News From the narrow Seas, Being a certain Relation of a mighty and fearful fight in those Seas, upon the Coast of Frizeland, Between a Navy of Danes of a hundred sail, under the Command of the Grave van Erfurt, the Danish admiral, and mine Here van Trump, admiral to the States of the united PROVINCES.  
Wherein the said Van Trump obtained a glorious victory by the utter overthrow of the Danish Navy, which was (as is probably supposed) intended for England to assist His Majesty against the Parliament.  
The battle happening on Tuesday last, the first of November, old stile.  
The Relation of it was sent over from Amsterdam in a Letter by a Merchant of good quality to a Gentleman in this City, and by him published.  
LONDON, Printed for Francis Wright. 1642,   

Worthy Sir,  
ACcording to the mutual correspondence long time held between us, understanding by your last express of the 20. of October, the old stile of the affairs of England, I found myself engaged to make you a retribution by acquainting you with the last passages here; I believe it is not unknown to you that there has been open hostility between the King of Denmark and the State, which yet continuing in full heat and violence; all the discourse for some weeks past here, has been of a strange and new appointed navy, which the said King has been all this last Summer a rigging in all the considerable ports of the baltic, for what end we certainly could not understand; the best intelligence from thence, giving information, that it was bound for England, procured hither by the solicitation of the malignant party there to assist his Majesty against the Parliament, others affirming, and probably, enough, that it was to infest the Netherlandish Coasts and to make some attempts upon Hilford sluice, the Brill, or some other part of Zealand, being assisted by another fleet of our old and implacable enemies, the Dunkirks, whithersoever it was bound, or for what purpose raised, I can not determine, but certain it is, that about Saint Luke's tide last, according to the English account, there arrived out of the same into Copenhagen, near an hundred able ships, part Lubeckers, part stoud Merchants, and the rest Danes, which taking in there some twelve or fourteen thousand landsouldiers, besides abundance of ammunition, even to supefluity; under the command of the Duke of Holstein; and then joined with the grave Van Erfurt a German, the admiral of Denmark and his fleet of twenty ships; they put to sea that week, keeping along the coast, the State here having daily avisoes from sea of their proceedings, and by their consant and continual wrestling with military dangers, enured to a care of their safeties, they sent an express to that famous Van Trump their admiral (being with his fleet of threescore sail of good and valiant ships not far from the coast Zealand) to intimate the approaching of the Danish Armado, charging him to wait diligently on those unwelcome guests, and so to watch their movings; that if he saw occasion, he might bid them to a bloody entertainment; for whatsoever were their pretentons, or whithersoever they were bound. It was cause and quarrel enough to give him battle, being professed enemies to that State. Van Trump having received that charge quickly hoist his sails, and with a cheerful and pleasant gale of wind, did run along the coasts of Zealand, Holland and F●●zl●nd, being as far as the States claim any jurisdiction in those seas, without having any notice of this talked-of navy, till the eve before the battle, which was on Monday the last of October Old style he had notice by a light Catch, that scouted out to sea ward, that there was a mighty and stupendious fleet to the number of at least sixscore bottoms, bearing to seaward from the coast of Humburg, and that in all probability, if he would make out to sea, he might encounter them ere morning; Ven Trump exceedingly joyful at this tiding unamazed at the number of their fleet, made toward them, by the directions of that Catch, but the wind at evening being something scant, and not sufficient to trim the sails of his greater ships, his admiral and some other of his fleet, being vessels of twelve hundred and a thousand tun was forced to laver about, till in the night the wind coming about, and blowing a stiff gale in his stern, he spoond before the waves, and by that it was clear day light, ours had a view of the Danish Armado, who failed on, as if they had notice, intended to fall over for the North coast of England, then to trouble the Coast of Holland. But on the descriall of our fleet, without delay they prepared for fight, their admiral Erfurt dividing his navy into three squadrons, two wings himself in the middle with his musters royal ships, making as it were the body of his battle. Van trump came on almost in the self same form, only his wings keep closer to the main of his Armado, and so with fearful shouts on both sides, the Danes as is their custom, drinking large carrowces to make them more courageous, they sent loud messages of death to each other, by those fatal imbassadors, their great Ordnance, the Constables of our ships being far more experienced markesmen than the Danish gunner's, none of those fireballs were sent in reign, but went either through and through the sides of their vessels, or light upon their masts, splitting them, and shearing asunder their tacklings, our light and nimble ships turning dexterously about, saluteng them with two broad sides and sinking some six of the right wing, the rest shockt up to their admiral. Who was not unmindful neither of his honour, nor to invade our navy, upon which he sent out not in vain, his great Artillery, which seemed to change the sea into a flame, at last finding our Ordnance from our vice admiral Hans Hiem the son of that peer Hiem that took in 29 the Spanish plate-fleet in the James. to gall him shrewdly twixt his decks, trusting to the multitude of his men, they being now within half musket shot he ran his sword with much violence upon his stern, and grappling after a turn or two, his ship to that of Hans Hiem, he laid him aboard with some kindred of his resolutest soldiers. When suddenly the murderers from the great Cabbine going off, and fire being given to the train under the false Decks, up flew those Danes into the air dismembered, and others by the admiral being clapped on in their rooms, were with the Murderers from the cook-room straight cleared the Decks, and sent those Danes to drink an everlasting health with their companions. The admiral perceiving that there was likelihood of taking that strait ship, deserted her, and took about to the aid of his right wing, which under the command of the Duke of Holstein was undertaken by Van Trump himself, who like a right Neptune, as if he only would be Lord of those waters, bestirs himself among the Danes, pouring into their bosom's showers of lead like hailstones, and throwing over pots of wild fire and hard Granado's into their quarters and tacklings. You might have in an instant seen as it were a fiery contention for priority between those two opposite Elements, fire and water, the burning ships, as it were striving to set fire upon the rooms: Which in scorn to be vanquished in their proper dwellings, as the vessels should have suffered a double death, insinuated into their holds, and sinking them extinguished the audacious flames; the same ships at one instant (strange yet true) being burned and drowned, Van trump boarding the Duke of Holstein, was twice repulsed, rather by multitude then valour; those Bacon-eating Danes wishing themselves at home again carousing strong waters; On the sudden, were sent to their long home, where they had plenty of liquour; destiny seeming to be courteous to them in affourding them plenty of that in their deaths which they had so doted on in their lives. Hans Hiem with the rear-admiral and his squadron, in the interim falling in upon Erfurts left wing, which consisted of Lubeck mariners, they instantly cried out for quarter, yielding themselves without striking one stroke, with their sluggish ships, to the number of six and thirty, a large thirst of the Fleet; with which cowardly treachery of theirs, Erfurt amazed and discouraged would have provided for his safety by fight; but he was as well surrounded with enemies as waves, and therefore impossibilitated of his purpose, like a valiant soldier resolves to fight it out, and set his life at as dear rate as possible, rather, then betray the trust reposed in him by his King, by betraying the ships royal into the hands of his enemies, cheerfully therefore and suddenly he made upon Van Trump charging his Ordnance great and small; you might have seen there all the horrors incident to mortality, men leaping there from one to another, death, fire, water, and sword, and all the Elements and Engines of destruction contriving their ruin. At last, by the singular skill and directions of Van Trump, and the valour of Hiem and others, most of the Fleet that before threatened the Seas was sunk or taken. The Duke of Holstein seeing us go to wrack, as Hiem informed, being in a good and strong ship, valiantly cut his passage through our Fleet, and escaped old Erfurt, after he and his soldiers had showed as much valour as ever was expressed, that Nation beholding his ship boarded, on all sides ready to be taken, and himself led into captivity, more desperately then Christianly getting down into the gun-room, gave fire to those vessels of powder which were there; he blew himself, soldiers and enemies that were then aboard, with his ship into pieces; that old Commander like Aiax, disdaining that any should conquer him but himself; after which the rest of the ships crying out for quarter, were received into the possession of Van Trump, who now had a competent victory. Of all that great fleet not one escaped that I can hear of but the Duke of Holstein, there being thirty six sunk and torn a pieces in the fight, and some sixty taken and made prize of, we having not lost above three ships, and those not very considerable, and not above three hundred men, they four thousand, there being of mariners and soldiers between six and seven thousand prisoners. This is the true Relation of that great and fearful battle, than which has not been fought a more considerable one to this State. The King of Denmark by this means being deprived of all his maritime forces; and if they were intended for England, they were happily diverted thence: Where Sir I wish you a sudden and happy tranquillity, and rest,  
Your humble servant, and true Friend, Em. D. Amsterdam this present Wednsday, the 11. of Novemb. stylo novo.  
I could have written you other Occurrences, but the Post being ready to go aboard, I had enough to do to noticifie this to you, which is a certain truth. Farewell.  
FINIS.