A MESSAGE SENT FROM His Highneſs the Lord Protector, TO THE GREAT TURK, WITH His Demands and Propoſals; and the releaſing of the Engliſh Captives.
LIKEWISE, The new Edict, and Decree of the Governor of Argier; the redeeming of all Engliſh-men from Thraldom and Slavery, and the bringing of them in to Gen. Blake; the ſeizing of the Salley men of War, and a Narrative of the general proceedings of the Engliſh, in order to the French, Dutch, and Spaniards.
EXtracted out of the Original Papers; Licenſed and publiſhed by ſpecial Authority.
London, printed for Peter Mitchel, 1654.
HIs Highneſs the Lord Protector having taken into ſerious conſideration, the moſt deplorable & ſuffering condition of the poor captivated Engliſh at Argier, and other places in Turky, graciouſly vouchſafed to ſend an Expreſs to the Governour of Argier, requiring a Reſtauration of the Engliſh Captives; and withal, adjuring him to deſiſt from any ſuch future violence, againſt the Engliſh Subjects: This Meſſage was4 reſented with ſo much terrour and aſtoniſhment, that the Governour immediatly gave Order, for the releaſe of all the Engliſh; and ſet forth an Edict, or Proclamation, prohibiting the ſeizing of any Engliſh Veſſel whatſoever, upon pain of death; and to incur the ſeizure of their whole Eſtate, in caſe of any obſtructing, or interpoſing any Engliſh man whatſoever, in their free Trade and Commerce; &c.
By an Expreſs from General Blakes Fleet, thus. Sir, When we came into Cales Road, we ſaluted the Town with 21 pieces of Ordnance, they returned us 7 for one, both Engliſh, Spaniards, and Hollanders. The Dutch Admiral vailed his Flag and ſaluted. Our General aſſured the Spaniards we intended nothing prejudicial to them, who before ſuſpected us. We ſailed from thence to the Straights, anchoring in Gibralter Road; where we went on ſhore, and were very courteouſly received by the Governour, who promiſed us accommodation in whatſoever we wanted, and the5 Countrey afforded: VVe were very courteouſly ſaluted by the Clergy, and had four Officers of their Army went bare before us, conducting us through the Town, and to the Cuſtome-Houſe, at the requeſt of the Goxernour, who had there provided a very ſtately Collation for us. He alſo made proclamation (having received Order from the King ſo to do) That none whatſoever ſhould affront the Engliſh upon pain of preſent Death. VVe had not been long here, but one of our Victualling ſhips (the Dolphin) who by the late ſtorms was ſeperated from us, came to us: In her way ſhe fell among 7 great French ſhips, who took her; the Admiral then called our Captain on board his ſhip (which carried 56 pieces of Braſs Ordnance) demanding of him where Gen. Blake was, and what ſtrength he had with him? He replyed, That he was gone to the Steights with 30 Men of VVar. The Admiral therewith was troubled; and proffered him a great ſum of money to ſatisfie for what his men had taken from him, and deſired him to ſtay, and he would enquire after thoſe that had plundered him, and execute them: but our Capt. refuſed both VVhereupon drinking General Blakes Health, they diſcharged him, and he came to us with all ſpeed.
UPon our advance from Cadiz, further into the Levant ſea, VVee met with many difficulties, not onely by ſtomy and unſeaſonable Weather, but by ſome obſcure Rocks, which our Pylots were not very wel acquainted with: But having for ſome time waited upon the Series of Divine Providence, we then immediatly found the Omnipotent workings of the moſt high Protector, and great Jehovah of Heaven for Us; who, even in an inſtant, when we were all toyling and plunging through the Deep, cauſed the winds to ceaſe, and the Seas to become calm; ſo that our whole Fleet (bleſſed be God) in few houres came within ſight of each other, who bearing up to the Ambral, our General commanded forth Captain Sacheverel with the Pearl Frigat, and Cap. George Crapnel in the Merlin Galley, as Scouts; who after 5 hours ſayl diſcovered a Fleet with French colours, conſiſting of 17 in number, which Cap Sacheverel haled; but the French refuſed to anſwer: whereupon, he bare up to them, being accompanied by valiant Ca. Crapnel, and having the windward, gave them ſeven broad ſides; which thundering Eccho arriving the Eares of our heroick General, he preſently bare up with the George, & the7 reſt of the Fleet to the very head of them, & charged them through and through five times together; inſomuch, that the French tack'd about, and declined Engagement; but we embraced the purſuit, & in the chaſe ſunk 3, fir'd two, and took 5, which we deſerted, they being ſo leakie, that ſuddenly they ſunk alſo. The reſt fled towards Naples, where the D. of Guiſe is with his Fleet; whom we are under ſayl to viſit. But by a ſtratagem ('tis ſaid) his Highneſs, with the Lord St. Paul, and divers other chief Commanders, are ſurprized in the City, upon a pretence of ſurrender; in the mean time, confident I am, (by divine permiſſion) that we ſhal ſuddenly ingage them; for our men are reſolved to fight them, though they be five to one. Our General hath ſet up the Engliſh Standard, bearing St. Georges Croſs, at the Head of all the Flag ſhips; which carries no little terror to the Pyrats in theſe parts; who abounded very much upon the Levant; but are now pretty well diſpierced; for we have put a period to above 100 of them within the ſpace of a month; and have taken 11 Turkiſh Galleys, in which Atchievment, Capain Hill with the VVorceſter Frigat, and Capt. Cattens in the Lamport performed ſingular ſervice; but the Pearl loſt her Maſt, and ſome other ſhips their Boltſprit, and Tackling.
8As touching the influence the Lord Protector hath gained by his Meſſage to the Turks, 'tis a thing wonderfully to be admired; and indeed, it cauſeth no little admiration throughout all Chriſtendome; for, true it is, the Argier men of War are become Aſſociates with the Engliſh, and will not permit a man of our Nation to be carryed captive into thraldome; but ſeiz and takes all their Sally ſhips, and others, that have any Engliſh them, and brings them in to Gen. Blake, who at this very inſtant, rides tryumphat in the Levant Ocean.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A80951)
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