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A MERRY SONG,

ON THE

DUKE'S LATE GLORIOUS SUCCESS OVER THE DUTCH.

Tune Suffolk Stiles."

Southwold Bay, commonly called Sole-Bay, is celebrated as the theatre of a most obstinate and sanguinary naval engagement, which took place on the 20th. of May 1672, between the combined fleet of England and France on the one side, and that of the Dutch on the other. The former consisted of 101 sail, 35 of which were French, carrying 6,018 guns, and 34,530 men ; and the latter of 91 men of war, 54 fire-ships, and 23 tenders. James, Duke of York, commanded the Red squadron; the Count D'Etrees the While; and the Earl of Sandwich the Blue: the Dutch were commanded by De Ruyter, opposed to the Duke of York; Blankart to Count D'Etreès, and Van-Ghent to the Earl of Sandwich. Cornelius De Witt was on board the

Dutch fleet, as deputy from the States.

The combined fleet lay in the Bay, in a very negligent posture, extending from Easton-ness to Menes-Mere. The Earl of Sandwich, an experienced officer, had given the Duke warning of the danger; but received such an answer, as intimated that there was more of caution than of courage in his apprehensions. Upon the appearance of the enemy, every one ran to his post with precipitation; and many ships were obliged to cut their cables in order to be in readiness. Sandwich, though determined to conquer or to dic, so tempered his courage with prudence, that the whole fleet was visibly indebted to him for its safety. He hastened out of the Bay, where it had been easy for De Ruyter, with his fire-ships, to have destroyed the combined fleet, which was crowded together; and by this wise measure, he gave time to the Duke of York, and to Count D'Etreès, to disengage themselves. He himself, meanwhile, rushed into the battle and by presenting himself to every

danger, drew upon him all the bravest of the enemy. He killed Van-Ghent, and beat off his ship; he sunk another, which ventured to lay him aboard, and three fire-ships, that endeavoured to grapple with him. And though his vessel was torn in pieces with shot, and of 1000 men, which she contained, nearly 600 were killed, he continued still to thunder with his artillery in the midst of the enemy. But another fire-ship, more fortunate than the first, having laid hold of his vessel, her destruction was inevitable. Warned by Sir Edward Haddock, his captain, he refused to make his escape, and bravely embraced death as a shelter from that ignominy, which a rash expression of the Duke's had thrown upon him.

During this fierce engagement with Sandwich, De Ruyter remained not inactive. He attacked the Duke of York, and fought him with such fury for more than two hours, that of two and thirty actions in which he had been engaged, he declared this combat to have been the most obstinately disputed. The Duke's ship was so shattered, that he was obliged to leave her, and shift his flag to another. His squadron was overpowered by numbers, till Sir Joseph Jordan, who had succeeded to Sandwich's command, came to his assistance; and the fight being more equally balanced, was continued till night, when the Dutch retired, and were not pursued by the English. The loss sustained by the two maritime powers was nearly equal. The Dutch lost three ships of war; and their loss in men is supposed to have been very great, as the publication of it was forbidden by the States. Two English ships were burned, three sunk, and one taken; and about 2,500 men killed and wounded. The French suffered very little, having scarcely been engaged in the action. It is supposed that they had received secret orders to spare their ships, and let the Dutch and English weaken themselves by their mutual animosity. On the 27th. which was Whit-Monday, there was a great merrymaking on board the fleet; and so sudden and unexpected was the approach of the enemy, that many officers and sailors, who were on shore at Southwold,

Dunwich, Aldeburgh, and the adjacent country, could not get on board their ships, although large sums of money mere offered for boats to carry them off; but were obliged to remain spectators of the fight. Many likewise were disporting and regaling themselves at Framlingham fair, as the traditionary accounts of the Southwolders testify to this day. Owing to a calm and thick fog, little more than smoke could be discerned on shore; but by the report of the guns, a violent concussion was felt in all the houses of Dunwich, Southwold, Walderswick, and even as far as Lowestoft. During the engagement, the Southwolders, apprehensive of danger from the enemy, were seized with such a panic, that they mustered a strong guard, and suffered no country people, who came flocking into the town to behold the fight, to repass the bridge, before victory smiled on the English.

ONE day as I was sitting still
Upon the side of Dunwich hill,
And looking on the ocean,

By chance I saw De Ruyter's fleet
With Royal James's squadron meet,
In sooth it was a noble treat
To see that brave commotion.

I cannot stay to name the names
Of all the ships that fought with James,
Their number or their tonnage,

But this I say, the noble host

Right gallantly did take its post

And cover'd all the hollow coast

From Walderswyck to Dunwich.

The French who should have join'd the Duke,
Full far astern did lag and look

Although their hulls were lighter,
But nobly faced the Duke of York,

Tho' some may wink, and some may talk,
Right stoutly did his vessel stalk
To buffet with De Ruyter.

guess,

Well might you hear their guns, I
From Sizewell-gap to Easton Ness,
The show was rare and sightly:
They batter'd without let or stay
Until the evening of that day
"Twas then the Dutchmen ran away,
The Duke had beat them tightly.

Of all the battles gain'd at sea
This was the rarest victory
Since Philip's grand Armado.

I will not name the rebel Blake,
He fought for horson Cromwell's sake,
And yet was forced three days to take
To quell the Dutch bravado.

So now we've seen them take to flight, This way, and that, where'er they might To windward or to leeward;

Here's to King Charles, and here's to James, And here's to all the captains names,

And here's to all the Suffolk dames,

And here's the House of Stuart.

THE

Most rare and excellent History of the
DUTCHESS OF SUFFOLK'S,

AND HER HUSBAND

Richard Bertie's Calamities.

To the tune of "Queen Dido."

Catherine, Dutchess of Suffolk, was the sole daughter and heir of William, Lord Willoughby of Eresby, by the Lady Mary Salines, his second wife, decended from a noble family in Spain, and who had accompanied the Infanta, Catherine of Arragon, into England, on her marriage with Arthur, Prince of Wales, and was one of her maids of honor, after her marriage with Henry the VIIIth. Her father, Lord Willoughby, was in possession of the lordships and manors of Ufford, Bredfield, Sogennowe, Winderfelde, Woodbridge, Orford, WykesUfford, Parham, Baudesey, and Campys in this county; and dying in Suffolk in the year 1501, was buried in the collegiate church of Mettingham.

Being under age at the time of her father's death, and as she was sole heiress to the barony, and to very large estates, her wardship was granted to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. In the 26th of Henry the VIIIth she, making proof of her age, had livery of the lands of her inheritance; and afterwards became the fourth wife of that great Duke, her guardian, by whom she had issue two sons, Henry and Charles, who died, both of them, in 1551, in the Bishop of Lincoln's house at Bugden, Hunts, of the sweating sickness.

She afterwards married Richard Bertie, esq. of Bersted, in Kent, a person singularly accomplished and learned in the French, Italian, and Latin languages. By him she had issue Peregrine Bertie,

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