522 A, D. 1665. 



ed to the emperor in Hungary, and to the Venetians, in defence of 

 Candia. Yet, though thofe aids made a difference between France and 

 the Ottoman Port for a while, Louis XIV found means, in the year 

 1673, to renew his commerce with Turkey ; which Colbert now began 

 ferioufly to think of, though retarded for the above reaibns. 



1666 The Enghih fleet, under Prince Rupert and the duke of Al- 

 bemarle, fought the Dutch admiral de Ruyter for four days fucceffively ; 

 in which conflicts the Englifli are find to have loft 23 ihips, and 6000 

 mtn killed, with the admirals Sir William Berkley, and Sir Chriftopher 

 Mynes, befides 2600 nien taken prilbners by the Dutch, who allege, 

 that they loft only flx fliips, 2800 foldiers, and 80 feamen, with three 

 of their admirals, and f'undry officers. In Auguft, this fame year, an- 

 other fea-fight gave England the advantage ; and, in the Mediterranean, 

 the French joined the Dutch with 36 fliips, in hopes to ruin theEnglifh 

 trade in thofe parts. A French fquadrou hkewife joining the Dutch fleet 

 near Dunkirk, obliged ours to retire with the lofs of one of our flfty- 

 -gun fhips. Thefe terrible conflicts are very varioufly reprefented by the 

 wa-iters of the oppolite nations, and, in fome reipeds, by different Eng- 

 lifli wiiters. 



The vain and ridiculous competition (as Voltaire calls it, in his Age 

 of Louis XIV) between England and Holland, for the honour of the 

 flag, and alfo concerning the commerce to Eaft-India, having kindled 

 the war between thofe two nations, Louis XIV with pleafure beheld 

 them deftroying each other, by the mofl; obflinate fea-flghts that had 

 been ever feen before in any age of the world ; all the fruits whereof 

 (as the fame author juftly remarks) were merely the weakening of both 

 nations. Thus, fays he, the fovereignty of the feas was for fome time 

 divided between thofe two nations, an'd the art of fliip-building, and of 

 employing them in commerce and in war, was perfectly known only by 

 them. France, under Richlieu's miniftry, efteemed herfelf powerful at 

 fea, becaufe that of 60 fhips then in her ports, flie could put to fea 

 about 30, of which only one carried 70 cannon. Under Mazarine, the 

 few flii]:is France had were purchaled of the Dutch. France was in 

 want of officers, failors, manufadures, and, in fhort, of every thing 

 needful for Ifiipping. In the years 1664 and 1665, while the Englifli 

 and Dutch covered the Ocean with near 300 large ihips of war, Louis 

 XIV had not above 15 or 16 of the lowefl rates ; but he uJed his ut- 

 moll efforts to efface the fliame thereof in the mofl ludden and efledual 

 manner. 



This year, the Engifli colony in St. Chriftophers, in the Weft-Indies, 

 was overpowered by that of France, in the fame ifland ; and they were 

 entirely difpoflefled of all their plantations, which, however, were re- 

 flored four years after. It was furely very ill-judged in both nations to 

 } laut on the fame fmall ifland, which, however, was not entirely reme- 



