General Blake maintains the Weſtern ſeas, and expects the coming forth of the Dutch Fleet very ſuddenly. Vantrump hath tendered an Oath to all his Officers and Sea-men; and unanimouſly they have vow'd to diſpute their Quarrel upon the Neptu•e Ocean to the laſt man. But it is the Muzzle of the Canon, and not ſuch Squibs muſt reſolve our Caſe.
Two hundred ſail of Colliers are now bound from Newcaſtle for London; they put forth on the third of November, and are daily expected at the Hope.
On Munday being the eighth of this inſta•t, we received intelligence, That Sir George Carteret is very buſie with his Pickeroons upon the Weſtern Coaſt, ſeizing divers ſmall Veſſels, but ſometimes they ſnap ſhort of their prey; and inſtead of prize receive ſhipwrack. Amongſt the reſt, a gallant ſhip richly laden with plunder'd Plate, and other famous Commodities, was bulg'd upon the Sands neer Corum in Kent, and became a prey to the Inhabitants thereabouts: ſhe is by eſtimation deemed to be worth forty thouſand pounds.
Great are the preparations for War throughout all the Provinces; but the moſt active and forward7 to engage are the Engliſh: Yet there is a people who are loath to run the hazard of War, knowing that it is not a little Ghelt muſt feed the flame, and want of Trade will ſoon make a hole in the bottom of their purſes. And ſo I leave them between Hope and Deſpair: God knows the future Events, and not I.
Yet notwithſtanding, the Eſtates now proſecute their Deſign with great vigor, and have paid the Sea-men off all their arrears, ſo that there is a general concurrence of their Mariners to be in action once more; and their whole Navy are now ready to launch forth. The Lords have muſtered 30000 able and expert men of Armes, out of which 5000 were ſelected to man the Navy. The intereſt of the King of Scots is eagerly proſecuted amongſt them; and all the talk is, of his Cauſe, and Advance, to palliate their new Deſign The King of Denmark hath ſent a Declaration to the Eſtates General, aſſuring them of his readineſs to joyn with them, for the advancing of the King of Scots intereſt, provided they would play the like Game; which they ſeem very forward in, to run an apparent hazard of the fortune of their own Commonwealth to hold the conteſtation with ours. Thirty men of War are coming8 from the Baltick ſeas to joyn with them; from whence we hear, that the King hath ſent a ſummons throughout all his Dominions, in obedience whereunto, there hath been a great muſtering of the Militia, and a great Army is drawn down towards the Sound; ſo that there ſeems to be a mighty compliance of both ſides in heightning their war and conſpiracy againſt us. We hear that his Maj. of Denmark hath ſent the King of Scots one hundred thouſand pounds for a Preſent, with the promiſed aſſiſtance of Him and His Subjects, in the diſputing of His Cauſe againſt all Oppoſers.
In purſuance whereof, He hath broke open the Engliſh ſhips by him detained in the Sound, and is reſolved to proſecute the Quarrel, which gives a ſecond occaſion of joy to the Hollanders, in regard they ſuppoſe it is an engagement upon him to ſtand to his affront: But there is a Judge above, that muſt cenſure theſe actions, beyond whom there is no appeal, and in whom, no perverting of Judgment.