leave to engage the Enemy, otherwife he should have juft Cause of Complaint to all the World of fo manifeft an Injury.

nifh 'Ships on

This Letter being delivered to the English Admiral, Van Tromp Van Tromp bore up to the Spaniards, in fix Divifions, and charged them fo forces the Spafurioufly with his Broad fides, and his Firefhips, as forced them all Shore in the to cut their Cables; and being three and fifty in Number, twenty Downs. three ran afhore and ftranded in the Downs, whereof three were burnt, two funk, and two perished on the Shore; one of which was a great Galleon, (the Vice-Admiral of Gallicia) commanded by Antonio de Caftro, and mounted with fifty two Brafs Guns: The Remainder of the twenty three ftranded, and deferted by the Spaniards, were manned by the English, to fave them from the Dutch. The other thirty Spanish Ships, with Don Antonio de Oquendo, the Commander in Chief, and Lopez Admiral of Portugal, got out to Sea, and kept in good Order, till a thick Fog arifing, the Dutch took Advantage thereof, interpofed between the Admirals and their Fleet, and fought them valiantly till the Fog cleared up, when the Admiral of Portugal began to flame, being fired by two Dutch Ships fitted for that Purpofe, which D' Oquendo perceiving prefently flood away for Dunkirk with the Admiral of that Place, and fome few Ships more; for of thefe thirty, five were funk in the Fight, Spanish ships eleven taken and fent into Holland, three perished upon the Coaft funk and saof France, one near Dover, and only ten efcaped.

I have been the more particular in the Account of this Engagement because of the Relation it hath to our own Affairs, and have reported it in all its Circumstances, (the most material of which have been omitted even in that faid to be Sir John Pennington's own Account of it,) for that otherwise the English Government would appear to have departed from the common Rights of all Nations, in fuffering one Friend to deftroy another within its Chambers, and not animadverting upon the Dutch for that Proceeding, did it not appear that the Spaniards committed the firft Hoftility, which was the Plea the others made in their Juftification: For though, by the Law of Nations, I am not to attack my Enemy in the Dominions of a Friend common to that Enemy and my felf, yet no Laws Natural, Divine, or Human, forbid me to repel Force with Force, and act in my Defence when or wherefoever I am attacked. But, however, it must be confeffed the Dutch well knew their Time, and had the like Circumstances happened twelve or fourteen Years after, when the Ufurper ruled, they would probably have waited for farther Hoftilities from their Enemy, (one or two Random Shot only, being liable to Exception, and to be excufed as accidental) before they had ventured upon fuch an Action.

ken.

This was a Lofs very fatal to the Naval Affairs of Spain, that Kingdom having ufed its utmoft Efforts in this Armament, by much the greatest that had ever been made fince the deftructive Blow of 1588. And as one Misfortune generally falls on the Neck of ano- The French ther, this was followed by feveral fucceffive Defeats at Sea from the beat the SpaFrench, both in the Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the last, where the Archbishop of Bourdeaux, at the Head of the French

niards at Sea.

Catalonia

French Gallies, engaged the Spaniards before Tarragona, and taking one, funk or burnt eleven others: At which time also hapand Portugal pened the Revolt both of Catalonia and Portugal, the first of revolt from which coft the Crown of Spain cleven Years to recover, and the latter, after feveral fruitless Attempts, they were forced entirely to quit all Pretenfions to by Treaty (in which our King Charles II. was Mediator,) and acknowledge it as an independent Kingdom.

Spain.

Since which time the most remarkable Incidents in the History of the Spanish Monarchy, are its three fucceffive Wars, under Charles II. with the French King, the firft terminated by the Peace of Aix la Chapelle, the fecond by that of Nimeguen, and the third by that of Ryfwick; and laftly its War, under Philip II. the prefent King, in Conjunction with France, against the confederated Powers of Europe, which ended by the Peace of Virecht; but not finding in all these any thing remarkable to our purpofe, except in the two laft Wars, (the principal Occurrences whereof at Sea, as they bear a Relation to our own Affairs, will be found in the fourth and fifth Books of this Work) I come in the next Place to the Naval Tranfactions of the Dutch.

Wefer. b Embs

T

CHAP. X.

Of the Naval Wars of the Dutch.

a

HE People of Holland have from very remote Times been obfervable for their Application to the Sea, info much that we find, in the Reign of Tiberius the Roman Emperor, Germanicus, who was at the Head of the Legions in thofe Parts, defigning an Expedition against the Germans between the Vifurgis and the Amifius, and refolving to go up the latter of thofe Rivers, and attack The Romans them by Water as well as by Land, he, to that purpose, by the Af build a great fiftance of the People of the Infula Batavorum (now the Province Fleet, affifted by the Dutch. of Holland) built a Fleet of a thoufand Ships, both for the Sail and the Oar; fome of a round Form to fuftain the Violence of the Waves; others with flat Bottoms, for the more convenient landing the Troops; many with two Rudders, one at each End, for the more expeditious turning them; and feveral with Decks laid over them, to carry the Warlike Machines, without incommoding the Horfes or Provifions: With which Fleet Germanicus proceeded on his Defign, and executed it with good Succefs, but the Ships in their Return home, meeting with a violent Storm, were most of them unfortunately lost.

The Dutch

The next News we hear of these People at Sea is on their Revolt from the Romans under the Emperor Vitellius, whofe ftationarevolt from ry Fleet they attacked in the Mouth of the Rhine, and entirely deand beat their ftroyed, killing all the Troops on board, and utterly extirpating the

the Romans,

Fleet.

Roman

Counts of

Roman Name in their Country. Their Affairs for feveral fubfequent Ages are involved in fuch Obfcurity, that we meet with nothing more of their Naval Exploits till the Time of the Counts of Holland, under whom the Dutch made feveral Expeditions, in conjun- The Dutch ction with the neighbouring Nations, for recovering the Holy Land under the from the Saracens; where they gave many fignal Proofs of their Holland, go Valour, particularly at the Siege of Damiata in Egypt; for to fome to the Holy Ships of Harlem was chiefly owing the Reduction of that Place, by Land, means of a kind of Saw fixed to them, wherewith they cut the cing Damiata. Chains which were placed under Water for the Security of that City.

affift in redu

Count of

1304.

the Coast of

Under John II, one of thefe Counts, his Son (who fucceeded by the Name of William III.) gained a great Naval Victory, off of Zirickzee in Zeeland, over Guido of Dampier, Count of Flanders, Overcome the wherein ten thousand of the Flemings were flain, and great Num- Fleet of the bers of Prifoners taken, with most of the Ships; foon after which Flanders. they gave the Flemings another fignal Defeat off the Ifle of Cadfant. But at length Count William, in his turn, was worfted feveral times upon the Coafts of Zeeland, particularly in an Engagement of Duyvelant, wherein one of his best Officers, Guido Bishop of Utrecht, was taken Prifoner, with many others, three thousand The Dutch Hollanders flain, and himself narrowly efcaped falling into the Ene- are beaten on my's Hands; but foon after fitting out a new Fleet, he fent for Flanders. Reyner Grimbaltz from Genoa, (the fame who was afterwards the French King's Admiral, and had that Complaint exhibited against him to our Edward I, which is at large cited in the first Book of this History) who having the Reputation of the most expert Seaman in that Age, he committed to him the Command of his Ships, came to an Engagement with the Flemings off Zirickzee, which continued till Night, when a violent Swell of the Sea parted them; in which Circumftance the Count of Holland, to keep his Ships together and in the fame Order they had engaged, linked them to each other with large Grappling Irons, which, in cafe of an Attack, would be Proof against any Force of the Enemy, who on the other Hand faften'd theirs only with Ropes and Cables, which the Hollanders taknig an Opportunity to cut in the Night, thereby put the whole Fleet in the utmost Disorder, infomuch that the greatest part of the Ships fell into their Hands, together with Count Guido himfelf, who commanded them. Which Misfortune was foon after followed by another no lefs fatal; for both the hoftile Fleets being dif- The Dutch pofed ready for Battel, the Flemings fent a Fircfhip against the overcome at Dutch, which, by a fudden Change of Wind, being forced back a- Flanders. mong their own Ships, caufed great Destruction among them, at which time the Dutch briskly charging them, thereupon enfued the Lots of the whole Fleet, confifting of a thoufand Ships, which were

all either burnt or taken.

Sea thofe of

We hear nothing more of their Naval Wars for many Years; but about 1416, William Bouckeld is faid to have first found out the A. D. 1416. Way of curing Herrings, which celebrated Fisherman dying in 1447, The curing of he was buried at Biervliet, a Sea Port of Flanders, at which Place found out. 002

the

Herrings

1441. The Dutch

the Emperor Charles V. happening to land, about a hundred Years after, paid fo great a Refpect to his Memory for that valuable Invention, as to go and vifit his Tomb, accompanied with his Sifter, Mary Queen of Hungary, and pray for the Peace of his Soul. In 1441, the Dutch managed fo great a Trade and were fo powerful at improve in Sea for that Age, that they drew upon them the Envy of the People of the Trading Towns in the Baltick (called Ofterlings or Ea Sterlings in the Annals of those Times) who enter'd into a League against them, and waged War for three Years, but in the End the Hollanders proving too strong for them, they diffolved their League, and the Swedes came to a Truce with them for two Years, and the Danes and Pruffians to a perpetual Peace.

Trade, and a

Naval Force,

and Iar with the Eafter

lings.

A. D. 1471.
Affift King

Warwick

In 1471, the Dutch had another Naval War on account of our Edward IV. Edward IV, whofe Sifter was the Wife of the Duke of Burgundy, then poffeffing all the Low-Countries; which Duke, espousing the Caufe of his laid Brother in Law after his Quarrel with the great Earl of Warwick, that Earl, being fupported by the French King, The Earl of fcoured the Coasts of Holland with a strong Squadron, where in one takes many Day he took thirty Sail of Dutch Ships, and foon after twenty Dutch Ships. more; whereupon Henry Borfale, Lord of Veer was fent out against him with a Fleet of thirty fix Sail, who coming up with him on the Coast of Normandy, recovered ten of those Ships, and found means to fet the reft on fire: Soon after which the Earl of Warwick quitted the Sea, that he might profecute his Quarrel more vigorously afhore in England.

French ships destroyed by

the Dutch.

About the Middle of the following Century the Emperor Charles V. (who amongst his many other Dominions, was alfo Sovereign of the Low Countries) being at War with France, and they having Intelligence of a Fleet of Dutch Merchant Ships coming up the Chanel from the Southward, lay in wait for them off Dover, near which Place they engaged, when the Dutch being much more skilful in the Management of their great Guns, used their best Endeavours to avoid a clofe Fight, which would deprive them of the Advantage of their Experience; for which fame Reason the whole Aim of the French was, if poffible, to grapple their Ships together with thofe of the Dutch, and found means fo to do with fifteen of them, whereupon enfued a bloody and obftinate Fight, which continued for fome time, till the French, grown weary of fo hot Work, fet the Sails of one of their own Ships on fire, in hopes it would oblige the Dutch to fheer off from the Danger, but the Ships were fo clofely linked together that there was no difengaging them; fo that the Flames fpreading from one Veffel to another, raged with equal Violence among them all, and put an End to the Difpute, in which the Dutch fay their Enemy loft a thousand Men, and themfelves but three hundred.

In few Years after this enfued those Troubles in the Low Countries which loft the King of Spain feven of the Seventeen ProvinThe Rife of ces, and gave Rife to the flourishing Republick of the United Provinces, whofe Naval Actions, if very particularly related, would of themselves require a juft Volume. As if by a Sort of Fatality it

the United

Provinces.

were

were a Fore-token of the maritime Power they fhould one Day arrive at, the great Blow to the Spanish Affairs, to which that Republick chiefly owes its Rife, was ftruck by Sea, and the Effects of a Naval Expedition. For, as Sir William Temple tells us, upon the Duke of Alva's being appointed to the Government of the LowCountries, and exercifing that Charge with great Cruelty, many of the poorer, and more defperate fort of People fled to the Woods of the Upper-Countries, where they lived upon Spoil, and in the first Descent of the Prince of Orange's Forces from Germany, did great Mifchiefs to all scatter'd Parties of the Duke of Alva's Troops in their March through thofe Parts. But after that Attempt of the Prince ended without Succefs, and he was forced back into Germany, the Count of Marck, a violent and implacable Enemy to the Duke of Alva, and his Government, with many others of the broken Troops, whom the fame Fortune and Difpofition had left together in Friefland, manned out fome Ships of fmall Force, and be- The Count of took themselves to Sea, beginning, with Commiffions from the Marck molefts the Spaniards Prince of Orange, to prey upon all they could mafter which belonged to the Spaniards, fcouring all the Coafts from the Mouth of the Embs to the Streights of Dover: And if at any time they happened to meet with bad Weather, or too confiderable a Force of the Enemy's, they fheltered themfelves in the Ports of England, till at length, at the Requeft of the Duke of Alva, they were forbidden by Queen Elizabeth, who was then at Peace with Spain. But now having gained confiderable Riches by thefe Adventures, whether to fell or to refresh, whether driven by Storm, or led by Defign, upon Knowledge of the ill Blood which the new Taxes had bred in all the Provinces, they landed in the Island of Voorne, affaulted and carried the Town of Briel, pulled down the Images in the Churches, profeffed openly their Religion, declared against the Taxes and Tyranny of the Spanish Government; and were immediately followed by the Revolt of most of the Towns of Holland, Zeeland, and Weft-Friefland, who threw out the Spanish Garrifons, renounced their Obedience to the King of Spain, and fwore Fidelity fworn Fidelity to the Prince of Orange.

at Sea.

to the Prince

of Orange.

During the long Profecution of this War there followed many Naval Skirmishes between the contending Parties, but none of them, in my Opinion, more remarkable than that at the Siege of Antwerp in 1585. That City having in 1579, with Ghent, Bruges, and o- A. D. 1585. thers, enter'd into the Union with the Seven Provinces; the Duke of Parma, who commanded in the Low-Countries for the King of Spain, well knowing the vaft Importance the Recovery of Antwerp would be to his Master's Affairs, formed, in August 1584, the Siege The Duke of of that City; and having poffeffed himself of the Forts, and ad- Parma lays vantagious Posts in its Neighbourhood, at length refolved to lay a fiege to AntBridge cross the Scheld, two Leagues below the Town, to prevent what happenthe Befieged from receiving any Succours from Zeeland that way, ed thereupon. which was the only Avenue they had open. Being Master of the Country on both fides the River, he raised two ftrong Forts oppo

werp, with