Chap. XXXII, from the I. of James I. to the Revolution.
1652.
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was pretty equal to theirs, but we lostonly one single Firestiip. (n)
Dutch Authors, however, pretendthe Advantage was on their Side, andthat we lost two or three Men of War,and had twelve or thirteen HundredMen killed, drowned and wounded,whereas they had but sixty killed, andas many wounded. At the fame Time,they own their Fleet was so disabled,that De Ruyter was obliged to fendfifteen of them home, among whichwas his own Ship. They relate someparticular Instances of the Bravery oflome of their Captains, which are al-most romantick, and seem the less cre-dible, as they contradict one another intheir Relations. For which Reason, Iomit rendering them that Justice whichotherwise I should be very ready to do.Sir George’s Conduct and Courage werecertainly blameless, in this Action, andyet the Parliament (for what Reason isnot known) never employed him after-wards, but discharged him, with a Pre-sent and a Pension. Some of our Hi-storians, however, fay, he was in thetwo ensuing Engagements, and afterthat laid down his Commission. Therenow hardly passed a Day, without thetaking and bringing in many and valu-able Dutch Ships, into the Ports of Eng-land, which, having begun their Voy-ages before any Notice given them ofthe War, were making Haste home,without any Fear.
The Englijh were, at this Time, soformidable at Sea, that tho’ they dailytook the French Ships, as well as theDutch, and made them Prize, and hadnow seized upon their whole Fleet that
was going to the Relief of Dunkirk 1 65 2.
(which was then closely besieged by theSpaniards, and by the taking that Fleetwas delivered into their Hands) yet theFrench would not be provoked to be an-gry with them ; But, on the contrary,desired their Friendship upon whatTerms they pleased.
An Engagement between Admiral Blake,and the Dutch Admirals De Witte,and De Ruyter.
The Dutch Admiral FanFromp, ha-ving, on Account of some Reflectionsthrown on his Conduct in the late Ex-pedition, or being perhaps, on thatAccount, in Disgrace with the States,surrendered his Commission, the jointCommand of the Fleet was given toDe Witte, and De Ruyter, who put toSea, about the latter End of September,with a numerous Fleet, and repaired offof the North Foreland. Admiral Blakebeing newly arrived in the Downs, fromthe Westward, with his Fleet, withoutDelay, got out, to engage them. Hehad under him Vice-Admiral Penne,and Rear-Admiral Bourne, the latter o iphe Englishwhich began the Engagement, and was an & Dutchsoon seconded, by the whole Fleet. The the^*most particular Account I find of this North Fore -Action, in our Englijlo Historians, be- ^ an ^-ing in a Journal, in Whitlock, I shallgive it my Readers in his own Words.
" Since the Return of our Fleet out Farticulars" of the Weft, upon the fourteenth 0 £°s ibe Athon." September, Sir George Afcough with" his Barbadoes Fleet, set Sail out6 Y " of
Qlare nd on .
(#) Clarendon adds, that, in this Engage-ment, the Dutch applied themselves most to spoilthe Tackling and Sails of the Englijh-, in whichthey had so good Success, that, the nextMorning,they were not able to give them farther Chafe,'’till their Sails and Rigging could be repaired.
According to Whitlock’ s Journal, this Fightmust have lasted several Days: I shall thereforegive my Readers his Account, in his own Words:“ Mem. Aug. the 20th. Letters, that Sir George“ Ajcough was engaged with eighty Sail of the“ Dutch , near Plymouth ; That the Dutch lost two“ Ships, one funk and the other burnt. That the" Fight was very hot, aud continued 4 Hours, till“ Night parted them » That Sir George Afcough“ last twelve Men, and received sixtyShot in the“ Hull. The twenty-first. That Sir George Af-<c cough continued three Days fighting with the“ Dutch , that a Hundred of his wounded Men" were sent into Plymouth , and five Hundred“ Men went from thence to recruit his Fleet.“ The twenty-fourth. . Letters, That Sir George“ Afcough , by Advice of his Council of War,
" went after the Dutch Fleet to the Coast of" France, and there engaged them, they being" ninety Sail of Ships, thirty of them Merchant-“ men, who left their Fleet at the Beginning of“ the Engagement.
“ That Sir George had but eight and thirty" Sail, four Firefhips and four Scouts; That he," and four others, charged thro' the whole Body" of the Enemy's Fleet, and received many Shots“ in their Hulls, Masts, Sails and Rigging, the“ Enemy’s Design being to spoil them : But Sir“ George tacked about and weathered them, and“ charged them all again, and so continued enga-ge ged'till dark Night.
“ That he lost but one Fireship which set“ herself on Fire, being ready to sink, and sav-“ ed her Men, and turned her among the Ene-" my. That the Dutch Admiral was funk. That" the next Day, the Englijh Fleet kept Sight of“ the Dutch Fleet, but would not engage upon" the French Coast, but went to the Northward,« to repair their Ships.