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580 Charles II, Naval Expeditions , 6cc. of the English, k

1665.

Bp- Burnet. An Account of the Berghen Affair fromBishop Burnet, and by him tahen froma Manuscript'of Sir Gilbert Talbot’j,the Original of which he . affirms tohave had in his own Hands.

The ^rsi Oc- June, 1665. the King of Denmark

cafion of. this opened himself very freely to ¥ alb ot,Projeff. then His Majesty’s Envoy at that Court,complaining of the States, who, as hesaid, had drawn the Swedijh War onhim, on Design that he might be forcedto depend on them for Supplies of Monyand Shipping, and so to get the Customsof Norway and the Sound, into theirHands, for their Security. Talbot, up-on that, told him, that the Dutch Smir-na >Fleet was now in Berghen, besidesmany rich W fit-India Ships; And thatthey staid there, in Expectation of adouble Eajt-India Fleet, and of DeRuyter, who was returning with theSpoils of the Coast of Guinea. So hesaid, the King of Denmark might seizethose Ships, before the Convoy they ex-pected came. The King of Denmarkanswered, he had not Force enough toexecute such a Design; And Talbot re-plied, the King, his Master,would fenda Force to effect it; But it was reason-able he should have half of the Spoil.To this the King of Denmark readily a-greed, and ordered him to propose it tohis Master.

The King ap- This Conference beingffmmediately

proves of it. transmitted to England, the King ap-proved of it, and promised to send aFleet to put it in Execution. The Mi-nisters of Denmark were appointed toconcert the Matter with Talbot ; Butnothing was put in Writing; For theKing of Denmark was ashamed to treatof such an Affair, otherwise than byWord of Mouth. Before the End ofJuly, News came, that De Ruyter, withth oEqft-India Fleet, was on the Coast ofNorway . Soon after he came into Ber-ghen. The Riches then in that Portwere reckoned at many Millions.

The Earl of Sandwich was then inuponsenut those Seas; So Talbot sent a Vessel ex-the Earl of press to him with the News: But thatSandwich: y e ssel fell into the Hands of the DutchFleet, and was sent to Holland. TheKing of Denmark wrote to the Vice-royAnd to the of Norway , and to the Governour ofViceroy of Berghen, ordering them to use all fairNorway. Means to keep the Dutch still in theirHarbour, promising to fend them parti-

cular Instructions, in a few Days, how 1665-to proceed. Talbot sent Letters withthese, to be delivered secretly to theCommanders of the English Frigats, tolet them know, that they might boldlyassault the Dutch in Port ; For theDanes would make no Resistance, pre-tending a Fear that the English mightdestroy their Town : But that an Ac-count was to be kept of their Prizes,that the King of Denmark might have ajust half of all. They were not to besuprized, if the Danes seemed at firstto talk high ; That was to be done forShew only ; But they would grow cal-mer, when they came to engage.

The Earl of Sandwich sent his Secre- MeJfig eS °*tar j to Talbot, to know the Particularsof the Agreement with the King of^mew^ 1 'Denmark , But the Vessel that broughthim was ordered, upon landing the Se-cretary, to come back to the Fleet. Sothat it was impossible to fend by thatVessel what was desired; And no otherShip could be got to carry back the Se-cretary. And thus the Earl of Sand-wich went to attack the Dutch Fleet,without staying for an Answer from Tal-bot, or knowing what Orders the Go-vernour of Berghen had yet received:

For tho’ the Orders were sent, yet itwas so great a Way (ten or twelve Day’sJourny) that they could not reach thePlace, ’till after the English Fleet hadmade the Attack.

The Viceroy of Norway, who resid-ed at ChrijUana, had his Orders sooner,and sent out two Gallies to communi-cate the Agreement to the Earl of Sand-wich, but missed him; For he was thenbefore Berghen. The Governour ofBerghen, not having yet the Orders, thatthe former Express promised him, senta Gentleman to the Er.glijh Fleet, de-siring they would make no Attack fortwo or three Days, for by that Timehe expected his Orders. Clifford wassent to the Governour, who insistedthat ’till he had Orders, he must de-fend the Port, but that he expected yesthem in a very little Time. Upon Clif-ford's going back to the Fleet, a Coun- gfrd ^cil of War was called, in which theEogi^Officers, animated with the Hope of a B eet ‘rich Booty, resolved without fartherDelay, to attack the Port, either doubt-ing the Sincerity of the Danish Court,or unwilling to give them so large aShare of what they reckoned alreadytheir Prize.

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