THIS new invented Ceremony being in this manner perform'd, He himself was cover'd, and all the reft bare; and Lambert, who was then the fecond Perfon in the Army, carried the Sword before his Highnefs (which was the Style he took from thenceforth) to his Coach, all they whom he call'd into it, fitting bare; and fo he return'd to White-Hall; He is proand immediately Proclamation was made by a Herald, in the claim'd Pro-Palace-Yard at Westminster, "that the late Parliament having "diffolv'd themselves, and refign'd their whole Power and "Authority, the Government of the Common-wealth of "England, Scotland, and Ireland, by a Lord Protector, and "fucceffive Triennial Parliaments, was now establish'd: And "whereas Oliver Cromwell, Captain General of all the Forces "of the Common-wealth, is declared Lord Protector of the "faid Nations, and had accepted thereof, publication was "now made of the fame; and all Perfons, of what Quality

or Condition foever, in any of the faid three Nations, were. "ftrictly charged and commanded to take notice thereof, and "to conform and fubmit themselves to the Government fo "eftablish'd; and all Sheriffs, Mayors, &c. were required to "publish this Proclamation, to the end that none might have. "cause to pretend Ignorance therein. Which Proclamation was at the fame time publifh'd in Cheapfide by the Lord Mayor of London; and, with all poffible expedition, by the Sheriffs, and other Officers, throughout England, Scotland, and IreThe City in land. And in fome time after, the City of London invited vites him to their new Protector to a very fplendid Entertainment at GroGrocer's cers-Hall, upon an Afb-Wednesday; the Streets being railed,

Hall.

and the Solemnity of his Reception fuch as had been at any time perform'd to the King: And He, as like a King, gracioufly conferr'd the honour of Knighthood upon the Lord Mayor at his departure.

IN this manner, and with fo little pains, this extraordinary Man, without any other reason than because he had a mind to it, and without the affistance, and against the defire of all Noble Perfons or Men of Quality, or of any Number of Men, who, in the beginning of the Troubles, were poffeffed of three hundred pounds Lands by the year, mountedhimself into the Throne of three Kingdoms, without the Name of King, but with a greater Power and Authority than had ever been exercifed, ot claim'd by any King; and receiv'd greater evidence and manifeftation of refpect, and efteem, from all the Kings and Princes in Chriftendom, than have ever been fhew'd to any Monarch of thofe Nations: which was fo much the more notorious, in that they all abhorr'd him, when they trembled at his Power, and courted his Friendship.

THOUGH

THOUGH during this laft year's unfettlement in England, Cromwell had, ex plenitudine poteftatis, taken care that there was a good Winter Guard of Ships in the Downs, yet the Dutch had enjoyed a very fruitful harveft of Trade during that confufion, and fufpenfion of Power; and had fent out their Fleets of Merchant Men under a Convoy, by the North of Scotland; and, by the return of that Convoy, receiv'd their Fleet from the Baltick with fecurity: So that, upon the hope those domeftick contentions in England would not be fo foon compofed, they begun to recover their Spirits again. But Cromwell had no fooner broke the long Parliament, but, with Fleet this great diligence, he caused a strong Fleet to be made ready year 1653 against the Spring; and committed the Command thereof to fet forth unthree Admirals joyntly; Blake, a Man well known, but not thought entirely enough devoted to Cromwell; Monk, whom he called out of Scotland as his own Creature; and Dean, a meer Sea-man, grown, from a common Mariner, to the reputation of a bold and excellent Officer.

der three Admirals.

THIS Fleet, in the beginning of June in the year 1653, met with the Dutch about the middle Seas over between Dover and Zeeland; and made what haft they could to engage them. But the Wind not being favourable, it was noon before the Fight begun; which continued very fharp till the night parted them, without any vifible advantage to either fide, fave that Dean, one of the English Admirals, was kill'd by a Cannon fhot from the Rear-Admiral of the Dutch. The next morning, the Dutch having the advantage of the small Wind that was, the English charged fo furioufly upon the thickest part of them, without difcharging any of their Guns till they were at a very fmall distance, that they broke their The Dutch Squadrons; and in the end forced them to fly, and make all beaten at Sea the Sail they could for their own Coafts, leaving behind them in June. eleven of their Ships; which were all taken; befides fix which were funk. The Execution on the Dutch was very great, as was likewife the number of the Prisoners, as well Officers as Soldiers. The lofs of the English was greatest in their General Dean: there was, befides him, but one Captain, and about two hundred Common Sea-men, kill'd: the Number of the wounded was greater; nor did they lofe one Ship, nor were fo difabled but that they follow'd with the whole Fleet to the Coaft of Holland, whither the other fled; and being got into the Flie, and the Texel, the English for fome time block'd them up in their own Harbours, taking all fuch Ships as came bound for those parts.

THIS great Defeat fo humbled the States, that they made The Dutch all poffible haft to fend four Commiffioners into England to fend four Commiffio mediate for a Treaty, and a Ceflation of Armes; who were ners to treat

receiv'd of Tease.

receiv'd very loftily by Cromwell, and with fome reprehenfion for their want of warinefs in entring into fo unequal a Contention: yet He declared a gracious inclination to a Treaty, till the conclufion whereof he could admit no Ceflation; which being known in Holland, they would not ftay fo long under the reproach and difadvantage of being befieged, and fhut up in their Ports; but made all poffible haft to prepare another Fleet, ftrong enough to remove the English from their Coafts; which they believ'd was the beft Expedient to advance their Treaty and there cannot be a greater Inftance of the opulency of that People, than that they fhould be able, after fo many loffes, and fo late a great Defeat, in fo short a time to fet out a Fleet ftrong enough to vifit those who had fo lately overcome them, and who fhut them within their Ports.

THEIR Admiral Trump had, with fome of the Fleet, retired into the Wierings, at too great a diftance from the other Ports for the English Fleet to divide it felf. He had, with a marvellous Induftry, caufed his hurt Ships to be repaired and more fevere punishment to be inflicted on those who had behaved themselves cowardly, than had ever been used in that State. And the States publifhed fo great and ample rewards to all Officers and Sea-men who would, in that conjuncture, repair to their Service, that by the end of July, within lefs come to Sea than two Months after their Defeat, he came out of the Fleet before Wierings with a Fleet of ninety and five Men of War; which the end of affoon as the English had notice of, they made towards him. July.

Trump

with another

other

But the Wind rifing, they were forced to ftand more to Sea, for fear of the Sands and Shelves upon that Coaft. Whereupon Van Trump, all that Night, ftood into the Texel, where he joyn'd five and twenty more of their beft 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 ftill to the Sea; and having got a little more room and the Weather being a little clearer, tack'd about, and were receiv'd by the Dutch with great courage and gallantry.

THE Battle continued very hot, and bloody on both fides, Fight: from fix of the Clock in the Morning till one in the Afternoon; when the Admiral of Holland, the famous Van Trump, whift he very fignally perform'd the Office of a brave and Sold Commander, was fhot with a Mufquet Bullet into the beat, of which he fell dead without fpeaking word. This blow broke the courage of the reft; who feeing many of their Companions burnt and funk, after having endured very nor Service, before the Evening, fled, and made all the Sail they could powds the Texel; the English were not in a con

dition

dition to purfue them; but found themselves obliged to retire to their own Coaft, both to preferve and mend their maim'd and tore Ships, and refresh their wounded Men.

THIS Battle was the moft bloody that had been yet fought, both fides rather endeavouring the deftruction of their Enemies Fleet than the taking their Ships. On the Hollander's part, between twenty and thirty of their Ships of War were fired, or funk, and above one thousand Prifoners taken. The Victory coft the English dear too; for four hundred common Men, and eight Captains, were flain out right, and above seven hundred common Men, and five Captains, wounded. But they loft only one Ship, which was burn'd; and two or three more, though carried home, were difabled for farther Service. The molt fenfible part of the loss to the Dutch was the death of their Admiral Van Trump, who, in refpect of his Maritime experience, and the frequent Actions he had been engaged in, might very well be reckon'd amongst the most eminent Commanders at Sea of that age, and to whofe memory his Country is farther indebted than they have yet acknowledged.

THIS was the laft Engagement at Sea between the two Common-wealths: for as the Dutch were, by this laft Defeat, and lofs of their brave Admiral, totally difpirited, and gave their Commiffioners at London order to profecute the Peace upon any conditions, fo Cromwell, being by this time become Pro-Cromwell tector, was weary enough of fo chargeable a War, and knew makes Peace he had much to do to fettle the Government at home, and with the that he might choose more convenient Enemies abroad, who would neither be able to defend themfelves as well, or to do him fo much harm, as the Hollanders had done, and could do. And therefore when he had drawn the Dutch to accept of fuch conditions as he thought fit to give them; among which one was, "that they should not fuffer any of the King's Party,

or any Enemy to the Common-wealth of England, to re"fide within their Dominions: and another, which was contain'd in a fecret Article, to which the Great Seal of the States was affix'd, by which they obliged themselves "never to admit the Prince of Orange to be their State holder, Ge"neral, or Admiral; and likewife to deliver up the Island of Polerone in the Eaft-Indies (which they had taken from the English in the time of King James, and ufurped it ever fince) into the hands of the Eaft India English Company again; and to pay a good Sum of Money for the old barbarous violence exercised fo many years fince at Amboyna; for which the two laft Kings could never obtain fatisfaction and reparation : about the middle of April 1654, He made a Peace with the States General, with all the advantages he could defire, hav

Dutch

Apr. 1654

He makes

ing indeed all the Perfons of power and intereft there, faft bound to him upon their joynt intereft.

AND having now render'd himself terrible abroad, He Portugal forced Portugal to fend an Embaffadour to beg Peace, and to Send an Em- fubmit to expiate the offence they had committed in receivbaẞadour for ing Prince Rupert, by the payment of a great Sum of MoPeace. ney; and brought the two Crowns of France and Spain to fue for his Allyance. He fufpended for a time to choose a new Enemy, that he might make himself as much obey'd at home, He perfecutes as he was fear'd abroad and in order to that, he profecuted the King's all thofe who had been of the King's Party with the utmost Rigour; laid new impofitions upon them, and upon every light rumour of a Confpiracy, clapp'd up all those whom he thought fit to fufpect, into clofe Prifons; enjoyn'd others not to ftir from their own Houses, and banish'd all who had ever been in Armes for the King, from the Cities of London and Weftminster; and laid other penalties upon them, contrary to the Articles granted to them when they gave up their Armes, and to the indemnity upon their Compofitions.

Tarty.

THE difcontents were general over the whole Kingdom, and among all forts of People, of what Party foever. The The general Presbyterians preach'd boldly against the Liberty of Confcidiscontents ence, and the monstrous Licence that fprung from thence; in the Naand they who enjoy'd that Licence were as unfatisfied with the Government as any of the reft, talk'd more loudly, and threaten'd the Perfon of Cromwell more than any. But into thefe diftempers Cromwell was not inquifitive; nor would give those Men an opportunity to talk, by calling them in queftion, who, he knew, would fay more than he was willing any body fhould hear; but intended to mortify thofe unruly Spirits at the charge of the King's Party, and with the Spectacle of their fuffering upon any the moft trivial occafion. And if, in this general licence of difcourfe, any Man who was fufpected to with well to the King, let fall any light word against the Government, he was fure to be caft in Prison, and to be pursued with all poffible severity and cruelty: and he could not want frequent opportunities of revenge this way. It was the great confolation to miferable Men, who had, in themfelves or their Friends, been undone by their Loyalty, to meet together, and lament their conditions: and this brought on invectives against the Perfon of Cromwell; Wine, and good Fellowship, and the continuance of the difcourfe, difpofing them to take notice of the universal hatred that the whole Nation had of him, and to fancy how eafy it would be to deftroy him. Ad commonly there was, in all those meetings, fome corrupted Perfon of the Party, who fomented moft the discourse, and, for a vile recompence, betrayed his Compani