618 James IL Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book I#

1688.

His Fleetdispers’d bya Fempejl.

Puts to Seaa second! Time.

Comes uponthe English

Coast i

whole Fleet sailed out that Night. But,the next Day, the Wind turned into theNorth, and then settled in the North-west. At Night, a great Storm arose.We wrought against it all that Night,and the next Day; But it was in vainto struggle any longer. On the twenty-flrst, in the Afternoon, the Signal wasgiven to go in again ; And on the twen-ty-second, the far greater Part got safeinto Port. Many Ships were at firstwanting, and were believed to be lost;But, after a few Days, all came in, andnot so much as a Ship, or even a Manlost, but one who was blown from theShrouds into the Sea. The Ships, how-ever, .received some Damage, and a-bout five Hundred Horses perished forWant of Air.

On the first of November , O. S. wefailed out with the Evening Tide; Butmade little Way, that Night, that soour Fleet might come out, and move inOrder. We tried next Day, ’till Noon,if it were possible to sail Northward ;But the Wind was so strong, and fullin the East, that we could not movethat Way. About Noon, the Signalwas given to steer Westward. ThisWind not only diverted us from thatunhappy Course, but it kept th eEngliJhFleet in the River ; So that it was notpossible for them to come out, tho’they were come down as far as th eGun-fleet. By this Means we had the Seaopen to us, with a fair Wind and a safeNavigation. On the third, we passedbetween Dover and Calais, and beforeNight came in Sight of the Isle of Wight.The next Day', being the Day in whichthe Prince was both born and married,he fancied, if he could land that Day,it would look auspicious to the Army,and animate the Soldiers. But we all,who considered, that the Day follow-ing, being Gun-Powder-Lreason Day,our Landing that Day might have agood Effect on the Minds of the EnglishNation^ were better pleased to see wecould land no sooner.

To rb ay was thought the best Placefor our Fleet to ly in : And it was re-solved to land the Army, where itcould be best done near it, reckoning,that being at such a Distance from Lon-don, we could provide ourselves withHorses, and put every Thing in Order,before the King could march his Armytowards us, and that we should ly someTime at Exeter for refreshing our Men.

On the fourth, at Noon, it was re- 1688.solved, that some of the Ships shouldland at Dartmouth, and the Rest failinto Torbay, But, in the Night, the Pi-lots overshot both Lou bay and Dart-mouth ; So, the Wind continuing full inthe East, it seemed necessary to sail on,to Plymouth ; Which might have beenof ill Consequence, on severalAccounts.

This put us in some Disorder, ’till, ona sudden, it calmed a little ; And thenthe Wind turning to the South, a softand happy Gale of Wind carried thewhole Fleet, in four Hours Time, intoLor bay. Immediately as many landedas conveniently could. As soon as thePrince and Marshal Schomberg got onShoar, they were furnished with suchHorses, as the Village of Broxholmcould afford, and rode up to view theGrounds, which they found as conve-nient as could be imagined for the Foot,in that Season.

The next Morning, all our Horse j n j lawas landed, in three Hours Time, wf has much Baggage as was necessary, ’tillwe got to Exeter : And we resolved tomake Haste thither.

W e had no sooner got thus disengag-ed from our Fleet, than a new and greatStorm blew from the West; Fromwhich our Fleet, being covered by theLand, could receive no Prejudice : Butthe King’s Fleet had got out as the Windcalmed, and was come in Pursuit of us,as far as the Ife of Wight, when thiscontrary Wind turned upon them. Theytried what they could to pursue us; Butwere so shattered by some Days of thisStorm, that they were forced to go in-to Portsmouth, and were no more fit forService that Year. This was a greaterHappiness than we were then awareof; For the Lord Dartmouth assuredme, some Time after, that whateverStories we had heard and believed, ei-ther of Officers or Seamen, he wasconfident they would all have foughtvery heartily.

On this Occasion were applied to thePrince of Orange , the two famousLines of Claudian :

0 nimium dilebte Deo, cui milit at Æther,

Et conjurati veniunt ad Class ca Venti ■

Heaven’s Favourite I to whom the Skie$

Assistance lend,

Whilst on thy Sails conspiring Winds

attend.

Th®