A true relation of the Queens Majesties return out of Holland and, of Gods merciful preservation of her from those great dangers, wherein her royall person was engaged both by sea and land. Also, Her Majesties letter sent to the states about the stay of her ammunition-shop. Written by one in the same storm, and ship, with Her Majestie.

A TRVE RELATION OF THE QVEENS MAJESTIES Return out of HOLLAND, &c.* 1.1

THe States Generall of the United Provinces, (notwithstanding ma∣ny Arts and means used to per∣swade the contrary) having pre∣pared for Her Majesties Service nine Men of Warr, with five lesser Ships for the Baggage: Her Majesty on Thursday, January the 19, 1642, in the Afternoone, at Sciveling, two Miles from the Hague, im∣barked in a more threatning, then promi∣sing

Weather. The Wind then was so slack, that it made little further way that Night, then to carry the Ships out of those peril∣lous Shoares; where, had a Storme risen, they had been in very great danger. The next day, when God had blessed us with Sea-roome enough, the Wind began to rise very high, and about midnight, blew a fear∣full and furious Storme; which, with the in∣termissions of some howres, (one day onely) Tuesday, excepted, for six dayes together continued very vehement and terrible. And by reason of the often Variation of the winds, made a most raging Sea, and so very tempestuous, that the Ship was many times let to drive, and hull it at Sea, not being able to make any Saile with safety, having been in great danger to be underset, by the suddaine gusts and blasts, which duck't and drowned the sailes in the Seas. In this sad and unsafe condition, did we live out all those dayes, being tossed and driven to and fro on the Doggar Sands, threatning to be our graves; in which we had surely been buried, if the care of Heaven had not more mercifully come in to our help.

Her Majesty saw and suffer'd all this so long with a Princely Patience and Courage, and then perceiving how little She did ad∣vance in Her way to Newcastle, took a Reso∣lution (there being no English Port else neer where She might safely adventure Her Per∣son) rather to return for Holland, then to tug on and work out Her Way with contrary Winds and Weathers, in such enraged Seas. It was presented and pressed to Her Maje∣sty, That if any storme should arise and meet Her in that Shoare, the danger would be greater then in the open Seas where She was; Her Ship being tydie and good, The* 1.2 Admirall most skilfull and carefull of his Royall Charge, and the Masters and Mari∣ners answerably able and willing, to doe their best seruice.

But Her Majesty kept still her resolution to returne. Whereupon, the Thursday Sennight after Shee imbarked, we made our Course for Holland again, and the next Day came on the Coast before Sciveling; God blessing Her with the freedom from a Tempest in that place of perill, where foure Ships had been wrack't, of which we saw

the bulk and ribs of an English one, which had perished in the late Tempests on the shoare, before our eyes.

The Admirall upon his comming in, shot off a Peece of Ordinance to give notice of his return; which they of the Town took pre∣sently and carried to the Hague; so that some howers before Her Majesty could get to shoare, the Queen of Bohemia, the Princesse Royall and other of the Princesses; the Prince Elector, the Prince and Princesse of Orange with divers Persons of Quality and Honour were all ready in their Coaches at shoare, t••redge•• attend Her landing; and did drive and rid••redge•• into the Sea for joy and haste to see tha••redge•• happy sight of Her Majesties safety, fo••redge•• whose great perills, heavy feares had lay••redge•• upon them, all the time of these Tempests

That Evening, a Fisherboat being foun••redge•• out at Sea, (for contrary Tyde and Wind••redge•• would suffer none to come from Land) th••redge•• Admirall commanded and called it in, an ••redge•• in it, Her Majestie with some Persons o••redge•• chief quality, not without some dangerou••redge•• weltrings of the Boat, by reason of the hig••redge•• Waves and Sands in that shallow shoar••redge••

came, at last, safe to Land; And having re∣sted and refreshed Her Self some time at the Town, went after to the Hague to Her Bed that Night.

On Saturday (the next Day after) the rest who came in the three Ships with Her Majesty (for but three came) landed all in safety. What was become of the other ele∣ven, was not then known; but after it was. That two missing or mistaking the Admi∣ralls warning, went on to Newcastle, the pro∣pounded Port; The others, with some leaks, and wounds, and losses of Masts, and sailes, and tacklings, came in after us, or got safe to other Shoares. But the two Ships wherein the Horses were, one of them was runne on ground, all the Men and some Horses being saved, onely, that, wherein the Coachmen were, is not yet heard of; and therefore fear∣ed, to be utterly lost.

All they in Holland, who were in great anxietie and fear for the Queen at Sea, (not having ever known a greater storm by Land) were very jocund and joyfull, to hear and see, Her safety.

Some said, Her Majesty would never have

adventured Her Self to Sea in such a Wea∣ther, but to shew, That a Queen feared not to be drowned. Others thought, that some Witches were made use of, to raise those Winds. But all saw, That if any such villany came from Hell, it was curb'd by Heaven, in the mercifull preservation of the Queen; and that, When God will help, the Divell cannot hurt us.

Her Majesty was entertained at the Hague by the Prince of Orange all the time of her last stay, which was from Fryday, January 27. to February the 13.

And then 7. greater Ships being got ready for Her Majesty, and five lesser for the Bag∣gage, with one of Her own, bought before, and now laden with Ammunition (thirteen in all:) On Munday afternoon, She went to S••iveling, and in that poore Fisher-Towne lodged three Nights, upon an unexpected occasion. For Her Ammunition-ship in the River of the Maze, was watched by two Parliament ships, (as they call them) the Providence and Greyhound;) who gave out that they would take that Ship, or fire it, o••redge•• sink it; or sink with it. Her Majesty knowing

how much the Kings Service, and his good Subjects and Souldiers in the North were concerned in it, resolved not to goe without it, but to stay there till Shee had it.

The Admirall hereupon having this War∣rant from the States Generall, and the Prince of Orange, went with two Men of Warre to fetch it off, and was bringing it a∣way; But was met, and bourded, and charged by the States of Holland (the Provincials as they call them) to have that Ship searched for Arms, and not to carry it further, but the Arms to be taken out, or kept safe in some other place fitting for it. The Admiral upon this Arrest, stopt, and cast Anchor; and came to acquaint the States General, and the Prince, with what was done, and to doe fur∣ther, as it should be directed.

Now began all Eyes to see that good Pro∣vidence, which guided the Queen to return to Holland; that Ship of Arms having been absolutely lost by Her absence; which was so hardly redeemed and preserved by Her Royall Presence, and Courage.

And by that it was. For the Queen, toucht with the sense of so visible an Indig∣nity,

by the hands of Sir William Boswell, resi∣dent in Holland for His Majestie, sent to the States Generall a round and quick Let∣ter,* 1.3 of the deep resentment, which She just∣ly had of that great affront then done Her; and that the bands of Amity betwixt the King and them, must needs be dissolved, if that were done and endured.

This begat a Meeting of all the States, the Prince of Orange being with them, whose spirit, this affront had moved much.

In it, the matter was argued with the States of Holland, who made the stay. The Arrest by many condemned, and concluded by all, that the ship of Arms should come away with the rest to the Queen; and the Admiralls Commission enlarged, to fight with any, that should attempt to hinder it, or any with the Queen besides it. The States of Holland now saying, they tooke the ship of Arms till then for a private mans, and not the Kings, for which cause (or co∣lour) they before had stayed it.

The Admirall (thus arm'd) went to fetch it away; and after some expostulations by Letters with the two Parliament ships, and

the Messenger, their Ministers vaine perswa∣sions to the contrary; bid them, to lye still, till the ship was gone, or to keep off out of Cannon-shot, or he would shoot at them. The ship being got out to Sea, the Providence made three shots at it, none hitting it: upon this, the Admirall shot at them, who in stead of answering him, shot off a Peece on the other side from him, and so went their way. So on February sixteenth, being Thursday, that ship with the rest came to Sciveling to the Queen.

THat Day,* 1.4 Her Majesty imbarked again in the Princesse Royall of great Brittaine (Her first ship.) And with a most blessed Weather, on a quiet Sea, by a soft and gen∣tle Gale, was brought on Sunday after, within sight of Flamborough-head. The Heavens and Winds for so long a time (and many Dayes before) continuing in those Winter Dayes and Northren Seas, almost miraculously Faire, and Intempe∣stuous.

On Munday we got on as farr as Scar∣borough; But then the Wind blew from

Newcastle, our onely intended Haven, just in our Teeth; and as God in great Mercy would have it, said to us (in the Language of His Providence) Goe no further. So we fell back into a safe Harbour (Burlington-Bay) and cast Anchor hard by the Shoare. As Her Majesty rid at Anchor there, some of the Gentry and Country People sent, and came, to present to the Queen some of their Country Provisions, with their Joyes for Her Safety and happy Returne. Her Ma∣jesty graciously accepted them, doing them the Honour to let them kisse Her Hand.

Here God put into Her Heart another blessed Resolution. It was to send to my Lord of Newcastle, to give him word of Her being there, and Her will (if he so direct) there to land. His Excellency having but the Weeke before, beaten the Forces out of Stamford Bridge, and made his way into the East-Ry∣ding of Yorkeshire, was then very happily at Pocklington with his Army, about twenty miles from Burlington. On Tuesday came a Messenger with Tydings, That the Ge∣nerall of the Horse, next Day about Noon, would waite on Her Majesty at shoare

with a thousand Horse: And my Lord Ge∣derall the next Day after, with the rest of the Horse and Foote Army. This was done accordingly. For on Wednesday after Noone, the Horse appeared on the shoare; whereupon, Her Majesty landed that Night at Burlington-Key. All the Ordinance of the Ships speaking as much to those who were not near enough to see it. Next Day (as the Queen was at Dinner) came His Excellency, and Generall King, with the Army of Foot, and fiveteen hundred more Horse.

His Excellency tould the Queen, Her landing so, was in a most happy place and time, for the Country and Army, and Her selfe and Her Retinue. So apparently it was. For besides the great moiling of Men and Beasts, this would save the Country a very vast expence of Moneys for Carri∣ages in those long and ill wayes from New∣castle to Yorke, this being but thirty miles and good way from it. And the Army (al∣ready much wearied, in chases of the Ene∣my, from which they came but the Day be∣fore) would have been overtoyled and

weakened in so long Convoyes and March∣es to and fro, for the Queens necessary con∣duct and Attendance; of which great trou∣ble, Her Majesty now gave them a present case. And both Country and Army mag∣nified the mercyfull Providence of God to both, who disposed so of his Winds, and the Queens thoughts; to bring them such an unexpected case and happinesse, to the great joy and encouragement of them all. And Her Majesty & Retinue had their share in the happinesse, too. For by this meanes, the Queen came much sooner to York now, then she could, had she landed at Her first comming at Newcastle: And much safer too, then if she had now arrived there; con∣sidering the Dangers both of the Haven, and ships, which lay in waite for Her there, fit∣ted with Men of desperate minds, to doe all possible Mischief; and the many Ac∣cidents and Perills, which might have be∣fallen Her in comming thence.

Besides all this, great advantage would have been necessarily given, and as greedi∣ly taked from the Diversion and Division of the Army, to make the Enemy more

bould and busie to work his ends, by the ab∣sence, now frustrated by the keeping of it in one body and place.

The Army being now by Burlington, the Queen after Dinner rid out in a Coach to see it; which received great encouragement from Her comming, and welcommed Her in∣to the field, with many hearty Acclamations and expressions of their Joyes, such, as much moved many to see them; and in them the true old Genius and Spirit of the English Nation to their Princes, of late degenerated into the strange Tongue of rude Invectives and Outcryes. After sight of the Army, which Her Majesty rid through & through, even to the new raised and unarmed Com∣panies; Shee returned to Her Lodging at Burlington Key.

But had another manner of Salutation sent Her from the Sea next Morning, in a strange (and till that time) utterly un∣known and unparallelly-barbarous Lan∣guage. For foure Ships and a Pinnace, Vo∣luntaries in the Parliaments Service; which came over Night into the Roade, betwixt five and six of the Clock next Morning,

made above an hundred shots at the Hou∣ses in the Key, for two Howers shooting crosse-bar-shots, and many Bullets of twelve pound weight,* 1.5 and thereabouts, all the while. One of those Ships was directly planted against the House where the Queen lay; and that, and the other made many shots over it, and on every side about it. Her Ma∣jesty hereupon was suddainly called up out of Her Bed to avoid the Danger, and lea∣ving the House, went and sat down under the Brow of an Hill, which secured Her from the shot.

The Lords and Ladyes (who were all thereabouts lodged) made hast to goe with, and after the Queen; some of their Houses having been shot through before; and the Bullets, then flying about them in the Streets and Fields as they went. And as they sate under the Hill, some flew over their heads, casting some rubbage and dust, though no Danger then upon them: so that of all the Queenes Company (God be thanked) not one was kil'd, or hurt, or touched; though one of the common Soul∣diers was sore torn, and a Serjeant slaine

out right, not farr from the Queenes Lodg∣ing.

These Ships, (upon Advertisement brought them of the Queenes comming) were seen to hye away presently from Newcastle, where till then, they lay to doe such Service as they were directed to. And where, they are said, to have bragged, they would board, sinke, or sinke with the Queenes Ship, could they meet it. Gods Goodnesse gave them not the power of try∣all by Sea, though the Divells malice in them, made them attempt to doe that Mischief by Land. And to doe it the bet∣ter, in the Night they landed some of their Men on shoare, who were heard to enquire for the Queenes Lodging at three of the Clock, which they shot at by six, a shroud suspition (with the rest) what was the Mark they aimed at.

Whether by Commission, and by whose, these bould Men did this barbarous Outrage, the Justice of Heaven and Earth will doubtlesse concurr to examine and pu∣nish, that so great a Blot, and Burden of shame and Guilt, may not lye on the Nation.

Upon this deliverance from the shot, Her Majesty went that Day further out of their reach; from Burlington Key, to the Town. And the Ammunition ship (all this while in the Key, hit, though little hurt with all their shots) was unladed, and the Arms carried to the Town, and there carefully kept, in the old Church of the Monastery, now decayed. The Parish for that Sunday, being desired for fear of danger, to go to their Neighbour Churches at hand, or to come so many as could, to the Queenes Court; where by Her Majesties leave (there being else where no convenient Roome to be had,) Her Houshold had Service and Sermon for that Day.

At this, the Country People wondered much, who believed all with the Queen to be Papists; though of all the English in Her Majesties Houshold, not one Woman, and but four men be all. So willing are some to deceive, and others to be deceived.

On Sunday after (necessity pleading the Passe) Her Majesty in the after-noone, Mar∣ched with the Army and Ammunition from Burlington to Norburton (about foure Miles

off.) Thence next Day to Malton. And (there the Foot being left) was next Day conducted by the Horse to York: No Ene∣my all this while opposing, or appearing. That Ancient City, received Her Majesty with many hearty welcoms, and shouts, and blessings accompanying Her all the way Shee went. Sir Edmund Cooper, Lord Major, (that true and tryed Lieutenant to his Liege) and Sir Thomas Widdrington, Recorder of the City, with Speeches to that purpose.

So She was brought with much Joy and Honour on Tuesday, March the seventh, to Her Lodging in Sir Arthur Ingrams House, where a Court of Guard attends Her Ma∣jesties safety, which the Guard and Blisse of Heaven make good to Her, as it hath hitherto been most mercifully and visibly with Her and for Her, in Her Departure, Absence, and Return; which hath been happy, healthy, and safe, almost to a Mi∣racle.

The Circumstances of Her going out, were strange beyond all belief. both at home and abroad: but the issues have appeared good and happy above all expectation. And

Her staying as wonderfull. That Her Ma∣jesty and Her Retinue being about, or above two hundred Persons (for Eleven Moneths time) in a strange Land, and un∣wonted Diet and Dwelling; should but bu∣ry one Consumptive Man in Holland, who brought his Death with him out of England; but keep in, and come out with so good a health, was an unlook't for, but not un-en∣joyed Blessing. And Her safety in Her com∣ming out, as singular.

At Her Majesties first comming out to Sea, the Storms were most fierce and terri∣ble for many Dayes; But at the second, the Winds and Weather most faire and comfor∣table all the time. God Allmighty most mercifully preserved and blessed Her Ma∣jesty in both. And at last gave Her an Arri∣vall most happy, both to Her Self, and to ma∣ny. Since that He delivered Her from the vil∣lainous attempts of the ships at Sea, which put Her precious Life to a manifest Perill and Hazard. A Signe from Heaven of Bles∣sings to come upon the King and Queen, to which the Majesty of Heaven long preserve them, and the Kingdom by them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Her Maje∣sties first set∣ting out of Holland with a Navy of fourteen Ships, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 19. 1642.
• * 1.2

  Sir Martin Van Tromp.
• * 1.3

  See Her Ma••esties Letter ••rin∣ted after the Relation.
• * 1.4

  The Queens second com∣ming out of Holland with a Navy of 13 Ships Feb. 16. 1642
• * 1.5

  The names of the Cap∣taines and Masters of the Ships were.

  • C. Hadock, Commander of the Fleet.
  • C. Lee.
  • C, North.
  • C. Bedwart.
  • C. Peacock Master of the Pinnace.