IN my laſt, being of the 14th. current, I gave you ſomething an obſcure Relation of our and the Enemies Actions: But now having the advantage of time and conveyance, I ſhall give you the recollection of a bad memory in a little perfecter forme.

Upon the fourth current, Newes came to us that the Revolters had gotten all their Winter Proviſions, their men, and abundance of Gentry, on board each Ship, and had appointed ſeverall Frigots, from Oaſtend and other places, a day of the Moneth to come to the Harbours mouth, intending upon ſight of them to ſet ſaile, being in hope of the States Men of War their Convoy out to Sea.

Upon this Information, a man was preſently ſent to Oaſtend, who told us, that there were Iriſh-men victualing there. Upon this, the Lord Admirall adviſed with his Councell what was expedient to be done: they ordered every Ship with which of the Revolters they ſhould fight at Sea, expecting their comming every houre, which was deſired by us; and yet this newes did ſomewhat ſtartle ſome. But when we ſuppoſed them in their higheſt condition, then was there the moſt diſcontent, by reaſon of Prince Ruperts being made Admirall (as ſuddenly was apparent;) for the next day, being the fifth, (a fatall day for Traitors) the Constant Warwick, a Frigot of 32 Guns came from them, which they intended ſhould have maintained the reſt, having new rigged and tallowed her. This Veſſell we only feared would eſcape and injure the Kingdome, becauſe ſhe ſailes beſt of any in England; But God prevented their intentions in this, and ſince that day they have not proſpered.

The Lord Admirall having intimation from this, and other Veſſels, that more intended to deſert them, if there might be an advantage of their ſecure comming from them, His Lordſhip adviſed with his Councell what ought to be done in order thereunto, who concluded it might be advantagious to go up with his whole Fleet, and Anchor board and board with them.

Accordingly, upon the eighth current, in the afternoon, our foreſaile was looſed, and guns fired for warning to the Fleet to weigh Anchor (although his Lordſhip had made many ſcruples, and ſeemed to oppoſe it) but having lien long in one place, our Cable being buried with ſand, 'twas ſomewhat late ere we could get our Anchors up, and the winde being alſo at North eaſt, ſo that we could not get up to them that night, but came to an anchor ſhort, moſt of our ſmaller ſhips anchoring very neer them, ſo that they diſcourſed with them all that night, in which night they put their land ſouldiers on board; But the Hind a Ship of eighteen Guns, cut her Cables and came to his Lordſhip, receiving a ſhot through her Hull, but hurt none; The next morning being the ninth, I obſerved their fore-ſailes looſe, and Anchors apeeke, ready to weigh, when they ſaw us weigh (halfe the Dutch Fleet were now gone) and as we heard, would fire upon us. When we came up upon the flood againe, in the afternoone, we weighed, they weighed, and the Dutch weighed, all plying up the river. Our Frigots were round their Admirall, endeavouring to provoke him to fire (as Prince Rupert vapoured he would) but they then would not take notice of affronts. There was ſo little winde that we could not make our Ships worke, for our Reer-Admirall runne a ground, and one of theirs.

In ſtead of firing upon us, they all haſtened to gaine the Sluice, which we might have prevented had there not been ſlackneſſe in ſome—We had one Frigot in their Admiralls way, and lay before the Sluice mouth, where our Vice-Admirall might have been alſo, if ordered, and then the Valiant Prince could not have runne his head into that hole, as preſently afterwards he did, by carrying a Hawſer on ſhore, and the Guinea Frigot alſo, the reſt being all at an Anchor as neere the Peere as they could get, and the Dutch as neer to them as they could get, and our Fleet mixed with them both, all the three Fleets being within a ſmall compaſſe.

In the night they cut the Cables of five more (which we have ſince taken up) and haled them all but one (very valiantly) into the Sluice, where one lay thwart the others ſterns.

Our men were mightily vexed to ſee ſuch brave Ships of their Kingdomes, haled into ſuch a place to be ſpoyled, and might not have the liberty to fire upon them. All the meanes in the world were uſed to provoke them to fire but one Gun, but we could not prevaile to make them breake the peace that the Hollander lay to keep.

The next Morning being the 10. aſſoone as it was light, I thought I ſhould have ſeene ſome ſcuffle, for the Love (a Ship of 38 Guns) weighed and ran right for the Sluice: One of our Ships layd her croſſe the Hauſer, forcing her to an Anchor, ſome of the Souldiers on board her cryed fire, but immediately ſhe yeelded. After her, a Prize they had weighed and ſtood for the Sluice, we laid her croſſe the Hawſer and tooke her. There was a third run her ſelfe on ſhore, to whom we ſent three Frigots, and divers Boats full of men, who yeelded upon condition that the Captaine and his whole Company ſhould go on ſhoare with Bag and baggage: But in the interim they ſend Boats laden with men to relieve her, and our men chaſed them all to the Peere, and there Prince Rupert was buſie in building Forts, himſelf & his men flinging the Turffes, and Stones, and Musket bullets at our men, but durſt not fire ſo much as a Piſtol. This Ship is called the Satisfaction, a Navy-ſhip of 28 Guns, now a float again, and our Reare-Admirall alſo, who hath taken no harme, a thing much admired. We have taken in all, the Conſtant Warwick, a Frigot of 32 Guns; The Hinde, a Frigot of 18 Guns; The Love, a Ship of 38 Guns; The Satisfaction, a Ship of 28 Guns; A Ship laden with Sugar, and a Catch. Since this they have raiſed two Forts, and planted Guns in them, (our Fleet riding within command of them, ſome within Piſtol ſhot) have built a Court-of-Guard houſe. If the Towne were their owne they could not keepe a more ſtrict guard. They take all men priſoners that come upon the Iſland, take our Letters, and all things that come over Land to us. The Lord Admirall hath ſent to the States to know if they will allow a Foreigne Prince to raiſe workes to debarre the Engliſh Fleet in their Harbour, but no anſwer is yet returned.

They have now taken the ſailes from moſt of their yards, are taking out the Guns, and have haled in the fifth Ship that lay croſſe. Theſe Ships have neer two hundred Braſſe Guns in them, which we apprehend they will ſell, for 'tis thought ſome of theſe Ships backs are broke.

They have one Ship of fifty two Guns, and three of forty Guns apeece, the Guinea Frigot, which carries above thirtie, The Blackmoore Lady, twenty eight, The Roe-buck, twelve Guns, one ſmall Pincke, two Hoyes, and two Catches, and all hailed into the Sluice.

The Lord Admirall is now ſending Frigots to Sea, towards the Weſt, and North-coast, to ferrit the Iriſh, and every day expecteth the Parliaments Agent from the Hague to give an accompt of his Meſſage from the States, and then I ſuppoſe he will have ſome thoughts homewards, if liberty may not be gotten to uſe our endeavours to reduce the Ships.

By the carrying on of things between the States and his Lordſhip, I apprehend they have ſome minde to quarrel, which I ſhall be better able to judge of by their anſwer when it comes. If we ſhould receive but one ſhot from the Towne, I ſuppoſe the Lord Admirall would fire the Ships which would burne downe the Towne.

We have loſt three good advantages, two whereof were knowne and omitted, which makes men grumble. The Prince is well againe, and at the Hague, the Duke of Yorke is ſtill at the Brill, who was ill, but eſcaped the Pox Maſter Crofts gave the Lord Admirall a viſit. Maſter of the Princes horſe, who came lately from France, ſayes things looke there with an Engliſh face.