3 1 ful Effect on the Spirits of the Soldiers; fo that 66 66 66 66 ૮૮ 66 on Gentlemen, 1688. dated a "I have little to add to what His Highnefs has Admiral "exprefs'd in general Terms, befides laying before Herbert's you the dangerous Way you are at prefent in, Letter to "where Ruin or Infamy muft inevitably attend His Maje you, if you don't join with the Prince in the fties Fleet, “ common Caufe, for the Defence of your Religi- board the and Liberties; for fhould it please Leyden, in "God, for the Sins of the English Nati-the Gooon, to fuffer your Arms to prevail, to what ree. can your Victory serve you, but to enslave you LC deeper, and overthrew the true Religion in which you have liv'd, and your Fathers dy'd? Of C6 which, I beg you, as a Friend, to confider the Confequences, and to reflect on the Blot and In famy it will bring on you, not only now, but "in After-Ages; That by your Means the Prote "teftant Religion was deftroy'd, and your Coun try depriv'd of its ancient Liberties; and if it pleafes God to blefs the Prince's Endeavours . with Succefs, as I don't doubt but he will, confider then what their Cóndition will be that "pose him in this fo good Defign,where the great"eft Favour they can hope for, is, their being do fuffer'd to end their Days in Mifery and Want, detefted and defpis'd by all good Men. It is "therefore, and for many more Reafons, too long to infert here, that I, as a true English Man, and your Friend, exhort you to join your Arms to the Prince, for the Defence of the common મંદ Caufe, the Proteftant Religion, and the Liber ties of your Country. It is what I am well af Cop fur'd 1683. "fur'd the major and best part of the Army, as well 66 as the Nation, will do fo foon as Convenience "offers. Prevent them in fo good an Action, "whilft it is in your Power; and may it appear, "That as the Kingdom has always depended on "the Navy for its Defence, fo you will yet go further, by making it, as much as in you lyes, the "Protection of Her Religion and Liberties, and "then you may affure your felves of all Marks of Favour and Honour fuitable to the Merits of "fo great and glorious an Action. After this, I ought not to add fo inconfiderable a thing as that it will for ever engage me to be in a moft particular Manner, Storm. Gentlemen, Your Faithful Friend, And Humble Servant, AR. HERBERT. To return to the Prince of Orange, the Storm which caus'd fo great a Confufion in his Fleet, did The Prince not fo much as ruffle or diforder his Mind; for of Orange's whilft moft People about him had ftill their Fancies Compofednes and haunted with the Horrors of the late tempeftuous Intrepidity Night,his Highness with that Compofedness of Soul, in the and Serenity of Countenance, which is peculiar to Heroes, was pursuing his fix'd Defign, and contriving how to repair his Loffes. The firft thing he did, was to fend out Coaft-Pilots (fuch as the Dutch call Lotefmen) to cruise up and down the Seas between Holland, England and France, to get Intelligence of his fcatter'd Fleet, and to order all the Ships they met with to go into Helvoet-Sluys. By thefe Pilots His Highnefs was inform'd, that none of his Veffels were loft, except one Fly-boat, laden with Men and Horfes, which was driven upon the Coaft of England, and fecur'd by one of King James's Frigats; but that all the reft were fafe in one Harbour or another, tho' most of them much fhatter'd and damag'd in their Rigging. Rigging. The ftormy Weather continued for Eight 1688. refitting and victualling the Fleet, and fupplying He puts to the Lofs of about 500 Horfes, that all things being Sea again, now in a Readiness, and the Wind Eafterly, His Novem. I. Highness, accompanied as before, went aboard a new Veffel of about 28 Guns, call'd the Briel, with the Rotterdam's Admiral, the Trumpets founding, the Hautboys playing, the Soldiers and Seamen fhouting, and a Crowd of Spectators on the Shoar breathing forth their Wishes after him. The ufual Signal being given, the whole Fleet weigh'd AnĮ chor with all poffible Expedition, being divided into Three Squadrons; on Board which were Troops of feveral Nations: The Red Flag was for the English and Scotch, commanded by Major-General Mackay; the White for the Prince's Guards, and the Brandenburghers, commanded by Count Solms; and the Blue for the Dutch and French, commanded by the Count of Naffau. The Winds were profperous, and withal a brisk Gale, and by the Compafs the Fleet pointed towards the North, fo that fome concluded the Prince defign'd to land fomewhere there. It was alfo generally fuppos'd, that the Scouts which were fent out by the Lord Dartmouth, feeing the Dutch Fleet made Northward, haften'd to acquaint him with it; after fome Hours failing in the Night, the whole Fleet ftruck Sail, and drove before the Wind. The next + Morning they steer'd with all fpeed towards the + Friday, Coaft of England, without meeting with any Novem. 2. English Ship; but Night coming on, they all ftruck Sail again, and were driven as before. On the 3d of November, being got up with the NorthForelands, and the Eafterly Wind continuing very favourable, the Fleet made all the Sail each Ship could bear, and now pointed towards the Channel. About Mid-day the Prince of Orange, who led the Van, tack'd about to see the Rear well come up, and between Dover and Calais call'd a Council of War, and afterwards order'd that his own Standard fhould be fet up, and that the Fleet fhould clofe 1688. clofe up in a Body. His Highness, with Three Men' of War to attend him, One at a difrance before his Ship, and One on each fide, fail'd forwards before the Navy, the Tranfport Ships, Victuallers and Tenders, fail'd next, with their Decks crowded with Officers and Soldiers, and the main Body of the Men of War brought up the Rear, ready to receive the Enemy, if, as 'twas expected, they had attempted to difturb their Courfe. And here let the Reader carry his Fancy either to the French or English Shoar, to view with Crowds of amaz'd Spectators this glorious, but formidable Sight, and behold the Prince of Orange riding triumphantly in the Channel, whilft Lewis and James are in Alarms; And after the Reader has recover'd his firft Aftonishment, let him confider another Wonder, and caft his Eyes on the immenfe Power of a Common-wealth, which at this time were able to controul the Two greatest Monarchs of Europe. But to proceed: On the 4th of November, being Sunday, and the Aufpicious Birth-day of the Prince of Orange, moft People were of Opinion that he would land either in the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, or fome other convenient Place thereabouts; but His Highnefs dedicated that Day to the ufe to which it is confecrated by the Church, that is, to the Service of God Almighty. The Fleet The Prince bore but little Sail that Night, and on the 5th of of Orange November, (a Day already famous for the GunLands at powder-Plot, and which Providence defign'd to Torbay, render ftill more remarkable, by a fecond Delive Nov. 5. rance from Popery) paffing by Dartmouth, it being hazy Weather, they over-fhot Torbay, where His Highness defign'd to land; but about Nine a Clock the Weather clear'd up, and the Wind, as it were by Miracle, fuddenly chang'd W. S. W. to give them Entrance into the Bay; and affoon as that was done, return'd to the fame Quarter it was in before they wanted it. By this time the People of Devonshire having difcover'd the Fleet, they flock'd in great Numbers to the Sea-fhoar, not to oppofe the Prince's Landing, but to welcome their Deliverer 1 Deliverer with joyful Acclamations, and to furnich 1688. him and his Followers with Provifions for their Refreshment. The Prince's Army was in a very ill Condition; efpecially his Cavalry, which for the most part were difmounted and unferviceable: And 'tis certain, that had he met with an Enemy to difturb his Landing, he would have been very much embarrass'd. But, as Providence order'd it, he found no manner of Oppofition, and having fafely landed all his harafs'd Troops, he led them by eafie Marches towards Exeter, and kept 'em within fo ftrict a Difcipline, that all who faw 'em were forc'd to own 'em for their Friends,and for the Reftorers of the dying Liberties of England. In the mean time His Highness took up his Quarters at Sir William Courtney's House, within a Mile of Newton Abbot, where he was very kindly entertain❜d. The King, who expected that the Prince of Orange would have landed at Burlington-Bay in the North of England, and who had fent a strong Detachment of his Army that way, was not a little furpriz'd to hear by feveral Expreffes that the Dutch Fleet was feen off of Dover on the 3d of Navember, fteering their Course Weftward, fo numerous, that they were Six Hours in paffing by that Harbour, being rang'd in a Line Seven Leagues long. That on the 4th they were difcover'd off of Portfmouth, and the Isle of Wight, and that on the 5th they landed at Torbay, Dartmouth, Exmouth, and the neighbouring Roads in Devonshire. His Majefty likewife expected that the Lord Dart.. mouth would have attack'd the Dutch Fleet according to his Orders, but was much concern'd to hear he did not ftir from the Gunfleet, a Road off of Harwich, where he rode with 37 Men of War, and 17 Firefhips. Whether a Fog interpos'd between the English Admiral and the Prince's Navy, or whether the former found his Officers and Seamen, or whether he was himself unwilling to fight in this Quarrel, and with unequal Force, Hiftory is ftillata Lofs. 'Tis true,Dartmouth had a Pique again Ad |