A. C. 1673 rées. This battle was fought with surprising emulation by the English and Dutch officers; but the French kept aloof, in fuch a manner, that Brankert fhot a-head to the affiftance of De Ruyter; and prince Rupert being separated from the divifion of Sir John Chichely, was quite furrounded by the enemy, and exposed to a most dreadful fire. He fought with his ufual courage, and manifested fuch conduct as he had never difplayed before. He difengaged himself with wonderful dexterity; and, joining Chichely, bore down to the affiftance of Spragge, who was almost overpowered by Tromp and his fquadron. The Royal Prince, in which he fought, was fhattered in fuch a manner, that he was obliged to fhift his flag to the St. George; Tromp for the same reason moved from the Golden Lion to the Comet; and the action was renewed with redoubled violence, until the St. George was quite difabled then Spragge took to his boat, in order to hoift his flag on board of another fhip; but the pinnace being funk by a cannon-ball, this gallant officer perished. The earl of Offory diftinguished himself by his extraordinary valour and perfeverance; but, after the death of Spragge, he found himself hard preffed by the enemy. Prince Rupert perceiving that whole divifion almost totally difabled, fent three firefhips among the Dutch fleet, which was likewife greatly damaged; and made fignal for the French fquadron to bear down and engage. Had they obeyed this order, while the enemy were in confufion, occafioned by the fireships, in all probability the English would have obtained a complete victory. But the French marechal paid no regard to the signal; and the majority of the English fhips had been fo roughly handled, that the prince could not purfue his advantage: he therefore collected his ftraggled fhips, and hauled off to the English fhore, leaving the victory undecided. The the conti The king of Sweden having offered his media- A. C. 1673, tion, a congrefs was opened at Cologn; but the Progrefs of two monarchs infifted nearly on the terms which the war on they had already impofed; and the ftates having nent. recollected themselves from their panic, funk every day in their offers, as their affairs began to affume a more favourable afpect. Spain and France had come to an open rupture: the emperor had declared in their favour, and fent an army into the field, under the command of the famous Montecuculi, who found means to baffle the vigilance of Turenne, and, by a sudden march, invested Bonne on the Upper Rhine, before the marechal was aware of his defign. The prince of Orange having taken Naerdin, and, by the most artful conduct, left all the French generals behind him, joined the Imperialists, and Bonne furrendered in a few days. They reduced feveral other places in the electorate of Cologn: and the communication between France and the United Provinces being cut off, Lewis abandoned all his conquefts, except Maestricht, which he had taken during this campaign. The Dutch ambassadors at the congrefs now talked in very lofty terms; and thofe of France and England retired from Cologn, on pretence of the violence offered to the count de Furftenberg, plenipotentiary for the elector of Cologn. This nobleman was apprehended by order of the emperor, as a fub. ject of the empire, who had betrayed his country; and the two kings refused to treat until he should be set at liberty. duke of of Modena. The emperor, in another inftance, manifefted his Match be¬ contempt for the king of England and his concerns tween the Proposals had been made for a marriage between York and the duke of York and a princefs of the Infpruck the princes branch of the houfe of Auftria: but the emperor becoming a widower in the courfe of this year, efpoused the lady; and the duke of York was obliged to turn his eyes to another quarter. He now pitched Against which the commons A. C. 1673.pitched upon Mary, fifter of Francis duke of Mo dena, whom Lewis XIV. declared an adopted daughter of France; engaging at the fame time to pay her portion. The propofal was immediately accepted, and the marriage folemnized by proxy; the earl of Peterborough representing the duke's person. The commons meeting after a proroga. tion, petitioned the king that he would prevent remonftrate, the match between the duke and the princess of Modena ; and take care that his brother should marry no lady of the catholic perfuafion. To this addrefs the king replied, that the duke's marriage was already confummated by proxy; and that he could not fuppofe it would be disagreeable to the commons, as they had never expreffed the leaft diffatisfaction at the proposal of the other match between his brother and a catholic princefs, which had been fo long in agitation. The house was not fatisfied with this answer, and refolved to prefent another addrefs, containing their reasons for oppofing the marriage. Charles, in a speech to the parliament, had mentioned the congrefs at Cologn; giving them to understand, that his ambaffadors had been treated with contempt by thofe of the States-general, who feemed averse to all reasonable terms of accommodation. He therefore demanded a fpeedy fupply for the maintenance of the war; defired they would difcharge the debt he had contracted with the ban kers and goldfmiths, who were ruined by his ftopping payment at the exchequer; and he promised to maintain the religion, liberty, and property of his fubjects. The chancellor expatiated upon the fame topics; but neither his eloquence, nor the king's importunity, made the leaft impreffion upon the commons. They adjourned the house, and afterwards began to take his majefty's fpeech into confideration. In a committee of the whole house, 8 they Second ad marriage. they refolved, That no fupply should be granted. A. C, 1673*” ̃ to the king, nor any impofition laid upon the fubjects, before the final payment of the last aid, amounting to one million two hundred and thirtyeight thousand feven hundred and fifty pounds; nor until the kingdom fhould be fecured against the defigns of popery, and all the national grievances redreffed; unless the obftinacy of the Dutch, in refufing reasonable terms of peace, should render fuch fupply neceffary for the defence of the nation. At the fame time, they petitioned for a general faft, as if the kingdom had been in imminent danger. Then the house went in a body to the king, with dress again a fecond address against the duke's marriage. They the duke's represented that it would produce doubts, difquiets, and diffatisfaction in the minds of the people, and probably engage his majefty in alliances prejudicial to the proteftant religion; that it would increase the number of priefts and jefuits in England, and revive the hopes of the catholic party; that it would diminish the people's affection for his royal highness; that the princess of Modena having fo many relations at the court of Rome, this marriage would furnish them with means to pene trate into his majefty's moft fecret councils; and, as matches concluded by proxy had been often diffolved, they intreated him to prevent the actual confummation of this marriage, the duke being the prefumptive heir of the crown. of the com mons. Charles was extremely fhocked at these vigo- Vigorous rous proceedings of the commons, and told them, oppofition he would confider their addrefs. Mean while they yoted that the land army was a grievance and a burden to the nation; and began to prepare a third addrefs on that fubject. On the fourth day of November, the king came fuddenly to the upper house, and fent for the commons. The usher of the black rod and the fpeaker arrived at the NUMB. LXXIII. fame H A. C. 1673. fame time at the house of commons; but the firft had no fooner entered, than the door was fhut upon the usher. Then the commons immediately voted, That the alliance with France was a grievance ; that the evil counsellors about the king were grievances; and that, in particular, the duke of Lauderdale was a grievance. Mean while the ufher continued knocking at the door; the speaker leaped from the chair before the votes could be collected, and the house rofe in the utmost confufion. The king, in a very short speech, reprefented the great advantages which the enemy would reap from the leaft appearance of diffenfion between him and his parliament: he declared he had exerted his utmost care in preventing the growth of popery; and prorogued them to the feventh day of January. He deprived the earl of Shaftsbury of his office, and Sir Heneage Finch was created keeper of the great feal. He removed all popish recufants from his court; and iffued a proclamation for putting the laws in execution against papifts. The princefs of Modena arriving in England with her mother, her marriage with the duke of York was confummated on the twenty-first day of November. Burnet. *Rapin. Ralph. Hume. A.C. 1674. They pro bers of the e.ba'. When the parliament re-affembled, the king told them, that the States-general fought only ceed again to amufe him with vague overtures of peace: that tome men their fole hope centered in a difunion between him and his parliament; that the best way of obtaining. a good peace was to equip'a good fleet; that a good fleet could not be equipped without money; and that therefore he expected a fpeedy and proportionable fupply, granted with good-will and affection. Charles had now loft all credit with his parliament: they were aware of his dangerous defigns; they refolved to prevent the execution of thofe plans of arbitrary power which he had projected; and feriouily |