A. D. 1628. 



S55 



of Montauban, and afterwards of Nifmes and Montpelier, tlie proteftants 

 were never able to uiake head againlt the catholics. PutVendorf relaies 

 that feme have thought thofe civil wars had, firfl: and lafl, devoured 

 above 1,000,000 of people, deflroyed 9 cities. 400 villages, 20,000 

 churches, and 2000 nionafteries ; and that 100,0^.^0 houfes were either 

 burnt or demolifhed thereby. 



In this year the Dutch Weft-India company are faid to have divided 

 fifty per cent to their proprietors, chiefly by means of the capture of 

 the Spaniih plate fleet, as already mentioned, valued by fome at twelve 

 millions of guilders. They alfo got much treafure by driving a Spanifli 

 fquadron of fliips on fliore on the coaft of Peru, and plundering them. 

 By fuch prodigious lofl^es on the fide of Spain it was as impofllble for 

 that monarchy not to decline very much as for the Dutch republic not 

 to increafe greatly in wealth and power. 



King Charles again appointed commiflioners to treat with the piratical 

 ports of Barbary for the redemption of Englifti captives there, and for 

 eftablifliing peace and commerce with them ; for which end he fent 

 them 6 iron cannon and 700 camion bullets as a prefent. 



So great was the power and wealth of the city of Dantzick at this 

 time, being now in her meridian glory, that the great king Guftavus 

 Adolphus of Sweden being now at war with Poland, and fending a fqua- 

 dron of eight ftiips of war to block up the port of that city, the Dant- 

 zickers fent out ten fliips of war againft the Swedifli fleet, which they 

 vanquiflied ; having killed the Swedifti adimral, taken the admiral fliip, 

 and obliged the reft to fly. This is by Puffendorf 's own confeflion in 

 his Hiftory of Sweden. {Enghyb tranjlation, p. 506.] 



Sir David Kirk and his aflbciates, during a war between England and 

 France, now poflefled themfelves of Canada (which then confifted only 

 of the country on the north fide of the great river St. Lavirence) toge- 

 ther with the caftle of Quebec ; of which Sir David's fon was appointed 

 governor : and in the fame year they conquered Nova-Scotia, which Sir 

 William Alexander again poflefled ; when the French agreed to recog- 

 nize our king's property of all Nova-Scotia : and it is faid they agreed 

 to pay Sir David Kirk L50,ooo for quitiing the forts which he had pof- 

 fefled himfelf of in Canada ; which fum however was never paid. 



This year the Englifli, under Sir Thomas Warner, from St. Chifto- 

 phers, again planted the neighbouring fmall ifland ot Nevis (formerly 

 called Mevis) being about eighteen miles in circuit. It has plenty of 

 frefli water fprings, and has now fcarcely any other ftaple produce but 

 fugar and melafles, though it formerly yielded tobacco, ginger, and cot- 

 ton. It is faid they have at this time about 3000 whites and 8000 ne- 

 gro flav.es. From this ifland St. Chriftophers, Euftatia, Saba, Antigua, 

 Montferrat, St. Bartholcrhew, and Guadaloupe, may be plainly feen ia 

 a clear day. 



Yy2 



