured the retreat of the French For a Thaw hapning to follow if that post had been preserved the Duke of Luxemburg's return had been cut off who however was constrained to retire with more haste than ever he made in 'T is not to be Exprest in what strange alarm and consternation all Holland then was The Depredations of the Duke of Luxemburg However the States without losing Courage for that neglected not to give the necessary orders every where causing the sluces to be opened to let in the water round about all the places that were most exposed The Duke of Luxemburg being come near Gondsche Sluis where Count Koningsmark was posted with his Troops found there so much resistance that he was forced to turn back again carrying desolation every where along with him and miserably Ravaging all the places through which he passed It would be a difficult task to describe all the excessive cruelties he committed there it is enough to say that he carried them to such a height that no future Ages will ever lose the Memory of his Barbarities The Villages of Swammerdam and Bodgrave were burnt to Ashes At the same time which was the last day of the Year the Troops of Groningen returned him his change For the Frost that had put by the Seige of Charleroy having lockt up the Marish waters round about the strong place of Koeverden they took advantage of that opportunity and seized that important Fortress These were the principal Events of the Year 1672. and this was the deplorable condition into which the United Provinces were then reduced But God being pleased afterwards to espouse their Interests delivered them from the unsupportable Yoke of Foreign powers by such surprizing means that they recovered all their places again in less time than they had lost them as will appear in the sequel of this History At the beginning of the Year 1673. A detestable plot was discovered at Amsterdam to burn the States men of War The Author of it was one Fraser a Scotch-man who as he confest himself was incited to that bold and pernicious attempt by great promises of reward from the Duke of York who was ever an irreconcilable Enemy to the United Provinces That unhappy Criminal was therefore broke alive upon the Wheel and exposed afterwards near Voolewyijk In order to put themselves into a condition to make the same vigorous resistance against the two Fleets of England and France which they did the last year the States began with incredible diligence to forward the preparations making to Arm out a powerfull Fleet. And for that effect all the Deputies of the Colleges of Admiralty and the Commissioners of the Navy had several Conferences with the Prince of Orange in which it was concluded that the Fleet should be considerably Augmented and Rendred more potent than it ever yet had been Tromp restored to his Admiralship In the mean while the Office of Lieutenant Admiral of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam being vacant by the death of Mr. de Gent who succeeded Cornelius Tromp when he was dismist from his Employment His Highness in Quality of Stat-holder and Admiral General having a perfect knowledge of Tromp's rare merit and incomparable valour and Conduct as well as of the singular Zeal and Affection he had always shewn to the Illustrious House of Orange represented to him of what importance it was both to himself and the State in that pressing Juncture to forget past things and prest him to accept again of the Office of Lieutenant Admiral of the College of Amsterdam in order to recontinue his Services to his Country in a time of such distress The Prince stirr'd so warmly in that Affair that he found means to reconcile him to de Ruiter and thereby to prevent the disorder the inveterate hatred of those two Admirals might cause in the Fleet. Accordingly they embraced one another in the presence of His Highness and mutually promised to forget all that was pass'd and to live thenceforward as brothers The Re-establishment of Tromp in his former Post at Sea caused an unexpressible joy to all the Seamen in the Fleet and in General to all the common people Who seemed confident after the Reconciliation of those two great Men that the United Provinces would be able to Triumph over the Naval Forces both of England and France so much weight they imagined to be in the Conduct of that one man to turn the Scale of Victory on their side At that time the States projected an attempt of very great importance which was to dam up the mouth of the Thames by sinking in it great many Ships extraordinarily loaden and so to render it unpassable And for that end they had prepared at Amsterdam 8 ships fitted for that expedition nay they were already sent to the Texel as thinking the success of that enterprize depended solely on the speed used in it In the mean while they laboured and wrought night and day to man out their Fleet that they might have their full Complement early in the spring And if that project had succeeded no doubt but England would have felt a long time its effect by the interruption of its Commerce which would thereby have been totally ruined and that without any Battle or Effusion of Blood On the 10th of May the Fleet assembled at Schoonevelde and were 80 sail strong who the next day without staying for the Zealand Squadron or the other ships that were not yet come to them sailed out and made towards the Thames But a great Fog coming on and the English having had intelligence of their design it was impossible for them to execute any thing so that they were fain to tack about and return back again to an Anchor at Schoonevelde the ships that were wanting arrived daily to the Fleet and in the mean while they employed themselves in Regulating the division of the Squadrons and the orders they were to observe The whole Fleet was divided into three Spuadrons Admiral de Ruiter's was composed of 19 men of War in the line of Battle 4 Frigats 8 Fire-ships 4 Advice Yachts and 3 Galliots The General Officers under him were Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes Vice-Admiral de Liefde and Rear-Admiral Van Nes. Lieutenant Admiral Bankert s Squadron consisted of 18 men of War 5 Frigats 8 Fire-ships 5 Advice-Yachts and 2 Galliots he had under him Vice-Admiral
Evertsz Vice-Admiral Saar and Rear-Admiral Vlug Lieutenant Admiral Tromp's Squadron consisted of 18 men of War 5 Frigats 9 Fire-ships 5 Advice-Yachts and 2 Galliots having under him Vice-Admiral Sweers Vice-Admiral Schram and Rear-Admiral de Haan After that division it was ordered that Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes should command in chief Admiral Tromp's Squadron during his absence and that Vice-Admiral Evertsz should likewise Command that of Lieutenant Admiral Bankert till he should come to the Fleet himself The affairs of the Government and the preparations that were to be made by Land so entirely took up the Princâ—s care and time that it was impossible for him to come down to take a review of the Fleet. And therefore he was pleased to write the following Letter to de Ruiter to encourage the Captains and Seamen and to incite them all in General and every one in particular to acquit themselves worthily of their duty in their respective stations Noble Equitable Valiant Well-Beloved Incomparable WE could have wisht The Prince of Oranges Letter to the Officers of the Fleet to encourage them c. the affairs of the State would have permitted us to go in person to the Fleet to have the satisfaction to see in it so many of our Brave Countrymen that all Zealously Labour in defence of their Country That considerable fleet now equipping is one of the most powerfull means that can be employed for the preservation of the State and there is reason to hope that consideration will inflame the Courage of those who have the honour to be chosen to have the Conduct of it The Eyes and Hearts of all the Subjects of the Vnited Provinces nay and of all Christendom are now turned that way and are attentively observing what motions and what attempts it will make under the Valour and Conduct of those who Govern it And what infamy will it not be then for them that shall be so cowardly as to fail in their duty in so important and glorious an occasion But we expect no such ungratefull News but rather on the contrary that by your Prudence and Vndaunted Resolution as well as by that of those about you the Glory our Nation has lately gotten by Sea will be maintained with the Protection of God by the fresh Zeal and Courage which you shall exert This being so they will have reason to rejoice and we likewise with them that they have been the Instruments to bring things to a happy end in so just a cause We shall take care to recompense the Merit and Bravery of those that shall have given any signal proofs of it and shall provide that Great and Glorious Actions shall not be repaid with ingratitude but rather with a proportionable Reward I pray you to assure all those under your Flag from the greatest to the least of this and at the same time to let every one of them understand that no Pardon is to be expected by them who shall not do their duty and shall be guilty of Cowardice That is both the true intention of the States and Mine too that those which shall deserve it shall be punctually and speedily punisht according to the utmost rigor of the Orders of the Commission and of the Laws of the Country so that the Cowards and all those who shall not behave themselves like brave Soldiers before the Enemy shall have nothing to fear more than to enter the Harbours of the State because it will be impossible for them to escape the rigour of Juctice and the indignation of the people which will pursue them every where We perswade our selves that none of them will fall into any such misfortune but that rather every one will strive to signalize himself with a commendable ardour in so pressing an occasion in confidence that God will make all succeed to the Good of our Country and the immortal honour of all those that shall have faithfully served it I pray God to take you into his holy protection and all those that are with you c. To which Letter de Ruiter made the following Answer De Ruiter's Answer to his Highness Most Serene Prince AFter I had sent away about noon my last writing to your Highness I received towards evening yours wherein your Highness is pleased to exhort us to do our duty for our dear Country I am infinitely obliged for it to your Highness and will not forget to morrow without fail to inform the General and Inferiour Officers of the same that we may all of us together behave our selves in such a manner that we may be able to answer for our Conduct before God before your Highness and before all Christendom Your Highness may entirely rely upon it as I do in your Highnesses word That Lieutenant Admiral Tromp shall agree and live with me and the other Members of the Council of War in the same confidence and union as we live at present with the rest For then I dare flatter my self with the hopes that all our enterprizes under the protection of God will have a happy issue being with all imaginable respect c. The Prince answered de Ruiter again in the manner following Noble Equitable Valiant Well-Beloved Incomparable YOurs of the 24th instant was delivered to us His Highnesses Answer to de Ruiter and we were glad to hear the things of which it makes mention As to the opinion of Vice-Admiral Evertsz which is that the Vice-Admiral and Rear Admiral of Zealand ought to preceed in rank those of the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam we think fit that without prejudice to the right of any Person things be left at present in the same order which has been observed for some time according to which you may regulate your self Moreover we have very carefully recommended to Lieutenant Admiral Tromp to receive your orders with due respect and obedience as the said Lieutenant Admiral has promised to do We are perswaded he will worthily acquit himself of that duty and all things will tend to a good and salutary end for the Service of the State and the present conjuncture I recommend you to the protection of God c. On the first of June Lieutenant Admiral Tromp invited Admiral de Ruiter and all the rest of the General Officers of the Fleet with him to dine on board him And they made on that occasion a thousand protestations one to the other of a sincere and tender friendship The other Generals and all the Captains drunk healths to their Country giving a thousand assurances of their zeal and inviolable adherence to its service and they all swore they were ready to spend the last drop of their blood for its Interest So much good will gave great hopes of an assured Victory and an occasion to make proof of it soon presented since about 4 a Clock in the afternoon whilst they were yet at Table the advanced-guards of the Fleet gave them notice they had discovered the Enemies Fleet.
c. Most Serene Prince Admiral de Ruiter's Letter to his Highness MY last written to your Highness was dated the 6th Instant After noon the air begun to clear up a little and towards evening we could see the Enemies again During the night the ill weather was quite appeased On the 7th in the morning it was fair Weather and the Wind was North-West That day the Enemies Fleets begun to move I fired the usual signal to call a Council of War where it was resolved to keep our Anchors a-peak to be ready to be weighed up at the first approach of the Enemies The Officers that had assisted at the Council of War were not yet gone away from on board me when the Royal Fleets advanced towards us in the form of a Crescent The White Squadron that was turned towards the North was the first that engaged with Lieutenant Admiral Tromp and both of them tackt to the North-East-ward The Squadrons that were under mine and Lieutenant Admiral Bankert's Command could not be so soon attackt by the Enemies However to prevent them from separating us we made likewise to the North-East-ward till about two in the afternoon and then we thought it time to tack about to the Southward after we had given the signal for it and sent notice to Lieutenant Admiral Tromp by an Advice-Yacht of that motion and then I engaged with the Red Squadron and Bankert with the Blue one I was more fortunate in breaking in amongst the Enemies than Bankert for his main Top-mast being shot down he had much ado to advance however he got a great way in we broke quite through the Enemies and we cut several of their ships from the main of their Fleet by getting the Weather-gage of them We thought not fit to pursue them but rather to make a motion towards the North in Order to veer back towards Lieutenant Admiral Tromp We joined him towards evening When we charged the Enemies they tackt about to the South-ward and we made the same motion and fought till the night parted us After the Battle we went and anchored within two miles of West-Kappel As for the particular passages of the whole time of the fight it is impossible for us to give an exact relation of them because we have not yet had time to be informed of them But however it be we presume that God be praised the Victory is on the side of the States and of his Highness And in order to make it a Compleat one we will put our selves in readiness to fight with all the vigour imaginable hoping that God will bless our arms more and more The fight was furious on both sides and on our side some did better than others according as the Wind was more or less favourable to them and 't is like the same hapned also amongst the Enemies There were a great many ships endamaged on both sides We have lost some Officers viz. Vice Admiral Schram Rear Admiral Vlug as likewise the Captains Van Bergen and Bakker Captain Nassaw is dangerously wounded The Fire-ships of both Fleets were able to do but little execution and yet a great many of them were either burnt or sunk We have named Rear-Admiral de Haan to the Vice-Admiralship vacant by the death of Schram under the Flagg of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp and the Commander Meuwen to the Rear-Admiral's place who came to the fleet Yersterday in the time of the fight He reported to us that he had taken a Yacht coming from London laden with refreshments and some Rich suits of Cloaths for the Count d' Estree There is likewise come to us another frigat from Friesland carrying 30 Guns and 150 men That there might arise no confusion by removing the flag I have ordered Rear Admiral Vlug to put it up in his ship till further order The Captain of a French fire-ship whom we saved Reports to us that the English fleet consisted of 60 men of War and 30 fire-ships and that the French Squadron was composed of 30 men of War the least of which carried 50 Guns and of 10 or 12 fire-ships and and that reckoning in the Advice-Yachts the Confederate fleets were composed of 140 sail That Prince Robert Commanded in chief that the Count de Estree had the Conduct of the White Squadron and Sir Edward Spragg that of the Blue and that the two fleets English and French were mingled together The Enemies are at present to the North-West and a quarter West-ward at about two miles distance from us busy in repairing their damages Here follows Tromp's Letter to the States High and Mighty Lords Tromp's Letter to the States WE are now more particularly informed of what passed in the last Battle fought between the Naval Forces of England and France and the fleet of the Vnited Provinces We are perswaded that the Enemies have lost 11 or 12 Ships that were burnt or sunk and several Fire-Ships We have God be thanked lost not one Ship except some fire-Ships to about the Number of 6 if I mistake not The fleet is still in a very good condition and if the Wind had not risen de Ruiter and I were resolved to attack the Enemies again But since God permitted us not to do that we are now labouring with speed to repair our damaged Ships I am returned again on board the Golden Lion which wants nothing but her main yard I have writ into Zealand to have another speedily sent me We have found on board the said Ship about 100 men killed or wounded whose places we will endeavour to supply again out of other Ships Rear-Admiral de Haan is likewise returned on board his Ship which is now also in a good condition he is named by way of Provision to fill up the place vacant by the death of Vice Admiral Schram in our Squadron and the Commander de Meuwen is to supply that of Rear Admiral de Haan c. Lieutenant Admiral Tromp gave likewise in this Battle as he had done in all the precedent ones in which he was present most signal proofs of his undaunted Courage The very Number of ships he was forced to change is enough to serve for his Elogium in that behalf for before the fight was over he had already changed his ships three or four times which were all so extreamly shattered that they were quite disabled Rear Admiral de Haan behaved himself likewise very gallantly having been forced to shift his ship three times De Ruiter and Tromp in that rencounter gave one another most noble and generous proofs of tenderness and affection By the assistance de Ruiter gave to Tromp he was delivered from the Eminent Peril under which he was ready to sink for being engaged in the midst of two Squadrons of the Enemies he endured a most Terrible encounter without any hopes of ever being able to go through it Tromp being sensible of his danger begun to despair of escaping it unless de Ruiter would come speedily to his
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
War against Swedeland 8 days after the Spaniards had publisht the like at Brussels In the mean time the Swedes taking advantage of the weakness of their Enemies who expecting nothing less than to see a War kindled in the North had left their Frontiers unprovided entred into Havelland and seized upon the Towns of Nauwen Brandenburg Ravenau Havelberg c. But the Electour of Brandenburg with a wonderfull diligence assembling his Forces checkt his Enemies in their full Career and obliged them to quit Ravenau and soon after engaging in a Battle with the Swedish Army he defeated them killed them 2500 men and forced them in fine to retire in Disorder into the Country of Mecklenburg The King of Denmark likewise at the same time Declared War against the Swedes and thereupon immediately sent his Fleet after its Junction with the Ships of the Hollanders Quota into the Baltick to cruize upon the Coasts of Pomerania and drew up his Land-Army at Gadebusch where the Elector of Brandenburg met him and those two Princes having held a Council of War together to Consult upon what enterprizes they might most advantageously employ their Troops after that the King of Denmark advanced to Wismar where he left 6 Regiments to block up that place and then marcht away with the main of his Army towards Damgarten in Pomerania on the other side the Troops of Munster and Brandenburg entred the Country of Bremen and General Swerin with a body of 3000 Brandenburgers seized the Isle of Wollyn Damgarten was also reduced under the obedience of the Danes and a little while after Wismar also surrendred to the King of Denmark who besieged it in person During these transactions the young K. of Swedeland after the Ceremony of his Coronation which had been lately performed at Vpsal employed his utmost care and efforts for the fitting out a powerfull Fleet with a Resolution to make some attempt upon the Isle of Zealand but that Fleet was no sooner got to Sea but it was so roughly handled by a horrible and sudden Tempest that after the loss of several Ships it was forced to return into Port. The Danish Fleet under the Command of Admiral Adelaar after having a long time but in vain waited for that of Swedeland received orders likewise to return home and so ended the year 1675. The Swedish Armies were nothing more fortunate the following Campaign than they had been in the last For being attackt almost on all sides at the same time they had the displeasure to see those Enemies they had so rashly raised against themselves make themselves Masters of a considerable part of their Territories and bid fair to carry all the rest 'T is true indeed the Swedes seized upon Swingerschans in the month of January and defeated the Munsterian Troops in the Dutchy of Bremen but those happy beginnings were followed by perpetual losses one after the other and so as they were the first that begun the War on that side they were likewise the first that felt the disastrous effects of it and that Repented they had so unadvisedly engaged in it upon the delusive suggestions of a false and self-ended Allie Fortune which had followed the Arms of the Allies in all the attempts they had hitherto made by Land upon the Swedish Dominions Declared herself likewise in their favour at Sea For at the very beginning of the year the States General of the United Provinces had resolved joyntly with the King of Denmark to send early in the Spring a Fleet of 40 sail of men of War into the Sound viz. 25 Danish and 15 Dutch Ships of which Tromp was to be the Commander in chief And accordingly they ordered all imaginable diligence to be used in fitting out that Fleet which being effected Tromp sailed out of the Texel on the 11th of May with the Ships designed for the North with which joined several Merchant Ships and on the 12th he arrived in the Road of Copenhagen where the King of Denmark Tromp Knighted by the K. of Denmark in consideration of his Transcendant worth and high Reputation was pleased to honour him with the honour of Knighthood of the Order of the Elephant In the mean while Admiral Niels Juel being entred the month before into the Baltick Sea with a Squadron of 12 men of War and a Reinforcement of 8 more seized upon the Isle of Gothland After which expedition he received a further Reinforcement of 6 men of War Danish and Dutch so that he had then a Fleet of 26 Capital men of War with which he cruized in the Baltick At the beginning of June he descried the Swedish Fleet consisting of 44 men of War besides Tenders and small craft and on the 4th of the same month at 6 in the evening the two Fleets engaged between Schoonen and Bornholm and tho' the Swedes were superiour to the Danes in Number of Ships and men yet they never durst attempt to board any of them but contented themselves only with firing at them at a respectfull distance The Danes charged the Enemies Fleet with a great deal of Courage and cut off 5 Swedish ships from the main body of their Fleet But a calm coming on they could not possibly pursue them so that they were forced to content themselves only with plying them with continual Broadsides of their Guns till night parted the Fray for that day The next day about 6 in the morning the two Fleets prepared again for a second Battle The Swedes having the Weather-gage A Sea fight between the Danes and Swedes advanced in good order against the Danish Fleet and did their best to hinder them from gaining that advantage from them so that the Danes were forced to begin the attack and the fight was very bloody But when the Swedes found there was little appearance of getting the better of the Danes they begun to recoil which was the cause that neither of the two Fleets were much damaged The Danes flattered themselves with the hopes of burning the Swedish Admiral with a fire-ship they let drive against one of her sides under the covert of a thick smoke But the Swede fired so hotly upon the Fire-Ship with his Guns that he thereby saved himself from the flames and then in his turn fell fiercely upon the Danish Admiral who made so vigorous a resistance that the Admiral of Swedeland was glad to let him alone and to retire with his Fleet near Bleking The Danes having no express order to hazard any thing because they were inferiour in Force to the Swedes retired likewise so that the fight ended before 10 in the morning without any advantage to either of the parties worth braging of saving only that the Danes took one of the Enemies Galliots carrying 10 Guns and 30 men without losing any thing on their side The News of that fight being come to Copenhagen Tromp sailed immediately with a Reinforcement of 4 Danish and 3 Dutch Ships and speedily arrived in the Danish
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
Victorias Post summos infra meritum Honoreâ— Tandem Bello Anglico tantum non Victor certe invictus X August Ann. Aerae Christianae MDCLIII Aetat LVI vivere ac vincere desiit Foederati Belgij Patres Heroi optime merito M. P. That is to say To Eternal Memory You that love the Netherlanders Vertue and True Labour Read and Weep The Ornament of the Holland Nation the thunderbolt of Military Valour he that living never reposed and taught the World by his own Example that a Great General ought to die standing reposes here The love of his Countrymen the terrour of the Enemies and the astonishing wonder of the ocean Martin Harpertez Tromp in which name alone are more praises included then so scanty a Marble is able to contain to whom both the Eastern and Western Seas were a Subject of Triumph and the whole world a Theater of Glory The certain destruction of Pyrates the happy Assertour of Commerce Familiar enough with his men to be usefull to them and to be beloved but not to be despised by them After he had with a Command gentle and mild and tempered with a Paternal tenderness efficaciously governed his Mariners and Soldiers otherwise a Rough and headstrong Race After 50 Sea-Battles in which he had either the Supreme or a very considerable Command After many famous and almost incredible Victories After he had received the greatest Honours which yet were below his Merits At last in a War against the English being tho' not quite a Victor yet so near one as to remain unconquered he ceas'd at once to live and to vanquish on the 10th of August in the year of our Lord 1653 New Stile and in the 56 year of his Age. The States of the Vnited Netherlands have as to a Hero most highly deserving from them Erected this Monument On the lower part of the Tomb are written these following Dutch Verses composed by that famous Holland Poet J. V. Vondel Hier Rust de Zeehelt Tromp de Dappere Besschermer Der Zeevaert en der Zeeten dien van'tvrye Land Dat's mans gedachtnis bewaart in korstig Marmer Zo levendig gelijk Hy stierf voor Hollandes strand Beluid nied moordyeschrey en Dondren van Kartouwen Daar Groot Brittanje in Brand al't water vich te kleens Hy hiest zich Zelv ' in 't hert der Burg'ren witehouven Dat Held verduurt de praeht van Graf en Marmersteen The Sense of which in English Prose is this Here lies the Hero of the Sea Tromp that valiant Defender of Navigation in the Service of this Republick 'T is to the Momory of that Great Man which is preserved by the power of Art in this curiously wrought Marble as fresh and lively as he was himself when he lost his life before the Coasts of Holland lamented by the Tears of the People and by the Thundring noise of the Cannon whereby all Great Britain was set on fire and the Sea became too narrow for him He hath engraven himself in the hearts of his Countrymen by the love they bore him and hath erected himself there such a solid Statue as will out-last this stately Tomb and the marble it self of which it is composed Here is likewise another Latin Epitaph which Professor Thysius composed at the same time and which was designed to have been made use of but was not for some Reason unknown to us However to satisfie the Curiosity of the Reader we will insert it here Qui Patre viro fortissimo ac Hemskerkana quoque ad Gades Expeditione inclyto quique ipse Patriae vitam impendit Genitus ab ipsa statim Adolescentia per discrimina multa ac maria varie tractus exercitus captusque aliquando ob maritimarum rerum singularem scientiam ipsis etiam hostibus aestimatus sed inter minas autem promissa horum ingentia fidus semper Patriae ac constans Libertati ac Patriae redditus huic juvandae totum se dedit tandem ad praefecturam Maris admotus quam septendecim fere annorum non tam spacio quam admirandis successibus nobilem fecit post Duinkerkanorum vim saepius imprimis ad Mardicum fractam post Hispanorum magni Terroris Classem repressam post tandem in Cantii litore dissipatam gestaque alia vi hostium ac manu plerumque minor sed virtute animo ac usu semper major interritus invictus tandem maritimo cum Anglis Bello Republica praeter expectationem nuper illigata dum neque hostibus parcit neque sibi Publici egregii bono devotus glande plumbea percussus victor occubuit insignem Hostibus Cladem ac Terrorem majorem â—urbato mari Seâ—uritatem Patriae Ingens desiderium sui sibi Gloriam nominis Immortalem se Rei Nilitiaeque Navalis Peritiae Fidei pro Republica Prudentiae Fortitudinis Magnanimitatis ac Constantiae Nobilissimum exprimendumque posteris exemplum reliquit Hoc Monumentum ingentium meritorum ergo Foederatorum Belgarum Ordines posuere Which in English is Thus Here lies he who being descended from a Father who was a most valiant man famous likewise in the Victorious Expedition under Admiral Hemskerk near the Straits of Gibraltar and who also himself lost his life in the Service of his Country was even from his Blooming Youth variously engaged and exercised in many dangers and many Seas and sometimes tho when taken Prisoner he was for his singular knowledge in Marine Affairs highly esteemed and courted by the Enemies themselves yet amidst all their high threats and mighty promises remained always faithful and constant to his Country and being set at liberty and restored to his Country entirely dedicated himself to its Service and Defence and being at length promoted to be Lieutenant Admiral at Sea during almost 17 years space in which he exercised that High Office made it Famous and Renowned not so much for the number of years he held it as for a Series of most admirable Successes And after having often broken the Forces of the Dunkirkers but especially at Mardyke after having first represt the formidable Fleet of Spain and afterwards intirely defeated it upon the Kentish Coast after several other Brave Actions wherein tho he were most commonly inferiour to the Enemies in Force and Numbers yet was ever superiour to them in Valour Courage and Experience and always undaunted and unconquered At last the Republick being of late unexpectedly ingaged in a Sea War with the English whilst he spared neither the Enemies nor himself but was wholly devoted to the publick good the most Glorious Cause he could espouse being struck with Musket-shot he fell a Victor leaving great Loss and Terrour to the Enemies a greater security to the disturbed Sea a sensible regret and sorrow for his loss to his Countrey to himself an immortal and most glorious name and in his person a most Noble and Heroick Example most worthy by all Posterity to be imitated of incomparable skill in the art of Navigation and military
seize unless they timely opposed it The States therefore knew of what great Consequence it was to keep the Sound open to have a free passage into the Baltick Sea when they pleased resolved to Equip out a Fleet aâ—d to give the Chief Command of it to Lieutenant Admiral Opdam But whilst that was preparing not to lose time they Ordered De Ruiter and Vice Admiral Florisz and Rear Admiral Tromp to get all the Men of War together that were ready and to sail away into those parts before the Grand Fleet. Most part of those Ships were Equipt at Amsterdam and some of them in North Holland and some Regular Troops were put on board them to succour Dantzick in case it should be besieged by the Swedes De Ruiter then having divided his Fleet into 2 Squadrons whereof that which bore the Admiral 's Flag was under his own Conduct and the other under the Command of Vice Admiral Florisz set sail the last day of May and on the 8th of the next Month came to an Anchor near the Sound where as soon as he was arrived he went on shore at Elsenore accompanied by Tromp and Florisz and thence went on to Copenhagen to confer with their High and Mightinesses Ambassadors there who were at that time Mr. Van Beuniegen Pensioner of Amsterdam Amerongen and Van Viersen After which they were all three to make a visit to the Chief State Minister of the Kingdom to the Chancellor and to Admiral Lindenhout and then returned again on board their Fleet which in the mean while entred the Sound in expectation of new Orders and of a reinforcement with Admiral Opdam The 13th of the same Month 2 fresh men of War four on the 16th and afterwards several more joyned the Admirals Flag and reinforced the Fleet. On the 27th 3 Men of War more were discovered approaching the Sound which proved to be Admiral Opdam Captain Van Nes and Kuiper who joyned the Fleet the same evening The Orders Lieutenant Admiral Opdam received from the States on that occasion Imported That he should secure the Commerce of the North That he should defend and Protect by force of Arms the States Merchant Ships against all that should attempt upon their liberty impowring him besides to Free the Baltick Sea from the oppression of all those that should offer to disturb its Navigation Afterwards he received new orders to go and Anchor with all his forces in the Road before Dantzick to prevent the Swedish Fleet from blocking up the passages of it and to facilitate the going in and coming out of the Dutch Merchant Ships by taking them into his Protection And in all other things to regulate himself according to the Commission he had in general to oppose all manner of attempts Mr. Opdam going likewise presently ashore speeded away to Copenhagen where he had a Conference with the States Ambassadors after which he had Audience of the King of Denmark and received all imaginable honours from the Grandees of the Court. And his Danish Majesty being willing to give some marks of the concern he had in the laudable intentions of the States his Masters in sending him for the Protection of Dantzick honoured him with the Collar of the Order of the Elephant which was carried him the 19th of July by the Vice-Roy of Norway after he was returned on board his Fleet. Vice-Admiral de Wit putting out likewise from the Meuse with several men of War more came and joyned the Fleet which afterward setting sail arrived at Copenhagen on the 29th of the said Month and the next day the States Ambassadors advising them to continue on their way they set sail again to enter into the Baltick Sea so that 6 days after the whole Fleet came to an Anchor in Dantzick road being 42 sail of Frigats and men of War viz. 7 of Rotterdam 24 of Amsterdam 7 of North Holland 2 of Zealand and 2 of Friesland At the arrival of this Potent Fleet the Castle of Termund which is at the Mouth of the Vistula in the Gulf of Dantzick saluted them with several Guns and immediately after some Eminent Persons came in a Galliot from the Town on board the Admiral to salute him and to let him know the Joy the whole regency was in at his arrival Mr. Fabricius Pensionary of the Town and famous for his great learning Complimented Lieutenant Admiral Opdam from the Magistrates and invited him in their name to be pleased to come ashore into their Town and the publick rejoycings and other transports of joy which all the People shew'd upon that occasion lasted several days The States had had notice given them some time before as from the King of Sweden that his said Majesty had form'd a design to block up the Town of Dantzick and afterwards to besiege it and that he prayed their High and Mightinesses to be pleased to suspend their Commerce during that time and to forbid all Merchant Ships belonging to their State to go thither to take in any fraight But the unexpected arrival of that Fleet broke all the designs of Swedeland and tho' it was sent out for no other end but to free the Baltick Sea from the Yoke of that power yet it was strong enough to make all the fair hopes that Crown had conceived of Compassing so great an Enterprize as that vanisht to into smoak and that without any effusion of blood On the 1st of September following there appeared likewise at Sea a Fleet of 9 Danish Men of War under the Conduct of Admiral Lindenhout which came also and Anchored before Dantzick They had the same design as had the Dutch Fleet which was to defend that Hanseatick Town and the Freedom of Navigation In the mean time the States Deputies Slingeland Van Dorp de Hubert and Jabrandt being entred into a Negotiation at Elbing with the King of Swedens Plenipotentiaries about a Treaty of Alliance the Dutch Fleet that continued still before Dantzick Contributed much to advance it so that it was concluded and signed on the 1st of September on both sides The States knowing the abovesaid Treaty with Swedeland was upon the point of being concluâ—ed thought fit to recall Lieutentant Admiral Opdam with 30 of the biggest Ships of War of the Fleet and to leave Rear Admiral Tromp in his place with a Squadron only of 12 oâ— the lightest Ships And the Letters that contained this order were delivered him at Dantzick at the beginning of October The Danish Squadron was already sailed away ever since the 25th of September for Copenhagen whither the King of Denmark had recalled it as being ill satisfied at the Treaty Concluded with Swedeland without his privity In fine on the 6th of October the most part of the Troops that were on board the Fleet were removed and distributed into the 12 Ships that were to stay in the road only 280 men which there was no room to place there entred into the Town by the Magistrates leave and towards the
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
the Governours refusal to surrender it the English had by their Cannon forced him to yield it and had at the same time taken another Yacht called the Crocodile that the Evening before they had taken two other small Ships That Holms had at first promised the Subjects of the Dutch Company which were about 140 men to restore them the Ship called the Moon to serve to transport them back into their own Country but that having seen a great quantity of Merchandizes put on board it for Holland he changed his mind and told them he had occasion for that Ship himself to transport his own Goods to Sieâ—ra Lions But that however at last he had granted them a Portuguese Ship for their transportation That in the Month of July the States had other fresher news concerning the Hostilities Committed on the Coast of Guinea where Captain Holms with a Squadron of 14 English men of War had seiz'd all the places and Forts belonging to the Hollanders except the Castle del Mina exercising all manner of Cruelties towards the Men as they pretended to make appear by the following Letter written from the Castle del Mina by General Valkenburg Ever since the English have endeavoured to establish the Royal Company upon this Coast they have not only troubled themselves no further to contribute to the preservation of the Peace before Concluded but they have proceeded to cruel Hostilities by Sea and Land against all of our Nation and to drive at the utter ruin of our Commerce Those Fatal attempts begun by the arrival of two of the King of England's men of War and some others belonging to the Royal Company under the Command of John Stoats who being overcome with the great honour and beneficial civilities done him by the Hollanders could not find in his heart to execute any thing against them But they stopt not there for on the last day of April there appeared a Squadron of 2 men of War and 6 Frigats under Captain Holms 's Flag and that of one Joseph Cubits who being afterwards Reinforced to the Number of 14 men of War have commited in the midst of Peace all the Acts of Hostility they could have committed in the middle of a Declared War attacking both by Sea and Land our places and taking from us by Force the Fortresses Tacorari Cabo-Cors Adia and Ameabo They have also besieged Chama and keep us here blockt up so close that very hardly can we find means to send you a Letter The losses caused to the Company thereby amount to several Tuns of Gold And as to the Persons of the Hollanders especially those of Adia after they had given them quarter they have treated them with all the rigour and barbarity Imaginable cutting off their Noses and Ears to leave them afterwards to linger out a miserable and languishing life and others throats they have cut as if they had been so many beasts The dead Bodies that were buried in the Earth which God and Nature had allotted them to enjoy repose and silence in have been pull'd out of their Graves and their heads cut off and fixt on Pikes tops as 't were in Triumph And those who were dying or already dead had their Privy Members Heads Arms and Legs cut off and by an Excess of cruelty some had their Hearts pullâ—d out The Prisoners were most unmercifully treated with design to make them Perjure themselves The English have continued all these cruelties to this very day and say they still expect another Reinforcement of 6 great men of War to drive the Hollanders from this Coast Our men are still more severely handled by the Natives of the Country who usually follow the Victorious Party The English assure us we shall receive no succour and scatter abroad writings by which they promise a recompense to al that shall embrace their Party We will endea-l vour in so fatal a conjuncture honourably to defend the place in hopes to receive a considerable succour from the Vnited Provinces by the means of which all things may be re-established This Letter was printed by the States Order and Copies of it sent to all Ships of War and to all Frontier places that had Garrisons in them However supposing all that dreadful Relation true to a Letter the English could cite for their excuse the precedent set them before by the Dutch at Amboyna But the truth was many had been the wrongs the English pretended to have suffered both in persons and effects from the Hollanders in several parts of the World for which having often demanded and received no satisfaction they proceedâ—d to reprisals which occasioned some Foreign Emissaries and Incendiaries common Enemies to bâ—th Nations greedily laying hold of used all the little Arts and Tricks imaginable to represent all that was done on either side tho' never so trivial in the most dreadfull Colours on purpose to exasperate the two Nations to worrie one another like Wild Beasts till they were able to stand no longer that so a third might come in and devour them both For that the English set on by the same pernicious instruments were not a whit behind hand with the Dutch by rendering them as Odious on the other side by writings and manifesto's stuffed with no less specious Complaints appears by the following Remonstrances presented against the Hollanders to the English Parliament and by the Parliament presented to the King Which we have likewise inserted that the Reader might see what each party had to say and did actually alledge for themselves The Complaints of the English East-India Company against the Dutch set forth I. THAT the English East-India Company strongly insist to have an Indemnification for all the Damages they have suffered ever since the Year 1656. valued at 14008000 l. for the Ships and Effects taken from them by the Dutch and 87000 l. for the Losses they have suffered according to a modest and just Supputation that had been made of them with respect to their Factories that have been burnt or destroyed by the same Hollanders most of which had happened since the glorious Restoration of his Majesty That they complained likewise That the Isle of Poleron had been possessed by the Dutch for the space of 42 Years against all sort of Justice since the States had no lawful Right to it and had consented in the Treaties that had been made with them to restore it and yet persisted to keep it by Force They demand also to be Reimbursed the Charges for the two Ships that were sent the Year before to take Possession of the said Isle which amounted to 23000 l. II. The said Company complains also of the indirect means the Dutch use in the Indies to interrupt their Commerce by affecting to declare War against all those Places where the English settle any Factors for carrying on their Traffick and that under Pretence of that Declaration they send Ships to anchor before those Places only with pure Design to destroy the Commerce
that may shew that you determine upon the Choice of one of the Conditions which you may think convenient for that purpose and in consequence of it your Majesty is also prayed to be pleased to let the said Conference already begun to be continued as well in respect of the Place as to the Persons But if your Majesty should make any Scruple to do it and should have any Reasons not to consent to it that then your Majesty would consent that the Mediating Ministers of the Crown of Swedeland may make Choice of another Place where not only our Plenipotentiaries but likewise those of our Allies as well as those of your Majesty may be obliged to meet with all Diligence And we shall take it for one of the greatest Testimonies of the sincerity of the Protestation your Majesty has so often repeated concerning Peace if it stir up no Jealousie nor Disunion between us and our Allies to obstruct it In fine we will wait your Majesty's Declaration in Writing which being signified to us by the Minister of Sweden by which the Mediation of that Prince presented to all the Members of the League as well to the aforesaid Kings of France and Denmark as to us shall be authorized And we pray God to inspire your Majesty with such Sentiments for Peace as we have our selves and such as may consequently move you to resolve to make Choice of the necessary means whereby to promote so great a Work that so we may in a short time enjoy the Effects of a firm solid and inviolable Peace to be concluded between your Majesty and the Powers at present in War against England And for our particular we shall make most ardent Prayers to God for the Prosperity of your sacred Person and for the Subjects of the two States The King of England made the following Reply to the States High and Mighty Lords WE received Yours of the 16th of the last Month The King of England's answer to the States Letter which was delivered us by one of your Trumpeters that accompanied the Body of the Deceased Sir William Barklay in order to be committed into the Hands of his near Relations We consider that Mark of your Civility with all possible Resentment and we pray you to be persuaded that we will do the same by you as often as occasion shall serve As to the other Part of your Letter concerning Peace and the frank and free Answer we made you on the 14th of August by inviting you to seek it we cannot enough complain That all the Advances we have made for that purpose should end in no other effect but to make us be charged with ill-grounded Reproaches that openly condemn the manner of Acting we have observed tho all the World be informed to the contrary Those are without doubt such Preliminaries as are not very capable to facilitate it and t is a thing altogether surprizing that you should endeavour to persuade your own People and all Europe at the same time That we are the Aggressors and Authors of the fatal Consequences which have been enkindled between us You unjustly accuse us of shutting our Ears to all the Proposals you make for an Accommodation by refusing to inform you of our lawful Pretensions In fine you pretend that we alone reject it whilst you and your Allies desire it and passionately seek for it whereas the Truth is you your selves have to this very present Day refused to make the least step that was capable to advance it and to extinguish the fatal Torch of War This conduct so contrary to your pretended Intentions obliges us for the Defending of our Honour and the Justice of our Cause from such sensible Outrages to declare before the Face of the whole World how ill-grounded your Reproaches are It forces us I say to renew once more the Advances we have made for the Re-establishment of Peace ever since the very beginning of the War and which yet you have always rejected We protest to you then that if you think fit for the Time to come to charge your selves with all the Blame which engages our Honour to provide for its Security then we may by the Assistance of Heaven deliberate with Success about the means that shall be judged proper to pacifie our Troubles and put a stop to the cruel Effusion of so much Protestant Blood In the mean while we cannot forbear relating the following Particulars to undeceive the Publick 1. That we have made several pressing Instances but all to no purpose to move you to make Reparation for the Damages suffered by us and our Subjects which you were engaged to do by the last Treaty which was not violated on our part 2. That the Commanders of your Fleet in the East-Indies prohibited our Ships under the Command of the Earl of Marlborough the Entrance of a Harbour where there had been a long Time an English Manufactory settled provided with a great Quantity of Merchandises designed for the lading back of the said Ships at their Return all which Merchandises were soon after stopt by your Officers under pretence That you having declared War against the Princes with whom we pretended to trade it was no longer lawful for us to have any more Commerce with them And about the same Time that Imperious and Extravagant Declaration was published likewise in your Name in Africa by the Officer that commands there for you with a Prohibition to all our Subjects to traffick with the Inhabitants of that Country so that when we demanded Reparation for the Damages suffered shewing you an Authentick Copy of the Declaration lately published there in your Name against the Glory and Interest of the Kings and Princes that have Commerce there and that are not able without Resentment to endure so cruel an Outrage you were pleased to disown that Attempt and absolutely refused to give us any Satisfaction 3. We say That as soon as ever your Ambassadour complained of the Hostility lately committed by Captain Holms in taking of your Fort near Cape Verd we assured him upon our Royal Word That that Attempt was committed without our Knowledg and Participation so that after having disavowed it we summoned him up to appear here and after having seriously examined the Affair we declared that the said Holms should be punished according to the Rigor of the Laws if he were found guilty with Intention to make Reparation for the Damages you had suffered But that Protestation how sincere soever it were was not capable to satisfie you tho' it ought to have done so however according to the Tenour of the Treaty On the contrary you persisted to reproach us with having authorized the Insult made by the said Captain who being at length come back into England we forbad him to present himself at Court and what is more we committed him presently to the Tower of London where he continued Prisoner till after the Rupture And yet your Ambassadour never in all that Time
to no purpose because we are resolved to remain inseparably linkt to our Allies and to hearken to no proposition that may tend to break our Union directly or indirectly and that with so much the more confidence because we are fully perswaded our Allies will remain always unshaken in the same mind We therefore make ardent prayers to God to be pleased to incline your Majesty to a thing that is a Preliminary without which 't is impossible to come to a Peace and we hope when affairs shall once be placed upon a good foot we shall have new reasons to redouble our Zeal and to put up prayers for the prosperity of your Majesty's reign However all hopes of being able to effect a Peace that year vanisht to nothing and the United Provinces began to labour vigorously in refiting and remanning out their Fleet. And for that end they resolved to keep their Seamen in pay all winter that they might have their full Complements of men ready early in the Spring For they thought it good Policy to make that last effort to oblige England to accept a Peace which they called just by endeavouring to obtain by the force of Arms or by subtilty of intrigue what they could not effect by fair means The Ministers of the Crown of Sweden coming to the Court of England about the latter end of the Year 1666. used all the Diligence imaginable in quality of Mediatours to compose the Differences among the Princes that were in War The first Step they made in that Affair was to prevail with the King of England to consent to the naming of a Neuter Place where the Plenipotentiaries of each Party might securely meet in order to treat of a Peace After much Pains taken in it they obliged the States to write the following Letter about that Subject to the King of England The Respect due to that Prince obliged the States to make that first Advance whilst the Ministers of Swedeland on the other side endeavoured their utmost to perswade his Majesty to grant their Demand The States Letter to the King of England concerning the Nomination of a Neuter Place SIR WE exprest to your Majesty in ours of the 26th of November the Reasons that hindred us from sending our Ministers to London to treat there of a Peace joyntly with the other Plenipotentiaries And we doubt not but your Majesty upon a serious Reflection thereon will be of the same Mind with us But that your Majesty may not think we neglect any thing on our side that may contribute to any thing that may be capable to advance so important a Work and to give you the clearest Evidences imaginable of the Sincerity of our Intentions upon this Subject we were willing to assure your Majesty by these Presents That the Instances we have made hitherto to perswade you to name a Neuter Place does not at all concern our particular Interests Nay and we protest That if that Affair concerned us in particular we would take Pride in passing by all Formalities by heartily consenting that our Differences might be terminated any where wheresoever it should please your Majesty not excepting England it self But because by virtue of the Alliance in which we are engaged with the Crowns of France and Denmark it is impossible for us to act otherwise we hope your Majesty will think good that the Negotiation of the Treaty may be begun and perfected elsewhere than in the Dominions of your Majesty We have therefore thought fit for the facilitating so Holy a Work to pray your Majesty by this Letter to consider this Affair as it is really at the Bottom and at length to be pleased to let the Treaty be carried on in a Neuter-place where the Plenipotentiaries of each Party may meet And since we have sufficiently explained our selves thereupon if your Majesty will but be perswaded of the sincerity of our Sentiments there is all Appearance we shall soon see the End of a Work that is the Subject of the greatest Hopes of our People and of the Glory of the Princes interested therein To which we pray God be pleased to incline your Majesty In confidence of which we shall make Wishes for the Prosperity of your Majesty's Reign and the Preservation of your Majesty's Sacred Person This Letter being put into the Hands of Mr. Appelboom Resident from the King of Swedeland at the Hague that Minister sent it away presently to London to the Ambassadours of that Crown there who delivered it to the King of England who made the following Answer to the States The King of England's Answer to the States last Letter High and Mighty Lords HAving received yours of the 13th of this Month by the Hands of the Ambassadour Extraordinary of the King of Sweden by which you repeat your pressing Instances to induce us to name a Place where the Plenipotentiaries of the Princes engaged in the present War may meet and since you protest besides that if it were not upon their Consideration you would make no Scruple to consent that the Congress might be in England and on the other Side the said Ambassadours Mediatours having confirmed to us the sincerity of the violent Inclination that moves you to seek for a Peace by praying us most earnestly to be pleased to consent to your Demand as to the only means by which to be able to effect the Conclusion of so Christian a Work therefore to give you real Marks of the Passion we have to enter into new Engagements of Peace and Vnion with you for the Good and Repose of all Christendom and principally of the Reformation we not only consent that the Treaty shall be mannaged in a Place whither the Ministers of your Allies may come with all Security but further to lay the Foundations of a new and solid Confidence and in order to prevent the Delaies and Obstacles which will undoubtedly arise by naming any other Place we have resolved to send our Ambassadours to the Hague where the Plenipotentiaries of your Allies either actually are or may be in a little time to treat there all together about the so much desired Peace And if you be speedy in sending us a Passport for the Security of our Ambassadours they shall go to the Hague before the end of February assuring you That it shall be none of our Fault if Christendom do not soon enjoy a Peace as well as our own Subjects To which we pray God to incline you and to take you High and mighty Lords into his Holy Protection The Hague being thus chosen by the King of England for the Negotiation of a Peace the States for particular Reasons approved not that Choice but writ again about that Subject to pray him to be pleased to name another Place representing to him That since his Majesty upon the Instances made to him to persuade him to consent to a Neuter Place had had the Goodness to do them the Honour to will that the Peace should be treated on
Fleet. The next day after his coming he disposed all things for a third Battle which was fought on the 11th of the same month and was incomparably more furious and bloody than the two preceeding ones of which what the issue was may be seen by the following Letter written on that Subject by Admiral Tromp to the States High and Mighty Lords Admiral Tromp Letter to the States SInce my last of the 5th of this month which I gave my self the honour to write to your High and Mightinesses we had the happiness to sail out of this Road favoured with a fresh Gale and on the 7th we arrived at the Fleet which lay at Anchor between Stede and Valsterbon On the 8th the Wind East-South-East we weigh'd Anchor with the whole Fleet and steer'd away to the Southward continuing our Course till night came on when we cast Anchor at South-West and a quarter West of Stede On the 9th at break of day with a South-West Wind and after we were past Valsterbon we discovered the Enemies Fleet being about 50 sail strong great and small according to the report of our advanced guards And because in the afternoon the wind grew higher and the Enemies had the advantage of it they made use of it to slide away from us so that we had much ado to follow them The night following we pursued them with full sail but then changing their Course they stole out of our sight by favour of the darkness which obliged us to send a detachment of 7 light Frigats to go and hunt them out and get some new discoveries of them About noon we descried them to the South-East-ward of our Fleet upon which we presently gave the signal to all the Fleet to make all the sail they could to get up with them and we followed them till the dusk of night On the 11th of June before noon we discovered them again to the South-ward of Oeland and at 11 a Clock we got up so nigh to them that they were forced to cast themselves into a line of Battle About noon the wind was West-North-West and we had the Weather-gage and then the two Fleets engaged And no sooner was the fight begun but the Ship called the Three Crowns carrying 134 Guns and Commanded by the Swedish Admiral was overset and blown up into the air in a little time after by I know not what accident since I had given her but very few broadsides At that all the whole Enemies Fleet made as if they would fly I presently gave the signal for attacking them on all sides and falling upon them with our whole Fleet which motion made them stop short we then tackt to the South-ward and I drew near them and flankt the Enemies Admiral 's Ship that was the chief of a Squadron carrying 96 Guns I vigorously charged both that and the other Ships that seconded her And after we had fired at one another reciprocally about an hour and an half the Swedish Admirals main-mast was at last shot down and I forced him to strike his Flag and to beg Quarter which I granted him because of his vigorous resistance and the bravery he had shewed and I sent my boat to fetch him off but it was too late For one of our Fire-Ships having grapled his Ship not considering he had struck his Flag and that I had given no signal at all for any to board her she was burnt to Ashes so that that fine Ship perisht with all her men which were to the Number of 650 Seamen excepting only 50 which were saved by a Boat amongst whom was a Priest That hapned about 6 in the afternoon The Enemies Fleet after the fatal loss of two Admirals seeing that Fortune favoured us and that the wavering Victory was ready to declare it self for the Danish Fleet thought it time to make away into the Main Sea so that all the Ships which composed it confusedly betook themselves to flight and stole away by the help of their sails from the pursuit of the Victours They left behind them the Neptune of 44 Guns and 198 men which was taken by Captain Van Zyl There was likewise another taken as considerable as that The Enemies did all they possibly could two several times to burn me but their Fire-Ships were always Repulsed Besides 't is a surprizing thing and that proves that Justice and the blessing of God follows the arms of all the Allies that they lost not one Ship in so memorable an Action and are hardly at all endamaged The greatest damages my Ship has suffered consists in Sails and Rigging and some shot received between wind and water My first Captain Ad an Akkerstoot died in the bed of honour and my second Captain Teunisz Van Anten had his right arm shot off whilst he was signalizing himself The Captain that Commanded the Land Troops has likewise lost an eye and as to my men I have had 100 killed and wounded We have been in chace of the Enemies ever since the day before Yesterday endeavouring to make the best advantage we can of their defeat The day before Yesterday in the morning we saw one of their Ships stranded and towards evening another of their biggest were staved against the Rocks of Westerwyk We took from them a Frigat of 16 and a Yacht of 6 Guns But I know not what passed in the Squadron of Admiral Niels Juel of whom we have heard nothing since the Fight Since the shattered remainder of the Enemies Fleet is retired into the first Ports they could find to avoid our pursuit and that not any of their Ships appear any longer at Sea we have resolved to go to Stede or Bogt Van Kuik to confer with his Danish Majesty and to take the orders that shall be judged agreeable to the present State of affairs I pray God to be pleased more and more to bless your High and Mightinesses Government and to Render your arms every where Triumphant The losses the Swedes suffered in that Battle amounted to 10 capital men of War amongst which were 2 Admirals 1 Frigat and 1 Yacht besides a great Number of men killed and wounded It will be impertinent to relate here what caused the destruction of the first Admiral 's Ship that passed for one of the finest that ever appeared yet in the Northern Seas It carried 134 Brass Guns and 1100 men At the approach of the Allies Fleet Admiral Kruits who was in her Commanded the Guns to be placed on one side in their Carriages that he might be ready to fire a whole broadside after which the gunners were ordered to pass to the other side which they did but they having forgot to make the Guns fast the Ship turned on her other side which made all the Guns flie out of their Port-holes and fall on the other side and so overset the Ship And that disaster was soon followed with a greater which was that the lighted matches fell into the Powder-Room which some moments after
were but little endamaged Admiral Wassenaar or Opdam's ship was as we have said blown up Kortenaar 〈…〉 but his ship was saved However it w◠〈◊〉 known yet what was become of John E◠〈◊〉 Stellingwerf and Schram On the 15th of 〈◊〉 the States Deputies took a review of the ships remaining in the Texel found all of them in general very little endamaged and the most part in good condition having lost very few Men and in a Word more afraid than hurt The ships that were still in the Texel were 58 in Number 7 that had staid behind in the Road and 2 unmoor'd that were put in before They had advice that 18 were in the Port of the Vlie and 16 or 17 in the Meuse c. So that they found none were missing but those we have set down of all the whole Fleet. In the mean while however the murmurings of the People that were ill satisfied at the success of the Battle and the Conduct of the Generals were grown to an extream height and already begun to threaten mischievous Consequences The first sparks of them begun to appear at the Brill where John Evertsz of Zealand had like to have lost his life For being come with his Ship into the Meuse and Landing at the Brill at his arrival the Mobb that judge of things always by the success laid all the blame upon him and imputing to him a great part of all the misfortunes that had hapned and accusing him of Cowardice threw him into the Water where he would certainly have been drown'd if he had not been rescued from the People by a good Number of Soldiers But they stopt not there for that Rascality growing thereupon more insolent endeavoured all they could to satisfie their unruly passion and pusht on their resentments to the utmost so that in the night there appeared a great many Boats filled with Troops of Mutineers and Women passing the Meuse to go and watch his coming to Maaslandsluis where he was to come to go to the 〈◊〉 But they were deceived in their expeâ—â—â—â—â—â—n for that setting out at 2 in the mornâ—â—g he was conducted under a good guard to Helvoetsluis and thereby escaped the danger of being made the Bloody Victime of an enraged people Being come to the Hague he there gave an account to the States of his Conduct and afterwards appeared before a Council of War held at the Texel who were constrained by the force of truth highly to applaud his Bravery and Conduct in the Battle That Council was composed of the following persons viz. Vice Admiral Tromp Vice Admiral Cornelius Evertsz Vice Admiral Koenders Rear Admiral de Liefde Rear Admiral Bankert Rear Admiral Bruinsveld the Captain and Commander Vander Hulst late Vice Admiral to Mr. Wassenaar or Opdam Captain Nicholas Marreveld late Rear Admiral to Lieutenant Admiral Kortenaar Captain Peter Solomon late Rear Admiral to Vice Admiral Tromp Captain Bronser late Rear Admiral to Vice Admiral Cornelius Evertsz Captain de Haan Captain Simon Blok Captain Jacob and Andrew Swart This Council of War then having drawn up an Indictment against those Officers of the Fleet that first begun to flie as Authors of the disasters and of the defeat of the Fleet they were condemned and accordingly the Captains John Peitersz Onklaar Anthony Evertsz De Marre and Jacob Bruining were shot on the 13th of June in the Fort of the Texel in view of all the people and on the same day and in the same place the Captains VVilliam Codde Vander Burg John Vander Mariche and Apollonius Pool had their Arms broken at their Feet by the Common Hang-Man and Samuel Huisman and Jacob Vander Kams were degraded and the first of them made uncapable of bearing Arms any more in the Service of the State Ate Inter Estra Mr. of Lieutenant Admiral Kortenaar's ship who had Cowardly deserted the fight with the Admirals Flag was condemned to stand with a halter about his neck under the Gallows and afterwards to perpetual Banishment But if the States on the one side thought good to punish Criminals so on the other they were as Zealous to Recompence the deserving And accordingly Captain De Haan that had fought so bravely and taken the English Ship called the Charity received 10000 Livers reward The States likewise were pleased to honour the Glorious Memory of Lieutenant Admiral Opdam who unfortunately perish'd in the Battle by erecting to him a Stately Monument in the great Church at the Hague whereon is inscribed the following Epitaph in Latin Honori Gloriae Herois Illustrissimi ex vetustissima Nobilitatis Batavicae stirpe per continuam legitimam Successionem prognati D. Jacobi Dynastae de Wassenaer Domini de OPDAM Admiral Opdam's Epitaph Foederati Belgii Archi-Thalassi c. Rebus praeclare Terra Marique Gestis non tantum in Atlantico Oceano unde sparsa fugataque Lusitanorum Classe magnaque onustus praeda Domum rediit sed in Freto Baltico ubi pulsis Adversariis insigni Parta Victoria laboranti Daniae succurrit simul Majestatem Reipublicae asseruit stabilivit ac eandem contra Vniversam Anglorum Classem cum paucis fortissime dimicans ac undique cinctus ne sic quidem cessit hostibus sed magna primo edita strage incensaque demum Praetoria sua navi Herculeo exemplo flammis viam sibi ad superos paratam invenit Anno Aetatis LV. Illustrissimi Potentissimi Foederati Belgii Proceres viro fortissimoâ— optimeque de Republica merito Monumentum hoc posuere Anno Reparatae Salutis MDCLXVII Anno Aerae Christianae MDCLVII Classis Foederati Belgii Ductu Dynastae de Wassenaer prope Ostia Tagi Naves Lusitanicas Brasilia reduces invadit Anno Aerae Christianae MDCLVIII Foederati Belgii Classis ductu auspiciis Dynastae de Wassenaer Fretum Balticum ingreditur afflictisque Daniae rebus salutarem fert opem pulsa fugataque post acerrimum conflictum Adversariorum Classe The Sense of which in English is thus To the Honour and Renown of the most illustrious descended from a most ancient Stock of the Nobility of Holland by a continued and lawful Succession Jacob Baron of Wassenaer Lord of OPDAM Admiral of the Vnited Provinces c. who after many brave Exploits both by Sea and Land not only in the Atlantick Ocean wherein having scattered and put to flight the Portuguese Fleet he returned home laden with rich Spoils but likewise in the Strait of the Baltick Sea where after he had repulsed the Enemies and gained a glorious Victory over them he succoured distressed Denmark and at the same time asserted and securely established the Majesty of the Common-wealth and at last after having fought most valiantly with but few Ships against the whole Navy of England and being by them surrounded on all sides yet even then did not flinch from his Enemies but after having made great Slaughter among them and his Admiral Ship taking Fire Hercules-like by the Flames found a