A RELATION of a late Baibarous Assault of the FRENCH upon the ENGLISH, near the Downs, March the 12th. 1688/9. Attested by Captain, Officers, and several of the Passengers.  
CAptain Butcher, Commander of the good Ship, called the Mary of Lyme Regis, bound for London, sailed from the Port of Lyme the sixth of this Instant March, with divers sorts of Merchant-Goods; and the twelfth of this Instant proceeding on her Intended Voyage, four Leagues off Dungenness, met with a French Man of War, who bore up to him, and coming near, the said Captain Butcher not knowing of any War betwixt England and France, he thought it not fit to make Resistance, some shot was fired from the French man and struck her, to the danger of some Passengers, though, as it pleased God, none was wounded; about Ten in the morning they commanded the said Captain Butcher's Boat on board, who was forced to submit, having not wherewithal to withstand so great a force: so manning his Boat, and coming on board, they demanded the late King James' Passport; the Captain answered, I have none, here are my Cockets from the Custom-house at Lyme, which I think is a sussicient Discharge for me; and also said, I hope there is no War betwixt the English and your King; the Answer was, You Dogs, you Rognes', I will go on board and see what you have: And coming on board the said Captain Butcher's Ship, opened all the Letters, not only the Masters, but divers Letters of the Passengers, and barbarously used the Commander, a very worthy Gentleman, his Father having served his late Majesty King charles the Second very faithfully in his Wars against the French; and this worthy Commander resolved now to engage in his best Capacity in and for his countries' safety, which was his greatest concern in coming up to London; he was beaten and abused at a very severe rate: The Plunder of the Ship not satisfying their gorging appetite, they took from him all his Money, most part of the Goods worth carrying away, his Provisions; and so barbarous were these inhuman Papists, that they rob the civil Passengers, and took all they could from them, running their Swords at their Breast, and threatening them with immediate Death. These things are ready to be attested, and more of their barbarous Proceed with the Gentlemen-Passengers on board the said Ship, by the said Captain, and his Men and Passengers, the said Ship lying at Mr. Cotton's Wharf, near the Brdige in Southwark.  


Mr. John Butcher, Captain.  
Mr. John Stoakes,  
Mr. John Wicker,  
Mr. Henry Puss,  
Mr. Summer.  
Mr. Solomon Sweedland, Passengers.  
Mr. John Sprague, Passengers.  
Mr. Tho. Day, Passengers.  
Mr. Tho. Wilson. Passengers.     

ADVERTISEMENT.  
There is now Published a second Edition of a Book, Entitled, The Bloody Assizes, being a Complete History of the Life of George Lord Jefferies, from his Birth to this present time; wherein among other things is given a true Account of his unheard of Cruelties, throughout his whole Western Circuit: To which is added Major Holms' excellent Speech, with the Dying Speeches of many other eminent Prosestants. This Book of my Lord Jefferies Life, together with the first and second Collections of the Dying Speeches already published, completes the whole Western Transactions for the Year 85. All sold by John Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultry, over against the Compter.   

LONDON, Printed, and sold by R. Jameway in Queens-Head-Alley in Pater-noster-Row, 1689.