enough to visit those who had so lately overcome BOOK them, and who shut them within their ports.

XIV. 1654.

comes to

another

Their admiral Trump had, with some of the fleet, retired into the Wierings, at too great a distance from the other ports for the English fleet to divide itself. He had, with a marvellous industry, caused his hurt ships to be repaired; and more severe punishment to be inflicted on those who had behaved themselves cowardly, than had ever been used in that State. And the States published so great and ample rewards to all officers and seamen who would, in that conjuncture, repair to their service, that by the end of July, within less than two months after Trump their defeat, he came out of the Wierings with a fleet sea with of ninety and five men of war; which as soon as English had notice of, they made towards him. the wind rising, they were forced to stand more to sea, for fear of the sands and shelves upon that coast. Whereupon Van Trump, all that night, stood into the Texel; where he joined five and twenty more of their best ships; and with this addition, which made an hundred and twenty sail, he faced the English; who, being at this time under the command of Monk alone, kept still to the sea; and having got a little more room, and the weather being a little clearer, tacked about, and were received by the Dutch with great courage and gallantry.

e

the fleet before But the end of

July.

The battle continued very hot, and bloody on both Another sea-fight: sides, from six of the clock in the morning till one Trump in the afternoon; when the admiral of Holland, the English famous Van Trump, whilst he very signally per- victory.

to set out a fleet strong enough] to gather a strong fleet enough together

e

being at this time under the command of Monk alone,] Not

in MS.

slain: the

get the

BOOK formed the office of a brave and bold commander, XIV. Iwas shot with a musket bullet into the heart, of 1654. which he fell dead without speaking word. This

blow broke the courage of the rest; who seeing many of their companions burnt and sunk, after having endured very hot service, before the evening, fled, and made all the sail they could towards the Texel: the English were not in a condition to pursue them; but found themselves obliged to retire to their own coast, both to preserve and mend their maimed and torn ships, and refresh their wounded

men.

This battle was the most bloody that had been yet fought, both sides rather endeavouring the destruction of their enemy's fleet than the taking their ships. On the Hollanders' part, between twenty and thirty of their ships of war were fired, or sunk, and above one thousand prisoners taken. The victory cost the English dear too; for four hundred common men and eight captains were slain outright, and above seven hundred common men and five captains wounded. But they lost only one ship, which was burned: and two or three more, though carried home, were disabled for farther service. The most sensible part of the loss to the Dutch was the death of their admiral Van Trump, who, in respect of his maritime experience, and the frequent actions he had been engaged in, might very well be reckoned amongst the most eminent commanders at sea of that age, and to whose memory his country is farther indebted than they have yet acknowledged.

This was the last engagement at sea between the two commonwealths: for as the Dutch were, by this last defeat, and loss of their brave admiral, totally

XIV.

dispirited, and gave their commissioners at London BOOK order to prosecute the peace upon any conditions, so Cromwell, being by this time become protector, f 1654. was weary enough of so chargeable a war, and knew he had much to do to settle the government at home, and that he might choose more convenient enemies abroad, who would neither be able to defend themselves as well, or to do him so much harm, as the Hollanders had done, and could do. And therefore when he had drawn the Dutch to accept of such conditions as he thought fit to give them; among which one was, "that they should not suffer

66

any of the king's party, or any enemy to the com"monwealth of England, to reside within their do"minions:" and another, which was contained in a secret article, to which the great seal of the States was affixed, by which they obliged themselves "ne

66

ver to admit the prince of Orange to be their "stateholder, general, or admiral; and likewise to "deliver up the island of Polerone in the East In"dies" (which they had taken from the English in the time of king James, and usurped it ever since) "into the hands of the East India English company "again;" and to pay a good sum of money for the old barbarous violence exercised so many years since at Amboyna; for which the two last kings could never obtain satisfaction and reparation about the middle of April 1654, he made a peace with the Cromwell States General, with all the advantages he could desire, having indeed all the persons of power and in- the Dutch Apr. 1654. terest there, fast bound to him upon their joint in

terest.

makes

peace with

f being by this time become protector,] Not in MS.

BOOK

XIV.

1654.

He makes

send an am.

peace.

cutes the

And having now rendered himself terrible abroad, he forced Portugal to send an ambassador to beg peace, and to submit to expiate the offence they had Portugal committed in receiving prince Rupert, by the paybassador for ment of a great sum of money; and brought the two crowns of France and Spain to sue for his alliance. He suspended for a time to choose a new enemy, that he might make himself as much obeyed at home, as he was feared abroad; and, in order to He prose that, he prosecuted all those who had been of the king's party with the utmost rigour; laid new impositions upon them, and, upon every light rumour of a conspiracy, clapped up all those whom he thought fit to suspect into close prisons; enjoined others not to stir from their own houses, and banished all who had ever been in arms for the king, from the cities of London and Westminster; and laid other penalties upon them, contrary to the articles granted to them when they gave up their arms, and to the indemnity upon making their compositions.

king's party.

The general discontents in the na

tion.

The discontents were general over the whole kingdom, and among all sorts of people, of what party soever. The presbyterians preached boldly against the liberty of conscience, and the monstrous licence that sprung from thence; and they who enjoyed that licence were as unsatisfied with the government as any of the rest, talked more loudly, and threatened the person of Cromwell more than any. But into these distempers Cromwell was not inquisitive; nor would give those men an opportunity to talk, by calling them in question, who, he knew, would say more than he was willing any body should hear; but intended to mortify those

XIV.

unruly spirits at the charge of the king's party, and BOOK with the spectacle of their suffering upon any the. most trivial occasion. And if, in this general li- 1654. cence of discourse, any man, who was suspected to wish well to the king, let fall any light word against the government, he was sure to be cast in prison, and to be pursued with all possible severity and cruelty and he could not want frequent opportunities of revenge this way. It was the greatest consolation to miserable men, who had, in themselves or their friends, been undone by their loyalty, to meet together, and lament their conditions: and this brought on invectives against the person of Cromwell; wine, and good fellowship, and the continuance of the discourse, disposing them to take notice of the universal hatred that the whole nation had of him, and to fancy how easy it would be to destroy him. And commonly there was, in all those meetings, some corrupted person of the party, who fomented most the discourse, and, for a vile recompense, betrayed his companions, and informed of all, and more than had been said. Whereupon a new plot was discovered against the commonwealth and the person of the protector, and a high court of justice was presently erected to try the criminals; which rarely absolved any man who was brought before them. But to this kind of trial they never exposed any man but those of the king's party; the other, of whom they were more afraid, had too many friends to suffer them to be brought before such a tribunal; which had been first erected to murder the king himself, and continued to root out

s and good fellowship,] Not in MS.