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
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
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