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
took in it were delivered them by the Rebellion or Cowardice of the Seamen who received in England the just reward of their infidelity by the miseries they were made to suffer there in the Prisons The Action of 85 Villains that surrendered to the English the ship Charles the 5th is a terrible and abominable Example of it They were some Soldiers who in the night of the Battle joining with some insolent and seditious Seamen seized of all the small fire Arms nailed up the Cannon struck their Flag spread their Sails turned their Barges and long Boats a drift to the mercy of the Waves and in that condition waited the approach of an English Fregat that was in chace of them to which they Voluntarily yielded themselves after they had with their drawn hangers and cockt pistols presented to their breasts forced the Captain and Officers that belonged to the ship who would have opposed them to remain in silence under pain of death and to be spectators of so detestable an Action without during to speak a word The men of the ships Helversum and Nagelboom as also some Officers of the Fleet of whom we shall speak more amply afterwards did the like without having any regard neither to their honour nor to the allegiance they had so solemnly sworn to their Country The English as the Dutch would have been in the same case and as they affected to do afterwards upon less occasions of Bragging than this being proud of all these advantages failed not to publish them with all the glorious Circumstances imaginable They Rung the Bells and made Bonfires every where and put every thing else in practice that might tend to add splendor and renown to the Memory of so great a Triumph 1500 Dutch Prisoners were carried to Colchester and it may well be judged by so great a Number what cruel and base Cowardice the Captains were guilty of who chose rather shamefully to leave their Companions exposed to the Flames or to a Lamentable shipwrack and drowning than to venture to snatch them from the devouring Jaws of death by receiving them on board them when they fled so that they must have perish'd if their Enemies had not taken more Compassion of them then their own unnatural Officers Amongst those persons there was a Woman named Willemite Gerrets a Native of Embden that had performed the function of Gunner in the ship Marsseveen who being discovered was released and set at liberty by King Charles the second for the rarity of the adventure She came afterwards to the Hague drest in the habit of an English Woman where she recited all the adventures of her life and how she was saved and the pleasant discourse she had with the King of England And it appeared that she had always carried her self very honestly and that she was present at the fierce Battle of Funen in the North no body on board the Marsseveen ever having discovered her to be a Woman Here follows an account of the losses on both sides in this fight On the English side The Duke of York Lord High Admiral of England was wounded in the hand with the splinters of the scull of Mr. Boyl and his face besmear'd with the blood of the Earl of Falmouth the Lord Muskerry and several of his Domestick servants that were kill'd by his side by a chain-shot from Admiral Opdam's ship The Earl of Portland kill'd The Earl of Marleborough kill'd Rear Admiral Mountague Samson kill'd Vice Admiral Lawson who feeling himself mortally wounded sent word to the Duke of York that he was uncapable of doing any further service who thereupon put Captain Jordan afterwards Sir Joseph Jordan in his place And Lawson being carried to Greenwich upon the Thames died there Captain Ableston of the ship Guinea killed Captain Kirby of the Breda kill'd The ship called the Charity carrying 46 Guns was taken by Captain de Haan and brought into the Texel but many of her men first saved themselves and the rest were kill'd before Besides these it was computed there were 800 men killed on board the English Navy and a great number wounded On the Hollanders side Lieutenant Admiral General Jacob de Wassenaar Lord Opdam was unfortunately blown up by a shot into his Powder-Room Lieutenant Admiral Kortenaar dead of his wounds Stellingwerf shot in sunder with a Cannon Ball. Schram killed in the Fight Captain Allert Matthysz of the Helversum being forced to yield himself by his mutinous Seamen that refused to fight was taken by the Bristol Frigat She carried 60 Guns The ship Charles the 5th commanded by Captain Kuiten shamefully yielded up likewise to the English by the Rebellion of the Seamen She carried 54 Guns The Delft Commanded by Captain Boshuizen taken by the Breda She carried 32 Guns The de Ruiter Yacht Captain Vogel Commander carrying 18 Guns taken by the Dolphin The Young Prince Commanded by Captain Halfhoorn carrying 36 Guns taken by the Martin The Mars Captain Kats Commander carrying 46 Guns taken by the Assurance The Nagelboom Captain Boon Commander carrying 52 Guns taken by the Colchester The Arms of Zealand Commanded by Captain Twineman carrying 44 Guns taken by the Centurion The Swarte Bull Captain Burger Commander carrying 36 Guns taken by the ships Anne and Ruby Ships burnt The ship Koeverden of 60 Guns Commanded by Captain Kampen burnt by the ship call'd the Renown The Prince Maurice Simon de Wit Commander of 50 Guns The Town of Vtretcht Commanded by Oudart of 44 Guns The Swanenburg Captain Kuiper Commander of 30 Guns The Tergoes of 34 Guns The Marsseveen of 78 Guns The Orange of 75 Guns being hampered all together were burnt or sunk Before we pass any further we will report here some remarkable Circumstances relating to this fight The States after the Battle being willing to provide against all Events had sent Orders to the Fleet to keep the Sea tho' they had had the worst as well to support the Reputation of their Arms as to lessen the Glory of the Victors that would have made that retreat pass for a total defeat And for that effect Mr. Witsen Vrybergen and Schrick being sent to the Texel in Quality of Deputies from the States went out of the Port and sent for Vice-Admiral Tromp on board them giving him Order to keep the Fleet out at Sea and not to suffer it to enter into any Harbours But Tromp being grieved at the disasters that had newly hapned by the Baseness and Cowardice of the Officers and Soldiers of the Fleet and his heart being ready to burst with indignation at them could not forbear Answering the Deputies that he could not execute their orders with men that had so basely deserted him in time of danger and upon whose Courage or Fidelity so little reliance could be made So that without minding the Orders of the Deputies the Fleet under the Conduct of Tromp and Cornelius Evertsz entred into port being in all about 60 Men of War of which the most part
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
de Ruiter being weary of waiting so long for him in vain had Orders from the States to conduct the Fleet back again into their respective Ports and only to detach a Squadron out of them of 25 Men of War to cruise to the Northward to look for the Ships that were expected coming back from the East-Indies Four Days after the States had News of the Burning of London by the most terrible Fire that ever was yet seen Dreadful Fire of London For beginning on the 12 2 of September it made such an Advance by favour of the Wind that it was not extinguished till the 16 6th that is to say 5 Days after when at last they were fain to smother it by blowing up some Houses as the last Remedy that could be thought of It seemed as if Fire had been fallen from Heaven to punish that proud City and that God the just Revenger of Crimes had determined to reduce it into Ashes or at least to chastise it in such a manner that it should for ever wear lasting Marks of his Punishment For that dreadful Conflagration extended from the Tower to Temple-bar and in all that space there remained not a House standing all-a-long by the Thames so that it may well be said That by that Judgment the Inhabitants of that great City and even of all England suffered Losses incomparably greater and more sensible than the English had lately caused to the Inhabitants of the Isles of Vlie and Schelling which were esteemed at Twelve Millions of Livers whereas those of the English amounted to One hundred Millions And the Desolation was so great that Multitudes of People were seen to wander about almost in deep Despair without any Home or other Place of Shelter to go to and were reduced to the greatest Depth of Misery and would have perished by Hunger if the King had not ordered some Provision to be made for their Subsistance other particulars as well known and amply recited in other Writings obvious every where we shall omit to insert here The Pensioner de Wit upon that Advice as he was an implacable Enemy to the King of England as well as to the House of Orange so nearly allied to that Royal Family and had secretly blown up the Fire of that War resolved to make his best Advantage of it and presently writ to Admiral de Ruiter to let him know That so fatal and unforeseen an Accident as that might possibly induce the States to change the Resolution they had before taken to lay up their Fleet in their Ports because it had been certified from good Hands That Monk was returned to London and therefore it was easie to presume the English Fleet would not be so soon ready to unmoor And the States accordingly by his Instigation writ to de Ruiter on the 26th of the same Month that upon a piece of News of so great importance they had resolved to keep their Fleet out still at Sea till further Order De Ruiter obeyed their Order but without any Success at that Time For the English sailing out again on the 5th of October made a Motion as if they would advance to attack de Ruiter but as soon as they saw him move towards them to engage them they sheered away again to avoid him At that time the Duke of Beauford Admiral of France sent de Ruiter Word that it was impossible for him to come and joyn him and therefore desired him to excuse him for having put in with the French Fleet into Brest So de Ruiter seeing there was no appearance of attempting any thing to effect retired again about the middle of October with his Fleet whereof a part put into Zealand another into the Meuse and the rest into the Texel A little time after there were some happy steps made towards a Peace for the States as we have already said having written to the King of England about the Funeral of Sir William Barcley that Prince was so sensibly touched with the obliging Deportment of the States in that matter and with the Honours they had rendred to the Memory of a Person that was so dear to him that he returned them Thanks for it by the following Letter dated the 11th of August High and Mighty Lords and Right Dear Friends WE have seen by your Letter The King of England's Letter to the States dated the 10th of June brought to us by a Trumpeter a glorious Example of your Civilities concerning the Honours you have been pleased to render to the Body of Sir William Barkley who after having signalized himself lost his Life for the Service of his Prince and Country After his Death he fell into your Hands by the Fortune of War and the Honours you have rendred to his glorious Memory were very pleasing to me I shall always consider them as an effect of your generous Good Will and whenever the like occasions shall happen we will endeavour on our part to answer them by acknowledging Vertue and Merit even in the Person of our Enemies to whom we shall give Proofs of our Tenderness as far as the Occurrences of War shall permit us And because the near Relations of the Deceased desire his Body may be interred in the Tomb of his Ancestors upon the Offer you have made us to grant them that Favour we have consented to it and that the Vessel designed for his Transportation may not be attacked in its Passage by our Subjects we have added to this inclosed the necessary Passport Besides we assure you from the bottom of our Heart That the Advantages our Arms have lately gained by the Blessing of God shall not render us so haughty as to make us forget the Damages the present War causes to the Reformation and how great the Hopes are that our Enemies have conceâ—ved from our Troubles and Dissentions So that we are ready to put our hand to so pious a Work as is that of pacifying them upon the first Just and Reasonable Condition that shall be proposed to us on that Subject The States comprehending by the Expressions contained in the King of England's Letter That that Prince seemed more inclinable to terminate the War and to hearken to Propositions of Peace than formerly writ to him the following Letter dated the 16th of September by the Yacht ordered to transport into England Vice-Admiral Barkley's Body SIR The States Letter to the King of England BEing informed by your Majesty's Letter of the 4th of the last Month that your Intention was That Sir William Barkley's Body should be transported into England in order to be delivered into the Hands of his Relations we accordingly send it to satisfie the Offers we made your Majesty to that effect Moreover we have with much Pleasure seen the good Disposition in which your Majesty is mentioned towards the close of your Letter which signifie the Inclination your Majesty would be plâ—ased to have to put a stop to that Current of Mischiefs the War
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
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
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
being the 1st of March Admiral Tromp put up a White Flag and called together on board him the principal Officers of his Fleet and exhorted them to acquit themselves worthily of the duty they ow'd to their Country and to fight like men of Honour and Courage The English followed them close at the heels and the Battle begun again next day at 10 a Clock in the morning about 3 miles to the North Westward of the Isle of Wight The English had the Wind but coming near them we could not find they had any inclination to come to a close fight they contenting themselves only with shooting at our Masts Sails and Rigging as they had done the day before Tromp had drawn up his Fleet into the form of a Crescent to be the better able to cover the Merchant Ships and the English came up six several times to endeavour to cutoff those Ships from the main body of the Fleet but were always repulsed Tromp was ravish'd with Joy to see some of his Captains fight more couragiously that day then they had done the day before Captain Van Nes kept so close to Tromp that he could easily call him to his assistance in case of need De Ruâ—ter also gave upon this occasion New proofs of his bravery for after he had received his orders from the Admiral he engaged so far amongst the thickest of the Enemies that he was many times in danger of being opprest by them and after noon he was so grievously battered that he was not able any longer to move either forward or backward upon which Tromp Commanded Captain Duâ—n to assist de Ruiter to get off and go out of the Battle Almost at the same time the Admiral was informed that the Merchant Ships were standing to the South-East-Ward upon which Captain Van Nes was detatcht away to Command them by Tromps order to stand to the East-North East-ward in order to make towards the Strait of Callis Van Nes performed his Commission and bid them at the same time clap on more Sail but hapning to come too late and they having neglected to execute the orders given them the English took their opportunity to Snap some part of that Fleet together with two Men of War of which they made themselves Mrs. of which one that was Commanded by Le Sage yielded not till after a very stout Resistance Of the Merchant Ships there were 12 taken others were defended by the Men of War and part of them saved themselves in Havre de Grace as did likewise two Men of War that had lost their Masts At the coming on of the night an English Ship took fire and then the fight ended In the mean while some Captains sent word to Tromp that they wanted Powder and were not in a condition to make any longer resistance upon which Tromp ordered them to keep by the Merchant Ships and to make as fair a shew as they could with their presence to make the Enemy believe they were there to defend them and then all things were disposed to be in a readiness for a third fight The next morning at break of day the English were seen to come on again to charge them Upon which Tromp having put all things in order for that purpose advanced towards the Enemies Fleet with more Courage and Resolution than any Forces he had to fight them For at most he had but one poor Squadron under his Flag that had any Ammunition left whilst the Rest were unprovided of all things At 10 of the Clock in the morning the two Fleets came up with one another and commenced a third Battle which was very obstinate and Bloody yet without any great advantage to the Enemies The English Vice-Admiral of the Blew Braved for some time the Dutch Admiral thundring continually at him with his Guns but he forbearing to fire till he came up almost close to his side gave him then first one Broad-side and after that another so much to the purpose that he was forc'd to retire But whilst on one side the Valiant Tromp signalized himself many of his Captains basely deserted him on the other and betook themselves to a shameful flight besides several others that were constrained to it by pure necessity for want of Powder Towards the Evening the English took some more of our Merchant Ships Captain Van Ness at the beginning of the fight advertised them by order from the Admiral to clap on all the Sail they could and make towards the strait of Callis but those orders were neglected Tromp sent to them the Fiscâ—l or Treasurer of his Fleet to press them to make the more hast but all in vain it being impossible with all that could be done or said to make them to go forwards so that some of the Enemies Fregats appearing in the evening came and fell upon the main Body of that Fleet. Van Ness did all he was able to defend them More Dutch Merchant Ships taken but they falling into confusion and disorder one part of them blindly threw themselves among the Enemies Men of War whilst the others falling foul upon one another knockt themselves to pieces And for the Dutch Men of War that were there they alas could give them no assistance for want of Powder so that a considerable part of those Merchant Men fell into the hands of the English At the approach of the night Blake made a shew as if he would have come on again to charge the Dutch Fleet but Admiral Tromp keeping himself in a posture ready to stand the shock the English Admiral retired steering his Course towards the Coasts of England whilst the States Fleet made sail quietly without being pursued towards the Coasts of Flanders and came to an Anchor on the 3d of March within three Miles to the Northwestward of Dunkirk from whence they got into the Harbours of Holland and Zealand These three successive Battles as the Dutch would needs flatter themselves cost very nigh as dear to the English as the Dutch It s true the Hollanders confess they lost 24 Merchants Ships but the English reported them at London to be above 40. These Dutch Men of War viz. the Great St. Luke the Ostrich the Amity and the Golden Cock were taken and carried into Plymouth and Dover The Crown the Angel Gabriel and Keidyk were sunk and Schelten Wiglemo blown up Among the Captains that were killâ—d were reckoned Balk Van Zaanen Port Spanhem Allart Sipke Fokkes and Regemorter Schey Van Zeelst and Swers were made Prisoners The number of men kill'd was about 600 and that of the wounded somewhat more De Ruiter having lost all his Masts and most part of his Men was forced to retire before the end of the Battel On the side of the English the Rainbow the Saturn the Sampson the Rose and Captain Button's Ship were sunk and the Charles Burnt as was likewise the Fregat called the Fairsax but that was done by the English themselves at Chatham because she
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
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
to the pacifying of those two Crowns and to the maintaining a perfect Union between the two Republicks Answer was made him That the Dutch had no other Design neither but that Upon which the English Admiral set sail and after noon advanced further into the Belt The Dutch perceiving it unmoored likewise and stood after the English to hinder them from cutting off the Danish and some Holland Ships that lay at Anchor near Nyburg by separating them from the Body of the Dutch Fleet. But the English making off into the Main Sea retired to Kallundburg and the Hollanders towards the Isle of Rouse where the Danes came and joyned them In the mean time while the Ambassadors of the States that came with de Ruiter's Fleet were negotiating a Treaty of Peace between the Two Crowns at Copenhagen the English interrupted it by their underhand Practices in proposing a Cessation of Arms for Three Weeks which extremely troubled the Hollanders and obliged de Ruiter to write about it to the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam intimating to them That the English as far as he was able to judge by their manner of Proceeding seemed ill intentioned notwithstanding all their fair Protestations and that he believed they turned Affairs in that manner with Design to favour Swedeland Three Days before the Term prefixed for the Suspension of Arms was to expire which was on the 10th of July Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam's Fleet in conjunction with the Danes making together about Thirty seven Sail of Men of War set sail directly for Copenhagen which the Swedes kept besieged with a Fleet of Thirty three Ships of War but at the Approach of the Admiral of Holland they retired without daring to stand a Fight which much surprized Opdam who expected not to be rid of them at so cheap a rate In the mean while the English Ministers that were endeavouring with those of Holland to mediate an Accommodation considering it was not necessary the two Mediating Powers should have such numerous and formidable Forces towards the North only to counterbalance Swedeland proposed that they might be diminished But the States suspecting there was some Mystery in the Matter on the English side ordered That but 20 of their Ships should be recalled causing private Notice to be given to Lieutenant-Admiral Opdam not to send them away neither till a like number of the English were gone before them But all those Precautions of the States became in short time needless by the Revolution that was ready to happen in England by the Intriegues of General Monk whose Aim was to pull down Cromwel's Party in order to restore King Charles to the Throne For Admiral Mountague who held Intelligence with Monk burn'd with an impatient Desire to quit the North with the English Fleet and to hasten home to the Assistance of King Charles's Party and seeking all the Pretences he could think on to promote his speedy departure he gave out That for want of Provisions his Fleet was able to subsist no longer abroad and so setting Sail on the 5th of September he returned back to the Coasts of England Vice-Admiral de Ruiter having weighed Anchor the same day moved and cast Anchor again at Amak near Copenhagen from whence he went ashore and went to a Tent set up between the Town and the Swedish Army where the States Ambassadors and those of Sweden and Denmark were in Conference about a Peace But Affairs going quite another way than towards an Accommodation Hostilities were begun again In the mean time Lieutenant Admiral Opdam having written to the States to desire leave to return home because of his indisposition he accordingly set sail at the beginning of November with a Fleet of 20 sail of Men of War and a great Number of Merchant Ships accompanied with the Vice-Admiral's Evertsz and Meppel De Ruiter then being left in the North to Command in chief in the absence of the Lieutenant Admiral joyned his Fleet with that of the Danes Commanded by Admiral Bielke and having taken on board a good Number of Troops both Horse and Foot steer'd directly towards the Isle of Funen To attempt a descent there and if it were possible to drive out the Swedes from thence On the 8th of November he advanc'd as far as before the Town of Nyburg situated in the East part of Funen upon the Belt Tho a great body of Swedish Horse appeared upon the Coast to oppose a descent yet Marshal Schak and other General Officers resolved to fall upon them notwithstanding the night was coming on But that Undertaking was not so well backt as it should have been because there was no body that was well acquainted with that place In the mean while the Swedes having raised some batteries begun to fire upon the Dutch Fleet and they fired no less briskly again upon the Swedes and upon the Ramparts of Nyburg The next morning before day the Officers Soldiers and Seamen that had passed the night in Boats and suffered much by the cold came back again on board the Fleet without having done any thing because it was so very dark that they could not see the Coast After this attempt the General Officers resolved to weigh Anchor and to draw towards Kortemunde another Town in the same Isle where they arrived on the 10th about noon De Ruiter thereupon gave order immediately to Evertsz de Wilde to Rear Admiral Bâ—akel and to the Captains Van Amstâ—l and Aldert Machysz to joyn him and to draw up in a line of Battle in Order to Batter the Town with their Artillery so that soon after it was seen all in flames and the Swedish Horse was forc'd to scamper here and there not knowing where to shelter themselves De Ruâ—ter observing that disorder without losing any time posted 4 men of War more in such a manner that their guns swept all the plain Country clear and gall'd the Flank of the Swedish Cavalry In the mean time the Danish Admiral Bielke and Vice Admiral Held coming to de Ruiter prayed him to be pleased to go to Marshal Schak to endeavour to perswade him upon that fair opportunity to put in Execution without delay the descent he before had designed to make because it was already 2 a Clock in the Afternoon After several deliberations the Danish and Holland Troops chosen to form the Van guard entred into Boats which landed them within Pistol shot of the Town Bridge The Swedes had retrenched themselves in two different places and had raised Forts from the Town to the Bridge having posted on one side 2 Regiments of Horse and on the other 3. Whilst the Dragoons were left in the Town to defend that At the approach of the Danes the Swedes fired hotly upon the Boats and killed some of the Hollanders De Ruiter being in Person in one of those Boats seeing the danger cried out My Boys Have Courage advance and march up to the Enemies Or else you are all lost men That discourse so extreamly revived
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
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
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
appearance towards the Coasts of Guiney tho' he had given out that he was going to Sally And indeed the suspicions of the English in that point were not without some foundation for de Ruiter had received Express Orders from the States to sail towards Cape Verd and the Coast of Guiney to reduce the English to reason and make them restore by force what they had unjustly usurpt Upon that news all the Dutch Ships were stopt in England and Letters of reprisal were granted but all those Commissions granted in haste were recalled as well to shew all Europe that they would not be Aggressors as to gain time to Compleat the manning of their Navy It was thought more proper to let loose the men of War and Capers upon the Hollanders as well to encourage their press'd Seamen and to get men enough to furnish their Grand Fleet as the more effectually to interrupt the Commerce of the United Provinces by taking their Merchant Ships that went to and fro in the Channel And because they knew they in Holland expected about that time the return of their Ships from France and the Streights they thought it their best way to go and meet them and to endeavour to take them before they let the Privateers go out who in all likelihood would but have awakened the Hollanders and made them think the more of securing themselves And this project succeeded well with them For the Merchant Fleet consisting of 113 sail having quitted the Coast of France to pursue their way home along the Channel was taken and carried into the Ports of England But amongst so great a Number of Merchant Ships there being some Ships belonging to other Nations they were redemanded yet all the rest remained in their hands At the same time the King of England in Justification of that proceeding publish'd the following Declaration The King of Egland's Declaration about the taking of the Dutch Ships HIs Majesty having considered the Injuries Affronts and Damages suffered in the Persons of his Subjects by the loss of their Goods and Ships by the West-India Company and other Subjects of the United Provinces and those losses amounting to very considerable Sums for which no Reparation could yet be obtained notwithstanding the Complaints so often reiterated by his Majesty to the States General for that purpose which have had no effect His Majesty has thought fit by the Advice of his Privy Council to grant Letters of Reprisal against the Ships or Merchandizes belonging to the States of the United Provinces or their Subjects so that not only his Majesties Fleet and Ships of War but all sorts of Privateers shall have right by Letters of Reprisal or permission to be given him from his Royal Highness the Duke of York Lord High Admiral of England to arrest and seize all Ships and Effects belonging to the States of the United Provinces in Order to put them under the Jurisdiction of the Court of Admiralty which shall be Authorized to Act thereupon according to the Customs and Laws of Nations And whereas several Ships and Effects belonging to the United Provinces or their Subjects have been already taken according to his Majesties Orders and are kept in his Harbours His Majesty with the Advice of his Privy Council declares that the abovesaid Ships and Effects are Comprized in the aforesaid Letters of Reprisal and that they shall be proceeded against before the Admiralty according to the Customs and Laws of Nations till a final Judgment And the Present Declaration shall serve for warrant for all that the said Court of Admiralty shall do in that matter Dated at Whitehall December the 16th 1664. The United Provinces seeing themselves thus engaged in a War with England and the Proper season for putting out their Fleet to Sea being past they thought however that at least they ought to put a stop as much as 't was possible to all those Hostilities and to provide for the security of their Subjects Accordingly the States prohibited all their Merchant Ships to go out of their Ports and their Seamen to take service under any Foreign Prince They likewise rigorously prohibited the going out of any vessels and exportation of any Ammunitions and generally of all materials serving to the building of Men of War or furnishing their Equipages Then Mr. Van Beuningen was sent to the Court of France Mr. de Amerongen into Denmark and Mr. Ysbrands into Swedeland in Quality of Ambassadors Extraordinary to inform the Princes that were Allies of the State of all that had lately passed because the English by a fetch of their dissembling Policy endeavoured in all those Courts to make the Dutch pass for the Aggressors and to attribute all the wrong to them They resolved likewise to raise a fund of 14 Millions of Livers as well for the building of 48 men of War as for Levying of some Troops to Re-inforce their Companies and their Garrisons for the raising of a Marine Regiment and a new Regiment in reserve and lastly for defraying the expences of the fortifications of the Brill of Helvoet of Maesland of the Texel and of the other necessities of the State The East-India Company engaged to Equip 20 Men of War for the service of the United Provinces The Zealand Privateers received Letters of Reprisal so that the Capers in little time after took 30 prizes from the English They also appointed a day of Prayer which was celebrated the 21st of January 1665 to implore the Protection of Heaven against the Contagion then Reigning and to beg a Continuaâ—ion of Peace and of the Prosperity of the Prov ncâ— In the mean while the Sâ—â—ur de Goch used all imaginable instances with 〈◊〉 â—â—ng of England to endeavour to obtain the râ—â—ng of the Ships which had been taken But all in vain For the King made him Answer That he had caused to be arrested in his Ports or to be taken at Sea the Dutch Ships upon the certain Advice he had that de Ruiter was sent to Guiney to interrupt the Commerce of his Subjects and to seize on their Ships and Merchandizes so that he intended to indemnifie him for all those losses by the Confiscation of the goods that had been taken that for the same end he would stop all Dutch Ships that should come in his way till he heard further news of de Ruiter c. The Duke of York also declared in Quality of Lord High Admiral of the Kingdom that he would go next spring to Sea to maintain the Honour and Glory of the Crown And the Court of England was just ready to put out a Declaration of War against the Hollanders But that Turner and Walker two Famous Advocates of the Court of Admiralty Represented to the King that if he declared War at that time the Ships taken before the Declaration could not according to the Law of Nations be confiscated upon which 't was thought fit to defer it for some time However the Dutch Ships were declared Good
were expected back from Norway in order to convoy them safe home and at the same time to have an Eye upon the English Merchant-Ships coming out of the Sound or from Hamborough towards the Thames or that should come out of the Thames to go towards the North commanding him to give them Chace and to do all he could to burn them sink them c. The same Day viz. the 1st of November afternoon the Fleet set sail and tackt about and stood to the Eastward Lieutenant Admiral Cornelius Evertsz led the Right Wing Lieutenant Admiral de Vries the left and the Squadrons of de Ruiter and Tromp composed the Main Battle The next Day de Ruiter put up a White Flag upon his Mizzen Mast and fired 3 Guns for a Signal to the Squadrons to separate The Lieutenant Admirals Tromp Evertsz and de Vries answered the Admiral according to the Order settled for that effect each of them with 7 Guns Each Vice-Admiral with 5 and each Rear-Admiral with 3. And then Admiral de Ruiter replied to all those Admirals again at once with 9 Guns and so the several Squadrons of the Fleet quitted one another about Mid-way towards home Tromp made towards Goree and the Meuse the Zealand Squadron towards Wâ—elingen and de Ruiter sailed towards the Texel and the Vlie whither also went Lieutenant Admiral Hiddes de Vries with the Friesland Ships The Lords Deputies of the States having quitted de Ruiter landed on the 4th of November in a Galliot at the Helder and thence went to the Hague where they made their Report to the States General of what had passed in that Expedition for which they received the Thanks of their High and Mightinesses as appears by the following Writing Mr. Huigens Mr. Pensionary de Wit and Mr. John Boreel Deputies Plenipotentiaries of their High and Mightinesses in the States Fleet have made a Summary Report of the things that passed in the last Expedition upon which the States having deliberated and taken into Consideration the Care and Pains the said Plenipotentiaries have therein taken as well as the Vigilance and good Conduct they have shewn by the tender Affection they have exprest for their Country by acting Night an Day as far as God and the State of Affairs would permit them with an indefatigable Zeal for the Good of the State their High and Mightinesses have consequently thankt them for it and hereby declare themselves perfectly well satisfied with their Adminâ—stratâ—on The Dutch Fleet then did nothing that Expedition but cause some Alarms upon the Coast of England and all the Honour they gained by it was only that of having offered Battle to the English Fleet whilst they kept themselves within their Harbours as being debarred by a raging and pestilent Distemper from accepting it and having interrupted the Commerce of the English Merchants by keeping the Mouth of the Thames blockt up for about 16 Days together In the mean while the Negotiation for a Peace was broke off for the French King who had offered his Mediation finding that the English had more Inclination to continue the War than to treat with the Dutch and having some By-ends of his own upon the Hollanders taking a Pretence of Dissatisfaction against the English because their Ships daily appeared near S. Malo's and the Coasts of Normandy firing upon his Subjects and committing several Attempts against them contrary to the Treaties of Alliance and Confederacy he had with the King of England recalled the Duke of Vernueil the Count de Conings and Mr. Courtin his Ambassadors from that Court after having commanded them publickly to declare to the King of England which they accordingly did on the 15th of October at Oxford That the King of France their Master seeing all the Propositions that had been made to procure an Accommodation between the 2 contending Nations of England and Holland were rejected by the English his Majesty was resolved to assist the Hollanders according to the Treaty of Alliance he was engaged in with them To which the King of England answered coldly enough That the French King knew his own Interest and so did the King of England know his too So that the French Ambassadours having demanded their Audience of Leave on the 10th of December embarkt on the 23d of the same Month at Dover and arrived the next Day at S. Valery Hollis likewise the English Ambassadour in France was also recalled and having had his Audience of Leave he made shew as if he would depart but yet took the Liberty to stay 6 Months after in the Kingdom out of Paris under Pretence of his Lady's being sick The French King having notified to the States the recalling of his Ambassadours out of England they sent Order to the Sieur de Goch their Ambassadour at the Court of England to retire likewise immediately For tho' Sir George Downing Ambassadour to them from the King of England were gone from Holland ever since the Month of August yet the States of the Vnited Provinces in hopes to be able to pacifie in an amicable manner the Troubles that had newly kindled a War between the 2 Nations had thitherto deferred the Departure of the Sieur de Goch but at last he took his Audience of Leave at Oxford and delivered at the same time to the King the following Declaration of the States by which they represented to his Majesty the ardent Passion they had for Peace and the means that had been proposed to procure it The Sieur de Goch then departed on the 26th of December towards Dover where he embark'd upon one of the King's Ships and on the 29th of the same Month he arrived at Flushing from whence he speeded away to the Hague to make his Report to their High and Mightinesses of all that had past in his Negotiation The Letter or Declaration from the States left by him with the King of England was in these Terms SIR The States Remonstrance to the King of England concerning the rupture of the Peace THat we might give evident Proofs of our Desire and Inclination for Peace we were willing after the Rupture to defer even till this Day to recal our Ambassadour from the Court of England And tho' we had already by just and reasonable Offers satisfied all the Complaints put up to us by Sir George Downing in a Time when we could hardly believe that Matters would ever have come to an Extremity yet we have done still more by leaving our Ambassadour in England after the taking from us not only several Places but some whole Provinces belonging to the States in both Worlds and the stopping the Ships of their Subjects in the Face of all Christendom and that without any previous Declaration of War By an effect also of an over-great Confidence neither did we recal our Ambassadour presently after your Majesty had recalled yours in hopes you would at last be pleased to make some Reflection upon the Mischiefs a War would bring upon the two
Nations Your Majesty alone is Witness of the advantageous Propositions that have been made you in order to attain a Good and Solid Peace We have offered to conclude it as your Majesty should desire either that each Party should restore what they had taken from each other or else that if England should think that best for its Interests each side should keep and remain in possession of their Conquests and that with this Advantage for England that those Propositions might have been accepted by your People at a Time when the United Provinces as yet were ignorant what had been taken from them in remote Countries To which may be added that it cannot be said That we flattered our selves with the Hopes of receiving any other Fruit from thence than a bare indemnification for the Losses the States have suffered incomparably greater than those of England Notwithstanding all this your Majesty has not only refused to accept all these advantageous Conditions which may convince you of the sincere Desire the States have for a Peace But further were not pleased to be satisfied with those other Proposals so disadvantageous to the States offered you by the Mediation of France which they never consented to Besides your Majesty would never make or order any one to make the least Overture on your Side of any Conditions upon which you pretended to enter into Negotiation with the States And tho' you have been pleased to testifie to our Ambassadour That you desired nothing so heartily as Peace yet you would never determine to make choice of any means by which it might be attained or explain your Mind clearly thereupon either to him or to the other Mediators We are persuaded there is no Christian Prince in Europe who would not chuse rather at all times to prefer the Sweetness of a good Peace before the Mischiefs of a Cruel War how just soever it may be and we make thereupon the same Judgment of your Majesty's Sentiments since you exercise the same Religion with us But reflecting upon your Majesty's manner of dealing with our Ambassador in contempt even of those advantageous Propositions made you by the French Ambassadours tho' they were altogether contrary to the true Interests of our State in that you would never vouchsafe to make any advances that might serve for a Ground for us to treat upon together we thought then that our Ambassadour could no longer stay in the Court of England without Injury to the Reputation of the State and therefore have thought fit to recal him and that so much the rather because by recalling yours has been pleased to let us know you would not take it ill at our Hands This shall not hinder but that we shall ever retain a sincere desire to come to a good Accommodation as soon as we shall have Opportunity to do it in conjunction with our Allies In the mean while we shall wait the time till it shall please God to inspire your Majesty with such Sentiments as may dispose you to declare what your will is and what are the Conditions that may reconcile us that we may stop and prevent the Effusion of so much Christian Blood which is now spilt and still ready to be spilt in this unhappy Quarrel We can say That we shall not be responsible for it since both before and since the Rupture we have done all we could imagine to be just and reasonable and that could be expected from us and that we are still actually in the same Mind and yet without ever having been able hitherto to find out what your Majesty's Intention is upon that Subject We will therefore wait till you have more Inclination for Peace but yet it were to be wisht you would be brought to those good Thoughts of your own accord without staying till the Mischiefs and Disasters that are now ready to afflict Christendom inspire them into you We pray God to avert them and to take Sir your Majesty's Sacred Person into his holy Protection The Threats made by the French Ambassadours at Oxford to the King of England were soon followed by a Declaration of War from that Crown For Mr. Van Beuningen Ambassadour from the States at the Court of France had a long time before powerfully sollicited them to declare by vertue of the Treaty of Alliance concluded in the Month of April 1662. with the Vnited Provinces urging them out of Hand to unite their Forces with those of the States against the King of Great Britain the Violater of the Peace Upon which the Most Christian King being easily Persuaded that the best way for him to bend the King of England to a pliable Temper to him and to make his Ends upon both Nations was to declare War against the English in that Juncture published the following Declaration The French King's Declaration of War against England HIS Majesty being informed there was some mis-understanding between England and the United Provinces gave order to his Ambassadors in ordinary to employ all imaginable care in his name to endeavour to stifle all those troubles in their birth and having with displeasure heard that things were carried to that extremity as to come to a Rupture his Majesty sent Extraordinary Ambassadors to the King of Great Britain to endeavour by new Instances to pacifie those two powers and induce them to come to some Accommodations but his mediation had not all the success that was to be wisht for In the mean while the States General of the United Provinces strongly soliciting his Majesty to execute the Treaty of a defensive Alliance concluded the 7th of April 1662 between the States and his said Majesty the King finding himself thereupon obliged to perform his Royal Word and the Engagements into which he entred by an Authentick League in a time when England and Holland were as yet in good understanding together and out of all appearance of a Rupture his Majesty has declared and does declare by these presents signed with his own hand that he is resolved to assist the said States General of the United Provinces in pursuance of the said Treaty of a defensive League and to joyn all his Forces to theirs in Order to Act joyntly with them against the English as well by Sea as by Land And for that effect his Majesty Commands expresly all his Subjects and Ships to attack and fight the English forbidding them on pain of death to have any Communication Commerce or Intelligence with them And for those ends His Majesty has revoked and does revoke all permissions Pass-ports Safe-guards or safe-Conducts which may have been granted by him or by his Lieutenants General and other Officers contrary to these presents declaring them null and of no effect forbidding all to whom they shall come to have any regard to them And his Majesty commands the Duke of Beaufort Peer of France Great Master Chief and Super-intendent General of Marine Affairs and of the Commerce of France and likewise to the Marshals of France
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
the more effectual putting in execution all manner of Acts of Hostility against the said French King his Ships or Subjects we hereby most expresly forbid all our Subjects to hold any Correspondence with them upon pain of death excepting those who shall be forced so to do to get their Goods safe out of the Enemies Country And whereas there are in our Kingdom a great Number of the Subjects of France and of the United Provinces we hereby Declare and give our Royal Word that all Persons of the said Nations which shall submit to our Obedience without holding any intelligence with our Enemies whatsoever they be shall be defended and protected in their Goods and Persons And moreover we declare that all French or Dutch Subjects who out of love to our Government or by reason of the Calamities they may be made to suffer in their own Country shall retire into our Kingdom for refuge shall be favoured with our protection as well in their Goods as Persons and especially those of the Reformed Religion whose Interests we shall ever dearly tender c. In the mean while the French being as they are always diligent in making their preparations put out their Fleet to Sea at the very beginning of April consisting of 30 Men of War 12 Galliots and 10 Fire-ships who were joined with 6 of the States ships under the Command of Gedeon Verburg and Captain Ooms The Duke of Beauford Admiral of France had orders from the King his Master to enter the Channel and join the Holland Fleet. And accordingly appearing upon the Coasts of England he put them in alarm and made a descent in several places and carried off a few sheep and some other small Booty which was all the service he did the Hollanders whom he never joined or the harm he did the English whom he nevea fought save only that by sculking about and keeping the Enemy in fears however that he would join the Dutch he caused the English to divide their Force and send a part after him where he was not to be found and so gave opportunity to the Hollanders to batter and distress the other part with their whole Force and to obtain such an advantage over the English as they could never do when their Forces were United And the Hollanders paid dear for that advantage too for under pretence of their small services in that War the French cunningly wheedled them to build them a great Number of men of War with which they afterwards scourged them at Palermo The English and Hollanders both in so pressing an occasion had great need of Seamen to perfect the Compliments of their ships which obliged the English to consent to the Exchange of Prisoners man for man which they would never be perswaded to do before by all the Instances and Sollicitations the Dutch could make for that effect But because the Number of the Dutch Prisoners in England was much greater than that of the English in the United Provinces tho many of the former perisht by the Plague Famine and other Hardships they were made to suffer they drew them out by Lot which they that got were delivered and those that met with Blanks remained in Captivity and Misery A little time after viz. On the 1st of May War was likewise declared against the English by sound of Trumpet at Bergen in Norway by order of the King of Denmark In the mean while the English having used all the diligence imaginable to get their Navy Equipt put it to Sea about the end of May which consisted of 81 men of War 21085 men and 4460 Guns and was divided into 3 Great Squadrons the first of which being the Red one was Commanded by Prince Robert and General Monk The White Squadron was Conducted by Sir George Ayschew and the Blew one by Sir Thomas Allen. As soon as the Holland Fleet had advice that the English Navy was at Sea they weigh'd Anchor on the 1st of June being then 96 sail strong of men of War and carrying 4716 Guns and 20642 men and was Commanded in chief by Lieutenant Admiral de Ruiter And on the 11th of June the two Fleets met and fought that celebrated Battle of 4 days the memory of which ought to be preserved to all posterity as well for the unexampled Bravery of the English tho' overpowered by Numbers because divided in Force as for the dear bought advantage of the Hollanders in it which yet was far from meriting the name of a Victory tho' State policy required it should be bragged of and proclaimed Abroad as one no less than of the most Absolute sort How the Dutch Reported of that Famous Action may be seen by the following Letters and Relations whereof the first is A Letter written to the College of the Admiralty of Amsterdam by Hondius Captain on board Lieutenant Admiral Tromp and dated the 12th of June New stile from Goree whither the Ship Hollandia in which he was was brought in after the fight ON the 11th of June at the break of day being come to an Anchor to the North-West-ward and at 9 or 10 miles distance from Ostend our Advanced guards that were detach'd to go out to discover the Enemy came back to the Fleet and brought us word that the English Navy was to the Windward of us and a little after we saw 10 of their scout-Ships who as soon as they had viewed us tacked about and steered back to the North-west-ward to rejoyn their Grand Fleets The wind being turn'd to the South-West and South-West and a Quarter to the West begun to grow high and the Sea to swell In the mean time all was ready for giving the English battle and our Ships faced those of the Enemy that were to the Wind-ward After noon we perceived the Enemies Fleet consisting of about 70 men of War making directly towards us At that time we were as I have said still at Anchor and because the Wind was high and the Sea was somewhat rough we thought the English had the Weather-gage and would likewise come and cast Anchor but they instead of that after they had faced our Fleet a while fell to rights upon us which hapning whilst we were busy in unmooring and had our Anchors yet but half up we were forced to cut our Cables in all haste because the Enemy was already come within Cannon shot of us without losing time then we hoisted our Main-Sails and saluted the Vice Admiral of the White who was on our right hand with some Guns and then the Enemy begun to fire likewise they which were nearest us answering us each of them with a broad side Our Fleet but especially the Squadrons of the Lieutenant Admirals Evertsz and de Vries which according to the Order given were to have been to the Wind-ward were fallen to Leeward and were the hindermost of all the Fleet But a little while after upon a Signal we made to them to follow us in their due rank they advanced
Texel which was the Place of their Rendezvous And the four others as we have already related were burnt or sunk in the Fight making in all with a light Frigat of the Meuse that had served the Fleet as an Advice-Yacht the number of 85 Men of War that composed the Fleet besides Fireships and Tenders when it came out of the Texel Whereas on the contrary we hear That the Remainder of the English Fleet retired in Disorder into the nearest Harbours and the most of them into Harwich To this let us add for conclusion That the Vnited Provinces have all the reason in the World to thank God for blessing their Arms with so signal a Victory since without counting in those Ships of the Enemies that were burnt or sunk of which the Dutch Officers had no Knowledge the English Fleet was weakened with the Loss of 23 Men of War taken or destroyed by the Hollanders among which were an Admiral and a Vice-Admiral Whereas on the side of the Vnited Provinces there are counted but 4 lost neither did there remain any thing in the Hands of the English after a Battle of 4 Days that could shew the least Advantage they had gotten over the Hollanders that could diminish the Glory of the Victory that was so justly due to them This was the Relation publish'd by the States of the memorable Battle of 4 Days the Bloodiest and most terrible one certainly that ever was fought at Sea But the unexpected speedy coming out of the English Fleet again in little above 6 Weeks after with much greater Strength than before and with several of those Ships said to have been lost took off very much from the Credit of the abovesaid Relation how Authentick soever it had appeared before However that dear-bought Advantage which they called a Victory was so much the greater on the Hollanders side because their Allies the French were not there to share with them in it but only decoying away a considerable part of the English Forces to hunt after them where they were resolved not to be found had left the Dutch the fair Opportunity with their whole Force to fall upon little more than half the English Royal Navy For notwithstanding all the fair Promises France had made to joyn their Fleet to that of the States and the mighty Hopes they had given them of their great Designs they all vanisht into Smoak the French having no other Design at the Bottom as has been already hinted and has since more visibly appeared but to get their Ships built to procure Men skilful in Naval Architecture and to learn the way of Sea-Fight which they effected first by striking in with the Dutch and afterwards perfected by wheedling the King of England which has proved since to the Smart of both Nations In a Word as to the Fighting Part the French left the Dutch to cope alone with the Maritime Forces of England as they did in a following War the English to deal with those of Holland tho' to hinder England from putting forth its full Strength they were pleased to appear with their Fleet to be Spectators of the Fray in which they were sure to be Winners whosoever lost But to return again to our direct Subject it may be said That under God the undaunted Courage and wise Conduct of Lieutenant Admiral de Ruiter had the greatest Share in what Advantage was gotten in that fierce Battle against the Potent and Warlike who tho' outnumbred and overpowered yet fought so obstinately that they would in all probability have ravished the Victory from a less expert and valiant Chieftain than he For he ranged his People in Battle with so much Judgment and made them fight in such admirable Order that in spite of the most desperate Efforts the Enemies could make to break his Squadrons it was impossible for them to effect their Purpose For that Great Man was observed with an indefatigable Care to encourage his Captains and Seamen and influence them to make his Fleet tack and wheel about with such nimble and well-timed Motions that at the least signal he was immediately obeyed and thereby lost no opportunity to charge the Enemies where there was any prospect of advantage But his Courage appeared in its Chiefest Lustre when he had occasion to break into the heart of the Enemies Fleet to relieve any of his Ships and Commanders that were distressed and surrounded by them so that by his presence and the good Order he gave every where and in every thing he from the very beginning of the fight did all that could be done to trace out himself a way to Victory Neither was the bravery of Lieutenant Admiral Tromp less Admirable than that of de Ruiter considering his undaunted boldness in breaking in among the Enemies and in exposing himself so much to the most imminent dangers that he was several times forced to change his Ship At the sight of his Flag the Enemies seldom failed soon to turn Tail and fly looking upon him to be the scourge of their Arms. And because his Flag had been put up in several other Ships he was forced to remove into during the fight the English askt whether there were five or six Tromp's in the Holland Fleet or no For indeed it may be said he was in a manner every where never recoiling but being often enclosed in the midst of the Enemies Squadrons enduring the greatest fire of their Guns by the terrible and frequent broad sides they let flie at him The rest of the Officers of the Fleet both General and Inferiour strove likewise with Emulation which should give the most signal marks of their Courage in that fierce Engagement However the gaining of that Battle cost the Hollanders the Blood and Lives of a great many brave men who died there in the Bed of Honour viz. Cornelius Evertsz Vice Admiral Vander Hulst Rear Admiral Staghouwer the Captains Otho Van Treslong Solomonsz Jansz Vttenhout Wouter Wyngaarden Adam Hourtuin Simon Bink and about 800 Seamen or Soldiers The Number of the wounded amounted to 11 or 1200 amongst whom was Captain Vikrot who died a little while after at Hoorne But the loss of the English was as we have said related to be incomparably greater there being reckoned to be about 6000 men killed amongst whom were the Vice Admirals Sir Wil. Barkley and Sir Christopher Mings and several Captains And about 3000 English were made Prisoners that were either saved out of the ships that were sunk or else found on board those that were taken Besides which the Holland Accounts reckon them to have lost 23 men of War whereof 17 were said to be burnt or sunk and the other 6 viz. the Swiftsure the Loyal George the Levenwolden and the Couvertyne were carried into Goree and the Essex and the Nagelboom into the Texel Amongst other remarkable passages in that fight the undaunted Resolution of Vice-Admiral Barkley was much admired who having 40 men killed on board him and being no
Vollies of small shot The Town of Brussels was the only place that lookt upon all that with an evil Eye For the Mobb getting together near the Dutch Resident Sasburg's house committed a thousand insolences and because they were hindred from pulling down the Scaffolds set up for some Fire works they were so Transported with Rage and Fury that they fell upon the house of the Resident crying out Long live the King of Spain and the King of England and those Mutineers continued their insolences till the Marquess of Castel Rodrigo Governour of the Low-Countries reduced them to their duty with a Body of Horse after which he made excuses to the States Testifying to them how sensibly displeased he was that he was not able to prevent all those disorders On the 5th of July were performed the Funerals of Lieutenant Admiral Cornelius Evertsz and Vice Admiral Vander Hulst to whom great honours were paid The latter of them was interr'd in the Old Church at Amsterdam where a Marble Tomb was erected with his Statue at the publick charge in Memory of his great Actions And his Epitaph was engraven on a Table of Black Marble in these Terms in Dutch Ter Onsterlijker gedachtenis van den Ed. Manhaften Zeeheld Abraham Vander Hulst Vice-Admiral van Holland en West Friesland gebooren tot Amsterdam den 9 April MDCXIX Here rust by dio niet Rusten kon Eer by Zijn Vyand overwon Om Hoog lieft by en Vreugden In Marmor door Ziin deugden Anno 1666. Of which the Sense in Englsh is this To the immortal Memory of the Illustrious Hero Abraham Vander Hulst Vice-Admiral of Holland and West-Friesland Born at Amsterdam April 9. 1619. He that never had any rest till he had vanquished his Enemies now rests here He lives in Heaven in perfect Felicity and upon this Marble by his Vertues Anno 1666. Lieutenant-Admiral John Evertsz whose Conduct had appear'd suspicious and whom the States to appease the incensed People had order'd to quit his Employment for a time would needs sollicite for a re-establishment after the death of his Brother and for that effect he writ to the States of Zealand representing to them That he passionately wish'd he might be permitted to render his Services to his Country as he had done before in quality of Lieutenant-Admiral of that Province That he ardently desir'd to sacrifice his Life for the Publick Interest in so pressing an Occasion as that as his Father four of his Brothers and one of his Sons had done before him with so much Glory who all had the Happiness to die in the Service of the State with their Arms in their Hands after they had signaliz'd themselves in many Battels The States of Zealand making Reflection upon his consummate Experience in Sea-affairs and the undaunted Courage and good Conduct he had shewn in several Battels and even in the very last Years Fight according to the unanimous Testimony of all the Officers of the Fleet granted his Demands as being perswaded that at a time when they had lost so many great Men this Gentleman might do good Services to his Country by succeeding them And accordingly having propos'd it in the Assembly of the States-General they consented to it The States Fleet being got ready to put to Sea again and being 60 sail strong of Men of War or Frigats unmoor'd on the 5th of July from Wielingen under the Conduct of Admiral de Ruiter and some regular Land-Troops drawn out of the Garrisons were privately march'd beforehand to be embark'd on board some Transport-ships which were design'd to make a Descent And all the whole Fleet being thus advanced over against Schoonevelt was reinforced with 5 Men of War and 7 Frigats besides another Reinforcement they receiv d some days after by the arrival of Lieutenant-Admiral Tromp and some other general Officers out of the Meuse or the Texel The great diligence and expedition that was used to get betimes to Sea and to prevent the English made them conceive great Hopes of Success for they promised themselves to be able to surprize the Enemies to enter into the River of Thames or Harwich to make some considerable havock there and destroy the Enemy's Fleet or at least to make some Descent But they were mightily surpriz'd when they saw those People whom they thought they had maul'd and weaken'd beyond a recovery for that Year appear of a sudden towards Diep Royal with a Fleet of no less than 88 sail of Men of War or Frigats 13 Fireships 20 Advice-Yatchts besides Transport-ships so that the English Fleet who had had Advice of the setting out of the Holland Fleet knew so well how to secure themselves of all the Posts where any Descent could be made by placing there both Horse and Foot that they quite broke all the Designs of the Hollanders who saw themselves thereby disabled to attempt any thing for want of good Sounders The Dutch Fleet was divided into three Squadrons the first of which was under the immediate Conduct of Lieutenant-Admiral General de Ruiter the second under the Lieutenant-Admirals Evertsz and Tierke Hiddes de Vries and the third was commanded by the Lieutenant-Admirals Tromp and Van Meppel and in that order they kept the mouth of the Thames shut up till the first day of August and then the English Fleet being 90 sail strong taking advantage of the Tide came out of the River in sight of the Dutch Fleet which gave place to them because de Ruiter was afraid of running aground upon the Coasts of England and so had done all he could to make his Fleet sheer off to a convenient distance from it that he might give no Advantage to the Enemy so near their own Coasts And as it hapned 't was a great Happiness for the Dutch Fleet they had done so for the next day the Wind rising high was follow'd with a furious Tempest of Thunder Lightning and a great Rain but which lasted not very long the next day viz. the 4th of August the two hostile Fleets anchor'd pretty near one-another and passed all the Night in presence one of the other The English Navy commanded by General Monk was composed of 90 sail of Men of War and 20 Fireships and was likewise divided into three Squadrons viz. the White Squadron commanded by Sir Thomas Allen the Red one under the Conduct of General Monk and the Blew one commanded by Sir Jeremy Smith The fight begun about noon next day and was so very disastrous to the Hollanders that it render'd almost for ever ireconcilable the two greatest Men for Sea-affairs that ever the Ocean bore or that ever the Vnited Provinces had to command their Fleets I mean de Ruiter and Tromp Whether it were that that Misunderstanding proceeded from the Jealousie Tromp had conceived by reason of the States conferring upon de Ruiter the chief Command of the Fleet at his return from Guiney or whether Providence that presided over all Events had a mind to conceal from
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
and Vice-Admiral Evertsz and Star were sent towards the North-Foreland to hinder the English from coming in on that side In the mean while this strange and indirect proceeding of the States Forces made a great change in the Negotiation for Peace that was managing at Breda For the States Plenipotentiaries stuck not to say That the advantages their Arms had newly obtained might perhaps make their Masters alter their minds That however they consented to conclude a Peace upon the conditions that had been presented but that they could not answer for its Ratification And that it was not to be imagined the States and their Allies should stand to the offers that had been made if God contâ—nued to bless their Arms with new Conquests The Dutch Aiming by that Declaration to oblige the English to make choice of one or the other of the propositions that had been made them viz. That each party should either render back Reciprocally what they had taken or else keep on both sides what they had And the King of England's Plenipotentiaries appeared likewise much more inclinable to Peace than they had done before and the Differences as well with the States as with the Kings of France and Denmark were at last terminated on the 10th of July save only that Mr. Coventry one of His Britannick Majesty's Plenipotentiaries was obliged to go back with all speed to London to get some points agreed to which it was not in their power to decide The news of a Conclusion of the Peace was brought to the Fleet the 14th of the same month and yet because it was not fully ratified such was then the insolence of the then Lovestenian Government for which they afterwards paid dear that orders were sent for all that next day to de Ruiter to continue still to do all the mischief he could upon the English Coasts because the Peace was not yet fully concluded Upon that advice the Fleet was divided the same day into 2 Squadrons whereof 1 under the Command of Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes was ordered to block up the River of Thames and the other under the Command of de Ruiter in person Quitted the Thames to go a cruizing along the Channel to infest the several Ports of the Kingdom there On the 18th de Ruiter's Squadron passed the Strait of Callis and the next day advanced right against the Singels without meeting any Ship But the English Barbado's and Smirna Fleets which they had flattered themselves with the hopes of taking were got safe into Port before they could reach them Seeing then they had mist their desired prey they resolved next to attack Torbay where there were 2 Merchant Ships Which enterprize put all the Coasts of England so much the more in alarm because de Ruiter having divided his Squaron into several bodies made them appear in several places at one time which so perplext the English that they knew not which way to bend their Force to hinder a descent On the 8th of August having received a Reinforcement of 7 men of War and 8 Fire-Ships he sailed as far as Plymouth upon advice he had received that a good Number of English men of War were there assembling The next day towards evening a Boat came out of Plymouth carrying a White Flag which came directly to de Ruiter to tell him the News of a Peace There were in it two English Colonels accompanied with two other Gentlemen who came on board the Admiral and told him that Peace was Concluded between England and the United Provinces after which they made him great protestations of Amity praying him to order all Acts of Hostility to cease They complained at the same time of the fight that had newly hapned on the Thames between Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes and some of the King's Ships and how that contrary to the Peace many of their Ships had been endamaged and several Fire-Ships burnt to Ashes c. But de Ruiter without taking any notice of all those Compliments thought not fit to discontinue his Enterprize as believing the States would not have failed to have informed him of so great a piece of News if things had been really so as the English pretended Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes having received orders from the States to remount the River of London and to go and attack the English men of War and Fire-Ships that were in the Hope and to keep the English in a perpetual alarm set sail accordingly with his Squadron on the 2d of August and found there Admiral Spragg with 5 Frigats 17 Fire-Ships and a great many small Vessels The principal Circumstances of the fight that hapned between them on that occasion are Related in the following Letter written by Lieutenant Admiral Van Meppelen who led the Vanguard A fight in the Thames between Admiral Sprag and the Dutch Squadron under Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes. UPon the advice we had that 5 of the King's Frigats whereof the biggest carried 54 Guns 16 or 18 Fire-Ships and a good Number of small Vessels were riding a little below Gravesend we resolved to go and attack them I led the Van and Captain Naalhout was Commanded with 8 Fire-Ships to go and begin the attack I following him close with five men of War and was backed by Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes. At our approach the Enemies hoisted their Sails and staid in their post till we came near their Fire-Ships that were at Anchor we prest them so closely that some of them in a fit of despair cut their Anchor-Cables and retired towards the King's Frigats who likewise began to flie Captain Naalhout fell upon them with so much Courage that he forced them to veer back towards their Fire-Ships who enclosed them so round and kept so close to them that it was Difficult to come near any of them Then a Calm coming on the small English Vessels fired so many shot at our Fire-Ships that we were forced to quit some of them after we had set fire to them and there were two of them set on fire and burnt by the Guns of the English But as soon as the Wind began to rise a little they all betook themselves to flight and we chaced them as far as under the very Fort of Gravesend which fired fiercely upon us with its Cannon We Anchored with our whole Squadron in the same place from which we had chased them and we lost in that Action 11 Fire-Ships so that there was but one left us and the English lost 7. On the next day being the 3d. of August we perceived the Enemies coming down the River and making towards us We therefore quitted our post and as we were retiring because the only Fire-Ship we had left run a ground and that it was impossible to save it we set it on fire towards Evening The English were already got very near us with their Fire-Ships we received them vigorously and both sides continued firing at one another till we cast Anchor and then the
English quitted us The next day we advanced so fast that by the good Conduct of Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes we were out of danger of running a ground However the English left not off following us in Hopes to burn the first of our Ships that should have run aground But we gave them chace again about the dusk of the Evening On the 5th of August in the morning we descried 21 Sail making towards us with a fresh East-North-East Gale which we easily discovered to be the English come out of Harwich They had 5 Frigats 14 Fire-Ships and 2 Galliots Whereupon Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes held a Council and it was resolved we should cast Anchor and manfully to stand the Enemies shock in spite of the danger we exposed our selves to of losing some Ships As soon as they got near enough to us the first motion they made was to come and fall upon Captain Naalhout to endeavour to burn him but he hastily weighing up his Anchor vigorously Repulsed two Fire-Ships that were coming to grapple him and escaped as 't were by Miralce The Rear-Admiral of Zealand was very near being burnt but he escaped the danger by Repulsing the Fire-Ship with his Guns The Number of Fire-Ships that were destroyed as well on the English as the Dutch side was very near equal After that Rencounter Lieutenant Admiral Van Nes returned to his post to keep the River blockt up as he had done before A Peace was at last Concluded the last day of July And Admiral de Ruiter having received advice that the Ratifications were exchanged on both sides the 25th of the same month and thereupon the Peace was accordingly Proclaimed ordered all Acts of Hostility to cease Such was the end of the Second War the United Provinces had with England which was terminated indeed by a Peace but such a one alas that was but of small duration since scarce had those two Powers laid down their Arms but they were forced to take them up again as will appear in the sequel of our History THE LIFE OF Cornelius Tromp Lieutenant Admiral of Holland and of West-Friesland The Fourth BOOK HOlland and its Allies began now to tast the Fruits of Peace and in Order to make it the more firm and durable England Swedeland The Tripple League and the United Provinces entred into a strict Alliance together at the beginning of the Year 1668. The States foreseeing that France would not fail to conceive an Umbrage at it and that Ambitious Crown being Jealous at all the precautions taken by those Powers for their own security might afterwards perhaps endeavour to seek its Revenge upon some of them thought it necessary to secure themselves from that danger by Uniting themselves more strictly with England which they did by a Defensive Alliance with Sir William Temple Ambassador from his Britannick Majesty at the Hague The first good effect that Tripple-Alliance produced was to put a stop to the rapid Course of the usurpations of France in the Low-Countries by setting bounds to its Ambition For the French King knew so well how to make his advantage of the late War between England and Holland which he had fomented for his own ends that he took that opportunity to surprize the weak Spaniards then under an infant King and to wrest several important places from them in the Low-Countries contrary to the Faith of the Treaties on foot between the two Crowns But the Triple-Alliance forced him to lay down his Arms so that on the 2d of May a Peace was Concluded between France and Spain at Aix la Chappelle After that the French King being much disgusted at the Conduct of the States never left off to seek out occasion to shew his fierce Resentment The first step he thought fit to make towards it was to endeavour to break the Famous and by him so much dreaded Tripple-Alliance by dividing the Princes that were engag'd in it The disgracefull Ravages and Spoils the Hollanders had so unfairly committed on the English Coasts but chiefly at Chattam at a time of a Treaty of Peace as likewise some new difficulties about Navigation and Commerce furnisht him with a hopefull pretence enough to work withal upon the King of England there wanted only a dextrous Person to be chosen that might be fit to perswade his Britannick Majesty And as the French have always been successfull in employing the Ministery of Females in their most important Negotiations because they are more insinuating and flatter generally with a more powerfull and irresistible influence than men so accordingly the Dutchess of Orleans Sister to that Prince was pitcht upon to pass to the Court of England to manage that nice affair She set out then in the month of June 1670 1670. accompanied with a great many French Lords under pretence of making a visit to the King her Brother The States were not long before they perceived what blow the French were designing at them For they well enough foresaw that the Voyage of the Dutchess was intended only to break the Tripple-League And they had certain Advice that the French King was preparing to march with a powerfull Army towards Dunkirk early in the Spring besides all that they made no Difficulty to say publickly at Stockholm that if the French King should attack the United Provinces upon any other pretence than that of the Triple League that Swedeland would not be obliged to assist them The French Court without declaring themselves openly had already begun to Commit a sort of Hostility by laying excessive imposts upon all Dutch Merchandizes imported into that Kingdom The States having Complained of it several times with no effect resolved at last to retaliate that usage by forbidding the importing any Brandy or French Manufactures into their Dominions hoping by that means to oblige the most Christian King to alter his proceedings And because the march of the French Army towards Dunkirk put them in some apprehension for the Low-Countries the States resolved also to have a powerfull Fleet at Sea under the Command of Admiral de Ruiter both to secure their Commerce and to observe the motions of the French And besides they Sollicited England likewise to put a Fleet to Sea to joyn with theirs according to the obligations of the Tripple-League But King Charles gave them already to understand that he had quite different aims On the 8th of June 1671. de Ruiter sailed out of the Mense with some men of War towards Ostend near which place his Fleet was to Rendesvouz It consisted of 46 men of War 10 Advice-Yachts and 6 Fire-Ships It carried 2379 Guns 8090 Seamen and 2768 Soldiers and was divided into 3 Squadrons the first under the immediate Command of de Ruiter the second under that of Lieutenant Admiral Bankert and the third under the Conduct of Lieutenant-Admiral de Gent. Whilst the Fleet was cruizing upon the Coasts of the Netherlands it was on the 20th of August overtaken with a violent
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
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
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
of the King of Spain of the States General and of his Highness the Prince of Orange after which he returned to the Town On the 31st Admiral Tromp and all the General Officers of the Fleet were received at Cadiz with all imaginable Honours For the Governour came on Foot followed by his Coach and conducted him to his Palace where he was treated with much Magnificence which was further exprest by the Discharge of all the Cannon after which he went to the Dutch Consuls where he was likewise received with great Honour and returned the same Evening on Board the Admiral-Ship On the 11th of the Month of August the Count de Ho n don Bernardo de Salinas and Mr. de Sommersdyk went to Madrid where they were received by the Queen of Spain with great Marks of Friendship The Subject of their Journey was to confer with the chief Ministers of that Crown and to concert with them what was most adviseable for the Fleet to attempt against the Coast of Provence On the 1st of September they returned again to Cadiz and were received there with all the Honours that could be exprest On the 5th there were publick Rejoycings and Bonefires were made all over the Town and a great Number of Candles put up in Lanthorns in every Ship in the Fleet to celebrate the Victory obtained at Seneffe by the Prince of Orange which in the Darkness of the Night made the most delightful Spectacle in the World Several whole Rounds of Cannon both from the Castles and Fleet likewise discharged which loudly proclaimed the Universal Joy conceived at those early and hopeful Successes of the Prince On the 6th the Dutch Smirna Fleet arrived in the Grand Fleet and on the 7th they weighed Anchor and past the Straits in the Night with Design to advance higher into the Mediterranean but the Approach of the Winter and some contrary Orders Tromp received broke off the Designs that had been projected to be put in Execution there which obliged Tromp to quit the Mediterranean on the 1st of November from whence on the 4th of December he arrived at the Texel After that Expedition the Fleet disarmed The Reputation Tromp had gained in the World was then so great that he was lookt upon to be the greatest Man at Sea of his Time And the King of England himself had conceived so much Esteem for him The King of England invites Tromp to the English Court. that he passionately desired to see him and for that Effect gave Order to the Earls of Arlington and Ossory who had been some while at the Hague To desire him on his part to be pleased to pass the Seas and to go and stay some Weeks at the Court of England Tromp accordingly disposed himself to answer the Honour done him by that Prince and on the 12th of January set Sail with 3 Yachts that waited for him at his Departure he was saluted with several Guns as well from the Brill as from the Yachts appointed for his Transportation The Prince of Orange in Person accompanied him as far as the Brill and gave him all the imaginable Marks of the high Esteem he had conceived of his great Merit On the 16th of the Month he arrived at London The Duke of York Dukes of Monmouth and Buckingham with all the Grandees of the Kingdom went to meet him and did him the greatest Honours imaginable The Curiosity of the People of England was so great to see him That the Streets were so thronged with People that there was hardly any passing And appearing once at the Royal Exchange there presently crowded in such a Multitude of People that the Change as spacious as it was was not able to contain them The King of England to Honour the Virtue and Worth of one of the Greatest men at Sea that ever Holland bred Tromp made a Baron by the King of England tho' he had been his Enemy and had gotten most of his Reputation in Sea-Battles fought between the English and Dutch Fleets would needs however raise him to the quality of a Baron and make it Hereditary to his Family so that in default of Heirs male it should fall to his Brother Harpetsz Tromp Burger Master of Delft and after him to his issue male and upon failure of them to his third Brother Adrian Tromp a Captain of a Ship in the Service of the States General And accordingly Letters Patents were immediately expedited for that effect by the Lord High Chancellour of the Kingdom after which Tromp took his leave of his Majesty who presented him at parting with his picture enricht with Diamonds and so departed towards the end of February and returned to Holland The French King finding himself deserted by his own Allies the Electour of Cologne A new War in the North. and Bishop of Munster who after the Example of England had made likewise a separate Peace with the United Provinces used all his Artifices to procure some new Alliances by which he might attain his end which was to be able to Revenge himself upon those who had left him so unexpectedly in the Lurch His Quick-scented Policy presently suggested to him that if he could find means to kindle a War between the Potentates of the North his work were done and he would thereby give a powerfull diversion to the arms of those Princes that were come in to the assistance of the Hollanders The Court of Swedeland seemed to him the most proper to be wrought upon to favour his enterprizes because of the long Alliance that had been between that Crown and France Mr. de Fenquieres was therefore dispatcht away in quality of Ambassadour Extraordinary from the most Christian King to the Crown of Swedeland and so prevailed by his sollicitations upon the corrupt Ministers there and the young experienced easy King that he perswaded them to a Rupture so that General Wrangel drawing together the Swedish Army in Pomerania fell suddenly upon the Territories of the Electour of Brandenburg and was so successfull at his first on-set that he soon gained the passes of Lokkowits Zedenik and Bernaw and made himself Master of Landsbergen of the new and old Rupin and of Kopenigh Upon the news of which sudden Progress the Electour of Brandenburg justly fearing the Swedes if not timely and vigorously opposed might push their successes much further and at length strip him of all his Dominions went in all haste to the Hague where in the month of May an Alliance was concluded between the King of Denmark the Electour of Brandenburg the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburg and the United Provinces by which all those powers engaged themselves mutually to assist each other against the arms of France and Swedeland and amongst other things it was stipulated that the States for their part should Equip out 9 men of War to be sent into the Sound into the Service of the Electour of Brandenburg On the 18th of June following the States declared open
near the Isle In the mean while the Swedes kept firing at the Fleet from a Battery of 10 great Guns and yet in all that time killed but 2 Persons which is very remarkable On the 23d at break of day Admiral Juel having left his own Fleet came on board the Elector to inform him that the Danes had taken post the day before near Wittaw Upon that advice the Elector gave order to his people to weigh Anchor that he might not give time to Count Koningsmark to attack the Danes before their Junctions with his Troops About noon the Calm begun again so that to make the more haste they were forced to tow the men of War forward with boats when they drew near the shore the Troops made use of Pikes and Shovels instead of Oars to get to Land with the more haste Nay some of them jumpt into the Sea up to the neck in water and waded to shore because they would be there the foremost and the first to give proofs of their Bravery At the approach of the Danes the Swedish Horse shewed themselves on the high grounds and Count Koningsmark caused some pieces of Cannon to be advanced resolved to fire briskly from them upon the Brandenburgers before they should recover the disorder their Landing would necessarily put them in But seeing them so nimbly get into Battle array and that they had already got Cannon with them ashore he ordered his men to quit the Post where they were placed so that the Electors whole Army consisting of 4000 men made a descent without any opposition from the Swedes and without having above two men killed and one wounded Marshal Dorfling as soon as he was Landed took with him all the Horse that were yet disembarkt and fell to pursuing the Swedes and 200 Horse of them having charged 8 Batalions of the Enemies their consternation was so extream that they turned tail soon after There were taken that day about 200 Prisoners Count Koningsmark seeing his affairs going down the Wind was minded to use Circumspection and thought it high time to rally together the Relicks of his dispersed and dispirited Forces and accordingly he assembled them together in one body and advanced with them towards the old Fort with design to pass from thence to Straelsund in case of necessity But in the mean while General Dorfling who followed him close at the heels marcht with that diligence that the next day he â—epresented himself before that place The Swedes were extreamly surprized to see him there and because he observed they were busy in embarking themselves to get away to Straelsund Dorfling ordered a Body of 500 men under the Command of Major General Schoning to advance along the shore side and put himself at the head of them with his drawn sword in his hand to charge them And whilst they attackt the Swedes on one side a part of their Cavalry lighted from their Horses and attackt them on another so that the place was taken by assault A great Number of Swedes were put to the Sword in the first heat of the attack and 900 Foot and 500 Horse were made Prisoners Count Koningsmark after he had signalized himself and done as much as man could do leapt into a Boat and got away from the Victors presently after some Regiments were Commanded to go and attack the New Fort but when the Cannon begun to batter the Ramparts the Garrison that were Germans mutinied and forced their Officers to set open the Gates to the Brandenburgers Such was the destiny of a Fortress which the Danes had not been able to take and which yet surrendred at last without any resistance to the Arms of the Elector of Brandenburg The Isle of Danholm being afterwards attackt by 2000 men submitted likewise to the obedience of the Trumphant Arms of the same Elector All those happy successes were followed by the supplemental addition of the Town of Straelsund where Count Koningsmark was retreated with the shattered relicks of his Army which consisted of 1600 Horse and 600 Musketeers which yet after noble and stout resistance made by the valour and Conduct of the said Count worthy to have served a more fortunate cause was taken This last Conquest was so much glorious for the Arms of his Electoral Highness because that place was counted one of the important ones of all Germany Admiral Tromp after he had assisted at all the Conquests in the North where he acquired a very great Reputation Returned at length into his own Country Honoured with the Glorious Titles of Baron Knight and Count conferred upon him by two Great Kings in admiration of his incomparable Merit The Place ensued soon after and some Family considerations besides some particular and private Discontents obliged him at length to quit the Sea and the publick Service till the Year 1691. And then a Mighty War arising between France and England the United Provinces and most of the Princes of Europe he was lookt upon as the most capable person to Command the States Fleet to maintain and support the Glory the Hollanders have acquired by Sea since the appearance of their Renowned Republick in the World And indeed the present King of England William III. had named him to Command the States Fleet as Admiral General for the Year 1691 and the people began already to flatter themselves with a thousand happy successes from the Joy and Good-Will the Seamen unanimously testified on that occasion but the French who are Ingenious in foreseeing thought it was necessary to use all sorts of means to prevent so great an Evil as seemed to threaten them on that side they lookt upon Tromp to be the only man that could Traverse their designs and make head against their growing Power at Sea the Empire of which they pretend now to dispute against both England and Holland so that if we may credit what has been reported the Treacherous Intrigues of that Nation contributed to cure themselves of the Umbrage and Apprehension they had conceived of that Great man by procuring him an unnatural Distemper to cut him off on a sudden We will enter into no particulars about it but 't is too well known that Court omits nothing to get the ablest Generals amongst their Enemies dispatcht out of the World by one means or other when they prove deaf to their Charms and incorruptible and faithful to their Country However it were the Incomparable Tromp fell sick whilst the preparations for the Equipment of the Fleet were carrying on with all diligence All Europe had then their Eyes turned that way and begun already to Count upon a famous Sea-Battle in which the Hollanders were to carry away the Victory and Tromp whose good Fortune had all along accompanied Bravery and Wise Conduct during his life in all the Battles he ever fought was lookt upon as the happy man that was shortly to revenge his Country for the loss of the Battle under the less fortunate Conduct of Admiral Evertsz by reason the English Admiral failed in his duty But alas Death at length with his malevolent Scyth cut down in an instant all those blooming hopes and deprived Holland and the Allies of an Admiral that was to have establisht Navigation in its ancient Liberty and to have Triumph'd over the formidable French Fleets if God had not been pleased to take him away in the Prime of his years He died at Amsterdam after a long lingring sickness on the 29th of May Admiral Tromp's Death about 8 a clock in the morning generally regretted by all the World He was the Son of the valiant Admiral Martin Harpertsz Tromp and of Dinah de Haas born at Rotterdam He married Margaret de Rhaaphorst Widow to the late Mr. Helmont by whom he had no Children His Body was carried on the 6th of June between 9 and 10 at night along the Lord's new Channel to a place called Amstel where it was put into a Yatcht in order to be Transported to Delft and there interr'd in the stately Tomb of his Illustrious Father His Burial The Solemnity of his interrment was performed in the following manner First the Company of Major Witsen marcht at the head of the Convoy followed by favour of the light of abundance of Torches I. By the bearer of the two Anchors placed Saltire wise II. After him followed the Admiral-Flagg III. The Generals Staff IIII. The 4 Quarters of his Arms and Representing the Alliance of his House V. The 3 Casks VI. The entire Coat of his Arms VII The Habit of Armour VIII The order of Knight of the Elephant reposing upon a Pillow of Black Velvet IX The Sword X. The Spurs XI The Gantlets XII The 3 Standards After which follow'd the Admiral 's Corps cover'd with his Arms The 4 Corners of the Pall being held up by 4 Marine Captains viz. Mr. Hans Hartwich Mr. Abraham Taalman James Willemsz Broeder and Roemer Vlak After them marcht the Deceased's near Kindred and afterwards the Burgermasters the Sheriffs and Councellors of the Town Such was the end of the incomparable Cornelius Tromp whose memory will be dear in all Ages to come to all the Lovers of Virtue and Valour of both which he has left an August Example to his Nation after his Death FINIS