THE LIFE OF Michael Adrian De RVYTER ADMIRAL OF HOLLAND Licensed Octob. 1. Rog. L'Estrange LONDON Printed by J. B. for Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey 1677. THE LIFE OF Admirall De Ruyter ARts in all ages have had their Chiefs and Grandecs who by inventing of new or improving of old devices have been esteemed whilst alive and renowned after death And as their attempts were no otherwise to be valued but as the prevailing genius of their times weighed the uses of them so several ages according to their predominating measures have placed or displaced their Artists in the Classis and Register of fame which ought indeed to be the Royal Standard of such Worthies praise though fond Posterity either over-affected with the advantages of their own or not throughly informed of the usefulness of elder-atchivements do for the most part unjustly rank the Illustrious of former times in that order that these have the precedency who seem most to favour the prerogative of the present applauded practices when antiquated contrivances being tryed by a true survey of their profitableness when they Flourished and the advances they gained beyond their respective Predecessors may appear to have made as high a rise above their antecedent hints as our Great Guns excell the Roman battering Rams or our roaring Trumpet-speaker old bauling Stentor who now with the great Heroes of distant ages are sent again to School Vt pueris placeant declamatio fiant The Masters of the Military Art as well as others being obnoxious to this severe and partiall Judgement the contemporaries of great men have in all ages laboured to vindicate the honour of their Heroes by bringing to a fair tryal of their Countrey the attainments and feats of such as they the only competent Judges thought worthy to be listed in the Roll of Fame and to crown them with such Verdant Bayes as nothing but a hotter season of newer attempts and more taking discoveries could ever blast or wither And as careful Navigators in coasting of new-found Lands or Ingenious Painters at the view of some rare and surprising beauty fail not to make some transient designes of the new objects that either misfortune might not altogether deprive the world of them or that the curiosity of others who should have better opportunities might be raised to finish and compleat their intended draughts So in all times some have been who have left to posterity the true and natural proportions and more discernable lineaments of the actions of famous men which others who lived nearer them might fill up and imbellish with the several colours and shaddows of smaller occurrences Now since our Age hath brought forth as many if not more Instances of this nature then any past and rewarded them with as suitable honours and titles as the most triumphant times whatsoever I thought it not amisse at this time when every little Ale and Coffee-house Virtuoso comes blustering upon us from the press to give the world a view of the Life and Death of the late Renowned Sea-General Michael Ad. de Ruyter Lieutenant-Admiral of the States of the United Netherlands whose rare Endowments and memorable Exploits have rendred him parallel to his most famed Competitors and the high pitch to which he grew from so low a root more conspicuous then all wherein if every little period of the several vicissitudes and changes of his fortune be not so distinctly and punctually handled as might be expected from an exact Diary or Memoires which is not the intent of this Treatise yet the more observable Circumstances of his whole life partly from Relations of his own mouth and partly from the authentick Testimonies of Witnesses Records shall be faithfully collected to the satisfaction of every Reader DUring the Wars betwixt the Spaniards and Dutch in Flanders there served for some years the States of Holland in quality of a private Trooper a stranger by some judged a scottish man so little known by his family that his profession gave him his Sirname the happy Father of this brave man who being disbanded from or displeased with that course of life with his wife his only then childe Michael Ad. de Ruyter born to him at Flushing in Zealand the subject of this present Discourse and serving-maid being the whole of his Family retired himself to a Countrey-house at two miles distance from Bergen ap Zome and there to the quieter employment of a husbandmans life where by his industrous endeavours with two horses the greatest part of his substance in the usuall labour of that Countrey he supplied the wants of his family with care and pains but neither the lowness of the poor mans fortune which commonly begets either contempt or pity nor yet the priviledge of his person as having sometime served under the same Ensignes could secure him or his beasts from the violence of licentious Souldiers his two horses are taken from him by force and carried to the Dutch Camp in Flanders by some of the Troopers of that Army this loss was too considerable to be neglected by him who thereby saw himself and family utterly ruined He therefore hastens after them to the camp but finding his addresses for justice fruitless by the delays and neglect of the Officers and being well acquainted with the proceedings of loosly disciplined or ill-paid Armies where the Commanders either share in or connive at the rapine of the Souldiers he resolved on a speedier and more effectual way of reparation by stealing from robbers what they had unjustly forced from him And so having discovered where his horses were at grass watching his opportunity he secretly conveyed them away and left them in a place somewhat remote from his own house where he judged them farthest from danger foreseeing as indeed it happened that these new Masters would not fail to look after the strays The souldiers missing there booty and concluding that the owner had them returned in the night with a purpose to finde them at his house but being by his provident care disappointed in barbarous revenge they set on fire the poor single thatcht Cot-house about the ears of the helpless Inhabitants In the horrour of this sudden surprise whilst the father mother and servant save themselves by breaking through the merciless flames with that care of self-preservation which is common to all creatures and astonishment usual in such unexpected frights the poor harmless childe the future darling of Neptune lay at the mercy of devouring Vulcan fast asleep in an upper room swadled in his cradle but the flames of Parental love towards an only childe stronger than those of fire soon scorcht the mothers heart with so great apprehensions of the danger of her Son that aided by that providence which saved the Children in the fiery furnace with more than masculine courage she threw her self into the house again to save or die with that childe by whose life and death fortune had decreed her honour and having
Sieur de Quesny by another way round the Island unperceived by the Dutch had conveyed the destin'd succours into Messina and foreseeing well the bad consequences of the disappointment being much displeased with the slow proceedings of the Spanish grave Phlegmatick circumspection and their conduct of affairs thought it not convenient further to pursue the French nor to abide longer in these quarters the six Moneths appointed by the States his Masters for that expedition being now expired and therefore having rejoyned Montesarchio with his eight Spanish Men of War he took his leave of him in order to his returning homeward This sudden departure threatned by de Ruyter put the Viceroys of Sicily and Naples in great perplexity and the Court of Spain in much trouble who judged thereby the businesse of Messina almost desperate so that all means possible were used by the Agents of Spain to retain him in these parts and particularly importunate instances in Holland for the prolonging the time of his Commission which prevailed New Orders from Holland being arrived at Naples the Viceroy the Duke de los Velos fearing that de Ruyter might pass without touching there and so misse of receiving of his Letters of so great concern to the Spanish interest sent off the Dutch Consul with some Galleys to meet him and to acquaint him with the will of the States and to invite him to Naples This occasioned de Ruyters coming to Naples where he was splendidly entertained by the Vice-roy and in visiting the City treated with the same honours as are usually rendred to his own person but hastened again aboard The advice sent from Holland of his Commission renewed and a re-inforcement of his Fleet promised set him at work to animate and push forward the slow and heavy march of the Spaniards in the execution of their Gounsils and so having cruised with his Fleet some time at Palermo and some time at Melazzo and had conference with the Viceroy of Sicily It was condescended on that Augusta a place that held for the Rebels should be invested by Sea and Land and accordingly de Ruyter with his fleet made haste for the Bay of Augusta a place to him too satal for so famous a name whilest he was there intelligence was brought him that the French were at Sea whereupon that night he sailed and next morning got sight of the Enemy they being about the Cape Spartivento and he himself with his fleet three Leagues from Augusta The morning was calm so that he could not come up with the Enemy but in the afternoon a fresh gale blowing from S. E. brought both fleets nearer together De Ruyter being in the Van the Spaniards in the body and Vice-Admiral de Haen in the Rear of the fleet which besides the Spanish consisted but of seventeen Dutch Men of War with other galleys fire-ships and small craft They bore down with great eagerness upon the French consisting of thirty Men of war and seven fireships with galleys and other Tenders About four in the afternoon the fight began and lasted till seven with obstinate resolution and courage betwixt the Dutch and French who sustained the whole brunt of this Engagement for the Spanish did but little only kept themselves out of harms way and did what mischief they could at a distance The Dutch had in this Engagement three Ships so disabled as to be towed off and one Captain killed but smaller losses are undiscernable when the great De Ruyter fell For here it was that pressing the French at the latter end of the Fight so as to make them give way a bold bullet from the Enemies Fleet stopt him in his carreer which having carried away part of his left foot and broke his left leg above the ancle threw him on the deck so as by his fall he was wounded in the head The Fleet hereupon slackened sail and stood for the Bay of Syracusa The wounded General was carried ashoar for the more conveniency of cure which then did not seem desperate but the greatness of his minde unacquainted with such checks of fortune encreased so that distemper of body which it patiently bore that the nineteenth of April having been speechless a day before between nine and ten of the Clock at night in the Seveniteth year and Second Moneth of his Age at the first violent summons of Fortune yeelded his last Duty to Nature and as he had lived died in the embraces of beloved honour This his Death as it filled his friends and Countrey with grief and lamentation and all men with pitty and regret so being a losse great enough to cast the ballance of advantage even to the most forlorn and despairing side gave the French a Victory not equalled by their confederate Adversaries unless when last year Triumphant Turene the only Paragon of his worth and fame upon a different Stage played his last Act which two great Champions much unlike in their Original the one being born to a great share of his honour and the other to make all his own did so resemble each other in the course of their Lives and Fortune and manner and Circumstances of dying that it seemed nature had framed them for two Subjects whereon Fortune might shew her skill in dispencing equally her inclinations to great and powerfull adversaries in the highest pitch of competition For as either had been the constant Favourite of their respective Masters and the often and long experieneed prop of their Victorious hopes the one at Land and the other at Sea so both fell by an interchanged great Shot in such a point of time when their actions gave great hopes and confidence to their several Parties and their death was attended with remarkable and dangerous consequences to either side and had Fortune proceeded from the beginning and should she still continue with so even and impartial a hand in all the occurrences and transactions of this formidable war both parties might have occasion to celebrate their triumphs with tears and with drawn stakes sit down and mutually confess that Iam sumus ergo pares De Ruyter was a person as most brave men have been of a middle stature a strong and well compacted body not fat but fleshy of a gracefull and majestick countenance his aspect pleasant and chearfull not terrible by too much fierceness nor by too great mildeness unawful of a complexion sanguine and a constitution temperate and healthfull sober in his diet and moderate though free in his words neither sullen with rigid and morose reservedness nor by loquacity affected or vain his gestures manly and natural and generally of a frame of temper so even and harmonious as rendred him sedate and constant and altogether free from the mistakes and waverings that accompany fickle and light natures in the greater vicissitudes of fortune He advanced to the height of Honour by the regular steps of merit and patience never importuning his destiny by untimely and precipitant ambition nor slighting or being out of the way when Fortune called him to preferment which he conducted by such wise and prudent measures as made him acceptable to all not staining the reputation of his great actions by vain-glorious ostentation and overweening pride but by being dutiful to his superiours respectfull to his equalls gratefull to his benefactors affable and courteous to his inferiours and in a word obliging to all he gained the love and esteem of all that knew him entertaining even the meanest of the acquaintances of his low estate with that civility that if in the top of honour they enjoyed not the ancient familiarity of his baser fortune they easily saw that it was his place and dignity and not the change of humour that altered the stile In fine he was so good a man so devout and pious a Christian so stout a Souldier so wise expert and successfull a General and so faithfull trusty and honest a Lover of his Countrey that he deserves justly to be recommended to Posterity as an ornament of his Age the darling of the Seas and the delight and honour of his Countrey FINIS These Books are Sold by Dorm Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey Tachmas Prince of Persia an historical Novel which happened under the Sophy Seliman who reigns at this day A Treatise of the Gout Written originally in the French Tongue by Theodor Turquet de Mayerne Kt. Baron of Aubonne Counsellour and Chief Physician to the late King and Queen of England Englished by Tho. Sherly Physician in Ordinary to his Majesty Whereto is added Advice about Hypochoudriacal fits By the same Author A New and Easie English Grammar Dictionary and Nomenclator English and Dutch The Doctrine of Devils proved to be the grand Apostacy of these latter times An Essay tending to rectifie those undue notions men have about Daemons and evil Spirits Truth Vnveyled in behalf of the Church of England giving particular Instances of such amongst her profest Sons as have ventured upon Innovations in her Doctrine being a Vindication of Mr. Standish his Sermon before the King and published by his Majesties special Command By a Person of Quality The whole Body of Arithmetick made Easie wherein the Rules of that Art are briefly explained and illustrated with such familiar examples as may reach the capacity of any that desire to learn Dr Robert Bayfields Anatomy Kitchin Physick With Rules to prevent sickness and cure diseases by diet and such things as are daily sold in the Market By Tho Cocke Whereunto is added A Discourse of Stoving Letters of Advice from two Reverend Divines to a young Gentleman about a Case of Conscience The School of the Heart in 47 Emblemes Sixteen Sermons Preached on Sever all Occasions By Edvv. Boys B. D.
in her petticoat through smoke and flames got into the upper Room first threw the childe out of the window into a sheet held by the father and maid to receive him and afterward jump't out her self saving from that little Troy her young Aeneas So cross and unlucky are many times the beginnings of virtuous Men and low the basis of Fames Pyramides misery being commonly the first step to happiness and a gloomy morning the portal of a fair day Having thus happily avoided the Fury of this cruel Element though stript of all naked as truth it self the disconsolate Father in this so great uncertainty finding no other hopes of relief but the Charity of the Merciful betook himself with his wretched Family to Bergen ap Zome the next Town of Note where arriving early in the morning he presented to his compassionate Countreymen a lamentable spectacle of his new disaster The commendable care of that Countrey in providing for the Necessities of the indigent either by maintaining of the infirm and impotent or by imploying the stronger and those that are able to work afforded means for the poor man to subsist and feed his family untill his young son being grown up to the state of a boy able to do somewhat for himself was placed in the rope-ground of the Heer Lampson in Flushing a considerable Merchant who had a Manufactory of Ropes there The poor childe complying with the condition which he could not alter with several other boys of his own rank and age dilligently followed his business in spinning of rope-yarn and other drudgeries of that vocation to the content of his Overseers until some time after the Heer Lampson himself coming into the rope-ground and eying the lad his fancy suggested to him observing the features and carriage of the boy the unsuitableness of that trade to the genius of the lad and finding upon examination the forwardness of his wit and confident readiness in his answers and his willingness to leave that course and to serve him in some other capacity he released him from that slavery and sent him to school where in a short time he gave such pregnant proofs of his parts and industry that his Master finding his proficiency ripe for employment prudently at first intrusted him with the charge of keeping of the accounts of his family-expences that so he might the better have a tryal of the youths abilities and prevent the errours into which higher advancement and distance of place often misleads unexperienced beginners imitating herein the example of Falconers who use first to call their hawks to their fists with a guard before they venture them at large to the lure In this office he carried himself with so great fidelity and discretion and thereby gained so great esteem from his Master that he advanced him to be his book-keeper and to the management of his Merchant-affairs wherein being likewise much satisfied with his skill and diligence he pitched upon him as a person every way qualified for a Factor in his trade in Ireland which consisted in butter herrings tallow and hides and accordingly sent him to Dublin There he lived seven years under the inspection of Mr Cremor Mr Vanhorn Mr Wiborn and some others of his Masters Correspondents during which space besides his attaining of the English Tongue very necessary to him who was afterward to treat so often with the English in their own Language he gave so great proofs of his dexterity in the conduct of affairs of Trading and of his faithfulness to his trust and thereby so much content to his Master and Correspondents that by them he was sent into the Streights to negotiate as Supercargo of their Concerns there And whilst in his several Voyages from Port to Port in those parts he successfully improved his traffick to the profit both of his Master and himself being a natural enemy to idleness and an Unactive life and totally averse from the lazy and bruitish revellings of the most part of Seamen he had leisure to rub up those few impressions and hints of the Mathematicks and particularly Navigation which he had learned when a boy wherein by the ripeness of his wit his constant pains and study and the assistance of some Artists in a short time he made such laudable progress that he not only became able to conduct any Ship himself but obtained a great Name amongst Navigators And having afterward made several Voyages into the Streights and Barbary upon the account of the Heer Lampson his Master and Benefactor with constant good fortune and applause he married a Widow and setled himself in Flushing in Zealand The many good services which he had performed to his Master and the reputation gained in his Sea-expeditions began to plain the way to his preferment In the year 1650. the dayly dammages received from the Corsairs of Argiers the enemies of the Hollanders being so sensible that thereby the Mediterranean Trade of great advantage to that Nation was much obstructed the States for the security of their Merchants resolved to send Convoys with their Ships the Heer Lampson laying hold of this opportunity to serve his Countrey and at the same time to show his love and gratitude to his friend by the cheapest and yet most noble way of reward so effectually recommended Mr De Ruyter to the States General that he obtained for him a Commission to be Captain of a Man of War appointed by them as a Convoy for their Merchant-men in the Streights those fatal Narrow Seas the Hercules-pillars of his life and honour where he began and ended his Sea-preferment and gave the first and last proofs of his Conduct and Valour In this expedition he had the Occasion to lay the foundation of his future greatness first by rendring himself remarkable in his Command and next in his Estate the two usual handmaids of rising fortunes for as by his Valour and Conduct in many successful Engagements with these Pirates he procured the one so by his lawful and honest endeavours he missed not of the other Insomuch that his Name being grown publick in Holland by the dayly characters of those who had been obliged by his care and good offices the States began to think him worthy of some higher rank The Occasion was not long wanting to his more prosperous fortune For in anno 1652. the equal success of the two Neighbouring Common-wealths of England then too unhappily established and the States of the Vnited Netherlands more deeply rooted began to advance to the incompatible heighth of Superiority which was as much as Supremacy their pretensions on the Seas And although their claims were as different as that of an old possessor from a new intruder yet the younger Rival the Hollanders thinking their power not inferiour to the other the English who upon the account of long and uninterrupted possession demanded of them the usual submissions resolved to dispute the right by force of Arms and so broke forth a War which for the