THE DECLARATION Of the HOLLANDERS Touching The late King and the Common-wealth of England: with the States granting Letters of Mart against the English.
SInce the burning down of the Town-house in Amsterdam, nothing hath been heard almost but mourning and lamentation, with railing against the Governours; where though the losse be not so much as was before conceived yet it will be great, and much money will be lost. They know not now where to trust their moneys, fire hath consumed much at home, and the English [Page 4]play their parts abroad; yet do they wish the English did no more mischief to them then the fire; however so many losses one upon another makes many of our Merchants to break. Trading begins to decay, and will undoutedly cease, if there be not a sudden remedy; for those that having any thing to lose will forbear to trade, and no Goods are entred, but all is still, and is not poverty and misery the end of this? This makes the people tumultuous and outragious threatning death to their Governours for their tediousness in the publick affairs, and say, they have had an opportunity and would not lay hold thereon. To adde to this dejection of their spirits, reports fly about the Town, and indeed about all the Country, that the English are gone Northwards, with 70 sail of ships manned with 16000 men, so that now they fear their Herring Busses, and East India Fleet, not onely poverty, but scarcity two. Now they begin to set all out to sea they can get together for defence. Many wish for peace, and say, That it were better to yeeld to something, then to enter into a war with England, and lose all. But as many are of a contrary temper, and roar out revenge; we hope (say they) Holland shall bring forth that rod that shall revenge the innocent bloud of the late King Charls, and be the scourge in the Hand of God to punish the insatiable covetousnesse of the English Common-wealth for superiority, for which we are making great preparations at Sea. And not onely their tongues, but their pens are busie in railing against the English (not onely in prose, but in verse too) calling them Devils, Wolves, Murtherers, Bastards, Dogs, and what not? Something they would be seen to do as well as to say; for the other day three English Gentlemen walking out of the Hague in the [...]vening, were set upon by many of the Dutch, wh [...] [...] them up and down beating and reviling them, [...] [Page 5]them Regicides, Serpent-tails, &c. a [...] which passeth unreg [...]rded. It is noised abroad that we shall have the Prince of Orange in play again; and that the City of Amsterdam is most desirous, which is worthy of admiration, if we consider how much that place had like to have suffered by the late Prince. They write from the Dutch Fleet hither, that they had beaten the English, and forced many to run a shore, and taken about forty ships, but these we look upon as meer untruths. By reason of the burning of the Town-house, the several Tribunals, seats of Justice and Magistracy▪ sit in other places of the town for their best accomodation.
The States General have granted forth letters of Mart a new unto many, whereby those to whom the said Letters of Mart are granted, are given free and full power, To fight with, seize upon, sink, burn, and destroy, in what place or places soever they can or shall happen to meet with them, all, or any of the ships, or vessels, whether men of war or Merchant men, and Goods of or belonging to the Common-wealth of England, or any person thereof, comming from thence, or going to any place whatsoever.
Given at the Hague, Iuly the 20, 1652.
By this you may see what thoughts both Governours and people have of peace with the English; I shall as often as I may have opportunity offered me, give you the best intelligence I can of their proceedings, and remain,
A Letter from France.
SInce the retreat of the Princes forces into the Suburbs of Saint Victor and Marcelle (which they did seeing themselves not able to resist the King till the Arch Du [...]es forces come) some of the King horse being come over the bridge at Saint Clow, fell upon some of the Princes forragers, and took 200 horse and servants (who were cutting Wheat for their Masters horses) together with about as many souldiers that were for their Convoy, the Kings being two for one.
The Parliament have declared, that the King is a prisoner to the Queen his mother, and the Cardinal, and that the Duke of Orleans shall be the Kings Lieutenant General, and employ the Kings power, and his own, to set the King at full liberty. Since which we hear that the King intends to return to St. Denis again, that from thence he may go towards Burgundy, because the Normans refused to accept of him, if not without Mazarine and forces; as for the Forces they would not make difficult of as many as there be with him now, being but two thousand, but as for Mazarine they will have nothing to do with him,
The King sent to all the Nobility of this Province, and the most of their Commons to come together the first day of the next moneth, and consider how the enemies of the Kingdome comes in upon them: As the Spaniards, to nothing else but to t [...]ir ruine, which if they do not oppose [Page 7]in time, they may when it is too late repent it: whether they will obey or no, I know not yet. The Normans also sent to his Majesty, signifying, that if he hinder their commerce with Paris, that they will absolutely declare for the Princes. The Prince of Conde is indisposed these five or six days past, which yet did not hinder him to be present at the Assembly the last Saturday: He was let blood twice, Saturday and Munday.
We hear that the Duke of Elboeuf, taken at Chauny, is out of prison upon his parol to pay 120000 li. Ransome for the prince of Ligne, taken prisoner by the French in the last battel given at Laus. The said prince was set at liberty then likewise upon his parol to pay the said Ransome, which was not paid till now:
Both the French and Spanish Army are marching one against the other, and it is thought within two or three days they will be about Chaulny, the last place taken by the Spanish Army as before. The Arch Duke hath directed Lorraign to give assistance to the Spanish Army. The Army in our suburbs here are disposing to march towards Lagny, Carbeille, Meulun and Meaure, to keep the liberty of the River for this City.
Turens Army is now near Campagne, having power to fight the Spaniards as he shall think fit, and having at his departure from St. Denis, promised to ruine that Army. The Duke of Guise arrived at Bourg near Burdeaux, being set at liberty upon the Letters from prince Conde to the King of Spain. We expect another Assembly, whereby an army shall be raised in Paris for the princes, and money wherewith they shall be maintained, in case his Majesty will not be advised by Orleance so as to joyn to Paris.
Paris July 24. 1652.
We have received intelligence that above seventy ships of the Hollanders, attempted three Merchants ships in Robinhoods Bay, near Scarbrough, they pursued them close, but two of them run ashore, one was burned, and then the Dutch steered away Northward with all speed. One of our Scouts sent out to sea hath returned, and saith that he was informed by an Hamburger whom he met, bound for Roan, that upon the North o [...] England off Whitby, he the said Hamburger met with the Dutch Fleet, who called him aboard some of them, where he remained four hours, their intent was to have gained intelligence from him of the motion of the English, but he could give them none for that he had not seen any of them: He saith that that they were in all about 107 sail, sixteen whereof are fire-ships, ten small Frigats some 8 guns, some ten a piece, above twenty of them are good firm ships, about thirty or forty guns a piece, all the rest are of middle size. About twenty of them coasting up and down about Southwold have taken one or two ships notwithstanding the guns of the town played against them▪ Zealand provides more for them, but Corn is very dear there, it is said that Wheat is at thirteen shillings the English Bushel, containing eight gallons, yet are they divided some for war, some for peace.