468 A. D. 1656. 



' mans were wont to bring by land-carriage from Italy, until the Ger- 

 ' man wars loft them that trade ; and afterwards their manufacturing 

 ' the raw lilk themfelves ; their woollen manufadure : and in fliort, he 



* obferves, the Hollanders had at this time well nigh beaten all nations, 

 ' by traffic, out of the feas, and become the only carriers of goods 



* throughout the world.' [Part i, c. 13.] How exultingly was all this 

 faid, even by the great, and otherwife cool and moderate, De Witt ! 

 And, indeed, it is a mori: fhining pidure of their mercantile grandeur, 

 long lince in its wane, as we have elfewhere noted. 



We have alfo, in this fame year, an authentic ftatement of the public 

 navy of the Dutch, in a letter from Sluyce in Dutch Flanders, in April 

 1656, importing, that they had lor fhips of war in their feveral ports, 

 including 8 fhips with Admiral de Ruyter at Cadiz. That their firft-rate 

 fhips had 72, 74, 76 port-holes ; the fecond-rates 60 ; and the third- 

 rates 52 port-holes or guns, [Xhurloe, V. iv, p. 732.] This is an unde- 

 niable proof that fhips of war in thofe days were confiderably inferior 

 to our modern floating caftles. We are here alfo to note, that, fmce the 

 Dutch admiral's remonftrances to their mafters, that in their laft war 

 with England their fhips were too fmall, they were built confiderably 

 larger. 



We find alfo a ftatement of the naval ftrength of Spain, in a letter of 

 intelligence dated in January. It fays, ' that they are now preparing 

 ' at Cadiz for a war againft England ; that they have there from 50 to 

 ' 60 fhips of war, 30 gallies, and 30 fire-fhips ; but the want of money 

 ' doth much hinder and trouble them, which they endeavour to bor- 

 ' row of merchants, &c. to pay when the galleons arrive ; but if thefe 

 ' do not foon arrive, the kingdom will be in a miferable condition.' 

 ['Tbur/oe, V. iv, p. 419.] This is a true, but melancholy, pidure of the 

 ftate of Spain fo early as at that time ; yet its mifery gradually increafed 

 till the death of King Charles II in the beginning of the eighteenth 

 century. 



Although Jamaica had been fo eafily won by the Englifh, yet, on the 

 return of the fleet, the protedor, provoked at the difafter at Hifpaniola, 

 fent both Penn and Venables to the tower. On the other hand, Spain, 

 refenting this attack, declared war againft England. Hereupon the 

 brave Englifh admiral, Blake, attacked the Spanifh plate fleet near the 

 port of Cadiz ; and burnt or funk all of them, excepting only one which 

 efcaped, and two which were taken and brought to Portfmouth, in 

 which were found upwards of two millions of dollars. 



In a Brief narrative of England's rights to the northern parts of 

 America, written this year, it is observed, ' that the Dutch, under co- 

 ' lour of a claufe in their Weft-India company's charter, enabling them 

 ' to conquer what they could in America from their enemies, (i. e. 

 ' Spain) had fettled in the north part of Virginia j that at ftrft they 



