552 Charles II. Naval Expeditions ? <5cc. of the English, Book III

1653. yield. Young Van Tromp, attackingthe Sampson, was beaten off, after a des-perate Fight: But the Sampson was soonafter burnt by a Fire-ship. The Levant-Merchant, being encounter’d by one ofthe Enemy’s Ships, beat her off, andstranded her ; But being at last taken,together with the Pilgrim (which hadlost her Main-and Mizzen-masts, in theFight) the Mary, being left alone, madeher Escape, and joined the nearest Shipsof Bodley\ Squadron: Which put anEnd to the Engagement.

An Engagemnt, between the EnglishAdmirals Monk and De ane, ossifiedby Vice-Admiral Penne, and Rear-Admiral Lawfon, with the DutchAdmirals, Van Tromp, De Ruyter,De Witte and Evertzen.

The Dutch, finding their Hopes of aPeace frustrated, omitted nothing toput themselves in a Condition to carryon a War. And that nothing might bewanting in their Fleet, they strictly exa-mined the Conduct of their Sea-Omcers,rewarding some and punishing others,and then making Choice of such as theythought they could best depend on. TheEnglish, on their Side, were not idle ;But a Fleet of near a Hundred Sail ofstout Ships, under the Command of theAdmirals Monk and Dean, in joint Com-mission, assisted by Vice-Admiral Penneand Mr. Lawjon, now made a Rear-Admiral, having been fitted out, theywere sent over to look out for the Ene-my, on their own Coasts. The Dutchwere not yet ready But lay dispersedin their several Harbours, upon whichthe English ravaged their Coasts, took ao-reat Number of Prizes, and returned.

& Van Tromp, in the mean Time, get-ting out of the Lex el, convoy'd a greatFleet of Merchant Ships North about;Whither he was pursued by the EnglishFleet as far as the Height of Aberdeen ;Monk and But escaping, returned and joined theDeane fight other Squadrons, which now made to-the Dutch. t p er a pq eet G f a Hundred and four

( 'fVhitlock fays a Hundred and twenty)Sail, commanded by Van Prompt DeRuyter , Ee Witte and Evertzen.

(k) Mr. Secretary Burchett , in his Relation ofthese two Day’s Engagements, mistakes the Place

of the first Day’s Action, placing it off of New-port.

The first of June, while the English 1653*Fleet was lying at Anchor in Yarmouth ParticularsRoad, Advice was brought, that the °f^ e Bat ‘Dutch Fleet had been seen upon theCoast, upon which Orders were imme-diately given for weighing, and goingin Search of the Enemy. On the third,they met, and being on both Sides eager ■for an Engagement, the Fight beganabout eleven o’ Clock, off the SouthPoint of the Gober. (k) The EnglishBlue Squadron charging thro' the Ene-my, De RuyterhDiviEon suffered much,and himself was in the greatest Danger ofbeing taken or funk by Lawfon, 'till re-lieved by Tromp : But Lawfon soon af-ter sunk one of their Men of War, oftwo and forty Guns, commanded byCaptain Bulter.

In the Beginning of the Action, the df mira 0.English Admiral Dean was unfortunately ^) anekill'd by a Cannon Ball, which tookhim off in the Middle; But Monk , whowas in the same Ship, covering his Bo-dy with his Cloak, and encouraging hisMen, the Battle continued with equalFury, on both Sides, ’till about threein the Afternoon, when the Enemy be-gan to sheer of, and maintain a Sort ofRunning Fight, which lasted 'till ninein the Evening; (/) About whichTime,one of the Dutch Men of War, com-manded by Cornelius van Velf en, blewup.

The Dutch retreating towards th Q Theses,Coast of Flanders, the Fight was renew- Day’s FH^ed, the next Day, about Noon, off ofNewport, with greater Fury than theDay before, and lasted four Hours,

(Mr. Secretary Burchett fays 'till ten atNight.) Admiral Blake, who had joinedthe Fleet the Night before,with eighteenfresh Ships, had his Share in the Ho-nour of this second Victory. Duringthe Engagement. Van Tromp havingboarded Vice-Admiral Penne was beatenoff j And being boarded in his Turn,was forced to blow up his Deck, ofwhich the English had made themselvesMasters: But being again entered byPenne, and another at once, he wouldhave been in extream Danger of beingtaken or burnt, if he had not been re-lieved, in the very Crifs , by De Witteand De Ruyter. The Enemy was, at

Length,

(/) Here the Dutch Historians again com-plain, that several of their Captains were defici-ent in their Duty.