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1652.] The king makes proposals to Holland.

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haste home without any fear of their security: so that, there being now no hope of a peace by the mediation of their ambassadors, who could not prevail in any thing they proposed, they returned; and the war was proclaimed on either side, as well as prosecuted.

The king thought he might very reasonably hope to reap some benefit and advantage from this war, so briskly entered upon on both sides; and when he had sat still till the return of the Dutch ambassadors from London, and that all treaties were given over, he believed it might contribute to his ends, if he made a journey into Holland, and made such propositions upon the place as he might be advised to but when his majesty imparted this design to his friends there, who did really desire to serve him, he was very warmly dissuaded from coming thither; and assured," that it was so far "from being yet seasonable, that it would more "advance a peace than any thing else that could "be proposed; and would, for the present, bring "the greatest prejudice to his sister, and to the "affairs of his nephew the prince of Orange, that "could be imagined."

The king hereupon took a resolution to make an attempt which could do him no harm, if it did not produce the good he desired. The Dutch ambassador then resident at Paris, monsieur Borrel, who had been pensioner of Amsterdam, was very much devoted to the king's service, having been formerly ambassador in England, and had always dependence upon the princes of Orange successively. He communicated in all things with great freedom with the chancellor of the exchequer; who visited him con

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The king's proposals to the Dutch [B. XIII. stantly once a week, and received advertisements and advices from him, and the ambassador frequently came to his lodging. The king, upon conference only with the marquis of Ormond and the chancellor, and enjoining them secresy, caused a paper to be drawn up; in which he declared, that he had very good reason to believe, that there were many officers and seamen engaged in "the service of the English fleet, who undertook "that service in hope to find a good opportunity "to serve his majesty; and that, if the Dutch were I willing to receive him, he would immediately put "himself on board their fleet, without requiring any command, except of such ships only, as, upon their notice of his being there, should repair to "him out of the rebels' fleet: by this means," he presumed, "he should be able much to weaken "their naval power, and to raise divisions in the kingdom, by which the Dutch would receive "benefit and advantage." Having signed this paper, he sent the chancellor with it open, to shew to the Dutch ambassador, and to desire him to send it enclosed in his letter to the States. The ambassador was very much surprised with it, and made some scruple of sending it, lest he might be suspected to have advised it. For they were extremely jealous of him for his affection to the king, and for his dependence upon the house of Orange. In the end, he desired the king would enclose it in a “letter to him, and oblige him to send it to the States General :" which was done accordingly; and he sent it by the post to the States.

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The war had already made the councils of the States less united than they had been, and the

1652.]

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ambassador to join their interests.

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party that was known to be inclined to the prince of Orange recovered courage, and joined with those who were no friends to the war; and, when this message from the king was read, magnified the king's spirit in making this overture, and wished that an answer of very humble thanks and acknowledgment might be returned to his majesty. They said, no means ought to be neglected that might "abate the pride and power of the enemy:" and as soon as the people heard of it, they thought it reasonable to accept the king's offer. De Wit, who was pensioner of Holland, and had the greatest influence upon their counsels, had no mind to have any conjunction with the king; which, he foresaw, must necessarily introduce the pretences of the prince of Orange, to which he was an avowed and declared enemy. He told them, indeed it was a very generous offer of the king; but if they should accept it, they could never recede from his interest; which, instead of putting an end to "the war, of which they were already weary, "would make it without end, and would be the

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ruin of their state: that, whilst they were free "from being engaged in any interest but their own, they might reasonably hope that both sides would be equally weary of the war, and then a 'peace would easily ensue; which they should "otherwise put out of their own power;" so that thanks were returned to the king for his good will; and they pursued their own method in their counsels, and were much superior to those who were of another opinion, desiring nothing so much, as to make a peace upon any conditions.

Nor can it appear very wonderful, that the Dutch

40 The English seize on a French fleet. [B. XIII. made show of so much phlegm in this affair, when the very choler and pride of the French was, about the same time, so humbled by the spirit of the English, that, though they took their ships every day, and made them prize, and had now seized upon their whole fleet that was going to the relief of Dunkirk, (that was then closely besieged by the Spaniard, and, by the taking that fleet, was delivered into their hands,) yet the French would not be provoked to be angry with them, or to express any inclination to the king; but sent an ambassador, which they had not before done, to expostulate very civilly with the parliament for having been so unneighbourly, but in truth to desire their friendship upon what terms they pleased; the cardinal fearing nothing so much, as that the Spaniard would make such a conjunction with the new commonwealth, as should disappoint and break all his designs.

The insupportable losses which the Dutch every day sustained by the taking their merchants' ships, and their ships of war, and the total obstruction of their trade, broke their hearts, and increased their factions and divisions at home. All the seas were covered with the English fleets; which made no distinctions of seasons, but were as active in the winter as the summer; and engaged the Dutch upon any inequality of number. [The Dutch having been beaten in the month of October, and Blake having received a brush from them in the month of December,] in the month of February, the most dangerous season of the year, they having appointed a rendezvous of about one hundred and fifty merchantmen, sent a fleet of above one hundred sail of

1653.]

Blake engages

the Dutch fleet.

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men of war to convoy them; and Blake, with a fleet much inferior in number, engaged them in a very sharp battle from noon till the night parted them: which disposed them to endeavour to preserve themselves by flight; but, in the morning, they found that the English had attended them so close, that they were engaged again to fight, and so unprosperously, that, after the loss of above two thousand men, who were thrown overboard, besides a multitude hurt, they were glad to leave fifty of their merchantmen to the English, that they might make their flight the more securely.

This last loss made them send again to the parliament to desire a peace; who rejected the overture, as they pretended, "for want of formality," (for they always pretended a desire of an honourable peace,) the address being made only by the States of Holland and West-Friezland, the States General being at that time not assembled. It was generally believed, that this address from Holland was not only with the approbation, but by the direction of Cromwell; who had rather consented to those particulars, which were naturally like to produce that war, to gratify Saint-John, (who was inseparable from him in all his other counsels, and was incensed by the Dutch,) than approved the resolution. And now he found, by the charge of the engagements had already passed on both sides, what an insupportable charge that war must be attended with. Besides, he well discerned that all parties, friends and foes, presbyterians, independents, levellers, were all united as to the carrying on the war; which could proceed from nothing, but that the excess of the expense might make it

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